Besse Art

A New Miniature

2012-01-26T20:18:00.000-08:00

Horns of Plenty

6.75" X 4.25"

Original Oil

Even though small paintings take me longer per square inch to complete, I still like to do them. First I try and find a subject and composition which can carry such a limited size.

When I started painting this piece, I had mountains in the background and they weren't working. The mountains were muddy-ing the focus. I grabbed my blending brush and away they went. What I was left with was this mottled background. Next I worked on the darks of the Bighorns moving then to their bodies and saving the horns for last.

You are actually seeing more of the painting than will be seen when it is in its frame. About 1/4" from the top and left side will be covered. I plan for that when I am working out the composition.

Last minute changes

2012-01-19T23:46:00.000-08:00

Beneath the White Mountain

Original Oil

11.5" x 28"

This is one of those paintings I thought was done when an idea burst into my head. I had painted all the trees, the cattle, the Masai, the sky and the clouds. When I stood back, the slight change of colors I had painted in the sky suggested something back there. That is when it hit me. What if I painted Kilimanjaro in the background? I had been in the vicinity of the mountain when I saw the cattle but I didn't see the mountain until the next day.

Here comes the tricky part. I was happy with what I had already painted. Do I risk painting in the mountain, something which was not part of the plan? Will it make a difference to the painting? The photos I took of the mountain had that faint (and maybe mystical) feel. Could I pull off a subtle mountain for the highest peak on the continent?

I decided to go for it and am glad I did. For me it gives the painting the extra flavor it needed.

Brrrrrrr

2012-01-12T23:58:00.000-08:00

Tom Tom

12" X 16"

Original Oil

The temperature here is in the teens during the day so it seems appropriate that I have finished this piece. The inspiration for the painting is from my backyard.

After a particularly big snow storm several years ago I wanted to take photos of the heavy snow-laden branches. In my traipsing around the property I ran into a flock of turkeys. There were hens but it was the toms in which I was most interested. They seemed to have a certain swagger to their walks as if to say, "Yeah, snow, so what. Nothing we can't handle."

I first drew this painting in August. One of the questions we artists often are asked is, "How long did it take you to paint this?" The answer is difficult. From when do you want me to count? This painting is a good illustration of that difficult answer. I have been taking photos of snow and turkeys around my property for years. The reference I used for this piece were from 2008. I've been thinking about this concept in particular since then. Once I worked out the composition this summer, I set the board aside. The end of November I painted the background and some of the left turkey. At the Grand Opening week of Pacific Flyway Gallery in December, I demonstrated how I paint by finishing the breast of the left turkey. Now I have finished the right turkey and the foreground sticks to complete the painting.

Did I start this piece in August? yes. Did I start it in 2008? yes. Did I start it before then when I spent hours watching turkeys around our place? yes.

My time holding the brush and applying paint is a small percentage of the time I spend to create a piece.

A number of years ago, a photographer asked me how long it took me to paint a piece. When I asked her did she mean putting the brush on the canvas, she said yes. My answer surprised her. She must have thought (after dividing my price by my hours) that my "price per hour" was high. I did not point out to her that her professional photographs took less than 1 second to shoot. I know the time investment required to get that perfect shot.

I know I will continue to get asked this question at shows. That's OK. People are curious how this process works. Maybe some who ask have started painting themselves and think if I can paint something like this in that amount of time, they can too. Maybe they can. Maybe they can paint a better piece. Or, maybe the person asking has never lifted a brush but wants a peak into how my day unfolds. I figure if someone asks, they like what they see. (If they didn't they wouldn't care how long it took me!) I may not have a definitive answer, but I thank them for their interest.

By the way, in case you are wondering where the title for the turkey painting came from, not me. I was struggling with what to call the painting and throwing around ideas with my husband, when he threw out Tom Tom. He says he meant it as a joke, but once I heard it, that was it. Tom Tom it was!

A Special Treat

2012-01-06T05:14:00.000-08:00

For three years I have given my nephew and 3 oldest nieces (visiting from Texas and Colorado) a paint-by-number for Christmas as one of their presents. Over Christmas, they would work on their paint-by-numbers in my studio while I painted. This year my 11-year old niece from Texas asked for something harder and more challenging. She wanted to do her own painting and get some painting lessons. As soon as her 11-year old cousin in Colorado heard about this, she wanted to do it too. And once she was going to do a "from scratch" painting, her 12-year old sister signed on.

So, I had 3 girls ready to learn.

My niece Audrey from Texas arrived here with her family on Dec 20th. The next day we were in Michael's picking out her brushes, palette knife, and extra turpentine. I also bought duplicates for her cousins set to arrive on the 23rd.

Now to decide what to paint. Weeks earlier I thought encouraging them to do an animal portrait focusing on the eye would prove to be the most satisfying for them. Audrey and I spent time going through hundreds of my reference and she selected a cougar cub. We worked together to decide on the cropping and Audrey decided to paint it on a 6" X 6" gessobord I had. Her cousins followed suit a few days later.

Each of the girls worked from a grid system to free-hand draw their animal. They had a 1" grid on their board using 2B graphite pencil. Once they finished their drawings with the 2B pencil (and they were marvelous), the girls went over the outlines with a 4H pencil and then erased the 2B grid. Just like I use a raw sienna-burnt sienna wash to make a sepia study, they did also.

On to painting! Each of the girls used my Rembrandt oil paints. Knowing mixing can be a challenge, I helped them see and create the colors they would use. Once they started, they were often mixing on their own.

When each girl felt their animal was finished, she chose her background color.

Audrey's cougar cub in progress

......

Katie's blue jay in progress

......

Amanda's kestrel in progress

Finished paintings!!!

Cougar Cub

Original oil painting by Audrey Besse (age 11)

Blue Jay

Original oil painting by Katie Susman (age 12)

Kestrel

Original oil painting by Amanda Susman (age 11)

Not only do I think they did a wonderful job, but I am proud of the dedication each showed in working on their paintings. They could have taken short cuts but they didn't. They carefully selected their subject (rather than have me pick it for them), they hand drew it and spent many hours carefully painting the details.
Thank you Audrey, Katie, and Amanda for making my Christmas very special this year.

Happy New Year

2012-01-04T18:55:00.000-08:00

I hope you are having a wonderful start to the New Year!

O Canada

Original Oil

32" X 44"

With all the holiday festivities, I still was able to find time to complete this polar bear painting. While working on it, the title popped into my head. Titles can be a challenge. I have seen titles ranging from the lame Untitled #7 or Dog III to titles that leave you scratching your head with their verbage, Existential Denial of Karmic Hubris. (well, I made up that last one but you get the idea.)

The title of this piece is a nod to Canada's National Anthem. The painting's location is the iconic Canadian Shield rocks around Churchill, Manitoba. I saw the polar bear 60 km north in a remote camp, but I asked him nicely if he wouldn't mind moving south to be in the piece.

Stay tuned for a very special post on Friday!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T14:27:00.000-08:00

I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas!

Our household of two has expanded to 13 for a week of Holiday Festivities (Christmas plus two birthdays thrown in, the 23rd and the 24th.) We have family from Massachusetts, Colorado, and Texas enjoying our snow-covered home.

In the past couple days, I have had a chance to get in a few hours on my polar bear piece. The rocks still need more work but I am moving on to some of the shadows with the bear. Once the darker areas are roughed in, I will paint the "white" fur and then head back to the rocks.
.

Early Stage

2011-12-18T22:43:00.000-08:00

The Early Stage. In this case, the "Ugly Stage." Every artist who has a good number of paintings under his belt has been here. It can be in the middle of the painting, near the beginning or on the cusp of completion. Often I know which pieces will have an Ugly Stage. (I knew the rocks were going to be an issue.) It is then I recognize that I need to power through this section and work on the painting even when I don't feel like it.

How did I know the rocks would be a sticky point for me? Well, having a Master of Science degree in geology can have its disadvantages. These Canadian Shield rocks are intermediate banded Precambrian gneisses. They have to look like intermediate banded Precambrian gneisses. Maybe most might not know these grayish brown lumps are intermediate banded Precambrian gneisses, but I do.

At this point, the rocks are a little too blue and need to have more texture and character. (This photo of the painting does make them look a bit bluer than I have painted them.) I think my best way to accomplish the subtlety of color I envision is to do some glazing with Liquin once this stage is dry.

A second look

2011-12-10T22:41:00.000-08:00

Sometimes just when you think you are done with a painting something nags at you. For me it was this leopard's belly. It didn't feel right. So I phoned my artist friend Victoria Wilson-Schultz to get her take on it. She agreed. I needed to change the belly. With some prompting I also got her to say she felt the sharp yellow horizon line a bit distracting. Thank you Vikki!

Revised Prime Spot

Here is Prime Spot with the changes I felt it needed (smaller belly, darker chest, lighter left paw against the chest, slightly darker neck left side of the painting, softer horizon line and a few changes which are too hard to see at this scale). You can also see the fur detail I added after my post of Dec 6th.

Getting another artist's take on a piece or setting a painting aside for a couple days can give you a whole new perspective. It is difficult to paint something out, revise, or add elements when you have worked hard on a piece. But all that hard work is for naught if you don't listen to that inner voice whispering (or screaming) for you to make alterations.

Is this now a successful painting? Who knows. But, I think it is a better painting because of the changes.

Grand Opening!

