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Well here is today's update on my portrait in progress.  I pretty much have most of her face based in and will probably need to work some more on the background adding some glazes as I would like that to be smoother.  Overall, I am surprised at how fast she is coming together, guess this is going to be one of those who wants to come out of the paper. Funny how it always happens, when you look in the mirror or put the photo onto the computer screen all the issues jump right out - I see I have a nostril size problem. I am debating whether or not I am going to glaze the face to smooth out the complexion variations or let it stand as it might add more realistic skin tones to this portrait.  I thought about trying the old masters way again, with underpainting, dead layer painting and glazing, but didn't continue in that direction although I want to do another painting in that method.   The more I learn about how they worked the more I realize I don't know anything a...

I haven't done a WIP in quite a while.  This is the first oil portrait I have tried since the early 90s, so I thought I would document this one.  This is a friend I used to work with and she just posted this photo and well, she is just beautiful.  I knew I would have to see if I could paint her and capture her lively personality and her beautiful reddish hair.   If I can pull it off I think it will be one of the best things I have ever painted. I am a little concerned as she was in deep shade with back lighting so I really pumped up the light in the photo and also have a B&W reference I am working with as well. As you can see I have the right eye, teeth and mouth pretty well in hand - note to myself - leave them alone!!!  So today will try to get the left eye shape correct and put in the background as that may change the flesh tones that I see. Thanks for taking this journey with me and stopping by.

Gracie 9"x12" Pastel Today's inspiration, this dog belongs to a friend of mine who graciously let me try to see if I could capture her, meet Gracie.   I believe she is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.  She really came together, I usually don't do a dog in a couple of hours, but felt I was in the zone and just kept going.  Then stopped before I could start to fiddle. I thought at first she looked mad, but upon researching I found other pictures of this breed who have this look as well.  First time I have done this breed and she was lots of fun with her curly hair.  I might give her a try in oil too just to see how she turns out.   This pastel is done on black paper, and it really is easy to cover and the black peeking through I think adds some interest to the fur texture. Thanks for stopping by and have a super week.

                                                                    Tropical Skies                                                                          12"x9"                                                                          Pastel A friend, Meredith, who is also doing the 30 Day challenge, is doing the most beautiful skies and landscapes.  Nice big and loose strokes, check her out at  meredithadler.blogspot.com.     So...

                                                                           The Call                                                                            20"x16"                                                                               Oil Well woke up this morning to no electricity, cold and snowing - I thought we were going to luck out but we are getting a dusting and high winds.  Winds got the tree wh...

                                                           Dancing in the Sunlight                                                                       12"x16"                                                                       Acrylic I'm back!!!  Good news is I finally got rid of that HP Vista piece of garbage but now am having to learn a new system.  However my language has cleaned up quite a bit since the old computer went to the boneyard - well not actually, it will get str...

                                                                   Snowy Creek                                                                        8"x10"                           ...

Day 15, somewhere I lost a day. I actually painted this prior to the start of the challenge and am reposting as I am working on several larger paintings and in a cleaning mode.  Started with some cleaning and reorg in the art room and has now spread to the whole house.  You know it is bad when you are excited about buying a new mop!! Anyway, this little guy had such an expression and gave me an opportunity to whip out my pastels and a sheet of velour and go at it.  Always takes me a while to remember how to work on the velour, but I sure do like the results. Thanks for stopping by and have a super weekend.

Since I needed a day off Alter Ego is a picture that I have done before.  For me it is outside the usual box, but it makes me smile.  For me it shows all the years that I had to be left brained and follow someone else's direction - or the work years.  Now I get to break out in color and march to my own drummer.  A reward well worth waiting for. Thanks for stopping by and have a super day.

                                                                 Fall in Nova Scotia                                                                          Acrylic                          ...

                                                                     BFFs                                                                     11"x14"                             ...

                                                                   Hard Times                                                                       8"x10"                            ...

Today is a tree study as I work on the other larger paintings.  I don't know why but I seems fixed on winter scenes.  Since I am trying to improve my landscapes it seemed right that I should study the anatomy of trees.  Right now I am getting them without the leaves, and that will be the next step to do believable leaves without doing individual leaves. Thanks for stopping by and hope you have a wonderful Sunday.

Odd Man Out is just a quickie today of things I found along my walks.   We have lot of pine trees here of different varieties and as you can see different sized pine cones, as well as the acorns the squirrels love to eat.  Got to admit I love to draw those little acorns, different textures and I just like the shape.  Pine cones like pineapples are a real challenge as they have a definite mathematical pattern.  Since I didn't get it absolutely correct, just the impression, guess I will have to keep drawing them until I get proficient.  This makes me think of Fall though and not of the absolute COLD we are going to have starting tonight - finally winter is definitely here. I have several larger pictures going that I have been working on and they are just much slower going.  One is working back in oil so I have to let it dry somewhat between layers and the other is another palette knife painting. Hope you are having a super weekend and thanks much fo...

                                                                        Legs                                                                        8"x10"                       ...

                                                                       Miner's Tool                                                                             6"x9"                  ...

                                                                Pond Reflections                                                                         8"x10"                            ...

                                                                   Running Free                                                                       20"x16"                            ...

                                                                Elephant's Eye                                                                     11"x14"                                 ...

This is my preliminary sketch for colorizing this picture.  You will see it in another day or so, hopefully with color.  When we were in Arizona we stopped in Kingman, at the visitors center (across from the worlds famous root beer dinner) the man told us about Oatman, AZ where they have gunfights and wild donkeys that the miners left behind.  So off we go up Route 66 -- had to be the scariest drive of my life.  The landscape gets moon-like and the road is narrow, sharp curvnes, did I say narrow, steep drops, did I say narrow, RVs bigger than Canada, did I say narrow???    Saw many who didn't make it down in the gully - so bad Paulie wouldn't let me drive either direction.  Anyway got to Oatman, saw the donkeys (and their remanents), gunfighters and this old miners tractor.  Not sure exactly how it worked but looked kind of lethal on the wheels.  I just can't get away from portraits, so decided to make this a two day event, drawing ph...

                                                                       Sky Hole                                                                           6"x9"                     ...

                                                                  Quiet Reflection                                                                           6"x9"                         ...