A large colourful painting, in progress

June 26, 2011

A BIG painting in progress…

I normally make small and very small, paintings, but recently unwrapped a 36" x 24" inch canvas

Every painting seems to present it's own challenges.

This one was a bit daunting because of it's size.

Instead of writing about it, I'll add photos as it progresses.

Working outside is such a treat, as I have lots of space

to move around the canvas, however, the sun and heat dries the

paint a lot quicker than in my studio. (I water down the paint, so it flows

better, when working on the details. )

It will have to wait until Sunday now, before I can work on it some more.

I hope you'll come back to see how it is turning out…

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Monday July 11, 2011

A day at the beach, and I brought my painting so I could work on the background

patterns and details. This is the1st time I've taken a painting to the beach (anywhere public), and it was

wonderful! As I had hoped, we had the beach to ourselves for most of the day, and

when it got hot, I went for a dip in the lake :)

(Sunday was Dave's birthday, so I didn't do any painting instead we went hunting

for huckleberries and they are late this year, but we managed to get some.)

I can't wait until Saturday, when I hope to work on it some more.

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Tues July 19, 2011

It's huckleberry time, so we've been up in the mountains berry picking these past couple of days.

We were too sore & tired to go picking today, plus the weather was unsettled. As for painting,

I spent more time moving my painting station around- into the carport, and then into the kitchen when a rainstorm started blowing everything around. I managed to build up the colours of the birds and some of the foliage around the edge of my painting, but that's about all. However we've got 11 1/2 sandwich baggies full of huckleberries, in the freezer.

Until next weekend....

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July 31/11

More time at work + time at the beach + visiting friends = little time for painting.

Changes are much more subtle now, I've added a bit more detail to the birds, and added more green and have lightened up some foreground parts.

I'll be concentrating on the leaves bordering the edges next.

Also need to think of a title... "large colourful painting" just doesn't cut it.

Suggestions are welcome!

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August 9/11

The weather, here in the Kootenays, has been awesome, but

I've been concentrating on my painting. (Obsessed might be more apt).

I didn't like the pink dragonfly, so I changed it.

I've got tomorrow off, so I intend to do more refining & touch-ups, and hopefully finish it up.

I've had some heavy-duty emotional upheavals this past week,

and found my painting to be a sanctuary from the emotional storm around me.

The energy and inspiration I started with, is starting to fade. I've put a lot of time and effort

into this work of art and will be proud to call it a masterpiece.

When I started this painting, I was going to put it in my Etsy shop for sale, but now that it's almost done, I'm not sure if I can part with it, and if I do what price to list it for.

But at least I've decided on a name for it :)

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I've come up with a title-

"Sanctuary from the shadows".

Aug 10, 2011

It's complete, except for a protective clear, coat which I'll do in a few days, the paint needs to fully cure first. It'll be shiny and hard to photograph so I'll see if I can get someone with a good

camera to take some photos for me.

"Jungle cat" painting.

Last summer, I had an idea for 3 different paintings, so I started with a colourful wash on three 8"x10" canvases. I finished the 1st one- "Fowl Play", and have periodically worked on the second one, it's not finished yet, but I'm going to call it "Lovin' sun".

The last one I've looked at many times over the past year, but just wasn't inspired by the original idea and so it sat… until today. It's completed and called "Jungle Cat"...

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By the way:

Recently, someone asked if I could make a large

( 24"x36") painting- similar to the tiny "Forest of Feathers" one, in my Etsy shop. I loved the idea, and was thrilled to find that I had a brand new canvas in that size, still wrapped and waiting to be painted.

I haven't done any paintings this large yet, and just looking at that big white canvas was a bit intimidating… so I kept looking at it, while working out the details and a plan.

I wet the whole canvas, then brushed on yellow, red and blue, allowing the colours to bleed together. While it was still quite damp, I used a sponge to add more shades, depth and texture, then had set it aside to dry. I've made a new blog, showing the painting as it evolves.

I'll continue this painting on my next day off.

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Since all my paints & brushes are on the picnic table, to enjoy the sunny day, I brought out a started 8x10 canvas (the one I from last summer) and chose to use it as a warm-up, before continuing the big painting.

I decided that the subject for this painting will be a cat portrait,

surrounded by leaves.

It took a very steady hand to paint all the black details with very fine brushes, and I'm thrilled to have completed it!

All it needs now is a clear protective coat. I like to use a shiny finish as it intensifies the colours a bit, but makes it hard to photograph. So this "finished" piece isn't actually finished…yet.

UPDATE: June 28, 2011,

I used two coats of shiny clear Varathane to complete my Jungle cat painting.

This completed photo doesn't do it justice, as it's hard not to get glare, (so the previous photo

is more true to how it really looks.)

Finished "Jungle Cat" painting.

(Now for sale in my Etsy shop).