2011-12-07T08:22:00.000-08:00

Pacfic Flyway Gallery & Framing is having their Gallery Holiday Open House and GRAND OPENING in their new location at 409 South Dishman-Mica Rd, Spokane Valley, Washington.
I am honored to be Featured Artist for this event. Pacific Flyway is showing 24 of my originals and a number of my canvas giclee prints.

For this Grand Opening, the gallery is having special events every day Dec 7th - Dec 10th. On December 8th, I will be in the gallery painting from 4 - 7 pm. Saturday, Dec 10th is the Grand Reception from 4 - 7 pm with goodies and free art drawings! (including an original Linda Besse)

Not only does this gallery carry original art, but it is also a Mill Pond and Greenwich dealer and has the most extensive collection of framing samples anywhere in the Inland Northwest. No matter my subject matter, I can find the perfect frame with the help of owner Holly Swanson.

Drop by, have a bite, and take a look at this 26 year old Gallery in their expanded new location.
See you there!!!

Normal Hours- Tues-Wed 10- 5:30 pm
Thurs - Fri 10 - 7 pm
Sat 11-3 pm

www.spokanegallery.com

Finished

2011-12-06T05:08:00.000-08:00

Prime Spot

30" X 52"

Original Oil

From the previous blog I have made some changes. I removed the straight branch from the far right middle. The shadow under the leopard's chin has been darkened. And, since this photo was taken, I have also added more defined hair around his face, paws, and back and have darkened his chest area in back of his left paw. Still, I hope you can get an idea of the finished painting.

More leopard

2011-12-04T05:28:00.000-08:00

I forgot to take some more in progress photos as I worked on the leopard. I was on a roll. Left to paint are his right front paw, his two back feet, his belly, and his whiskers.

To the rock I have added a few lighter spots. I may make some changes to the right background but I will wait until the leopard is finished before I revisit that area.

Rock and spots

2011-12-01T05:09:00.000-08:00

While I have spent time fooling with the background, the painting's success really comes down to the rock and the leopard. I wanted the fig tree shadows on the rock to have some purple and blue tones. I thought they would nicely compliment the colors of the leopard. With the rock blocked in, I will move on to the cat.
For the spots, I have reattached my vertical bars so I can use my handrest. On a large piece like this, the bars can be confining when I am trying to do large spaces, like the background or the rock, but they are essential when I am working in middle of a painting surrounded by wet paint.

Editing

2011-11-28T10:06:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in the last blog, the right side of the painting appeared awkward to me. It was time for some editing before I continued. I knew if I didn't make some changes now, it would nag at me until I did.
First, I took out some of the greenery in the lower right and made a more prominent grassy background with a more orange-yellow color. The lower right horizontal branch appeared to be too long so I broke it. In the middle right, the angled branch swooped and I straightened it.

Hmm. Seems better, but I was not sure it was quite right.

Enter Thanksgiving. We had my good friends Selena and Matt Schopfer and artist Krystii Melaine and her husband Michael Cecil over to the house. After our feast, we headed up to the studio to take a peak at the leopard. Selena has seen many of my paintings in progress and I value her opinion. Krystii has a keen eye. The consensus was the broken branch was just not working. It drew the eye. The husbands added that it looked like the soft greenery was growing out of the leopard's tail. Not quite what I was going for!

Time for some work.
Here is the result. I may not be done with this right side, but at least it is not driving me nuts. I'll revisit it once I get a little further in the painting.

Background

2011-11-25T02:03:00.000-08:00

One of the challenges I have with a larger painting is seeing all of it on my easel. My custom easel is built with a vertical bar on either side. A horizontal adjustable hand rest is attached to each of the uprights. In order to see the entire painting I have to remove the vertical bars and do without my hand rest.
Once I have the background and rock roughed in, I will reattach the bars for painting the leopard and use my hand rest for details throughout the piece.

Here is the start of the background. I think I'll be playing with the right side of the painting. It appears awkward at this point and I'd like to have an easier flow to the piece.

Thinking Big

2011-11-22T14:12:00.000-08:00

This summer and early fall I had a wonderful time creating small paintings on a variety of subjects. But every now and then, it is time to go big. This leopard called for a large format. So I gessoed a 30" X 52" piece of untempered hardboard and began drawing. I haven't worked out the background yet but I know I want to go back to some of my Serengeti fig tree references.

After I finished my rough drawing, I used a light turpentine wash of raw sienna and burnt sienna over the entire piece. Once that was dry (about an hour) I added more pigment and painted the deeper wash in those areas which would be darker.

Inspiration

2011-11-17T17:11:00.000-08:00

As a wildlife artist, I look for inspiration in the natural world. Sometimes I find it continents away, sometimes out my back door.
I also am inspired by my fellow artists and eager to return to my easel after a show. The Waterfowl Festival in Maryland was no exception. The quality of the work is some of the best you will find anywhere and this year it seemed as if each artist stepped it up quite a notch.
Matthew Hillier's luminous paintings show how a master handles light. One gull painting in particular was my favorite of the entire show.
What Terry Miller can do with graphite continues to amaze me. Terry's use of negative space and depth makes it impossible for me to choose a favorite as there are so many I find mesmerizing.
From Amy Poor's joyful paintings (her turkey piece was one of my favorites) to Lyn St. Clair's leaping foxes to Mark Eberhart's striking work, they used a strong color palette to really bring their pieces to life.
There are so many more artists I could name. While it is important to spend hours in the studio creating work, I learn so much from my fellow show artists. The three main points I packed in my suitcase and brought home:
1) It's all about light. Use it, push it, play with it.
2) Depth and negative space are critical. Without them the piece can be flat and uninteresting.
3) Don't be afraid of color. It draws the eye and is just plain fun!

Inspiration is all around us.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I had great polar bear encounters in Manitoba. My husband and I were alone when we had a spectacular experience with this large male bear north of Churchill along Hudson Bay. There are few things like being on the ground with a wild polar bear.Sea Bear

7" X 10"

Original Oil

Waterfowl Festival

2011-11-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

It is that wonderful time of year again. The Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland will begin Thursday, November 10th with a VIP reception and continue November 11th -13th open to the general public. The ticket price for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday is only $10. Not only will you see great art from around the continent (paintings, sculpture, carvings), but there are also goose and duck calling contests, dog trials, raptor demonstrations, and much more. Three days of entertainment for less than the price of a 3-D movie!
I will be in The Armory with my fellow painters. (This is the first year all of us will be in one room and we are looking forward to it.) You will be able to see 25 of my original oil paintings..... while they last!
; )

For complete details on the show, see http://www.waterfowlfestival.org/

I hope to see you there!

Completed

2011-11-06T04:52:00.000-08:00

Rush Hour

12" X 30"

Original Oil

The last caribou I painted was the big bull. For him I have some slightly warmer tones and sharper lines to give him additional focus. As if with that rack he needs more attention!

Caribou on the Move

2011-11-03T04:16:00.000-07:00

The first area I tackled after the sky was the foreground tundra. I opted to paint it with loose broad strokes rather than "noodling" detail. Hints of red pop for the fall colors along with other complimentary notes. I felt for this kind of piece that if the foreground had more definition, it would detract from the caribou. You don't know how tempted I was to go in and paint more detail but I resisted and I think the painting will be better for it.
Next I began with the far right caribou and started working my way left. The lead caribou does not have a discernable eye. I don't think with this loose treatment he needed one.

Editing is a tricky game for artists. How much do we "say" in our paintings and do we let the viewer finish the story? Will the viewer's eye see the movement, feel the story, hear the hooves sweep across the tundra? How much detail do we need in order to have the painting "read" well?

I have come to conclusion that the answer is different for each of my paintings. It depends on the story.

A bit looser

2011-10-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

After a number of small paintings (using little brushes) I felt it was time for a bigger looser piece.

Ever since that exciting morning in Labrador when almost one thousand caribou crossed the lake and delighted eight wildlife artists, I have wanted to paint a running herd. It was the second week of October and we had been waiting for a big group for over a week and wondering if we missed the migration. Would we only see small groups? Was there no chance for the thrill of massive numbers crossing our paths? Long hikes over rugged terrain had yielded a few nice reference photos. Still, our small group longed for that one chance to experience thundering hooves and a blur of caribou.

Three of us had left camp early for a long scouting hike. We were on a ridge and Steve Oliver glanced over at the lake. There in the early morning light huge V's of caribou were crossing and heading straight for us. We had just enough time to prepare before that first group left the water, climbed the ridge and passed by us. It didn't stop there. Wave after wave of caribou followed them.

I decided to make this an elongated painting in hopes to enhance the feel of a moving herd. The piece is 12" X 30". As usual, I start with my drawing on a gessoed untempered hardboard which I then "seal" with a raw sienna + burnt sienna wash. After about 15 minutes when that light wash is dry, I add more paint to the turpentine and I wash in a value study. This gives me a feeling of the lights and darks in the painting.

Here I have started with the early morning sky.

The Final Touches

2011-10-28T04:21:00.000-07:00

Now What?

13" X 18"

Original Oil

As for my decisions from the last posting, I debated on painting grasses on the right side for what seemed the longest time. Once my husband suggested a few more on the left, I knew that was the answer (certainly helps to have a second pair of eyes around.) I did switch to a male green-winged teal and the dog's head is darker.

I guess I didn't fill you in on the story behind this piece. This young retriever had successfully brought his quarry almost all the way to shore. The duck had a different idea and had maneuvered out of the pup's soft hold. Now What? seemed the perfect title.

