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!

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Brande Arno Art

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