Plein Air Season!

I have signed up for several Plein Air events so decided it was a good time to organize my painting gear and get it packed and ready to go.

 I got my plein air painting gear organized and packed yesterday.






















Just bought this at Home Depot...looked like a great way to travel with painting gear!

Have my EasyL Lite pochade, paints, brushes, sketchbook, and on and on packed away with the tripod in it's own carrying case. This is for the more extended plein air paintouts.
http://www.artworkessentials.com/products/easyl-lite/

















 This smaller bag is for quick small sketches. This bag may just stay in my car at all times. Never know when I see something I want to paint!

The small bag has a Guerrilla Thumbox 6x8 pochade that carries paints and short brushes inside. The tote also carries a few small extra panels, sketchbook, drawing materials and a spare tripod that I bought at Goodwill for $7.

Good Boy!

My pet portrait is just about done. The cold weather and my cold studio slowed the paint drying rate but now things are speeding up quite well. Love this boy, he has such a great expression!

Spring is Marching in!!!!

It's been a while since I last posted anything. Have been busy with commissioned paintings and designing several websites. But I got a quick little study of some primroses I pick up at my local grocery store.
They just made me smile!

"Spring Prims"
4x6 inches
oil on canvas panel
$40.00 unframed

Progress on the pet protrait

I have layered in more color, started on the detail around the face and added a favorite rope toy.

Snow Road

A manageable snowfall can be rather beautiful. But they are predicting some more snow this coming week.



"Snow Road"
6x6 oil on hardboard panel
$50.00

From the heart!!

A little watercolor fun today, just in time for the upcoming holiday!

"Sweet Dreams"

Things are changing!

After a discussion with the client of the dog portrait we both decided that the photo I was working from was not the best photo of this really gorgeous dog!
So it was back to the drawing board and have a new pose, a new pencil sketch and have started in on the initial light oil wash on the canvas board.

Pet Portrait Progress

I have been slowly glazing more color on the portrait, deepening the shadows, working a bit on the eyes and nose...but trying not to get into the details yet. I also started blocking in the background. I am glazing the colors so have to take the time to let the layers dry. I did add a bit of drying medium to speed up the process. It's hard to step away and put down the brush to let it dry! That's why I will work on other pieces too.

Pet Portrait

Thought I would show the progression of a pet portrait that I am working on. From photos provided by the client I first worked up a pencil sketch.

I added a background from another photo from the client.

I then transferred the sketch to an 11x14 inch canvas panel and started on a light wash of burnt umber oil paint, thinned to a consistency of watercolor. This is the stage where I will work out values, shadows and composition.

The next post will be the application of color.

"Stormy",  another watercolor up for auction on Daily Paintworks.