Fur and Texture

2011-10-25T05:19:00.000-07:00

After I played with the duck, I started with the dog's eyes and built out the head from there. For me it is easiest to work with the darker fur first. (And I love throwing on the thicker texture of the sunlit fur at the end.) The splash of color with the collar was great fun.

There are couple of issues I see which I need to think about. The duck is important but I am thinking I should switch the duck from female to male.
The grasses on the left side indicate they are close to shore but I am wondering whether I should also have grasses on the right. This is when a computer can come in handy. I can take this photo of my painting and use the mirror function in my Paint Shop Pro to give me a new look at the painting for balance. Also, I can digitally paint in grasses on the right to see if I like the look before painting them over my water (which I like right now.)
The other issue I want to consider is the dog's head. It may need to go darker.

Stay tuned.

Brahms Requiem

2011-10-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the Spokane Symphony Orchestra and the Spokane Symphony Chorale performed Brahms Requiem (in German.) I am an alto in the Spokane Symphony Chorale so it was a busy week. We had rehearsal Monday-Friday nights, Saturday morning and concerts Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
If you would like to listen to our performance of this beautiful work by Brahms along with the Bach Cantata No. 192 (Nun dunket alle Gott) and a unique orchestral piece which begins the concert, you can listen to the broadcast of the performance on our local public radio channel, KPBX.
The broadcast begins tonight Monday October 24th at 7pm Pacific Daylight Time, (10pm Eastern Daylight Time). First is the orchestral piece, then the Bach Cantata (in German), then the Requiem.
Follow the instructions from www.kpbx.org/listen
Enjoy!

Water

2011-10-21T04:17:00.000-07:00

One of my upcoming shows is the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland November 10th -13th. As I looked around at the pieces I was bringing, I realized I didn't have a huge abundance of water paintings and I did not have a single dog painting.
Hmm. How about a dog in water to fill the gap.

For my "water" paintings, I like to work with the water wet-on-wet. I'll start by mixing all the colors I need on my palette. Next I put down my lightest values and work my way to the darkest values.

Once all my colors are blocked in, I take my blending brush (a very soft square flat) and begin softening the edges between the colors. Sometimes I'll leave an area with thicker paint for texture.

The next step is to work with the water to make it look wet. This might mean adding different "waves", more light or dark, or introducing a new color. If you look carefully, you can see a swath of cerelean blue I added to the left of the dog's head. I felt the water needed it.

I'll keep looking at the water as I continue the rest of the painting

Finished

2011-10-18T04:17:00.000-07:00

First Base

8" X 15"

Original Oil

Part way through this painting, I was again wondering why I would paint not one but two leopards on this scale. Now that I am finished it is one of my favorite paintings.
You can see I lightened and softened the "hip" shadow on the female. With only slight variations in coat color, getting the right value was critical. There were a number of times I went back to areas to either lighten or darken them. I saved the male's tongue and whiskers for last.

Shadows

2011-10-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

Shadows are essential in making this piece read well. With such a limited palette, they make all the difference.
At this stage, rather than work on one cat first, I decide to keep moving between the two. Much of that is because I am working on such a small surface it makes sense to keep the same color on the brush. The belly of the female is darkened, the chest of the male is filled in. The underside of the female's tail and her right back leg are darkened. The male's right leg, behind his left leg and his neck are completed.
I think the deep shadow in front of the female's right back leg might be too strong. I'll have to keep an eye on that as I continue.

Leopards continued

2011-10-12T04:08:00.000-07:00

Once all the spots are in, I start with the orange coloring around the necks and inside the spots. Next I move to the darker shaded areas on the female and the fur on her left front and back legs giving it a cooler tone. Filling in the dark area between the male's forelegs starts to give his body some shape.

A Good Reason

2011-10-09T22:27:00.000-07:00

There is a good reason why few small paintings of leopards are painted. It is insane! If it isn't bad enough to paint one leopard on an 8" X 15" gessoed board, I am painting two. Yup, I have officially lost my mind.
But, I do have a reason why I am tackling this. Seeing these two leopards in the Masai Mara was really special. It is very unusual to see a mating pair of leopards and I got to spend over an hour watching them interact. Why paint them so small? Good question. I have painted them in a different setting on a very large scale. I thought this would be fun and challenging.
And I am really enjoying myself. Can I capture the moment in such a small format? Guess we will find out.

My first step once I have the grasses roughed in is to start on the spots. I like to do all the spots first because it gives me a better feeling of the cats.

From the north country

2011-10-05T18:07:00.000-07:00

Snow goose family (still working on the title)

6.5" X 11"

Original Oil

On my trip to Manitoba, I was fortunate to be there during the snow goose migration south. Often families would stop to feed along the way. I wonder what the "kids" were thinking of Mom and Dad's decision to fly so far. How many times did they ask, "Are we there yet?"

An Adventure

2011-09-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

I just returned from an almost 3 week trip to Manitoba. And it was an adventure! Northern Manitoba on Hudson Bay is renowed for the congregation of polar bears in late fall. Tourists climb into tundra buggies and ride out to see these magnificent creatures as the ice forms on the Bay.
With Doug and Helen Webber, Webber's Lodges,
http://www.webberslodges.com/,
I was able to do one better, be on the ground with these the largest of the ursines.

The photo above is near Seal River Lodge and thanks to Mike Reimer, http://www.churchillwild.com/
my husband and I were able to spend 6 hours alone with biologist Ian Thorleifson in the company of two polar bears.

These two bears were fat! Contrary to the dire warnings printed about the demise of the polar bear, this species is quite adaptable. During the summer, bears live off the fat they have accumulated during a winter of seal feasting. They would usually be thin by September. But, Hudson Bay bears have learned to hunt beluga whales. And, they are very good at it. With 35,000 beluga whales in Hudson Bay during the summer months, bears have found a way to catch the whales which enjoy coming into as low as four feet of water.

Back to these two females. A whale had either washed up to shore or they had killed it and they were taking advantage of every morsel of whale. You know how you feel when you have eaten a second piece of cheesecake? Think how you would feel if you ate an extra 10 or 20 pounds of whale blubber. ("I knew I should have stopped at 45 pounds!")

The good news is that for these bears, the more weight they put on before they hit the ice, the healthier they are.
Like usual, Ian was a wealth of information since he has worked safely with polar bears for well over 20 years. You don't want to surprise them. You stay upwind of them. (not because they smell bad, but so they can smell you.) And as I practice, with all wild creatures you never invade their personal space or make them move or take any action because of your presence. We were fortunate to witness something Ian has never seen before. One of the bears got up to take a drink from a fresh water stream. Ian surmissed that the metabolizing of the huge amount of whale blubber was making the large female thirsty.

If this wasn't exciting enough, the next morning back at Dymond Lake lodge, my husband and I had an encounter with a large male polar bear. We had polar bear prints covering our tracks for several days with only fleeting glimpses of the bears. This guy was big, healthy, and beautiful. But that is another story.
Note: Polar bears are dangerous large animals. People are mauled or killed every year. Do not try this at home.

Some of the species we saw in Manitoba and on the drive up and back were: bobcat, black bear and cub, sandhill cranes, snow geese, Ross' geese, arctic fox, Canada geese, green-winged teal, cougar, beaver, polar bears, black ducks, eiders, scoters, widgeon, a variety of shore and song birds, tundra swans, and a weasel. With over 2600 reference photos, and lots of stories, you can expect to see from paintings from this trip.... soon.

In case you think I may have made the above bear nervous, here she is a few minutes later.

By the Seashore

2011-09-18T03:36:00.000-07:00

Ruddy Turnstone

7" X 11"

Original Oil painting

A number of years ago we took our 4WD up the spit of land at the far eastern end of Chappaquiddick on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The nesting birds the end of May were amazing. One particular bird which captured my attention was the Ruddy Turnstone. It is a standout with its striking plumage.

The Ruddy Turnstone feeds by turning over shells, stones, and seaweed with its strong beak. It eats mollusks, sand fleas (yeah!), and crustaceans.

Oil Painters of America

2011-09-15T04:39:00.000-07:00

Art Appreciation

(see this painting posted step-by-step starting on the July 18th blog)

My painting Art Appreciation has been accepted into the Oil Painters of America Western Regional Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils. More than 700 OPA Members applied and only 85 works were selected. I am honored to be part of this show.

This year the show will be held at the Lee Youngman Galleries in Calistoga, California. The show opens October 8th and concludes October 30th. For more details, see http://www.oilpaintersofamerica.com/

Political Season

2011-09-12T03:34:00.000-07:00

The Candidate

6.5" x 10"

Original Oil

With our political climate heating up, I thought this title fit the piece.

These are nesting gentoo penguins which I saw on my trip to Antarctica. I would have to say of the four species of penguin which I saw (Magellanic, Gentoo, Adele, Chinstrap), I think the markings of the gentoo are the most striking.

A Leap, a flock, a herd

2011-09-09T04:37:00.000-07:00

A Flamboyant of Flamingos

8" X 11.5"

Original Oil

One of the things which gives me the giggles is the group name for a number of animals. Since we were children, we learned a flock of birds, a herd of cattle, and a pack of wolves. Now I don't know who or what group came up with the more inventive names, but I love them!

Here are a sampling: a descent of woodpeckers, a pocketful of kangaroos, an ostentaion of peacocks, a trunkful of elephants, a clowder of cats, a murder of crows, and one of my very favorites, a leap of leopards. (I have also seen a spot of leopards.) It just so happens that flamingos come in flamboyants. How appropriate. And hence, the title.

