A Dog & His Music

I have always wondered how listening

to different kinds of music might affect painting styles?

I'm not sure how you would conduct a conclusive

experiment but I did enjoy "appropriate" tunes while tackling this piece.

I have missed my studio, the smell, the mess, the unfinished paintings all call to me.  I have been on some fantastic adventures for sure, but I also longed for days with paints and canvas.  To ease back into the swing of paint sling I began this 12 x 9 sketch of a musician practicing in his barn.

I liked the sepia tones of this beginning and decided to keep the colors very muted (shocking, I know) for a "quiet feel."  I also began to think that this piece was mostly about the dog, faithful and attentive.  I put on some bluegrass music and settled in to work.

An early viewer mentioned that she liked the lack of facial detail so I kept the guitar picker anonymous for the most part and worked harder on defining the gestures of man and beast.  I have a tendency to get so wrapped up in the flow of painting that I work far longer than I intend to and produce way more detail than is necessary.

"A Dog & His Music"

12 x 9, oil

Done!  The photograph was difficult to take as the glare did not allow me to capture the differing tones of light colors.  But with the barn wood frame I can almost smell the hay on the ground...and I am certain that this sweet hearted canine is about to break out in song.  And bluegrass was definitely appropriate as background music.  

Muting the Colors,

Cindy