I posted my recent painting of a Hyacinth Macaw on a rainforest branch. I am very fond of exotic birds such as macaws and other parrots. They all have such colorful personalities that are easily captured in a painting. It is also refreshing to use such bright colors since many of my paintings so often require subtle browns, grays, and neutral tones. I have hopes that one day these birds won’t be so threatened by loss of habitat and the pet trade. I don’t think there would be anything more beautiful to see than a flock of wild hyacinth macaws in the rainforest treetops. You can view one of the World Wildlife Fund’s projects to help the Hyacinth Macaw in Brazil @ http://www.wwf.org.br/english/informa/sitearara_projeto.htm "Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." Thomas A. Edison
New Paintings & Cold Temperatures
I have recently begun the color phase of my recent bathing swan miniature commission. I like the way it’s turning out. A photo of the color painting is now posted next to the sketch in my studio’s commissions page if you’d like to take a look. I’ve just started the 20×30 swan painting. I chose to paint a little different pose and a different species then I normally do — a trumpeter swan this time. I also chose to start the piece without a traditional drawing of pencil or similar method. I began by drawing with my brush. Beginning in this way is less forgiving of course, but I like the fluidity of the "sketch". I know of several portrait painters that work in this way (one of them is Daniel Greene who my mother studied with), so I thought it might be interesting to try. I did start my painting "Cockatoo Talk" without a drawing, just began painting, but that was because I couldn’t find a pencil. I am also working on a squirrel painting from some of the references I shot while we were on the east coast. One thing you can be sure of in Minnesota this time of year is that it will be chilly. My family and I went up north a few days ago for a photoshoot. The Twin Cities area doesn’t have a lot of snow or ice, so we had to travel north a bit, which also means colder temperatures. The thermometer didn’t rise above 27° during the entire shoot — making for some numb fingers & toes. I could have taken a break to warm up — which, yes I should have :) & was reminded of — but I was having so much fun I couldn’t bring myself to quit. We did come away with some very nice photo references in spite the cold. The area had a nice subtle look with a lot of delicate tones — very inspiring! Just about all of our shots turned out. I took about 1,300 in the 3hr shoot. More ideas to paint!! "Let the beauty of what you love, be what you do." — unknown
Snow Painting Almost Finished
I have just about finished my snow painting. I’ve added a chickadee in the bare branches — I thought the addition of a small bird would be nice and add to the delicate feel of the branches. I have also finished my giraffe commissioned piece. I’ve recently noticed that I haven’t finished too many paintings for a while (just started a number of them), so these completed works are very satisfying :).
Thank you to all of our patrons who visited our fall show at the Carpenter Nature Center and for making it our best yet! We are already planning the next show this spring.
Nature Center Exhibition
I’ve just posted an image of the painting of snow I mentioned in my last journal post. It’s been one of those pieces — I see something different in it everyday. It is such a complicated piece when I am painting it up close, but becomes a simple design that melds together when I stand back. It’s a mystery to me when paintings do that. I hope to have it done soon. I have a number of things to add to the piece, but It’s beginning to take shape. I don’t know about other artists, but every painting that forms in my head is or appears to be perfect — until I try to actually paint it of course. I would love to be able to transfer these images from my mind directly to the painting surface. It seems that you can never accomplish all you want to in a painting — say everything you want to say. That is probably the way it’s supposed to be. If you could say everything you wanted to say in a single painting, you would never need to paint another one. With that said, I will be painting for quite a while :).
I have a number of new editions being released this weekend for our annual Fall/Winter exhibition at the Carpenter Nature Center. I will be donating an original piece, an 8×10, to be raffled or auctioned for the nature center’s benefit. At this time I don’t know how they will arrange the fundraiser, but I will post information about it in the website as soon as I am notified — if you are interested in joining in. One of my galleries has a client interested in a larger swan painting that they’ve requested I paint for them. I will be starting that painting for them soon. I think I will be painting it 20×30.
