The Mourning Dove

The Mourning Dove, 8 x 10 inches, Oil on Board

Wow- this piece was really a labor of love. I tried many days to get this painting to completion and had nothing but problems. This happens when you really don't know what you want to paint...or you have a unclear, fuzzy photo reference.

This give and take started when I looked out my living room window to check on my bird feeders and noticed a most charming neighborhood Mourning Dove perched on a tree limb. Of course I snapped it's picture with my phone followed by going upstairs to get my real camera. When I got back to the window, this adorable creature moved on.

So I tried to make the best of a bad picture and it sure took a long time. I'm pleased with the outcome and I've learned quite a bit from this painting. Did I say it's the same lesson I learned pretty early in my artist journey: You can only paint what you can see!

Comments

Piglet Oil Painting, "Hay Maze" by Brande Arno

The finished "Hay Maze" Piglet Art I truly love how this piece came out. I've been amazed at the pure color and beautiful brushwork of Angela Moulton's paintings. Every time I see her latest collection on YouTube, I am awestruck at how pure the background color is. So I wanted to try my hand at upping background color value in my work. Below is how I started: Hay Maze Start Here, I establish the main layout and gesture of this piglet's face. I'm striving for something that looks painterly, yet would bring a smile to the face of the viewer, so this stage is important. Also, color values on the pig are being set. Hay Maze about halfway This is where I put that rich background color in. Notice some neutral colors in with the bright. I wouldn't want all bright green here as it would be like all caps when texting. I'll re-post the final Hay Maze below: Lots of changes from the halfway point, ...

Double Take

Indigo Bunting, 4 x 4 inches, Oil on Board Click to Bid I'm fortunate to have a mated pair of Indigo Buntings visiting my bird feeder. I say that because I've had the bird feeder for over 10 years and my first sighting was last week. The male of this species sports stunning ocean blue feathers...some teal in there also. I paint with a very limited palette, so I was challenged to come up with the right mixtures. But it wasn't very long before I realized that mixing the right "Indigo" color wouldn't be enough. So I subdued everything else, to include his cute little beak.

The Rare Snowman

The Rare Snowman, 4 x 4 inches, Oil on Panel Sold - Thank you! It's a warmer day today and the one snowman in the neighborhood is not faring well. In addition to melting he's got a problem with one of his twig arms. I take Cooper & Cookie for short walks several times a day and when I saw what was happening to this guy, I knew I had to make a painting of him. While returning home, I pondered how many snowmen are not created because of video games. I know that I don't see them much at all.

Brande Arno Art

Search This Blog