Brande Arno Art

5 x 7 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Donated to Bethany House Sunflowers.  When in full bloom, its hard to believe they start from small seeds.  About 5 minutes from my house is the little village of East Bloomfield where, talented green thumbs who know how to make the most of a quarter acre live.   On these quarter acres, you'll find small sunflower patches as backdrops to colorful flowerbeds or lining the sidewalk leading to the porch, or even horseshoeing the rural-route mailboxes. Stunning and much inspiration for this artist.  

5 x 7 inches, Oil on Gessoboard -Sold As this painting progressed, I started to feel inspired to use the brush differently.  So I did and I really like how this Tufted Titmouse's Tuft was rendered.  Say that fast!   When I finished painting the Tufted Titmouse's Tuft, it looked like the wind was blowing from behind, thus the title. 

5 x 7 inches, Oil on Panel $ 85. Click to Buy Although, I haven't posted new paintings at the frequency I usually do, I've been busy in the studio.  I completed a larger commissioned painting and doing lots of homework with an on-line course.  And to guarantee complete stress...I'm also trying to build a website. 

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.

5 x 7 inches, Oil on Gessoboard- $60. Click to Buy My husband and I have dinner date night on Fridays and have three favorite restaurants.  So once every three weeks we visit The Big Bass Brasserie, where they feature first class food, wine and a brew master on site.  A very cozy environment complete with a  Bass in a rather large tank.  He's happy to be swimming and poking around the rocks and artificial greenery in the tank with him. With this painting, I used my picture of said Bass.  I'll post that below.  I changed the angle of the tail to capture movement and I had fun spattering some darker mixtures and making bubbles. I went into this painting knowing that I'd struggle on the water.  I must be oil or something, because water does not let me get close to capturing it.  So I decided the best way to solve that weakness was to make strong verticals for water then add a squiggle here and there.   Strong verticals also ...

5 x 7 inches, Oil on Panel -Sold Painted for the Daily Paintwork's "Go Paint some Sunflowers" challenge.  I love these challenges, although I haven't participated as much as I should.  Sunflowers are a little more difficult to paint than you'd think,  Mostly because of the generous leaf growth which lends to the composition getting too busy real quick.  To manage that, I did just one bloom and edited some leaves right on out!

5 x 7 inches, Oil on Gessoboard - Sold Looking at Daily Otter again, I found this sweetheart.  An Asian Otter who is just adorable.  I enjoyed every minute creating this painting.  In-process  here

5 x 7 inches, Oil on Gessoboard $ 55.  Etsy Shop I'm blessed to have two mated pairs of cardinals that visit my bird feeder daily.  They have to take turns at the feeder, so sometimes they wait on our trees. What I was trying for in this painting, was to get the feeling of overhead height.  I'm also starting to premix some colors in an attempt to gauge values.  Enjoying the journey.

5 x 7 inches, Oil on Gessoboard - $60.  Etsy Shop It seems that some birds would rather glean birdseed from the ground than perch on the feeder.  And as in the example of this cardinal, get snow on their beaks by doing so.  Maybe I should mind my own business.

"Cooper" 5 x 7 inches, Oil on Gessoboard, NFS Painted for the Daily Paintwork's Furry Friend challenge.  Let me introduce my doggie, Cooper.  He splits his workday between keeping me company in the studio and being a couch potato,  When his daddy gets home, he 's in his home office.  At about 4:30 or so, he keeps my mom company in her studio apartment we made for her.  On Saturdays he continues with his life-long quest to kill my vacuum.  He could be upstairs sound asleep and if I just put my hand on the vacuum, he's downstairs in a flash, barking all the way.  For as long as I vacuum, he's there at the business end of the vacuum, barking, growling and yes biting.  He's 8 1/2 years old and we are on our third vacuum.   

"Sunshine Otter" 5 x 7 inches, Oil on Gessoboard - Sold This otter was a commission and a pleasure to paint.  But there was a challenge though, that being the tail as this otter is sitting with his tail between his legs.  I guess otters do that, so I decided to soften the tail and feet and make it all about the cute little otter face and whiskers.