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                                                                   Hard Times                                                                       8"x10"                            ...

These young wolves are from a beautiful reference shot by Angeline of PMP.   I am thinking of doing this in a larger version in two different ways.  I also have a shot of two other wolves that are howling and am thinking of putting them together in another picture where they would hang side by side.  And then, in an effort to continue to try to work larger, put all four of them together in one canvas. This is in the water mixable oils again, on canvasette paper, and between learning to work stiff, in layers and using Liquin I think I am finally developing a technique that is looser than my normal work.  Well since Spring has come got to go out now and do some garden work.  No rest for the wicked!!! Thanks much for stopping by and hope you are having a good start of the week.

Am making progress on my wolf and he is slowly coming to life.  I am finding that I end up and add multiple layers to try to get the salt and pepper look of his fur.  I also haven't fully figured out the ratio of thinner to the oil to make it run but still leave opaque color, but think I am getting the rhythm of doing the fur and am kind of clustering it and then coming back in with a dark or light to break it up.  Boy thought glad I have a great reference photo as the fur really goes in all direction on this wolf - more so than I have encountered before with other furred animals. I am also making progress on my tiger and will show him below.  Because it is not a close crop on the face it is a bit more intricate and is taking just a bit longer, but I have also learned the valuable lesson to let oils dry, especially if you don't want them to blend - like black and white ending up in gray instead of crisp color.   Sorry we are in another rainy spell for d...

Well I am in hogs heaven because I have so many pictures going right now, and about to start another pencil drawing (going back to one of my first loves), that no matter what media or subject I want I have something to work on.   Well realize after I said that I better get something going in pastel. Again of all the animals I have done I haven't done a wolf and you certainly can't be a wildlife painter and not do one of these animals.  They are revered, hated, arbitrarily killed, vicious, great pack hunters, pack lovers and smart.  How can you not want to do this animal? I again am experimenting again in oil with trying to do another technique.  This method does the hair literally one by one.  You can see I have the base coat in and now I am going back and trying to layer in the fur.  Has taken me a couple of tries to figure it out.  Sara Stribbling and a couple of other artists make it look soooo simple - well NOT.  This is so funny, I...

This is another picture of Mike the LSU mascot for a friend.  This time it is an 11"x14" oil on canvas and incorporates the LSU stadium as well as the cat.  Buildings aren't my forte, so I have it roughed in somewhat and will definitely go back and make some tweaks.  Just am getting the base tones on Mike.  Wanted to have some darker tones as much of him is going to be in dappled light.  Just playing around here with impressions of foliage and grasses with all the tight detail being on the cat.  I am hoping it will keep him as the primary focus. Thanks for stopping by and hope you are having a great week.

Today's exercise was to try to get back to working faster and looser and just have some fun.  I feel like I have gotten back to taking so much time to do a picture.  So yesterday I found several photos that I liked from PMP and thought I would take a stab at this buffalo/bison in the snow.  Yep going to shoot for another snow picture, but this one is in oil so will splatter snowfall after I get this in.  Know you aren't supposed to do acrylic over oil, but think I am going to try to see if the splatter will stick as I can really make that liquid, which I haven't figured out how to get that consistency with the oils, maybe have to go with trup, to go on the toothbrush.  So what I have pretty much here is a rough in with the buffalo's coat actually the way it probably will be left, just need to work the head.  And then the background needed to dry so I can glaze out the trees that are there, than add another ligher area of closer line of trees, and finally...

Ok guys, this is where I am getting a bit apprehensive and feeling a bit vulnerable.  This is the point where you can really start to see where this is going and I am hoping that you all feel this is going to work.  My biggest fear is that they won't read/connect into one image.  As you can now see the connection is between the indian's blowing hair and the horses tail.  Maybe I need to lengthen the horses tail?              Does it work - let me know your thoughts.              Also my first thought was to keep the indian misty-like without any color so he reads                    ghostly-spirit like,  again your thoughts? Thanks much for stopping by and your honest comments will be much appreciated.

I have a love/hate relationship with my computer.  It tends to just stop and freeze and do nothing so I then do something rash and end up, like now, am waiting for it to do something while I post this via iPad.   It appears when I forced it off this time I really made it unhappy as I have the black screen and white letter and techie talk stuff happening, so .....    Been thinking of a new one and I might have blown it up so may have no choice now.  This is a huge painting for me, 20"x20" and I think I am getting the base coat In  fairly well on the horse.  Got to add  and refine the mane and tail.  The tail placement especially is integral to making this work.  Once it is I place I can go to work on the Indian.  I think I am going to have to do some final tweak blending so I can  get rid of some of the hard edges but still show the color changes I want.   Feels kind of like a paint by number right now.   Overall ...