Happy family

Proud New Owners

with "Firethorn & Antler"

Adopted!

"Firethorn and Antler" was delivered today and the patrons were very pleased with the finished painting. It was fun to see their reaction when I brought it out.  

Time to start something new!

First Final...

I think it's finished but there's always a possibility that I'll find something that I want to change when I look at it tomorrow. The photo shows the image as it is placed on the paper.  I left a lot of extra paper around it to allow the for more flexibility in framing and matting. 

Right now, though, it feels done.

The cedar fence post went much easier than I thought it would even though it was the most complicated part of the composition. The whole process has been very enjoyable in spite of the "false start" involving some nasty masking fluid stains.

Here is a closer view of the finished painting to show a little more detail...

Fence post...

I'm sorry that this photo seems a little washed out but it's just a 

quick snapshot.

I've started the fence post and the texture is in on the top part. 

Next I'll be adjusting the tone of the fence post so it won't 

"take over the painting". Right now the tones are a little too

close to the ones in the antler so I'll darken it up some and add some

color to it. Probably some ultramarine to cool down the shaded 

side and some burnt umber or burnt sienna to the sunny side.

More Progress

All the leaves are in now. I am enjoying seeing all the stages line

up in my blog. It's interesting to watch the image develop.

While I'm working through a painting it seems to move so slowly

that I don't even know how it happens.  I get in the zone and 

work along listening to the tv or radio in the background and the 

time floats by.  I'm sorry I couldn't find a good way to make a 

video of the process but I'm sure it would be like watching grass 

grow anyway. 

Maybe I can try it next time. 

I'm not really fond of being in front of a camera but I think it would

be interesting to make a video of a painting in progress .  I'll have to 

work on that with my son Kabe who would probably do something 

terrific with the production of it.  Even though his specialty is audio,

he has a good eye for video as well. 

Moving along...

After another day of painting...

It looks like the berries, stems and leaves were less intimidating

than the fence post.  It all seems to depend on my mood when 

I sit down to paint. I really prefer to work from "life" meaning 

from the actual item rather than from a photo.  

In this case, I had to work from other references because I

couldn't very well bring the fencepost and wire home with 

me and the berries that I picked from a shrub on our property 

when I was doing the drawing had all disappeared when I was 

ready to start painting.

This means that I'm working from a photo, from memory and from 

"Berry Red", a painting that I did last year.  This is a pretty good 

photograph from my little point and shoot camera but the red berries are 

a bit more saturated in the actual painting.

I think that it's coming along pretty well now... what do you think?

Commission progress...

Today I was able to put in some time on the painting so I decided to work on the antler. These seemingly simple items are sometimes pretty tricky. It's like trying to draw grass!

I think I'm pretty happy with the results even though I'm sure I'll have to go back into it and bump up the contrast a little once the rest of the elements are painted in. This would be a very monochromatic piece if it weren't for the leaves and berries!

It's anyone's guess which part I will do next. I'm never sure myself until I start painting.