Painting nature I don't have the chance to use bright pinks, reds, and oranges often. Even though there is a lot of detail in this small piece, the brilliance of the colors makes the time and small brush work fun.

International Guild of Realism

2011-09-06T04:38:00.000-07:00

Birds On Art

24" X 15.5"

Original Oil

I am thrilled my painting Birds On Art has been juried into the 6th Annual International Guild of Realism show. Just this last year I joined IGOR after I saw mention of their show at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau Wisconsin.

This year the show will be held at the Sage Creek Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Opening Reception is September 30th and runs through October 22nd. If you have a chance to swing by and see the show, I am sure you won't be disappointed. I am looking forward to attending the opening weekend and seeing my colleagues' work from here and countries around the world.

For more details, see http://www.realismguild.com/

Will You Be Mine?

2011-09-03T05:33:00.000-07:00

The Proposal

6" X 10"

Original Oil

These Common terns on the shore of Martha's Vineyard were a joy to watch. It was early in the season and they were in the "Look at me, I am a good mate" mode. She seemed quite taken with him, so I think she will say yes.

My next several small pieces are birds. I think birds translate well to more modest sizes. Once I finish this group, I will start blogging paintings in progress.

Dry Country

2011-08-31T03:55:00.000-07:00

Wild Burros
6" X 9.25"
Original Oil

Just outside Las Vegas, Nevada is Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. There are wild horses and wild burros which roam the Conservation Area and the surrounding hills. Since I only had a couple hours one afternoon, I didn't expect to see either. Fortunately, near there I ran across 1/2 dozen wild burros including this little guy. I thought these two would make good subjects for a little piece.

Now to the Tundra

2011-08-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

Tundra Tapestry
8.5" X 11.5"
Original Oil

On one of the last outings during my trip to Labrador, we came across this beautiful bull caribou. It was late in the afternoon and we paused to watch him and his companions before we hiked down the steep slope to Lake Kamistastin. Our climb had been rewarded.

Northern Climes

2011-08-23T05:49:00.000-07:00

West Fjords

Original Oil

7" x 6"

From Africa in my last piece, I move to Iceland. Many who have visited this stunning island have only seen Reykjavik or at the most taken the Circle Road. It was our out-of-the-way trip to the West Fjords which made the greatest impression on me.

At Latrabjarg, you can stand on a 1000 foot cliff edge which stretches14 km and see over 100,000 birds at a glance. There were only four of us in this remote place despite the fact you can drive there. Millions of birds nest here and it has the world's largest colony of razorbills. Fortunately, we were there on a brilliantly sunny day and the puffins were choosing their nesting areas in the grassy mounds at the cliff edge.

Starting off the Small Paintings

2011-08-19T20:22:00.000-07:00

Walking Tall

Original Oil

6" X 8"

I thought this would be a good subject for the start of my small painting group.

While in Samburu, Kenya, I saw Reticulated Giraffe, the largest and I think most impressive of the giraffe sub-species.

(And yes, I did use some small brushes on this painting!)

Working Smaller

2011-08-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

Good things come in little packages....we hope.

As I was thinking about my upcoming Fall shows, I realized I was shy on small paintings. Rather than do what I usually do (think about an idea, explore it, then paint it), I decided I wanted 10 ideas! Reviewing a range of possible painting ideas at the same time would enable me to choose a group to maximize my collectors' selection.

Where to begin. I knew I wanted some African, some other far flung locations, and a good number of North American subjects including water pieces. First I started with the digital photos I have taken. I use a program called iView Media Pro which enables me to view the metafiles with great speed.
(Note: I had no idea what metafiles were and why I wanted them until I started researching for a photo management program. Suffice to say they are reduced files designed for rapid viewing which do not change the original file.)

I believe I looked at slightly over 40,000 of my digital photos. Also, I fingered through the prints which I have referenced and cross-referenced. Since I knew what print references I wanted, I didn't have to look at all 22,000+ prints.

What was I looking for? An interesting subject, good lighting, an inherent story and something which would read well at a small size. Two ideas I decided to make a little bigger with the larger of the two 12" X 16". In the end I came up with 13 ideas and drew 12 of them starting at 6" X 7". Also, along the way I saw some images which sparked ideas for larger pieces.

I plan to work on them one at a time and will share them in upcoming blogs.

Three Artists, One Bird

2011-08-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

Wave Action

16" X 24"

Original Oil

The middle of May I had a wonderful outing with two of my artist friends, Gary Johnson and Lee Kromschroeder. They thought it would be fun to head to Torrey Pines State National Reserve, a wild stretch of scenic coast just north of San Diego. Never having been, I didn't know what to expect. We climbed the hill and walked among the Torrey Pines, a very interesting and unfortunately now rare conifer.

From the top we watched "squadrons" of brown pelicans fly the cliff edge just above our heads. A winding path lead us down the cliffs to the beach. Within minutes, we spotted a snowy egret moving in and out of the surf zone catching small minnows and snails. The lighting was gorgeous. It wasn't long before the snowy egret had the company of another egret, a great blue heron, and a long-billed curlew. Add to that the pair of peregrine falcons and it was quite the afternoon!

Three artists and one snowy egret. How would each of us paint it? Would we see the same things? What if we each did three paintings of the bird. One no bigger than 6" X 9", another approximately 9" X 12", and the third larger, whatever size we chose. It might be interesting to show all 9 paintings together. I love to paint water so I was eager for the challenge.

Well gentlemen, here is my first painting. Where are yours???

The Summit

2011-07-30T04:09:00.000-07:00

Art Appreciation

Original Oil

15.5" x 21.25"

This was a challenging painting. There were a number of times when I knew I was crazy to attempt it. It would have been easier to simplify the gold frames or take out a few pieces or just make the paintings less detailed. I didn't because I wanted to see if I could paint these walls.

The final painting in the upper left is Lion: A Newfoundland Dog by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer. Painted earlier than his two in the bottom left, it was completed in 1824.
This piece I saved for last thinking it is just a dog and would be easier than painting people. Why I saved it for last when it is the most important painting due to its focus and size and could doom my whole painting is beyond me. A risky move, but maybe the additional pressure really pushed me. I can't compare myself to Landseer but I hope I gave a semblance of his work so it reads like a Landseer.

The two art admirers were easier to paint yet are an essential part of what I am trying to say with the piece. I hope they provide the invitation to join them in appreciating the Masters.
For me, I am reminded of the debt each artist owes to those who created before him.

Is this my mountain top? Well, the subject matter was by far my most difficult.
One of the best things about this painting is that the next time I am deciding whether to undertake a painting challenge, I am more likely to take the plunge..... or climb!

Top Row

2011-07-27T04:59:00.000-07:00

A glimpse of the summit just came into view now that the East Wall paintings are completed.

The upper left painting on the East wall is Le Malade Imaginaire by Charles Robert Leslie, painted in 1843.

I'd love to tell you the title of the upper right painting, but I don't know it. When I took all my reference shots in the museum, I didn't write down any title or artist and have had to discover the other ones once I returned home. So, if you know, feel free to enlighten me.

If I wan't nervous before, I am now. All of this might be for naught if I can't pull off the large painting in the upper left by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer. Generally when I near the end of a painting, I have a pretty good idea whether the painting is going to work. Not this time.

My push for the top of Everest comes next.

Finishing the Second Row

2011-07-25T04:35:00.000-07:00

Now that I am getting to larger paintings, (ooh up to 4" X 4"), my climb is becoming more difficult. The angle on the east wall continues to complicate the paintings.

Another painting by Charles Robert Leslie is Autolycus ca.1836 which is the second row painting second from the left.
To the right of Autolycus is Beneficence by Charles West Cope painted in 1840. I kept coming back to this painting to get the right expression on her face. It is one thing to paint a pleasing face and quite another to match the delicate expression with which Cope endowed her.
Finishing up the second row is the edge of Florizel and Perdita, another painting by Charles Robert Leslie. It was painted in 1837.

More Paintings in a painting

2011-07-23T03:53:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering, this painting is 15.5" X 21.25". Some of the small paintings are only 2" X 1.75" including frame!

The next paintings I completed were

The Toilette by Charles Robert Leslie, ca. 1849 (bottom right)

Dolly Varden by William Powell Frith, ca. 1842 (second row up, east wall)

In the painting, The Toilette, also called The Necklace, Leslie depicts a woman known for her "raven black hair and arched eyebrows." He also used her for his painting Griselda.

Quote for the day

2011-07-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

In today's paper was a quote from John Cassavetes (1929-1989), actor, screen writer, filmmaker.

"As an artist, I feel that we must try many things - but above all, we must dare to fail. You must have the courage to be bad - to be willing to risk everything to really express it all."

Back to climbing my mountain, this very tricky piece.
Leaving base camp, I start work on the individual paintings. One of the tricky things about this work is these masterpieces need to be painted at an angle.

All of the paintings are oil and painted by British artists. The works are currently hanging in Room 82 (North and East walls) of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

The first painting in the lower left is There's No Place Like Home by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer. He painted it in 1842. Adjacent to it is another Landseer painting, A Jack in Office, painted in 1833.

Starting on the lower left of the East wall is a Sketch for 'The Derby Day' painted in 1858 by William Powell Frith.

Next from left to right:

A Sailing Match by William Mulready, ca. 1831

Dulcinea del Toboso by Charles Robert Leslie, 1839

Portia by Charles Robert Leslie, ca. 1848

A new painting

2011-07-18T04:50:00.000-07:00

Summer is a good season for mountain climbing. Warm and longer days make the challenge more manageable. However, depending on your expertise and the difficulty of the mountain, the climb can still be daunting.

