Day #11: The Heron

Whew!  Just under the wire with this one.  It was no use trying to get an early start.  At one point today I was sketching with morning coffee (in p.j.s still) and looked up to see the Orkin man traipsing through the studio followed by my husband who was letting in the handyman who was being barked at by the dog who was inside because the lawn was being mowed!  And they all wanted to ask me a question at some point...not the ideal way to work.

So this Heron was stopped and started many times...even after I photographed him I returned to brighten his beady little eye a bit.  Oh well, I made it to day #11, over one third of the way to goal.  It is very time consuming but extremely educational learning to paint with my non-dominate hand.

I photographed this heron during a camping trip to the Florida Everglades.  He was very cooperative and let me take several shots of him in different poses.  Those tiny flowing feathers posed a challenge for me as they needed a brush about the size of an eye lash.  I also discovered the reason behind my criticism of most watercolor.  I love the depth that rich dark colors add to a painting and W/C requires layer upon layer to achieve this.  And it must completely dry between layers...so many painters quit before they ever get to that deep tone I find so lovely.  I suppose that with a few more days I could have gotten there myself.

The white is a gouche - some water-colorists refuse to use it staying pure to watercolor.  But I had no time for the alternative (nor supplies nor facility!)  This is a detail; the original piece is only 5" x 5".

 I have matted this piece to an overall size of 12" x 9" and, in keeping with the 30 in 30 theme of the month, am offering it for only $30.00 plus shipping.  You will find it on my etsy store by clicking here.

I am also learning that to complete 30 paintings in 30 days (with either hand) there can be no hesitation.  One cannot waste time looking for the perfect anything...it's burning valuable time to putz around with the brush second guessing yourself.  Be bold, be confident, don't over-think it.  And while the failures will be evident, so will, we all hope, the progress.

Bright as Gold

A friend snapped this photo as I was beginning work on a new piece while we were hanging out at the Guild.

She was understandably curious why I kept putting on and taking off color.

She felt better when I finally settled down to start drawing, several photos of the goldfinch as my reference.

At home I really got a bit more adventuresome with the colors.

I think he looks like he might fly off into the woods, but I've never seen a goldfinch on this property.

Here he is in his 9 x 6 glory....ready to fly into someone's home.

Meanwhile I think I will enjoy him, we've gotten to know each other so well!

Purchase Here

Harbinger of Spring

The Messenger

This is a young messenger, commissioned by a collector for her friend named, appropriately, Robin.  Listening to these messengers of spring early in the morning is a wonderful way to wake up.  We've had our windows open so I can hear them and all their feathered friends chatting about what is to come.  Sadly they also announce the onslaught of pollen so windows may have to close soon.  Anyway, this is a little wonky photo cause I shot it while the 7 x 5 piece on board was drying from its final coat of varnish.  It's done in graphite with mixed media.  I'll do better with the photography next time, I just couldn't resist sharing.