Brande Arno Art

4 x 4 inches, Oil on Board Available through Paypal It's still winter outside.  At least it stopped snowing.  To pass the winter, I've been going into old sketchbooks to make some new paintings from and today's is no exception.  Although I intended to stay with painting a solo adult deer, a little fawn face kept emerging, so I decided to go with it and added some spots.  Below is the sketch. This deer was right outside the studio window.  I'm so blessed to live on 4 acres of woods.

5 x 5 inches, Oil on Board I painted this piece today as while it was snowing pretty hard in my neck of New York.  The temperatures are on the warmer side so the snow is not really sticking for now.  I think that will change tonight.  Well anyway, I'm so wanting some sign that spring is close. Yesterday, when I took Cooper and Cookie out for a walk, I thought I detected the first air of spring.  Maybe it's because of my age, maybe it's because I'm a smidge American Indian or maybe it's my years of plein air painting, but I'm pretty sure the air changes when spring is close. There is a slight sweetness and lightness in the air weeks before any other signs of spring become apparent.  I'm holding on to that theory as a winter coping technique.  More spring paintings to follow.

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board This is another view from the New York State Thruway.  Pattersonville is a charming community with some unusual farm outbuildings.  The tall narrow structure really caught my eye.  I'm not sure if it was built to be a mill or silo, but it is unusual and the collection of the three buildings together makes for a very interesting painting.

4 x 4 inches, Oil on Board I really had a frustrating day today.  This can be traced to having spent too much time doing the same thing over and over on the computer because my first attempts didn't take. So I only had a few hours for painting, or so I thought.  The above painting was painted and scraped, repainted and scraped and painted again two more times before I got it right.  And I thought the small size and single pear would make this a piece of cake...wrong. I'm OK with all the scraping and starting new, because I learned a lot.

5 x 5 inches, Oil on Board My granddaughter's visit for winter break is nearing the end and we are both sad.  She had to do some homework today and that was a good time for me to log in some studio time.  She hates to do homework (what kid does) so I set her up with cocoa, ice water, cookies and caramels.  This set of shacks are just off one of the main roads leading to Syracuse, NY 

5 x 5 inches, Oil on Board As I paint in my warm studio, I don't take for granted warmth...especially when I need to take Cooper & Cookie out for a walk.  Whew! we all three agree, it's one cold day today and the strong wind doesn't help.  I so want some indication that Spring will arrive.  So I decided that today's painting will be of a happy piglet, looking up to the warm sun. 

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board "Monday, Monday can't trust that day" -  The Mama's and Papa's.  I tried to finish this piece on Friday and came close.  Today, being Monday and  the first day of my granddaughter's winter break, I needed to make a road trip to pick her up.  We got back in time (pun intended) for me to finish.  

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board with Palette Knife This is from the Eastern side of the Finger Lakes.  Painted in the studio with Cooper on my lap.

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board This is actually an adjustment to an older piece.  I repainted the piece adjusting the clouds and sharpening the vineyard part of the painting.  You might think what if this sheep decides to move to the grapes, well most vineyards are protected by wire fences and if you look real hard, they're are in the painting too.    I've posted the older piece below: Cotton Balls, 6 x 6 inches

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/108089 6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board Another painting inspired by value studies.  The barns are in Ontario County.  On another note, my Mini-Schnauzer, Cooper has gotten into the habit of sitting on my lap while I paint.  It started because of my digital camera - he hates this camera.  I guess he is trying to exert his opinion and do his best to keep my hands off the camera.

5 x 5 inches, Oil on Board Today, when I started this painting, it was bright with snow and sunny outside.  A few hours later, its windy, dark and raining!  Almost direct opposites.   This shack is located in a village close to a restaurant that is a favorite in the community.  A small stream also flows by.  I originally painted it plein air about 5 years ago and after it dried, I scanned then printed a black and white copy to check the values.   On Saturday, I did a complete studio clean-out and found the old value study.  Decided to make a small painting from it taking a little more artist licence than I did back then.  

5 x 7 inches, Oil on Board As I write this, we are getting the snow that could be a major storm.  Only skiers like winter and I'm not a skier.  Sorry.  This is a painting of an older shack located on the more rural side of my neighborhood.  I love this shack and its inspired many paintings.  It'll probably inspire many more.  

Bid On This Painting 4 x 4 inches, Oil on Board I'm pretty sure I'll be doing a year-long series with painting "shacks". Of course this will include barns and assorted outbuildings.  On another note, yesterday I tried and tried to paint Punksutawney Phil because he was such a good boy this year not seeing his shadow.  But alas! all that work turned out to be a scraper.  Going to try again today.

4 x 4 inches, Oil on Board Bid Now No winds today, but stinging cold outside.  Cooper & Cookie still need to go for their potty walks and we all three bundle up.  We are also very thankful for our woodstove and get real close to it when we get back from our walks. Looking forward to Superbowl Sunday!