Often I use my summer paintings to tackle new ideas and inspiration. In this painting, I'm climbing Everest! It is so challenging that it is difficult to see the summit.

So strap on your crampons and grab your parka. Up we go.

It was the Victoria & Albert Museum in London which inspired this painting. I was admiring the huge array of masters when I walked into a red room. Not only did the color of the wall thrill me, but the paintings were ones I could stare at all day. I knew I had to paint this room.
It is one thing to paint interiors, but a room full of master paintings? 14 of them? Was I crazy?

I decided to tackle this in stages.
Base camp.
First, paint the wall. It is just a red wall, right? Wrong. It is red, rose, orangey, maroon. I couldn't believe how one color can be so many.

Second, painting the gold frames. One of the unique aspects of this painting is how creative I have to be to pull it off, yet not alter reality. Each of these famous paintings has a particular frame. I couldn't just put on a frame that was easier to paint. I designated a separate palette for just different shades of yellow, yellow ochre and browns. There are also some reds, oranges and blues in the frames for reflections and ornate corners.

Finished

2011-07-15T00:38:00.000-07:00

In Her Service

14.5" X 20"
Original Oil

It has taken me a while to post the finished painting. Thank you for your patience. I wanted to wait until it was dry and I could get a good scan of it.

After the last blog post, the first thing I painted was faces. Well, sort of faces. All you can see of these guards is their nose and mouth. It was interesting creating different facial expressions without using the men's eyes.
Also, I have "blued-up" the horses. Note my very technical painting term. The horses seemed a little brownish so I applied a glaze with some blues and purples to enhance the feeling of jet black.

The title, In Her Service, came to me near the beginning of the painting. Of course I am referring to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

My trip to London was very inspirational. So, not wanting to leave England just yet in my painting journey, I will next start posting an absolutely crazy painting challenge. I saw it and knew I had to paint it! Stay tuned.

The British are coming, The British are coming!

2011-07-04T03:20:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!
It might seem odd to you that today I post my continuing piece of the Horse Guards which keep watch over Buckingham Palace.

But since I am posting the red of their uniform, it is fitting.

Growing up, my Dad thought we should experience history on the 4th of July by reinacting the Revolutionary War. This required some artistic license as we had an entire cast of .... five. Mom, Dad, my younger brother, my younger sister, and me. Dad would grab the World Almanac and we would begin with heroic accuracy. Unfortunately, all three kids wanted to be the British. You see the British got to find something red to wear and then we got to DIE! The death scenes were particularly dramatic as you would expect. I remember one time Dad said, "OK, Somebody has to be a Colonist!"
We had Paul Revere running around the living room (I usually got that part), and once I took French in high school, I was the entire French army because I could sing the French national anthem.

In the end, we all had a chance to die and then celebrate the victory of the American colonists. Along with much silliness, there was warm deep laughter. Dad would vow at the end that next year, we would have more history in our reinactment. Of course next year came and once again our performance would de-evolve into fits of laughter.

This year I plan to start a reinactment with 2 of my nieces and a nephew. I have the perfect sweatshirt from my trip to London and I am already "strategizing" my death scene.

Here is my latest on the Horse Guard painting with their red. The color of the building was a little too warm so I have added blue to the left and middle sections and will add a bit to the right side.

The Guards

2011-07-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

I thought the background looked too light, so I darkened it a bit.

With the horses completed, except for the tack, it is time to start on the Horse Guards.

I start with the black shirts, then the cuffs. Next is the really fun part - the breast plates. The sky is reflected in them which adds a wonderful blue to the painting. At least one breast plate will mirror the monument at the end of the parade grounds.

Lots of legs!

2011-06-29T05:57:00.000-07:00

Working the Background

2011-06-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

I've blocked in the background and worked on the ground. The colors of the building may change as I get into the horses, but I don't want to mess with it too much at this point. My thought is to keep the horse shadows warm, but I might find the need to adjust them cooler once I have the main subjects painted.

Inside this building is the Horse Guard Museum. It is well worth the visit if you are there to see the changing of the Horse Guards.

The start of a new painting

2011-06-23T22:38:00.000-07:00

On our first morning in London, we headed for the changing of the Horse Guards. While we were watching, a friendly Brit leaned over and said, "Yes, we are full of pomp and circumstance." It was wonderful!
I thought this would be a good subject in which to explore contrast.
Here is my turpentine value wash in progress and then finished.

Back from London!

2011-06-20T23:20:00.000-07:00

Hold the presses. My trip to London was fabulous. I was expecting to have a good trip with my artist friend Vicki Wilson-Schultz, but I didn't expect it would be so incredible.
My show at the Mall Galleries with David Shepherd went well and the artists included had amazing work.
But, what really inspired me were the original paintings I saw at the National Gallery, the Tate Britain, and the Victoria and Albert. So many masterpieces. More about that in a minute.

One sculpture by Thornycroft titled Lot's Wife in the special exhibition The Cult of Beauty at the Victoria and Albert could be my favorite sculpture of all time, (including Michelangelo's Pieta which I have seen in person.) The wet drapery look of the fabric, the delicate foot peering from underneath the flowing drapes and the treatment of the marble arms were amazing. The marble did not have a polished look, but was rendered in such a realistic manner that you believed she had just turned to salt moments before. The muscles in her arm were not any woman's muscles, but seemed to be of a particular woman. Her neck, while lovely, was not a "perfect" neck looking back over her shoulder which made her that much more real. Vicki and I were admiring the sheer genius of the sculpture, awed by its beauty, when I looked for the card to see who was the creator. It was then that I discovered the title. I got so excited, I grabbed Vicki's arm and dragged her over to read the title for herself. WOW. Simply breathtaking.

Back to the paintings. You can see from the lengthy description above that if I started sharing my feelings about all the oil paintings I found moving, I would be writing for years. One of the things I found particularly instructive was viewing the paintings with another artist whose work I admire and whose intelligence and enthusiasm I find invigorating. Discussing the pieces and what we love about certain aspects really gave me a deeper appreciation of the paintings. A fun game I have done with other artists is the "favorite painting" game. You stand in a room of art and get to choose any piece to take home. (the idea is to pick your favorite, not the one from which you could make the most money!) You make your selection and share why. Most of the time, Vicki and I would choose the same piece or her piece would be my second favorite. (Note: When standing close to a museum guard, you might not want to be discussing which painting you "would be taking home.") One time while walking through the contemporary art on the way to, oh I'll just say it, "real" art, I chose the bench as my favorite. The one everyone sits on to look at the art.

I haven't said anything about any particular painting and it is not because there were no standouts. There were. But what I took home from the whole experience is something more important than the fact that I like a painting or artist's work. I brought home a directive. In the paintings I found most inspiring the overall imperative was Contrast. I thought I was using contrast. Not like these guys. They pushed the concept to the max, then kept pushing.

In the blog below you can see I have a painting in progress. I will finish it. But, I need to do a "London" painting first. I want to really challenge myself. I have an idea I REALLY want to do and I had thought about starting it after I finished the bird painting. This "London" painting won't wait. So, come along for the ride and see what I paint.
Hint: there will be some contrast.

The fun part

2011-06-12T07:45:00.000-07:00

Now comes the fun part - working with the birds. I was originally thinking the top bird would be a male with its red coloring, but after a very wise friend said, "really?" I have changed my mind. The middle bird still needs work, but I like the direction the painting is taking. I am starting to feel what I felt when I was with them in Labrador.

Needles

2011-06-06T07:32:00.000-07:00

Starting to play with the needles. Next the cones.

Playing with branches

2011-06-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

By making sure the branch from the center right which goes to the upper left has more heft than the one coming up from the lower left, the V no longer draws my attention. I may need some more branches, but don't want to fuss with them at this stage. I am afraid that too much busy-ness may destroy the simple movement I have right now.

Blocking in the Background

2011-05-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

At this stage, I am just blocking in the background. Not much to see. I do notice that the V formed in the small branches of the center far right is distracting by being evenly weighted. I will address it in the next step.

Walking in the Tundra

2011-05-23T21:10:00.000-07:00

I have painted a number of caribou pieces from my WREAF trip to Labrador (see link on home page of http://www.besseart.com/), but only one bird. It is time to paint some songbirds from the trip.

As I looked over my reference photos, a group of images immediately brought to mind one of the first long walks in the tundra. The air was cool, the tundra starting to turn, and except for the wind, it was fairly quiet.

That is until we came across this flock of white-winged crossbills trying to grab seeds from tiny cones. They were in quite a hurry to stock up before heading south. As I think about them, I can almost smell the clean air and feel the wind on my face. Later that day I would see black bear and ptarmigan, but it was in watching these birds that the tundra began to seep into me.

As I play around with the composition, I notice it has a slight oriental feel. I am curious to see how the form and function play out.

Latest Painting

2011-05-16T11:02:00.000-07:00

No, I am not trying to make a new age statement. This is how my latest painting looks.....now. Every artist has had paintings which don't work. We might have a great idea and somehow in its execution, it falls short. Or maybe the idea is not as brilliant as we thought. Sometimes we can keep playing with it and resuscitate the painting. Or if we put it aside for days, weeks, months or years a solution to the problem areas may present itself.

I didn't believe this was one of those times. I still like the idea and may revisit it, but this painting could not be saved. Yesterday I took my gesso and covered the painting. As I watched the hours I labored over it vanish in white, there was disappointment in the wasted time, but also a sense of relief and empowerment. This painting did not represent my work and I made the right choice.

