Finished and scanned

 

Squabble    Original Oil    16" X 24"

 It has been a while since I posted. For this piece, I wanted to wait until I could scan the painting. My camera was not catching some of the nuances which my scanner was able to capture.

Much of the "pink" was painted with a mixture containing Michael Harding Crimson Lake. I have been having fun exploring my "new" oil colors from both Michael Harding and Richeson. Though many of my choices could be created from my Rembrandt standard palette, I am playing around with bolder selections of color.

 

Starting the birds

 

For this piece, I decided to start on the heads first rather than completing a bird and moving on to the next.

Water

 

I like to block in the larger sections of water before paintings the highlights. This way the lighter paint can blend in to the wet darker sections.

Quick phone photos.

Heading to Florida - Virtually

 It has been snowing on and off at our home for several days so I thought a "painting visit" to Florida was in order. 

home with 8+ inches, photo by Linda, 2/17/2021

 

Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Florida is a wonderful spot to see wading birds. One of my favorite, the roseate spoonbill, will be featured in this piece.

I start with the mangrove. One could paint every branch and leaf but that would distract from the birds. Much of what I am painting is the suggestion of the foliage.

Finished

 

Wild Mustang     22" X 32"    Original Oil

 

More Horse

 For an animal in a painting this size (22" X 32") I would generally use a larger brush. However, I am finding a small flat angle brush more satisfying. After his coat is complete, I will blend some of the edges to soften the look.

The horse is a bit too light in places. I'll be adjusting this once I start working on the foreground.

Sunset

   Sunset inspired this painting.

  To take me around, I was fortunate enough to have a private guide associated with the Pryor Mountain Mustang Center and the Wild Horse Foundation who knew the name of every horse and to which stallion band it belonged. We took a small ATV to the general area of the horses and then starting hiking. My first glimpse of a small herd among trees took my breath away - and it was like that the rest of the trip!

   We had a perfect ending to the day. The very last vestiges of the sun were present and lighting the whole area with a rich orange glow. The color on several red bay stallions was amplified.  After an 11-hour day with these magnificent horses, this was more than I could have hoped for.

 

quick cellphone photos of the painting in progress