untitled, A Work in Progress

It might not look like much is done, but since my last post I have added another glaze of colour to the background and almost finished the upper left hand side of the kitties face. This little fellow is taking a little bit longer than I though... especially when using a 10/0 paintbrush to put in each little hair. Have I ever mentioned that I sometimes get a little too much into detail?


untitled
6" x 6" oil on stretched canvas
© 2008

untitled, Work in Progress

This guy has been keeping me busy these last couple days. I had the urge to paint a cat that I just couldn't shake. This guys is being painted on a black gesso canvas and what you see (except in the right upper corner) is the under painting that I completed yesterday. Today, I have been working on the hair and increasing the intensity of the colour that I lost on the black gesso.


untitled
6" x 6" oil on stretched canvas
© 2008


This is a case where I didn't plan ahead properly. Most of my earthy red/orange colours are transparent and, unfortunately, the colours get lost on the black ground. This guys should have been painted on a lighter (white or sepia) ground. I'll take it as a lesson learned and do another one and compare the final results.

With the under painting done, the colours are starting to show up much better, but I'll have to see tomorrow in daylight if this guy will need a third layer.

Stanely Park Lighthouse, Finished

I finished this painting tonight, although it started out as a quick exercise it turned out to take much longer than I though. The sky is my favourite part of this painting... the colours were kept simple (cerulean blue, titanium zinc white, and just a hint of alizarin crimson in the top part of the sky. My goal was to keep the brush strokes simple and loose to capture the more whispy clouds in the sky. I managed to do that.... but, as I tend to do, I tightened up on my brush strokes when I got to the lighthouse.


"Stanley Park Lighthouse"
8" x 10" oil on stretched canvas
© 2008

Strawberry Ice

My approach to this one was to only draw a basic outline and to fill in the details as I painting. As a result, I think I accomplished a wonderful loose but yet detailed picture. I do believe I will try this technique again... only on a larger scale (I have beautiful street scene all drawn up and ready to go).


"Strawberry Ice"
3.5" x 2.5" watercolour
© 2008

Hot Apple Tea

I decided to switch it up a little tonight and take a break from the chickadees. The reference photo for this is from wetcanvas.com thanks to Diane Ponting. I've tried this particular image a couple times, though I haven't been happy with my attempts thus far. Tonight... I have to say that I'm happy with this one, though I am sure I will try it again sometime.



"Hot Apple Tea"
3" x 4" watercolour
© 2008


edit: I've posted a better picture of this painting.

Hello Sunshine

This little guy reminds me of a little ball of sunshine... surrounded by bright yellow autumn leaves. It sure feels like fall has arrived in Vancouver... with pouring rain and very cool weather. I am sure there is still summer ahead of us yet... but, for now, the weather is very fall-like.



"Hello Sunshine"
2.5" x 3.5" watercolour
© 2008


Yellow is a challenging colour for me... especially to create life-like shadows. I tried mixing in some burnt sienna and a purple (Purpurite Genuine from Daniel Smith). I think I need to push these colours further and try perhaps a stronger purple. Experiments (and their results) will definitely be posted.

Autumn Bluebird

More autumn watercolours tonight... we got some rainy cool weather today (and looks like the rest of the week). I've been painting chickadees lately and thought I would mix it up a bit with a bluebird tonight.



"Autumn Bluebird"
3.5" x 2.5" watercolour
© 2008


I'm thinking of making a series of larger paintings in the style of my latest paintings (autumn birds). That is... after I have finished some of my oils that I have been working on.

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Technorati Tags: ACEO, art, painting, bluebird, autumn, fall, bird, miniature

Stanley Park Lighthouse

I was hoping to have this one completed by now (it was suppose to be a quick loose painting) but, the heatwave hit and my west facing place has just been too warm to do much. I've been slowly plugging away at it... usually in the cool evenings. My goal... this weekend. This one will be complete and I hope to get another layer (or more) done on the boat painting that I started a while ago.


"Stanley Park Lighthouse"
8" x 10" oil on stretched canvas
© 2008

This is the lighthouse in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia. I've photographed it often, but really loved this particular view that I caught on camera a couple weeks back. It was a warm summery day spent walking the sea wall with my parents... a feeling I am hoping to capture with this painting.

Lunch Date

I think this is the first time I have painted two birds on one miniature painting. The final details on this little painting were put on tonight, though I did majority of the painting last week.



"Lunch Date"
3.5" x 2.5" watercolour
© 2008


I'm still working on the 8" x 10" oil panting... it almost became a "wip-off" but I decided to sleep on it before I made any rash decisions. Today... looking at it, I can see past the ugly stage and can see a finished painting. Sometimes it helps to take a break from the painting when your getting hung up over the ugly stage.

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Technorati Tags: art, aceo, painting, chickadee, miniature, squashedtoad

Changing Seasons

I'm dreaming of cooler weather today... yesterday was way to hot to paint and today is not too much better, but it is a little cooler. I had a little fun with the background on this one, adding a little salt as the paint was drying to create nifty patterns.



"Changing Seasons"
2.5" x 3.5" watercolour
© 2008


I've primed a 8" x 10" canvas tonight as I feel like something a bit bigger than I have been posting these last few days. I still have those other two that I'm working on, but I'm feeling like something a little less detailed and more loose. So, when I'm done... I'll post the results.

Blustery Day

Another fall-ish miniature painting tonight... I'm having fun playing with the colours and the looser technique with these paintings. I've also introduced another 'old friend' to my painting... masking fluid. It has been a really long time since I've pulled it out. The masking fluid allowed me to be much looser with the background... no need to worry about losing some of the details in the grasses or the chickadee.



"Blustery Day"
2.5" x 3.5" watercolour
© 2008

Fall Colours

Even though we are still in the full swing of summer, I felt compelled to try paint something more 'fallish'. We had a few cooler days here on the west coast this last week (sure felt like fall for a couple days with all the rain and wind) and it sure felt like fall was in the air. Though... that feeling was quickly gone as the full summer heat has once again returned.



"Fall Colours"
3.5" x 2.5" watercolour
© 2008


I've been playing around with some new colour schemes and testing to see what I can do with my Paynes Grey (a beautiful cool blueish grey that I have completely forgotten about). The black of the chickadee is actually a combination of indigo blue and burnt umber which I have been finding makes an excellent dark mix. The leaves are a combination of new gamboge, quin gold, and quin yellow (all Daniel Smith paints).

I've been busy this week working on my two oil paintings (they are sure taking a while.... someday soon I'll be done) and smaller watercolour paintings while the oil ones are drying. Hopefully I'll have some new oil paintings to post this week.

Shelter

Today was actually a productive day, I finished a couple of new little paintings which I'll be posting over the next few days. I was playing around with my quinacridone dot card from Daniel Smith (I received that some time ago with an order), mostly using the bright colours in the fuchsia flower. The water drops didn't turn out at well as I hoped, but they aren't too bad in real life. Oh well, I suppose all that means is more practice is required.



"Shelter"
2.5" x 3.5" watercolour
© 2008