Brande Arno Art

5 x 5 inches Oil on Board This piece was like labor.  I scraped it off several times and for you artist's out there, you know the pain of scraping hours worth of work because that last one or two brushstrokes just ruined the ENTIRE painting. I'm happy with this 3rd attempt.   I'm surrounded with about 4 acres of trees.  Anytime I want a reference for trees, I just look out the window.  With today's powerful wind, it was hard to look at the trees and not feel sorry for them.  While I was in labor with this painting, I went downstairs to to check on my bird feeders.  I happened to spy a cardinal hiding under a shrub, riding out one of the bigger gusts of wind.   Now it's the end of the workday, the last day of January, 2013.  The good news is there is still daylight.  Last month, it was dark at this time.  The bad news is we still have all of February and pretty much all of March left for the real cold winter weather.  The birdies handle this fact better

6 x 6 inches, Oil with Palette Knife http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/104401 Another painting taken from my sketchbooks of a few years ago.  There are SO many views that are paintings waiting to happen, on I-90 or The New York State Thruway. I travel it more than a few times a year to visit family.  You really can't set up to paint, but quick sketching or photos can happen if you feel brave.

4 x 4 inches, Oil on Board I really like the way this came out.  I feel like I'm doing a better job with painting white.  More specifically white mixed with color.  Another area that I'm feeling good about in this painting is the cast shadow. It looks real. 

Cooper's Eyes 16 x 20 inches Oil on Board- NFS I received a comment from another blogger about the In-process painting of Cooper that I posted several days ago.  I just realized I did not post the finished piece, so here it is.  In process of this painting can be found on my facebook page www.facebook.com/brandearno  

4 x 4 Inches, Oil on Board This week's Daily Paintworks Challenge is to paint using your non-dominant hand.  For me that is my left hand.  I was more than a little nervous that I would not be able to create anything.  So since I've decided to try my hand with this challenge, why not go even further and have it totally made up.  This entire painting is made up.  I had lots of fun!

5 x 5 inches, Oil on Board For my BBB fans and collectors, here is my offering for this Valentines day.  Only Big Bottomed Bees get to wear fancy red heels and carry a magic heart wand. This piece is up for auction at Daily Paintworks.  Click on the link below to bid.   http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/brande-arno/solo-valentine/117055

Cooper 16 x 20 inches, Oil on Board No, this painting is not finished... but darn close.  This is the stage where I can loose the freshness and so I'm almost afraid to proceed.  Because of this fear, yesterday I started a painting of my other doggie, Cookie: Cookie, 12 x 16 inches, Oil on Board This is the initial lay-in and I just love what I captured here.  So I thought I was on a roll until I stopped my painting day and ended up with this: I ended up with some of this piece being overworked.  I do plan on finishing both of my puppy-dog paintings today.  I'm going to conquer my fear of finishing these pieces by showing that inner voice of fear the door out of my studio.

5 x 5 inches, Oil on Board The challenge this week for Daily Paintworks is to paint glass.  Well after all I've been through this weekend with my killer migraine, I had to include headache medicine...just plain aspirin, but you'll notice three tablets are at the ready!   The glass is my husband's favorite.  It has a nice aquamarine colored rim and is on the thick side.  I bought it years ago...it's one of a kind like I am...just sayin'

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board This pug got herself entangled in her pink blankie, but don't think for a minute she isn't ready to show the cat who's the boss.  Enjoy the weekend. I know I will.

5 x 5 inches, Oil on Board A cute trio of white sheep doing what they do best...mowing the lawn.  I've told my husband more than once all we need is either a dairy cow or a few sheep to replace the gas mower.  While were at it, lets get a half dozen of Rhode Island Reds to de-bug our gardens and get eggs.  And let's get a couple of white ducks to attack the slugs and get a donkey for guard duty.   Well even if he said yes, my neighbors would say NO!  So I'll paint my farm instead.

12 x 9 inches, Oil on Board  This is not a daily painting as it took two days to start and complete.  I'm a big fan of Black Bears of the Adirondack variety.  My mom was born and raised in Tupper Lake, NY and I still have precious family there.  My decorating style is Adirondack Lodge.  I also have several black bear paintings of mine hanging on my walls.  I think this may be another one! On another note, "Draw a Dinosaur Day is January 30, every year.  I plan to enter it again this year.  2012 was my first year entering.  No pressure, as you can make a doodle or a painting.  Just do it and upload it on January 30.

6 x 6 inches, oil on board  I wasn't sure what to paint today and so I was looking through by collection of inspirations and sources, when I came upon a photo of two piglets.  They were just so cute, just what I needed to start my studio week off in the right direction. I'm very pleased with the brushwork and sense of light.  It will be for auction.  If your interested, just click on the dailypaintworks revolving gadget to the left of this post.

5 x 5 inches, Oil on Board For Auction at www.dailypaintworks.com This painting is inspired from musing through one of my many sketchbooks.  I do live in a semi-rural area with more than a few Horse stables.  My way of sketching animals in a field is to make a quick gesture and then wait for the horse to go back into that same pose.  Generally animals do repeat poses as they graze.  When I get the horse pose roughed in, then I build up the muscles.  I can do this by just observing the horse in whatever pose it's in.  Lastly, I put in a simplified background.  The horse in the background of the painting was what many artists call "happy accidents" and it certainly brings the viewer's eye right back to the center of interest, the main horse   See the sketchbooks all lined up in the back?  They are just the recent ones. Here, you can see real quick thumbnails the side of the actual sketch.  With the resulting painting,  I really simplified th

5 x 5 inches, Oil on Board, Sold I enjoy painting barns, shacks and outbuildings of all sorts.  A good strong roof is all they need to stay intact, even if they are missing most of their siding.  They all have a history and if not being used anymore, certainly earned their place.  

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board, Sold This little fella is on his way to his permanent home.  He is a commissioned piece from a patron who has a small band of raccoon bandits visit her deck most nights.  I just love their little faces and front paws that look like gloved hands. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I love all animals.  It really makes my heart warm up to see an animal in the wild while driving.  I also love doing commissions so if  you'd like something painted, email me.

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board It's been a while since I've been able to post.  Decided today to use Google+ to sign into my blog site and it worked! This painting is based on an imaginary image after taking some medicine that did a little more than it was prescribed to do!  That's why it's called Rocky Mountain High. Well, I had to paint this in real life.  What I remember the most is, while it was in my imagination, I kept seeing the brushwork forming the rocks.  I love brushwork.  One of my goals is to have my brushwork describe or form everything I paint.  I don't know if this is a breakthrough piece, but I'm really, really happy I painted it and even more happier that it came out like the one in my imagination. 

I tried to post new paintings yesterday and today and I can't because the icon that lets a blogger pull an image from their computer is not working for those of us who have explorer.  Blogger is aware of this problem and they are still working on fixing it.  In the meantime, know that I'm still painting and hope to post my new pieces within a day or two. - Brande

4 x 4 inches, Oil on Board   Very glad to be at the beginning of a fresh New Year in the studio.  I'm pondering expanding my daily painting adventures by painting a shack a day.  I'll paint other subjects too.  Why shacks?  The answer is a few years ago, I was building a name as a plein air painter of barns and shacks.   Like everyone who makes the commitment to be a daily painter, I want to build skills and along the way, make a reputation for being really good at something,  So the combination of it being a brand new year and a recent pep-talk email I received, maybe I'll be launching "Shack-A-Day"