Stay tuned for my next painting. It will have more color ; )

Earth Day 2011

2011-04-22T09:14:00.000-07:00

Today is Earth Day and I thought I would share photos from my house at 8 am! Some would wake up discouraged at 6:30 to see a blanket of white outside. Me, I know we are headed for a new record. The latest a 60 degree day has been recorded in Spokane since the beginning of a year was in 1917 when the temperature didn't reach 60 until April 22nd. Seems unlikely it will reach 60 today.

With this being Holy Week, Earth Day can get lost. But looking outside and seeing the beauty of maybe our last snow of the season, one can't help but feel the magnificence of, as the book of Common Prayer says, This fragile Earth, our island home.

Front yard

View off back deck

Another Western piece

2011-04-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

Learning the Ropes

14" X 18"

Original Oil

Here is another western piece I am bringing with me to the San Dimas Western show opening April 29th. What I found interesting about creating this piece is the fun contrast between the abstract muddy ground and the detail of the near horse, ropes, and chaps. I have some tight and loose painting in Branding Day (see earlier blog), but I exaggerated the difference in paint treatment in this piece. Pushing the color in the shadowed side of the calf to include some rich purples led to some interesting color mixing.

Someone recently asked me what medium I use. I don't use a medium. The Rembrandt oil paints I use are buttery enough to move really nicely when applied to my gessoed board. Also the lack of medium keeps the colors vibrant.

Can you hear me now?

2011-04-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

Tundra Call

15.5" X 23"

Original Oil

Along the deserted Denali Highway in Alaska, we spotted a large flock of ptarmigan. Trying to gently sneak up on them for a few closer shots without disturbing them, I turned around to see one adult had run up to me and started squawking! I do believe the little ones hadn't encountered humans. Watching the flock was so much fun and their feathers were just beginning to turn white for winter.

I have wanted to paint this piece for a couple years and it has been in progress for over a year. At many of my shows, I paint. I bring a piece in progress in a specially made box for the wet painting. It has a 1/4" lip and can hold a painting up to 16" X 23". One dimension has to be either 16 or 23 to rest on the lip. For travel, the painting is placed in upside down.

For my March show in Tulsa in 2010 (yes, more than a year ago), I brought along the painting with only the heads of the two ptarmigan painted. And, I forgot my reference. Any other time, no problem. I could at least work on some of it. But, since this was my first time painting ptarmigan, I really needed my reference photos for all the feather detail. So I didn't paint. The painting went back into the painting box. It wasn't until January and I was trying to figure out what I would bring to my show in Reno to paint when it occurred to me that I had this one started. It came with me and I completed the two birds and roughed in a tiny bit of the background during the show. Once home, I played with a little of the background, then put it back in its box for the trip to Tulsa this year.

Thanks to some really good background suggestions from Bruce Miller (a very talented artist at the show who graciously made a few comments), a day of painting once I returned home and the piece was done.

Maybe I should have titled it Can You Hear Me Now? since the painting has been trying to get my attention for so long!

Branding Day

2011-04-09T04:48:00.000-07:00

Branding Day

12" X 23"

Original Oil

There are times when it is important to use artistic license in a piece. My reference showed the branding cowboy had a checked shirt about the color of his hat. The checks were so faint they were almost impossible to see at a distance. I faithfully painted his shirt matching the subtlety of my reference.

My good friend Selena saw the piece in that stage. Fortunately. She said it looked like I hadn't finished painting the shirt. She was right. Now that I saw the piece through her eyes, the shirt needed color to pull off the illusion of depth. My next quandry: do I make it blue checks? red checks? introduce green? In the end, you can see I chose red checks.

So I have dipped my toe into Western art thanks to Terry Miller and his cow and horse pieces and my upcoming San Dimas Western Show. There are a few things I have learned from this painting (which is a goal for almost every piece I do.)

1) My usual wet-on-wet technique works well for rendering plaids, checks, jeans, and chaps.

2) Shadows become even more critical with man-made objects.

And reinforced:
1) Unfamiliar subjects will take more time to paint as I explore new edges (and often colors.)
2) Having another set of eyes to give me a fresh perspective is invaluable (especially when exploring new ideas.)
3) Trying new subject matter is a great way to learn.

Rust

2011-04-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

I find rust tricky to paint. Maybe because I don't paint it very often. (I have painted some really old elephants, but they weren't rusty.)

For the dark rust in the shadow, I found Burnt Sienna with a touch of VanDyke Brown or Raw Umber worked well. For the lighter orange I used a combination including Cad. Orange, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, and Titanium White.

The non-rusty sections in shadow are a clean blue (Titanium White, Cerulean Blue, and Ultramarine Blue.)

Since I don't wash my brush in turpentine before switching colors, often I have remnants of other colors on my brush. Many times I will do a large section of a painting with just 2 or 3 brushes. This helps the colors appear more unified with many colors having bits of others in them. If I paint a dark area and move to a lighter area, I will wipe off as much paint as I can with a paper towel so it doesn't get too muddy. For areas that need to be drastically lighter, I will splurge and grab a clean brush.

A First

2011-04-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

I know this may come as a huge shock to you. Even with all the zebra, giraffe, leopard and cheetah I have painted, not a single one was wearing plaid! No, just stripes and spots. And with all the bird paintings I have created, not a single one of those two legged creatures was wearing jeans.

One plaid shirt and pair of jeans down, one to go.

A Post about Posts

2011-04-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

The rule of thumb for most paintings is to simplify. Edit, take out everything you can to make a dynamic piece. I could have reduced the number of corral posts on the right of the painting. But, having this mass of bars seems to push my eye away from the confusion of posts to the main action. The branding. It is the most simple part of the painting with the highest contrast.

The Easy Part

2011-03-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

It looks like I have a lot painted already. The cow went fairly smoothly. Hard to see from the image, but I used some pinkish browns and light blues for the highlights on his coat.

I can tell it will get tougher from here.

Westward Ho!

2011-03-27T22:13:00.000-07:00

I like to think of myself as a wildlife artist. Wild places, wild animals. Horses and cows never held the magic for me like leopards, elk, sandhill cranes, and ptarmigan. What would be the magic in painting a cow?

That is until I spent some time looking at Terry Miller's blog and the amazing magic he creates from everyday scenes of cattle and horses. Finding the beauty in what most of us would find mundane and then helping us see that beauty is a real talent. If you haven't checked out his blog, see the Link at lower right.

Well, I have a western themed show coming up (San Dimas 35th Annual National Western Art Exhibition and Sale) and felt it was time take a "ride on the ranch." I could just bring North American wild animal paintings, but why shy away from a challenge? I'm goin' west. Over the next week or so, I'll show you the progress on this piece. It is 12" X 23" and I can already tell that I bit off quite a chunk. Below is the turpentine wash over my drawing.

Wildlife Artist of the Year 2011 Competition

2011-03-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation has announced the Shortlisted Artwork for Wildlife Artist of the Year 2011.

My painting The Return was chosen for the list and selected for inclusion in the exhibition opening June 6th at the Mall Galleries, London. I am thrilled to be part of this august group.

Teamwork

2011-03-14T23:39:00.000-07:00

As I think about the title to this piece, it has a couple meanings. The English setters are obviously working as a team, but the painting is also a team effort. It was commissioned by the dogs' owner. He wanted a piece with both dogs in the midwest setting in which he and they hunt. I wanted some time with the dogs and a number of reference shots from which to work. The owner brought the dogs up to my house and after an hour or so, I had taken more than 420 photos. With free rein to play with composition and concept, I was able to let my imagination work through numerous possibilites to capture these two male setters. The owner was quite pleased with the result, a painting of true Teamwork.

Teamwork

Original Oil

Listening and Watching

2011-03-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday on my way back from Natureworks in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I had a chance to swing by the Platte River in Nebraska. I took exit 305 from Interstate 80 in search of Sandhill cranes. I found them, boy did I find them. In about 3 hours, I probably saw close to 20,000. There are numerous guided tours of the area both near sunset and sunrise, but I have found that driving the country roads enables me to see them without feeling rushed.

The sky was overcast with patches of dense ground fog. Images of the cranes appeared and disappeared in the mist. At first I was disappointed I didn't have sun and the accompanying shadows. The first time I saw them I had beautiful sunshine and clear skies. The second time it was overcast and a bit too early in the season. It was now a good week later in March and The Sandhill Cranes were Dancing! Everywhere they were leaping into the air and throwing patches of grass in wonderful mating displays. Then I realized this was perfect! The atmosphere made the encounter even more magical. The lost edges of the birds in the fog, the frenzied dancing, the subdued lighting will make a unique painting. I even have the title. (You'll have to wait for the finished piece to find out what it is.)

I took lots of reference photos, but I did something even more important. I listened and watched. Pulled off the side of the road, driver and passenger windows down, I listened to the crane's ancient call. The variation in the different vocalizations. And I watched them dance. It seemed they leapt more than their full height, often kicking out at such an extreme angle leaving me momentarily wondering if their legs would get back under their body in time. They always did. The grass toss was fascinating to watch. Large clumps of vegetation would be thrown into the air along with the leaping. Often the clump would be thrown backwards over the crane's head.

An encounter like this I find even more inspiring because I put down the camera and took those moments to listen to their calls and watch a dance which has been repeated for well over 2 million years.

