A Morning's Work ...

I'm continuing to add shadows ... almost there. I think I may have to darken the sky again in certain areas to highlight the focal spots, and put in the girders and understructures, to see exactly what I have here.

And I'm still playing with these much smaller ones, while the paint dries on the bridge.

Studio light

Day light.


Well, it's finally stopped bucketing rain outside. Mind you, I'd rather have this than the extreme heat and fires some areas are experiencing. I think it's time for a break outside.

As always, your comments are most welcome. 

Playing Around ...

Just wanted to let some staining colors run amok, to see what would happen. Usually I don't like when they separate out, but here it adds interest. I don't know where I'll go with this yet.  

A friend of mine worked with Tauk tours for a number of years. He took this when in India, and downloaded it for me. It really is a stunning photo, and one I've been thinking of painting for a while.

I've got a decent start on the sky ...

And yes, I did work a bit on the bridge - more shadowing on the right, and in the underpass.

As always, your comments are very welcome. 

The Battle Is Engaged ... or ... I've Started the Bridge

This is the monster, with first washes, showing its size  13 x 30 inches.

I decided to go moody and broody  with the background. It might be a bit of a reflection of my mood, or that I just don't see and feel about Vancouver the way I did when I was living there. It just seemed trite to paint the bridge with a glowing sunset. Maybe next time ... 

I've started blocking in the shadows, using quin. pink, quin. burnt orange and indanthrone.

And I couldn't resist trying another sketch of "The Prince" aka Julian.

And a small narcissus, to play with later.

I was thrilled to get an email from Pat Elliot. She and her husband love Missy's portrait so much, Missy will be flying over the ocean to stay with them :) I just have to touch up the ear color, as the photo didn't show the color well.

As always, your comments are most welcome.

The Nestling Is Done

Studio light

Overcast daylight

I have decided to keep the bright colors, to keep my impression of the bird as a brilliant, beautiful work of Nature. I see and hear them every day when I go out to the barn, and their presence brings me joy.
Now on to the dreaded bridge ...

As always, your comments are most welcome. 

The Nestling Continues ...

I've deepened colors in the bird

Removed the masking, and added the shadows, and am having a re-think about how dark I want to go with the bird.  My gut feeling is to leave it bright, and just add some shadows and feather details. I'd like to keep the essence of my vision of the swallows as such a bright, beautiful little bird, swooping through the air.

I posted this for some levity, to balance the posting. This is Fat Bastard with his feet propped up, leaning on his backside.  I don't have a lot of experience with chinchillas other than mine, but I've never seen or heard of one doing this.


As always, your comments are most welcome. 

More on the Nestling ...

In the above two photos, I have deepened some of the hues, using some odd combinations - like quin. violet and brown madder for the leg, and quin. siena on the belly.

I am into the darks now. On the bird, I am using various combinations of quin. pink, quin. burnt orange and indanthrone.  For the shadows, I will use my favorite - quin. burnt orange, quin. violet and indanthrone. But I think it's time for a break, and some play-time with Bruno. :)


As always, your comments are so welcome.

The Nestling

I found this tiny nestling on a sheet I had placed under the nest. For some reason, there is almost always one that falls or is pushed from the nest. I felt compelled to paint him, as a quiet eulogy to his brief life. 

I went very bright to start, as I would be getting quite dark, and wanted  the brightness to shine through.

Slowly intensifying colors. I've decided to use all completely transparent colors.

I've started  to get into the darks/shadows now.


As always, your comments are most welcome.