I'm finding myself in the studio more these last couple weeks, but unfortunately the oils have been quite sporadic...I just threw a dried paper palette sheet away and have some newly rinsed glass jars for my medium and turps...so there's no excuses..well..one can always find some excuses, but this is a new year and new dedication and new rooster images are always ready to be painted!
Dapper friend...I always find roosters to be so dressed up and proud of it...I guess with the harem of hens around them they need to uphold a certain level of finesse...ha ha! Constantly fluffing and primping to give themselves that polished look.
This fluffy fellow was cooped up when I took his picture. He did have some company, though so I don't feel that bad for him. I'm off to a meeting for the watercolor society today and then it's back into the studio and the drop-in figure session tonight. What that has to do with my oils...I don't know! I'm working on a mixed solo show this summer of my oils and watercolors with a food/farm theme. I'll let you know details as soon as I have them.
Happy New Year everyone! Another year, another chance to set goals, a clean slate (so to speak) and over two feet of snow here in Northern Vermont! Ouch...but it is the great white north, so in terms of skiing and enjoying outdoor activities (like the new snowshoes we got for Christmas) it is very important to get the white stuff...I'm going to try to expand my oil experiences this year, how I don't know yet, but if anything I'd like to paint with them more than last year.
Just taking a walk through the summer grass, basking in the sunlight...it shows off my colorful feathers so well... These poor terrorized birds that I chase around the farm yard with my camera...they just want to be left alone. They do tend to walk in the opposite direction when they see me coming! Oh well, I mean no harm.
This serious Mr. Rooster looks a little like a Santa...fluffy white mane of feathers, slightly yellowed beard and that all knowing stare as if to say "well, well I know you've been naughty this year!" Plus that red cap to top it all off...okay maybe it's a stretch, but 'tis the season after all. :)
I love this little pumpkin...had such a good time painting him. He has been chewed up by the squirrels in our yard since then, but he lives on in paint! The squirrels this year had a blast with the pumpkins around our house. One pumpkin had a hole in the front and at one point the squirrel had crawled all the way inside and had himself a feast! They should be well plumped for the holiday season..
I've been putting alot of time between postings here on my oil blog...can't explain it, but I guess it's just a busy time of year for everyone. I'll try to increase my dedication to this blog..maybe that can be a New Year's resolution? I should also make a resolution to just paint more with my oils. Winter is long here..so no excuses..well maybe stay tucked under the covers longer...wouldn't that be nice, anyway.
This was a postcard I sent out to my mailing list last week. On Thanksgiving it's quite appropriate to say Thank You to all who have followed my art..including you! Enjoy.
A protective rooster and his hen...keeping an eye out from high above in the hayloft. When I was taking my pictures at the farm I kept hearing this rooster crow coming from somewhere, but couldn't figure out where the loud mouth (beak) could be...After a little scouring I spotted him up in the loft with the dark interior behind him and a few stray bits of hay highlighted by the sun.
As Thanksgiving approaches we decorate with pumpkins...actually we already have with Halloween just behind us...but they take on a new meaning. They are less spooky and come in canned form! Meant to be eaten, not carved up instead slathered with whipped cream in a cookie crust! And of course we can paint their portraits! Dig in!
More and more of these fellows are coming out of the woodwork..or barn so to speak. The oils blend and mix so nicely and the creaminess is like butter! I use Utrecht brand oils and have a variety of brushes, but find the synthetic hair brushes to be the easiest...you get a smooth and sharp edge if you want one. I'm even using some toothpicks to add the highlight to their eyes. The beak on this fellow is my favorite part.
All these small paintings have been so much fun to do. I keep sorting through all my pictures and coming up with more and more portraits of these roosters. I finally downloaded all 500 plus pictures on my camera to my computer! It's a little strange not to have any images on my memory card right now. It even says..."this card has no images". I guess having our Christmas dinner on there from last year was a hint to get busy with sorting them out!
The colors are a little washed out in the picture...the original is alot more vibrant..especially the blue water line in the background. I scanned these little oils on my scanner and I have also photographed them, I don't know which represents the pieces the best way. Everyone's monitor and computer settings are different as well..you can't win, but this way at least you can see the painting!
As promised here is the first in my rooster series. I'll keep 'em coming for a while. They'll all have a buy it now button on the bottom of the posts. I took so many pictures of roosters and chickens this summer, that I have inspiration galore...the poor cluckers didn't stand a chance with me chasing them all around the farm yard...shooting them with my camera! No casualties though, now they're just captured forever on canvas!
