Brande Arno Art

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Sold I really loosened up with mixing and applying the greens in this piece.  

4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Click to Bid It's been quite the summer and like most everyone else, I feel it's flying by.  I've been busy on a commission that I hope to finish tomorrow.  However, I did take a break from the commission to paint this little gal.

4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Click to Bid I really wanted to paint another mouse.  I looked through my sources to come up with an unusual pose.   This mouse is definitely wanting to stop on a dime. I'll be traveling over a long weekend to visit family for a happy occasion.  It's nice to get away, but I know me...I'll be wanting to use my brushes sooner than later.

Sea Otter Painting, 5 x 7 inches -  Click to Buy Oil on Gessoboard - $ 60.  Otters are cool.  This guy has his paws on what he considers a cookie.  You know, one of the filled ones that we identify as clams.  Sea Otters float on their backs and support whatever they're about to eat on their belly shelf.   Then a simple 360 rotation and the table, face and hands are swished clean ready for the next seating.

4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Click to bid From Pinterest, I found the Daily Otter blog.  One of the posts was a short video of a grouping of otters trying to catch a butterfly.  The way they tracked the butterfly reminded me of cats.  After looking at a few Pinterest boards featuring all manner of otters, I got inspired to paint another.

2015 Punxsutawney Phil, 6 x 6 inches, Oil on Gessoboard  $ 75.  Etsy Shop OK, so Phil saw another 6 weeks.  Here is New York, we'll still have snow through most of April, now matter what he see's or doesn't see.  Although Phil has a following in Punxsutawney, PA - other groundhogs from all over the grand USA have their 5 minutes of fame.   Two that come to mind right away are Atlanta, GA and NY City.  Tragically, NYC Mayor DeBlasio, actually dropped the 2014 groundhog and that accident resulted in the groundhog's death.  So, this year DeBlasio is not allowed to hold the groundhog. I might start a groundhog series, because there are really good pictures in the Internet to work from.  We'll see what tomorrow brings.

"Amare" 8 x 8 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Sold - Thank you. Amare is finally finished. Me to Amare's pet mom: "Oh what a beautiful cat!  I've never seen a cat like yours...I just have to paint him" That came right out of my mouth just as I was thinking it. Amare is a beautiful cat, but painting his portrait, even with great photography would not be easy for two reasons: 1.  He's all black and therefore very hard to see and paint enough contrast to show his bone structure. 2.  He has very thick and long fur, which creates the same problem for seeing bone structure. All you artists reading this know just how hard it is to paint "form" when you can't see cast shadows or enough of a value range.  Items look flat.  Deep down inside my artist soul, I was up for a challenge.  I was challenged.  The Amare muse and me wrestled for almost three days to include scraping off  and trying another time more than once.  I think I got...