Category: Oil Painting

English Boom

Did some final work on “English Boom” I’m going to enter it in a local gallery show. I’ll take another picture of it when its framed.

Here is my first painting done on location. I only fell once in the process, but it was on sand, so my fall was broken and not my body. The swallows were full of energy and kept a chatter up almost the entire time I was there. I think they wanted to be noticed. The eagles nest at the entrance fell, but that doesn’t seem to have deterred the pair from continuing to make it their hangout. All in all it was a wonderful morning. I think I like this painting on location.

Fly Away

New oil painting from a photo I took while on a walk along the bridge connecting my island to the mainland. I rather like the way this one came out and there is even a lady I work with that may be interested in buying it once I have it framed. I’m going to let it dry and then decide if it needs any further detail work before signing it as complete.

Cassie’s Flowers – Oil Painting

When I lost my little Floofster, Cassie, the pet company Chewy sent me a bouquet of flowers in sympathy. I was stunned at this. I have never heard of a company that did such a thing, but it was very touching. I decided to immortalize these blooms with a painting. At the front is her favorite toy, a feather wand. She was very picky about her “feathers”. I brought many of these into the house, but she only liked this particular type and I lost the source for them. Hence, the rather ragged look of it. But, she loved that wand and would holler through the house with it in her mouth when she wanted you to play with her.

And of course, a picture of “her lil self”

Oh! Henri!

Thought I would try something different for my first attempt at a Still Life painting. I found Henri at a thrift store and they had already named him. Yes, he really is missing an eye. They put the sunglasses on him out of “pity” for his lost eye. That was one of the reasons I bought him. And its charm is added to by the sun faded yellow eye. Figured he needed to be surrounded by oddments to add to his character, so I put in a vase of dead flowers and a stuffed rat. Oh, and placed a dart in his hand.

Still Standing – Oil Painting

So, I am calling this one finished. I think I rather liked the way it turned out. And my little hummer adds character to it. Now I just need to get it framed.

Still need to do some detail work on it. It needs to dry some first though. A hummer decided to perch on one of the branches. I wasn’t going to include it, but it kept chirping at me till I told it I would put it in the picture. Then it sat quietly and posed.

I went outside to paint today. I chose my favorite tree. She’s more dead than alive, but that is what her beauty is. She keeps hanging in there, year after year. Shoots out a handful of branches that leaf up. But, I think I love her old gnarled branches the best. The birds do too. Though they seemed to be engaged elsewhere today. I will do some more work on it maybe tomorrow. The neighbors decided to start a noisy lawn mower and chop wood and kill my zen. Maybe I’ll take my slingshot with me tomorrow to take out their noise.

And here is the tree with the little hummer in the top. Isn’t he cute?

Whisper Mountains

A bit more added to this. Its starting to take shape.

More changes. I think I like what the color changes and enlarging the right corner is doing to the overall atmosphere of the painting.

Got some more work done on this one. Decided on the coyote for the animal in it. I still need to do more with the light and shadow on it, but I think its coming along nicely for something that began as a play with colors.

Spent a few hours experimenting with colors and techniques. Combination of brush and pallet knives to create the scene. Its not any particular mountain range, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t rise up from some forgotten memory. I think its more a product of my overactive imagination. I am not finished with it yet, but it needs to simmer for a while till I know what else needs to be done with it. For now, I am calling it “Whisper Mountains”. Don’t know why. Just a name that came in my head when I looked at it.

Reflection

A local photographer (Michael Hellen) posted a picture of a heron he took. I asked for permission to paint it and he gave it to me. The following is the progression of the painting as I work on it including Michael’s original photograph.

I was able to get a lot more work done on the painting. I need to wait for it to dry before I can go in and work on it some more, but I am thinking that it may just be a matter of some fine detail work. Maybe a bit of glazing in some areas as well.

This is the painting at this stage. I still have more work to do on it.

This is the base painting for the lights and shadows and placement.
And this is Michael’s photograph