Finished

Cross Country

9" X 12" 

Original Oil

 

Adding the White

Like usual, my white is Titanium White with a touch of Cadmium Yellow Deep. I am keeping my cool shadow colors handy as I rework them in conjunction with the sunlit white areas.
Almost done.

Reds, Oranges, and Browns

My palette looks like I have gone crazy with oranges, reds, and yellows. Mixtures of Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Yellow Deep. Quinacridone Coral, Cadmium Red, Burnt Sienna, and Raw Umber are "dancing" around my palette. Close up, some of the colors look neon bright on the painting. When I step back from the piece, it all seems to come together with soft warm browns.

Maybe daring myself to push into uncharted color territory is the way to add extra life to my work and still keep it looking natural.

Pronghorns

After seeing the reception of my pronghorn painting Track Team at my last show (it sold), I thought about how much I really enjoyed painting these stunning animals. In this piece, I am saturating the color more than I usually would to create the vibrancy I feel when seeing them in the the field.

Usually, I would paint each animal in its entirety before moving on to the next. This time I am taking a different approach by painting each color group on the herd before mixing the next. I'd like to give you a logical explanation why I have varied the approach but all I can say is that it felt right.

The Next Painting

I knew exactly what I wanted to paint next. After thinking about it on our drive home from the  Las Vegas show, I could clearly see it in my mind. Thinking of the gaps to fill from the last show's sales, it was an obvious choice to get this one ready for my upcoming show in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
After spending hours reviewing my reference and working out various compositions, it just wasn't working. Well, I had a second idea which I liked just as well. Nope, that didn't pan out either. Neither did the 3rd or 4th.
Time to take a break. This is when I ask myself the most important question, "If I could paint any subject in the world, what would it be?" The answer did not take long. (Of course I could have saved myself quite a bit of time if I had not been so stubborn hanging on to my first idea.)

Below is the start of the "next" painting.

Safari Club International Convention

Right before a show, things like blog posting are put aside while I finish paintings, pack, and complete the associated paperwork (flyers, description cards for paintings, etc.)

Below are two paintings which I did not get around to sharing on my blog. Both of them were among the numerous which found homes with past and new collectors of my work.

Now that I am back home, the first order of business is writing thank you notes to my patrons, ordering boxes, mailing paintings (most choose to have me mail the pieces because they flew in), entering new collectors in my quarterly newsletter database, entering interested parties in the database, and following up those interested in a commission.
And yes, this all comes before I unpack and wash clothes!

It is also right back to the easel. My next show is NatureWorks in Tulsa, Oklahoma Feb 24 + 25. Some paintings I can bring with me when I fly, but the bulk needs to be shipped Feb 14. There are several special pieces I want to complete in time.

Vertical

8" X 3.5"

Original Oil

Attitude

9" X 12"

Original Oil

Finished Painting

Where There Is A Will

12" X 28"

Original Oil