"Barred and Dangerous"

"Barred and Dangerous" 7x5 acrylic

I just love barred owls! Really had fun with this little study.

"Tattered Perch" 12x18 acrylic on board

This painting is a little different for me. Of course, the first thing most will notice are the warm colors and the strong use of cadmium orange. Also, that striking background was applied in a somewhat loose and abstract manner. After doing my preliminary drawings and working out composition details, this piece took on a life of its own. Originally, it was supposed to be a 12x24 composition (see image below), but the closer it got to completion, the more I began to feel like there was a lot of unnecessary space. After much deliberation, I elected to get out the circular saw and make some corrections. I removed a strip of the board from each end of the painting and I'm much happier.

Barred Owl Project

Here's a little tease of a fairly large painting I'm working on. The image above is a 6" square from a 12x24 composition. It's been one of those pieces that seems to have a mind of its own. I've never used this much cadmium orange in a painting before and it was a little scary to smear so much of it on the board. Still a long way to go, but I'm starting to like this one :)
Merry Christmas everyone!!!

"Mouser" 6x8 acrylic

After spending some time painting with plein air master James Coe, I’ve been experimenting with some new techniques. The freedom to apply oil paint and manipulate it for an extended amount of time is something I really enjoyed about the plein air painting. Though I must admit, I found myself rushing to clean brushes, soften edges, etc. fearing the paint will dry… something I’m constantly aware of working with acrylics. Nonetheless, I’ve been pushing myself to work faster with my acrylics, smearing and blending edges before the paint has a chance to set. Not an easy task, but not without reward.