Brande Arno Art

"A Little Piggy" 6 x 6 inches, Oil on Gessoboard - Sold Brushwork and mixing greens, both are a challenge.  I kept both in mind while painting this piglet and can you see the green in them/there pink mixtures?

"Turn Around Chickadee" 5 x 5 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Etsy Shop Currently, birds, seem to be my favorite subject .  Specifically the Chickadee.  Maybe soon, I'll take a little more artist liberty and abstract them or make them bolder in color and form.  For now, I need to paint more studies of them.

"Pixie the Owl" 4 x 4 inches, oil on gessoboard My daughter thinks this is the year of the Owl and that everyone wants a painting of one.  I think she's on to something.  I know I love to see them featured in artwork.  I really love the stylized Owls of the sixties.  They were more than cool. This little girl is a tiny owl.  I think screech owl.  I did a little research and found that owls can only turn their head about 270 degrees, not the rumored three-sixty.  And for the most part, they are squatters, looking for empty nests or holes in the trees.  They pretty much land and live where they want to.

"The Little Forest Diner" Nibblefest Art Contest 4 x 4 inches Oil on Gessoboard Sold This is my entry for the August Nibblefest Art Contest or NFAC.  Bidding starts at 99 cents and this auction will close on August 27, 2014.  This month's theme is Forest Creatures and there's a squirrel or more in almost every backyard and they are also considered Forest residents.   I always try to add more whimsey when painting pieces for NFAC and this little fellow is no exception.

"Blue Jay No. 2" 8 x 8 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Buy with Paypal I've been enjoying a visit from my granddaughter, Corina.  Between being a grandma and getting ready for my only outdoor art festival  "The Clothesline Art Festival" I  haven't had much time at the easel.  But this past Saturday my daughter, Amy did and in my studio too.  From her Saturday session:    She has not painted in oil before and  although she has talent, she is in the throes of a stellar Military career and between that and raising my teenage granddaughter, doesn't have time to paint.  So this is a very exceptional outcome and I'm a proud mom.

"Baby Hummingbird No. 2" 4 x 4 inches, oil on gessoboard Buy on Paypal This is the second painting inspired by Mrs. Yollis/ 3rd grade class . Click on link to read about "Birdie" the baby Hummingbird.  

"Baby Hummingbird No. 1" - 4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Buy with Paypal Today's little painting features an almost ready to fly baby Hummingbird.  I wanted to paint a Hummingbird today and looked on Google for inspiration.  A 3rd grade teacher found a baby Hummingbird while doing garden work. She must be a very special teacher because after asking her husband to make a little cardboard home complete with a twig for perching, she brought him to school.   For two weeks, the class cared for and posted some videos and photos.  More to the story tomorrow along with another painting of this same little bird.

"Spots" redo - 6 x 6 inches, oil on gessoboard Buy with Paypal Sometimes a painting tells you it needs a little more work.  "Spots" is one of many in my art career that needed a redo.  Many times, I scrape a board down after painting all day on it.  I do the latter because I don't any physical evidence of a hopeless painting.   A slather of paint here, a background adjustment and a a few more tweaks was what it took to give "Spots" a sunnier disposition.  Now, he's a very happy camper and I have learned a little bit more, so we are both better for the experience.   

"A Blue, Rear View" 6 x 6 inches, Oil on Gessoboard- $ 95. Click to Buy Any artist who has ever painted a Blue Jay already knows the lesson I learned yesterday...they are NOT easy to paint. They actually have grey feathers that reflect light as blue. They are beautiful birds and the couple that come to my feeder have brightened many days for me. I subdued the background to insure this painting is all about the beauty of this bird.  They are big birds and I read they have a reputation of throwing their weight around or being bullies.  Not the two at my feeder.  They follow the lead of the other birds and wait for a turn.

"Toddy Toad" 4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Click to Bid A fellow DPW artist and blogger... Kali Parsons shared that while she was walking her dogs, she's been having to dodge little toads...really tiny little toads and like... an invasion of them!  I was laughing because where I live, we have those same little buggers making an invasion in early June.   Before reading her blog, I was wondering what I was going to paint  because today, I would be delayed getting in the studio.  So when I read her post, I was laughing and I thought...I have time to paint a toad today.  

"The Bird Watcher" 4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Click to Bid Maybe next week I'll try my hand at painting one of the Blue Jays that visit my feeder.  Now, I have to find the energy to pick up the studio.  Always nice to have a clean studio with paintings drying in an orderly fashion.  Not that I'm orderly or fashion forward!