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!!!

CACTI IN PROGRESS

On my easel; click to enlarge

I am so happy because I actually got to paint today! I was feeling a bit "down" the past few days, so I knew I really needed to get into my studio, turn up the music, and just paint! A few hours later, and this is the result - about 2/3rds done with this 20" x 24" cacti piece. I am so pleased with how it is coming along.


Last night my dog was barking in the back yard, so we went to the window to see what was the problem. There was a large female moose, with 2 scars - one on her neck and another on her side. (She was here again this afternoon, so the kids have named her Scaretta. Creative!) Later in the night, just before bed, I heard something at the bird feeders. It was another porcupine. Time to put the dogs were inside for the night! Even though they may be a nuisance to our dogs, it is really special to see and enjoy the wildlife that visits us. I want to never take that kind of experience for granted! 

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!

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...