"Our prayers are answered not when we are given what we ask, but when we are challenged to be what we can be." — Morris Adler
Snow
We just had our first snowfall of the winter in Minnesota — only a few inches here in our area that has now melted a bit. Last year there was a fabulous deep snowfall the day before Thanksgiving and a beautiful crisp sunny day for the holiday. I couldn’t resist running out into into it for a photo shoot :) — for most of the day in fact. It was one of those snowfalls with very large flakes — the sunshine caught them like diamonds glittering in the soft shadows and the wind. There was a delicate breeze that would occasionally gust, sending an outburst of flurries that had settled on the smaller branches. In a hike through wooded areas you could hear a cheery serenade by a chorus of chickadees singing to one another, and me I suppose. I would imagine this could easily be looked at as an everyday occurrence, but it was very inspiring for me — even a year after my shoot it seems magical. There were some very striking scenes of light and shadow, one of which I’m painting now. I’ve never shown this piece though it’s been sitting in my studio for a while. I began the sketch and roughly blocked in the scene right after my photo shoot last year, but was unable to progress further with it because of other deadlines. I think the fresh snowfall has put me in the mood to paint something appropriate. It’s hard to paint flowers in the winter or snow in the summer. Anyway, I will post a photo of it a little later. I have also begun a new miniature commission of a bathing mute swan. Right now the sketch has been added to my commissions page. I will be adding images of the painting as it progresses.
Gilcrease Museum Visit
I have started a new larger mute swan painting for an upcoming exhibit as well as a few miniature pieces. I will add pictures of them after I’ve painted on them a bit more. Also, both of the commissioned paintings I was working on have been finished. I was able to attend the American Art in Miniature Exhibit’s reception at the Gilcrease Museum www.gilcrease.org in Tulsa with my family recently. My Mom and I had work in the show this year. It was very elegant and quite a crowd turned out for the event. I like getting out to these events to see all of the beautiful paintings. It’s also nice meet and chat with other artists and art/wildlife/nature enthusiasts attending.
Long Hours & Commission for Harvard
Recently, I have had so many kind comments about my work from collectors and web visitors. Thank you all so much! I, like many artists I know, spend long hours in the studio painting, hoping the work will be received well at it’s final exhibition or showing place. I am very appreciative of your supportive words.
I have had a bit more enthusiasm to paint lately – which of course leads to faster results in the studio. :) When surrounded by deadlines, it is not uncommon to paint for 12 to 15 hours per day with a few breaks. This schedule does get to be tiresome after a while. Of course, if the painting is going well, you don’t notice that you’ve been sitting at the easel for 5 hours — except for the fact that one or two limbs have dosed off. I suppose it’s the kind of job that you have to love, which I do deeply. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I love being able to speak through my paintings, share the magic I see around me & things that inspire me — hopefully helping others to see those things around them as well, even after I’m gone.
My commissioned artwork for Harvard University is now in it’s final stages of adjustments. I also hope to get to that point with the commission of Samantha, the great horned owl, soon. I have a fair number of commissioned pieces requested over the next year or so. I will be posting the paintings on my studio’s commissions page as I begin the paintings.
Meeting your subject
I am currently working on several commissions for clients. Images and notes about them are listed on my commissions page. Thankfully, they all seem to be going rather well — likely because I am very drawn to the subjects. Swans and owls are some of my favorite birds, as you may have noticed. :)
I find that painting comes much easier when I have “met” or observed the subject closely. It is a bit easier to visualize the animal/subject as three dimensional. After the completion of these commissioned pieces mentioned above, I hope to be able to start on a number of new wildlife paintings in the near future — several birds in particular. I often have so many ideas in my head for new work that it would be impossible to paint them all. Experiencing other areas of the United States and animal or bird species during our travels to exhibitions usually add new ideas for painting as well. For me anyway, I think gathering inspiration for new work is one of the most enjoyable parts of being an artist.