Back to the Birds....

Blue Jay 

Cardinal Rules redux

Yesterday I decided to paint the blue jay.  He looks young and pretty sweet, no?  Unlike the blue jay we had a few years ago - that guy would dive-bomb my cat trying to pluck fur for the family nest.  The Ms. must have squawked 'my hero' each time he returns with a beak full.   The Cardinal - do you remember him from the other day.  While painting the blue jay I kept looking at the 'mauve' background and it look muddy to me; darker than you see in the blog (backlighting).  So I mixed up some naples white, raw sienna and a bit of white.  The little scumble at the bottom left is not the painting but rather the lip of my easel; I need to lift the panel and take a better photo.

BTW full disclosure: these are not my own photos and it's an iffy thing painting from them.  They are the photos I found in our local Wild Care magazine (Marin's animal education and care center)

Speaking of birds - check out these ravens.  Took this shot a winter or two ago - I've seen them several times in persimmon trees.  Feel free to paint it for halloween!  Send me your image if you do - would love to see it.

Oldie but Goodie, Classes and more...

6x6"             Take Five      oil on panel

   click here to purchase

The title of today's post refers a painting I did awhile back. Okay, okay - I can just hear you saying "Oh - I thought you were talking about yourself!"  - very funny :-)  I started in the studio today; not sure if I'll wipe it off or finish it. We'll see...

CLASSES:  I'm teaching two Fall workshops at College of Marin. Check them out ...and if you know others who might be interested, please pass along the link to my blog - or just forward this email.  Note: Oct. 4th class has a limited number of openings.

Oct. 4   Get Ready to Paint - this class is for Total Novice students. See description/register here:     http://marincommunityed.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&int_class_id=38&int_category_id=1&int_sub_category_id=1&int_catalog_id=0

Oct. 25  Artistically Yours - this is a 'free wheeling' painting session. Music, experimentation, very loose. Also one day. All levels welcome.  Read more:   http://marincommunityed.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&int_class_id=39&int_category_id=1&int_sub_category_id=1&int_catalog_id=0

Trivia: I think I mentioned in July we sold our house of 22 years.  We've been temporarily renting an apartment until we get a new place.  One great thing about this location is that it's really convenient to most of our favorite haunts.

Here are a couple photos I took along the 20 minute walk to my studio....both of these photos were from the pedestrian overpass near the Larkspur Ferry Bldg. The top one is of two ferries that shuttle folks back and forth to San Francisco; the bottom shows a peak view of Mt. Tam in Mill Valley, two towns south of here. I should have waited to take it from the top of the pass, but you get the idea. I'll miss this when we move.

Larkspur Landing Ferries

Mt. Tam in Mill Valley 

"Tsanna"

Not getting much time to paint this week (aarrrh) ---one of those "paper work", appointments etc.  So today I'm posting a drawing I did last week at Linda's.  Don't do enough drawing - should be a daily activity - even while watching tv or waiting to get into that dental appt. etc. but...  Anyway, I was flipping through a magazine when I saw this b&w photo of model Tsanna.  Don't know her but...what great bone structure, no?  Called to me.  When you are interested in your subject it is SO much easier.   To those students out there - keep drawing!

A So Cal Study

Headed down to the OC to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday last weekend...one of those Big '0s. Good Time.  Then treated myself to a short visit with my painting pal, Linda Yoder.

As usual, we got yakking about artists whose work excites us and she introduced me to Milt Kobayashi. Wow!  Awesome--full of exciting color and boldness. Energy and exaggeration. His style reminded me of work I'd seen awhile back by Malcolm Liepke, but a bit more whimsical. Evidently they studied and painted together.

I decided to do a study right then and there--using his work as a lesson in broad strokes for the face and figure.  I tend to blend blend blend when doing faces and figures. Wanted to practice putting color down and leaving it alone.

Here's his original followed by my study.  Lessons I worked on: line and gesture, bold strokes for the facial planes, minimal blending, and ..pouty lips! I left out his wild signature hair in the study. I love it but thought I'd just leave the study as is for my version.
 

Original.....by Milt Kobayashi

Study oil on linen - Valente

I will do a few more to get the feel ...the motor memory and then will try and paint a few of my own people in a bolder brighter way.  One day hope to take a class with this new FAVE of mine.

In the meantime - I'll continue my bird series....and painting some figures the way I have come to at this point.  Evolving is what keeps it all fresh and fun...but it has to come naturally and not forced. We'll see where this interest takes me...

Cardinal Rules

Cardinal

Blue Winged Warbler

Still Don't Know!

Had a lot of fun painting this 'in-you-face-Cardinal'. Can't you just feel he's going to get his way.....or else!   While painting "Red" I kept looking at my two earlier bird paintings; felt they needed just a touch of something to jazz a smidge. I found a couple new photos of Blue Winged Warblers - they vary quite a bit from head to toe. So I selected a more chiseled profile and like it a lot better.  The bottom painting - notice there are are a couple brush strokes of blue in the shadows (we all enjoy a touch of make-up now and again)and I smoothed out his toupee a bit.  The highlights were too white before.  You can compare these with my last post.  I think the changes show of their personality a bit more.

Bloggin' Blues....

Forgot this guys name - will add soon
Originally sent out July 31 - only got to about 5 people ;-(

Blue Winged Warbler

Bloggn' Blues..   aaarrrh... found out that many of my posts aren't getting to my readers. And the blogs I subscribe to aren't coming to my inbox!?  I posted the top birdie July 31 but it only got to a couple of subscribers...even I didn't get my email copy.  Yet, an old Dec. 18 2013 post "Follow the Leader" showed up yesterday in my email inbox.  What's that about?

So please excuse this repeat, but for those who didn't get the July 31st post-- I'm finally back painting after several months of packing and moving.  Started with a few warm-ups - resulting in these small birds. They're so sweet - really fun to do.

If you get an email post on Aug. 7 - would you let me know in comments or reply email?  Hubby worked on the blog tonight - hoping it's fixed.  Thanks!