PENGUIN CACTI

Cacti
oil 20" x 24" canvas
click on image to enlarge

A friend of mine who is a photographer visited my studio a few weeks ago, and when I showed him the photo I used as reference for this painting, he thought the cacti looked like penguins. I have to agree...they do! Since I don't know what type of cactus this is, I'll just think of them as penguin cacti for now. :-)


I just picked up some more canvasses on Friday, so I am ready to begin a new piece...but I'll have to wait till later in the week. I have lots of meetings and appointments over the next few days.

PROGRESS IS BEING MADE

still working on this...click to enlarge

This piece is coming along beautifully. I can just FEEL the hot sun beating down on these cacti. I just need to let this set up for a couple of days, and then I will be ready to add the dark edges and spikes, and a few other details. Yay!!!

THIRD AND FINAL CACTUS

cactus in progress - oil on canvas

"Another cactus?",  you ask. And I answer, "Yes - but I'm pretty sure that this is the third and final one." You raise your eyebrows, and I can't bring my eyes to meet yours...for I am really NOT sure that this is the FINAL final painting of cacti. But it COULD be, if I don't take any photos of cacti that I like, and if my friend Donna doesn't send me any more of her beautiful photos of cacti. Yes - it just might be the final oil painting of cacti for a while. But for now, I am really enjoying the greens and blues, and the bright hot sun on the curled leaves of the plant. Hmmm - are they called leaves when it is a cactus? I have a sneaking thought running around the back of my head that they are called something else. If you know, could you tell me so that I am knowledgeable about that too? Thanks!

SLICES - still in process

working on the spines

I have now hit the slower part of this painting. The detailing of the spines and the edges of this cactus painting are taking more time than I anticipated, but I love how it is coming together. :-) This is just one corner of the piece. By the way - thanks for all the guesses as to what this painting was. I had some very interesting comments, but a couple of you got it right. Good for you!!!


I'll be working on this throughout the week, along with teaching. Most of my students finish their 6 weeks of lessons this week, with two finishing the beginning of next week. After that, I have a HUGE project which is going to be scary, fun, amazing, did I say scary, and a first time ever for me!


I'll tell you more about it later. Closer to the date. Have a great week, everyone!

CACTI IN OIL

CACTI
20" x 24" oil on standard canvas

This painting is finished!!! Yay!


I am very happy with how it has turned out. This time I felt like I understood how to paint with oil paint - finally! The blending and placing colors next to one another went really smoothly. 


Thanks to my good friend, Donna, for giving me her photo to work from for this painting. Can't wait to get started on the next one. :-)

CACTI IN PROGRESS

These cacti are coming along, slowly but surely. :-) The slowly is because of Christmas preparations taking priority over painting time right now. It feels good to actually not have any students or commissions currently, and to be able to relax my schedule a bit. 


All of my children and grandchildren will be here in our house for Christmas. I love the laughter, noise, being together in the kitchen creating meals, playing games, and everything else that comes with family being together. It is indeed special to have this last Christmas together before my daughter and her family leave to live in Spain for a few years. 


I do anticipate that this piece will be completed before the end of the year, as well as a few more, so I will be posting as they progress...