Dramatic Skies

2011-02-24T19:18:00.000-08:00

I am fortunate that my house is on a ridge which affords wonderful views from the south to the northwest. The sunsets are often amazing.

Still, when I think of broad dramatic skies, my mind turns to the great plains of America. The sky just seems bigger there. A late afternoon drive in the northern great plains a number of years ago was particularly striking. I had to pull off the road and enjoy the brilliance of the scene as it unfolded. It inspired this painting.

Great Plains

18" X 26.5"

Original Oil

Revisiting Antarctica

2011-02-14T17:48:00.000-08:00

I haven't painted much from my trip to Antarctica. Not sure why because the continent was certainly inspiring. So, it was time to go back through my notes, my photos, and my thoughts about the trip.

Like most people who have had a chance to walk among penguins (and have had them walk over your boots!), penguin encounters are quite memorable. I had a chance to see the nesting areas of four species, Magellanic, Adele, Gentoo, and Chinstrap. All were fascinating, but as I pondered what to paint, a rookery really stood out for me. On one island, Chinstrap climb the side of a mountain and nest among boulders. Watching them negotiate the climb with such agility was incredible. They appear so awkward on land yet looked like graceful ballerinas compared to my climb to the area! Big rubber boots and a 14 pound camera made my ascent more akin to the elegance of an elephant seal.

I wanted to showcase them in the painting and create a sense of vastness and remoteness with a sliver of intimacy. Quite a lot to put in a smallish painting.

Chinstrap Rookery

15" X 22"

Original Oil

Artist of the Day

2011-02-10T22:22:00.000-08:00

Today I am Artist of the Day on the Artists for Conservation website.
http://www.natureartists.com/

If you have not checked out this web site in a while, have a gander.

A little bit nuts!

2011-01-26T05:01:00.000-08:00

Artists are perceived as being, shall we say, a bit out of the ordinary. Maybe a little crazy, or just plain nuts. I have this new painting. Anyone with any sense might have painted ONE flamingo. But in a painting that is 7 inches by 10 inches, I painted something like 70! What was I saying in the last blog about painting too many birds? Still this was a lot of fun and I have to say one of my favorite small paintings.

Pink Flurry

7" X 10"

Original Oil

Knowing When to Stop

2011-01-20T05:28:00.000-08:00

If every artist knew when to stop painting, artists would know better how to begin.

How often do we artists noodle a painting? Putting in detail that doesn't need to be there. Fussing with the edges. Thinking there needs to be one more bird when there should be two less. Changing a simple dramatic scene into something complex and ultimately.... boring.

I am not immune. So, I do try to think like an editor. Does that story line really add to the plot? If my painting were someone else's painting (helps me to think critically if it is not mine), what would I take out?

Some of this thinking came into play with the sticks. Should I have more? less? should the line go to the left or right? Should I cover up all the background wash? (I decided to leave some showing.) You may not agree with all my choices on this painting. Many are subjective. Artists of all levels may have chosen differently. In the end, this painting says what I wanted it to say. I feel what I wanted to feel. And hopefully, I knew when to stop.

Not Backing Down
24" X 36"
Original Oil

Kitty cat

2011-01-17T05:17:00.000-08:00

I meant to post in stages as I worked on the cougar, but I was so in to the painting that it wasn't until I was finished with him that I realized I hadn't taken a single photo for you.

Rocks

2011-01-14T04:56:00.000-08:00

Rocks used to be one of my least favorite things to paint. My knowledge of rocks exceeded my painting skill by a fair margin. A downside of having an M.S. degree in geology. I knew when rocks didn't look "right", but had a hard time "fixing" them.

Once I decided to approach them as I would any other subject matter, painting rocks became easier for me. Still, almost every time I paint them, I soon get to the muddy section when they look like nothing. That is when I need to step back, formulate a strategy and attack each section slowly, working on it until it looks rocky. I hit that muddy stage in this painting once I had blocked in all the color. The metamorphic nature of the rock just wasn't coming through. Step back, deep breath. Let's start on the lower right section and build up from there.

Below you can see the rock basically done although there will be some tweaking as I continue the painting.

Painting in Progress

2011-01-11T03:27:00.000-08:00

It has been a little while since I have posted a painting in progress.

So, here is my latest.

I had a great cougar reference photo which I took. Often I have to use 5, 10, even 15 reference photos which I have taken to build a painting, but this one was just about perfect. I loved his body position and the perspective, but there were a number of issues which despite the pluses above, made the image a bit dull.

Photo by Linda Besse

While his body had a dramatic pose, the head was down. This would not necessarily be a bad thing, but in this case, the lowered head lowered the drama. The mouth was funny. His eyes almost looked cross-eyed. The sky was boring. The lighting...not very exciting.

My plan: raise the head, fix the mouth, set the eyes on the viewer, have dramatic light on his side, have a dark stormy background. Once the drawing was completed it was time for the next stage.

Here I have done a raw sienna/burnt sienna turpentine value wash. The wash on the cougar doesn't speak to the dramatic lighting I envision. Once I start using color, I will play with the lighting. I want his right side (what we see on the left) to be hit with sunlight. Also, I haven't played with any sky detail during this stage.

As I start painting, I am thinking of the light hitting the cougar's side. It has to have a source (upper left) and for more drama, I want a dark sky to touch him on that side. Here, I am just adding paint and will blend once the paint is blocked in. As an interesting note, I still have the same blending brush from my very first paintings.....ever. The brush bristles are in fine shape even though there are very few paintings in which I have not used it. Granted, the paint on the handle has seen better days.

Finally Painted

2011-01-07T15:26:00.000-08:00

Like many artists, my painting ideas may germinate for a long time. Sometimes days, but more often months or years. As soon as I saw this little zebra colt in 2007, I knew I had to paint him. His bright orange coat and his gesture toward his mom was a scene that haunted me, in a good way. But the right time didn't materialize and I hadn't quite figured out how I wanted to paint them.

Once I came up with a more square format, the composition came into focus for me. I wanted other zebra in the scene but no complete zebra except for the mom and colt. Including the loose background zebra seemed to help with the square format.

While painting the scene, the title eluded me. It finally materialized with my last brush stroke.

Whisper
18" X 23.5"
Original Oil

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-03T20:49:00.000-08:00

New Year's Resolution #27

Stay more current on my blog.

To top off a wonderful Holiday Season, snow blanketed Spokane. It started as rain then turned into a magnificent storm dropping more than 10 inches. The rain actually enhanced its beauty. By coating the trees first with ice, the snow landed on a "prepared" surface. It is almost a week after the storm and thanks to sub-zero temperatures, the picture perfect landscape remains.

If I painted it without showing it to you, you'd never believe it. So, as proof, here are two of the more mundane photos of my side yard.

and......

You should see it when the sun comes out!!!

Winter Soltice

2010-12-21T09:36:00.000-08:00

Winter Lights
8.25" X 15"
Original Oil

The first day of winter. Some in Spokane might argue with that assessment since we have had record November snows with accumulations in town for the month over 25 inches. Here in the hills, even more.

With the lunar eclipse and the soltice on the same day, I thought I would share a recent painting also dealing with the sky. And Winter.

Magnificat!

2010-12-06T09:59:00.000-08:00

On another subject...

The Spokane Symphony's Holiday Pops concert is this coming Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm in the Fox Theater. The Spokane Symphony Chorale joins the Symphony in bringing the holiday music to Spokane.
Since 1991 I have sung with the Chorale. In addition to the Holiday Pops concert we have sung Requiems, Operas, and a variety of classical music throughout a full concert season. (Yes, I have managed to squeeze in a little painting time between concerts.)

For the first time since I have been a member, the Chorale has been asked to do major solo work for the Holiday Pops Concert (typically done by out-of-town professionals). This year 2 sets of 4 soloists (one set of 4 for each concert) will be singing the solo sections in Gustav Holst's Christmas Day.

And the quartet section of Franz Schubert's Magnificat D 483 will be sung in Latin by Chorale members with a different quartet selected for each concert. I have been chosen to sing the alto part on Sunday, Dec 12th.
I thought it would be a wonderful challenge to prepare enough to have a good audition for the part, certainly not expecting to receive it. Guess I prepared too well. Much of that is thanks to Selena Schopfer who made study CDs for me. So, when I am shaking in my heels in front of 1,650 people, I know who to blame.

Invitational Miniature Show

2010-12-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

Whale Encounter 9" X 13.85" Original Oil

Pacific Flyway Gallery in Spokane, WA is holding a Miniature Invitational Show from Dec 1st - Dec 23rd.

You are invited to the Opening Reception on December 3rd from 4pm - 7pm.

I am one of the 6 artists selected for the show and will be at the gallery with a selection of new miniature paintings, giclee canvas prints, and a number of hard cover books of exhibitions in which my work was included.
The gallery also has many gift items including jewelry, Christmas ornaments, carvings and more which may perfectly complement your Holiday shopping.

Pacific Flyway Gallery is located at 313 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane
Phone (509) 747-0812

Thinking of Summer

2010-11-08T22:50:00.000-08:00

With snow in the forecast for the next several days, you would assume I was thinking of winter. Ah, but in a painting, I can immerse myself in the season of my choosing. For this piece, I wanted to play with an oystercatcher I watched this summer on a Martha's Vineyard shore. It was an overcast day and I loved how his bill added spice to the scene.

Pearl Catcher

8.5" X 12"

Original Oil

Scarier than any Halloween

2010-10-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

The Puzzle of packing for a show

My husband helping screw on the crate lids
If you think this is messy, you should have seen it a couple hours ago!

