"Man on a Mission"

"Man on a Mission" 8x10 oil

If It's Not Right... FIX IT!

I've had time the last couple of days to rethink a couple of paintings that just weren't working for me. I'd repainted the elements bothering me on each of these pieces at least twice before now. I just wasn't having much success.
Last night I dug the "Rock Star" painting out of 'naughty painting' corner of the studio and tried to breathe some life into it. Finally, I feel better about this one!

"Rock Star" 12x20 acrylic

 I was never happy with the placement or the rendering of the bird in the earlier versions. There was a magnolia warbler in this painting and later a white-throated sparrow. No matter what I tried, they seemed to be flat and lifeless. Maybe they just didn't want to be there! The chickadee on the other hand, seems content to hang on one of the small vines before flitting off in search of a bug.

YUCK!

 Satisfied I'd cleared a hurdle with the painting above, I decided to push my luck with "Rites of Spring". Again, I'm much happier with the painting now. Thanks to a suggestion from Terry Miller, it became obvious the placement of the turkeys was not quite right.

2nd or 3rd version still not working!

 I really wanted this painting to be more about the landscape than the turkeys. Unfortunately, that damned gobbler kept drawing all the attention!
By moving the turkeys into the dark area at the base of the tall trees, they seem much less intrusive... even though they're considerably larger than in previous versions. I think it works much better now.

"Rites of Spring" 12x20 acrylic

Be Brave!

"The Long Way Home"

One of my favorite paintings of years past was in need of an overhaul. James Coe once told me he doesn't consider a painting "finished" until it sells and constantly reworks his art. With that in mind, I decided to take the red fox out of "The Long Way Home" and replace him with a trio of gobblers. I also added a splash of morning light behind the birds drawing the viewers eye to the bend in the road. This kind of adventurous update is something I would have never attempted earlier in my career. There is always some fear involved that I might screw up an otherwise decent painting, but confidence in my ability to correct any missteps allows me the freedom to try all sorts of cool stuff.

"Long-Beards of Steckler Hollow" 20x30 acrylic

Now that I have the images side by side, I've also noticed how much better the photography of my paintings has become. The image of the updated painting is much more accurate to the true colors.
Complete with a new title and soon to have a brand new frame, this painting is destined for the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, MD in November.