Tattered - Completed

Finished!  This one took a few re-dos on the background before I was happy with it.  Its hard to see, but I have some nice glazes of gold and greens over top of the sap green.  I am happy with the end result and I have it hanging with the other butterflies on my wall now. 

 Tattered

7" x 5" oil cradled wood © 2011 

Tattered - Work in Progress

I am working on (yet) another butterfly painting, though this picture does not due the background justice.  I had a bit of a rough start on this one... the greens of the leaf got washed out with slightly too much white applied.  So, when it dries I'll be adding a glaze of cadmium green hue to add more colour to it.  Tomorrow I hope to finish the leaf and perhaps start on the butterfly.

 Tattered

7" x 5" oil cradled wood © 2011

Time Swiftly Passes - Completed

Another butterfly painting is finished and hanging on the wall drying.  I love how the orange of the butterfly really pops off the green of the leaves.  This painting is based on another photograph I took at the Butterfly Gardens in Niagara Falls, Canada.

  Time Swiftly Passes

7" x 5" oil cradled wood © 2011

Time Swiftly Passes (In Progress) - Step 2

I am almost finished the background.  Going to let the greens tack up a little before putting in some of the veining details.  I am really loving the contrast between the brightly lite leaves and the dark shadows.  The butterfly should really pop!

  Time Swiftly Passes

7" x 5" oil cradled wood © 2011

Time Swiftly Passes - Work in Progress

I started my next butterfly painting...  I am going for a slightly more detailed background (increasing the 'complexity' with each painting I do).  I hope to have the background done in the next couple days, then I will tackle the butterfly.

  Time Swiftly Passes

7" x 5" oil cradled wood © 2011  I have been painting these butterflies on cradled hardboard (which I totally love painting on).  The surface is prepped with a minimum two coats of extra heavy acrylic gesso (one layer brushed stroked on one way, the second layer perpendicular to the first).  Then I sketch in my drawing and seal it with a layer of fine pumice ground.  I absolutely love painting on a layer of fine pumice ground... not only does it have just the perfect amount of tooth for the paint, but it super nice to blend on.  I bought myself a small jar (which is almost done) so I suppose I just might need to splurge on a larger jar in the near future.

Fleeting Moment - Completed

I absolutely love the shiney metallic blue of this butterfly and it is a shame that this is the only photograph I got of it at the Butterfly Gardens in Niagara Falls, Canada.  I suppose that this means I will have to make a trip back someday to get more photographs!!

  Fleeting Moment

7" x 5" oil cradled wood © 2011  I never thought I would enjoy painting butterflies so much (not sure why....  perhaps it was the greens of the plants or so just something about their delicateness) but I am having a total blast painting them. 

The blues are a combination of Titanium White, Phthalo Turquoise, and Light Blue Violet.  The greens are a combination of Titanium White, Sap Green, Cadmium Green Hue, and Green Gold. 

 

Fleeting Moment - Work in Progress Step 2

I made excellent progress on this painting and I should finish in the next day or so.  I absolutely love how the butterfly is turning out and I do have to admit.... I think it is my favourite part. 

  Fleeting Moment

7" x 5" oil cradled wood © 2011

Fleeting Moment

Still painting butterflies, but this time attempting a green leafy background (a bit of a warm up to finish this tulip and this tulip painting.  I am spending a little more time on the leaf under the butterfly trying to get a more realistic looking leaf (green and foliage have always been my nemesis).  So far so good I think.

  Fleeting Moment

7" x 5" oil cradled wood © 2011

Resting in the Moment

No... you are not seeing double, I loved painting this butterfly so much that I had to paint him again.  It is a slightly different pose than the previous one and on a slightly different support (see picture at the bottom of the post) but otherwise has been painted using the exact same palette.  I am having so much fun with these butterflies that I have started another one!  Stay tuned.

  Resting in the Moment

7" x 5" oil cradled wood © 2011 

A Brief Stop

Taking a break from watercolours today and picking up the oil paints after a long hiatus from them.  This summer I traveled to the butterfly gardens at Niagara Falls and was amazed at all the varieties of butterflies!  I snapped this photograph of one particular fellow that was resting on the stone path and thought it would make a lovely painting.

  A Brief Stop

7" x 5" oil on 10" x 8" cradled wood © 2011