You have 23 paintings to pack. Numerous wooden crates. One goal. Pack all the paintings in the fewest number of crates, but with 150 pounds as the maximum weight per crate and maximum crate dimensions of 165 inches (length + girth.) With which box do you start?

I opted for Box D. Fortunately, this was a good choice. Not only did I get in my largest painting, but the second layer worked really well for 5 more paintings and one framed print. The remainder of the paintings fit in Box Y and Box O. Barely. One box ended up at 141 pounds (about 41 pounds heavier than I would have liked), but the box was in really good shape and everything fit well with no wasted space. Of course, trial and error in painting placement is in full force as one painting then another is tried in various open spaces. Or maybe I try two smaller ones? Or rotate that one over there?

This process takes me hours. I take care in packing the paintings, making sure there is no wobble from side to side if a painting is not on the bottom layer.

And the reason for this effort? The upcoming Waterfowl Festival in Easton Maryland. The VIP event kicks off on Thursday evening November 11th. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the show will be open to the general public.

This year, all the painters will be under one roof at the Tidewater Inn. A great chance to see your favorite oil, acrylic, watercolor, graphite, scratchboard, and wood burning artists in one location!

More details about the show can be found at http://www.waterfowlfestival.org/

As for me, the packing is done. Time for a beer!

Style

2010-10-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

Determination

12" X 8"

Original Oil

Often I let the subject matter dictate the style I will use in a painting. In my mind, a tightly rendered tiger would have slowed the action I was trying to portray. Besides, it was fun working with loose brush strokes!

Eye, Eye, Eye!

2010-10-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

Eye See You - Turkey

7.5" X 5.5"

Original Oil

Though I recently completed Eyes of the Forest with six Eye See Yous in one painting, it has been a while since I have painted a single Eye See You. For my upcoming show, the Waterfowl Festival in Easton Maryland, I painted a turkey, a wood duck, and a pheasant in the Eye See You format.

What I find intriguing about the design of these pieces is figuring out just how much to show of the animal I am portraying. Here you have a sneak preview of the entire piece. Once it is framed, 1/3" - 1/2" on each side will be hidden from view. I do work out the composition as if the painting is that 1/2" smaller in each dimension. (but I can't help painting to the edge!)

The Ethology Award Part II

2010-10-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

Best Depiction of Natural Behavior in Digital Medium

Notice how the subject attempts to blend into the background. This creature often uses camouflage or an object (such as a large bolder) to mask its presence. It also carries around a large white and black appendage or a book with lots of papers and a writing utensil. We think it may do this because it is trying to learn to use its opposable thumbs.

With careful observation, we have found that the subject will "creep" to new locations. An act of quietly and slowly moving to gain a better vantage point.

Here, the subject uses the natural willow of the tundra from which to "peep." (peep: verb, when the subject moves up and down furtively to catch a glance, grab a photo, then duck out of sight.)

An entire treatise could be written on the sometimes bizarre behavior of this creature, but to sum up, its methods seem to produce some great reference photos.

Yes, this is me in the Manitoba tundra getting some great shots of migrating snow geese. Many of the little ones (this year's young) have never seen a human! In the background, you can see Hudson Bay. This tundra landscape changes dramatically twice a day with its fourteen foot tidal change. Here, the tide is moving out.
This was a great trip to Northern Manitoba. We were at Dymond Lake (about 30 km west of Churchill) with Webber's Lodges. It was not uncommon to see my footprints of yesterday afternoon covered by polar bear tracks, or wolf, or arctic fox. In the near future, you can expect to see some paintings from this amazing trip.

The Ethology Award

2010-09-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

While I was traipsing around in the northern Manitoba tundra (upcoming blog), the Society of Animal Artists had their opening weekend.
I am honored to have won the Ethology Award.
(OK, I have to admit I had no idea what this award was until I read the description.)
This Award is given to the "Best depiction of Natural Behavior in any medium." The animal has to be doing SOMETHING (as the show award description reads.)

According to Oxford:
ethology: noun
1. the science of animal behavior. 2. the study of human behavior from a biological perspective.
ORIGIN: Greek thologia, from thos 'nature, disposition.'

From the awards presented, best 2-D, best 3-D, President's Award, etc, I can't think of an award I would feel more honored winning.

And the winner is: Battle Royale

Two For Two

2010-09-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

Two For Two

Original Oil

23.75" X 29"

A finished commissioned painting.

Mission Complete.

I was so pleased with the outcome, that I decided to make canvas giclee prints of the painting. (Haven't done that with a commissioned piece before. My client is receiving #1 as an added bonus.)

When my client received the painting, he said it looked just like his "huntin' buddies" and that he would "treasure the painting long after they were gone."
Taking the time to meet his dogs, taking good reference photos, working out various compositions, using my own pheasant reference, and then having the freedom to paint the story I saw made this painting come to life for me. And for my client and for me, on this mission we both won.

Pheasants

2010-09-14T18:43:00.000-07:00

Working with the pheasant reference was a challenge. My client had pheasant reference, but not at the perspective, detail, or interest which I needed. I had South Dakota pheasant reference from my husband's hunting trips, other live pheasants which I had photographed, and two mounts in our rec room of some monster South Dakota pheasant. Long tails, nicely mature roosters.

Since my client also has hunted in South Dakota, I am using my birds. I have the pheasants all drawn out, but in painting them, I realize their bodies are just too small. So, as I paint, I enlarge them. (Gee, pheasants have a lot of feathers!)

At this point, I also see that the tails of the pheasants in the painting are fine, but not as magnificent as the ones I have. Well, why not make them the finest pheasants to go along with these beautiful dogs.

Finishing the chocolate lab

2010-09-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

While the dogs may have been painted, the mission is only half completed. The painting needs to come together as a unified story. Time to work on the pheasants.

The Chocolate Lab

2010-09-07T18:12:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I wanted the chocolate lab standing is that I feels it makes for a more dynamic composition. Two dogs sitting would be OK, but this way I can work in different postures and the overlapping of the black lab on the brown lab. Once again, I am challenged to make this my client's chocolate lab, Layla, and not just any chocolate lab.

The Black Lab

2010-09-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

This is when the mission gets more difficult. I am not painting a black lab, I am painting Josie. A particular black lab. The image has to sit like her, look like her, feel like her. That is why I find it so important for me to spend time with the animals I paint.

Working the background

2010-09-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

My client had some reference photos of the place he usually hunts with his dogs. Several of the shots had taller trees in the background and blue sky peaking through. Right away, I knew I wanted that feeling of distance.
I kept the trees impressionistic, not wanting to detract from the intended detail of the dogs and birds. But, I wanted the trees to read like trees. My mission: loose trees, but not too loose.

Time to rough in some grasses. As you can see, the bottom right and one spot in the bottom center, have heavy paint strokes. I wasn't sure if I wanted heavy strokes there, but thought I would try it. Something about the effect worked for me, so I kept them thick. With oil, I can always go back and change it later.

I also kept the ground dark and more bare around the birds. This is done so they will be better showcased when I get around to painting them.

Commissions

2010-08-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

Commissions can be a tricky subject for artists. You want to make the client happy and you want to paint a good painting.

Commissions can feel like an episode from the old TV show, Mission Impossible.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to paint a pack of wolves chasing a mountain lion, which is chasing a deer, which is leaping over a turkey, which is ....
Just then, your paint brush blows up in a puff of smoke.
Peter Phelps would probably die of a stroke with that mission. And any artist would probably disavow any knowledge of such a com(mission.)

I just finished a commissioned painting from the perfect client and thought I would share the various stages of the piece.
My mission: paint his hunting dogs.

At first, he wasn't sure whether he wanted one or both dogs painted. Since I was going to be in his neck of the woods (on the other side of the country), I thought I would take reference photos of both dogs. By the time I got to his house, he had decided he wanted both dogs painted. Not sure whether it would be best to have them in the same painting or in two separate oil paintings, we left that open. I would review the images I took with my camera (about 350 photos) at home and then call him. I spent a little over an hour with him and the dogs as they fetched and sat and stood for me. Being with them in person (rather than having some reference photos sent to me), gives me a much better feeling of their personalities.

Once home, I spent hours reviewing every shot, making a list of the best images of the chocolate lab, the black lab, and of them together. From there, I came up with compositions for each dog and one of them together, calculated a variety of proportional dimensions and prices, and called my client. (Note: I had a number of reference shots with both dogs together, but didn't use them for the combo composition. A stronger composition was developed from several shots of each dog.) I was leaning toward a painting with both of them together, but knew I would also be happy with two separate paintings. My client and I discussed the options and he chose a larger painting with both dogs. We talked about how many pheasants and whether his gun should be in the painting.

What made him the perfect commission client is that he left the main painting decisions in my hand. Composition, which reference images, position of the dogs, background. He chose the size and relating price.

Pricing brings up another issue. I like to charge the same for a commission as I would any comparable work. There is something I do a little differently than most artists. I don't collect any money upfront for a commission. I complete the painting and if the client likes it, he buys it. If not, (hasn't happened yet), I will sell it at some other venue. (of course that is not possible with a human portrait, but that is the chance I take.) It ends up being a no-risk for the client and in return, I receive the freedom to make critical decisions to create the best piece I can paint.

Below is the start of the painting with a burnt sienna / raw sienna turpentine wash.

Eyes of the Forest

2010-08-26T06:49:00.000-07:00

Eyes of the Forest

Original Oil

20" X 22"