Brande Arno Art

5 x 5 inches, Oil on Gessoboard $ 75. Website Purchase When the weather gets cold, I set up bird feeders and watch how the chickadees do their day's work.   They seem to know that the other birdies of the neighborhood also need to get to the feeder because they take a seed and then fly to a branch to eat it.  Sometimes, they have to wait longer than they should for another turn because the finches like to park at the perch to make piggies of themselves.

4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard  Bid Now This is the homework for a on-line course and the facebook link is  Here  to show the full homework.  The course link is  Here This will focus on being comfortable talking about my art, the process and inspiration.  Taking advantage of social media, creating a mailing list for newsletters...in other words, get up- to- date. There was inspiration and process noted on the facebook links.  Please click one or both if you're curious.

4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard - Sold It's been snowing again in Western NY.  Not much accumulation, but winter just won't take the hint and leave.   But, the Canadian Geese have been flying in formation and honking all the way.  And a sensitive nose or beak can detect the smell of Spring.

5 x 5 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Click to Bid There are so many birds at my feeder today and all kinds...from chickadees to mourning doves.  It's cold and snowing and I'm so happy that years ago, we planted shrubs under the feeder pole because to them, it's a pavilion.   Close by, is the heated bird bath.  If I could house them, I would.  However, they're content to use all the nooks and cranny's in the woods to hunker down at night.   

4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard - $ 50. Sold - Thank you Back in the studio today after having my second Cardiac Ablation procedure on Tuesday, January 20.  Wow!  I believe a sure sign of a very good surgeon is how quick you recover. I have a very, very, good electro- physiology surgeon because I'm really feeling great and thought about singing, but...I have a strong connection to a band of birds who sing while munching the black oil sunflower seeds at our feeders.  Of those, this Chickadee was my inspiration for today.  All is good because he did the singing and I did the painting.  And one more item:  Prayer.  People prayed for me and I believe in the power of prayer.  I'm thankful for praying people,  my surgeon's skill and dedication and the LORD who guided his hands.  

"Clamped In" 4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard  I painted this sweet heart the day after I wasted three hours trying to salvage a hopeless painting.  It was a long walk on a short Pier. I want to tell myself that I'm learning by trying to fix a failed painting.  But what I have to learn is when to fold um.  In my case, because I like fresh brushwork and after a certain point of maybe this, maybe that with the brush...it's lost.

"Ready, Set, Go" 4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Buy on Etsy I don't know why, but a plethora of Robins, Titmouses, Finches and yes, Chickadees were at the bird feeder all at once.  Reminded me of a flashmob, birdie style. I'm not sure, but it looked like some of these delicate creatures were working the feeders, throwing the millet to the ground in favor of the black sunflowers seed.  Note:  I'll be moving to pure black sunflower seed next week.   Just goes to show, you don't have to be an egg-head to be smart.

"Spying Chickadee", 4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard $ 50.  Click to Buy Today was another stellar fall day and my hand injury of yesterday does not hurt...It's a beautiful life!  Celebrated both with this chickadee painting.  

"Election Day Chickadee" 4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Sold - Thank you Today was an exceptionally wonderful day, in terms of weather.  So I knew closing the garden would be part of my day.  I was able to finish all the work, to include moving two perennials to new homes.  This way, they have all winter to work on their root legs. So glad I was able to paint this sweet little dee.  Not sure what will happen tomorrow because although I got lots of garden work finished...I decided to use my shovel to cut back a plant and hit a buried rock hard, jamming tissue in my painting hand.  I did vote and hope you did too!

"Winter's Getting Closer" 4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard $ 55.   Buy with Etsy Boy did it get cold outside and quick.  I really didn't need this little birdie telling me that winter is on the way.

"Bird Talk" 4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard $ 55.  Click to buy Inspired to paint this little fella by those that visit my bird feeders.  Chickadees are such nice birds.  From what I observe, they pick a seed from the feeder and then fly to a nearby branch to eat it...thus giving another bird a turn.  As pretty as goldfinches are, they're squatters.  Sometimes it takes an eviction notice to get them to share with other birds.

"Right Look Chickadee" 4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Sold, Thank you What can I say...I love these wonderful little birds.  We have a park close by where in the winter, the Chickadees will eat seeds from your hand.  The leaves are starting to turn and I tried to incorporate a little Autumn in this piece. On another note,  I'll be spending  October 2 - 5 painting plein air in Geneva, New York which is part of the Finger Lake's Wine Trail.   I'm a charter artist of this event and really look forward to painting outdoors with nature all around me. I'll try to post my plein air paintings daily.

Little Dee, No. 1 - Oil on Canvas, 2 x 2 inches with Easel $20.  Buy with Paypal This is an experiment  to force myself to say more with less.  Painting with less brushwork because I have to!  Also, I don't paint on canvas, so I have to get use to that.  But I am having fun.

"Dee in Charge" 4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Sold - Thank you! I've been on the wrong side of bad luck with health lately.  My mom has been ill and then I had another episode of A-Fib which keeps me in bed.  But there is a good side to being in bed / sick and that is:  When you recover you have a heightened sense of enjoying life and I mean really heightened! This morning, I noticed chickadees at the bird feeder and decided to add fresh seed for them.  When I walked to the station, a young chickadee was perched very close and the bird stayed as I slowly walked closer.   I was struck by how beautiful this bird looked and I'm sure it's that heightened sense of enjoying life that made my eyes focus so well.  

"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.

"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!  

"Waiting for My Turn" 4 x 4 inches, Oil on Gessoboard Sold - Thank You It's been a while since I painted a Chickadee and now, I'm hoping to warm up my skills to paint a Blue Jay. We have a pair of them that visit our feeder.   At the feeder, I change my offerings from only black oil sunflower seeds in the winter, to a blend of seed, fruit and nuts in the summer. You probably think it should be the other way around, but the Chickadees need the former in the winter to survive and in the winter, it's all about those little birdies.  They do play nice at the feeder with everyone else too. 

"One Foot Over Chickadee" 4 x 4 inches, Oil on Panel $ 45. Sold- Thank you Hey, listen up everyone...Spring has arrived!  How can you be so sure, you ask?  Because my allergies are acting up and that's because the trees are budding.  When the trees loose their leaves, same thing.  Oh and in-between... there's the ragweed that induces hay fever.   Now, let there be no doubt, I still love Spring and so does this little birdie.