ENDANGERED SPECIES - SWIFT FOX

I started with some loose w/w washes of yellow ocher, cobalt blue and burnt orange for the ground, and burnt orange for the fox. The greys of his hair were cobalt blue, quin. pink and burnt orange. For the blacks, I switched from cobalt to indanthrone.

I got stuck here - didn't know where to take the background. I've been "stuck" [not even wanting to paint] for several years now, and have been very dissatisfied with my work. So I trekked up to Fort Langley to meet with another watercolor artist. She has been involved with teaching, mentoring and painting for at least twice as long as I have, and is a thoroughly delightful person. We had a great session [more to come], and her words did help me with my block.

Swift Fox
12.5 x 10 in.
32 x 26 cm.
$187.50 unframedHalf of proceeds to be donated to wildlife preservation of your choice
This tiny fox, smaller than a house-cat, is fast [60 kph sprints], nocturnal and an omnivore. He has had a hard time with ranching and agriculture  impinging on his territory. Happily, Wildlife Preservation Canada has been able to establish several self-sustaining populations in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Thank you so much for dropping by, and if you have any questions or comment, please leave a note.

ENDANGERED SPECIES - VANCOUVER ISLAND MARMOT

Wet washes on the body with burnt orange and quin. violet. The entire marmot was painted using orange, violet and indanthrone.

Darkening his fur ...

... and still more ... 

I did two gradated washes to the line where sea meets sky, both using phthalo blue and indanthrone.

Lightly painted some distant islands, and started giving a rocky look to his rock. 

My Rock
10.25 x 6.25 inches framable size
AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
I wanted to give the marmot the look that this is his home, and he is not letting go of it.

This adorable beastie is a local - the Vancouver Island marmot, the only uniquely Canadian species of marmot. He lives on the south- and west-facing alpine meadows of the island.  Those long claws and powerful shoulders are for digging for food and making burrows for hibernation. He's hefty - up to 2 1/2 feet long, weighing up to 17 pounds. It is believed the reason for the great decline in numbers [since the mid-1990's] is due to predation by wolves, cougars and golden eagles. There is a captive breeding program on the island, whereby adults are caught and allowed to breed safely, then they and the pups are released back into their natural habitat. It sounds like a logical plan; with their colonies very reduced in numbers, there are no or few potential mates - this program brings them together.

I remember seeing a yellow-bellied marmot in the most unlikely place - the backyard of my mother's house in Kerrisdale in Vancouver. I drove into the back driveway, and there he was, standing on his hind legs looking at me! of course, no-one believed me.

THANK YOU FOR DROPPING BY!!

ENDANGERED SPECIES - THE GREATER BILBY

Wet in wet washes of burnt orange and a grey-blue [indanthone, quin. pink and burnt orange].

Playing with the aforementioned colors in different combinations, still wet in wet.

Getting into the nitty-gritty of the fur - small strokes with a fine brush, building up the layers.

Some "ground" - burnt orange, with a bit of orange and quin. violet for contrast.

Greater Bilby
14.5 x 11.5 inches
37 x 29.5 cm.
AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

Meet the greater bilby, also known in Australia as the Easter Bilby - the name is part of a campaign to raise awareness to its endangered state. This little cutie is about the size of a rabbit, and has keen hearing and sense of smell, but poor eyesight. He lives in hot, dry areas - grasslands, scrub areas. The reason for the decline in numbers is posited to be predation by foxes and feral cats, and to indirect competition for food with the rabbit population.
This is the first of my endangered species series. I have a deep love of Nature and animals, and feel this is the least I can do to [hopefully] help their plight.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DROPPING BY!!

A New [and Better] Look for the Seiner, and Other Little Bits and Pieces ...

I quite liked the softness of the background colors in this photo. My niece's boyfriend took it at Spanish Banks.

So, I started again - masking the ship, and washing and glazing with aureolin, phthalo blue, permanent rose and cobalt blue.

I did the mountains with a thin w/w glaze of indanthrone, and added some more cobalt clue to the water.

I wanted to compare the look of the two - liked the newer one MUCH better.

Started adding the shadows to the ship ...

... and some of the local color.

More of the same, and added the rigging. 

Then finally the net. I took this photo in early morning light, so it's quite washed out and very blue. My next step will be to do some subtle wave action in the foreground, hopefully leading the viewer's eye to the people, and mast with the netting.

I also intensified the darks around Jules' face. I wet the entire previously painted are, then drizzled in some black.

This is the next project [along with some ducklings, too]. This is Miss Sophia, one of the animals to be added to the huge painting of eight cats. 

My trainer took these photos last week - Bruno and I chuffing around in the back field.  He's got a nice long and  supple topline, is stepping under well with his hind legs, and has a lovely frothy mouth - all signs of a relaxed, happy camper.

I'm getting a lot of painting and drawing done, which is good, but only because I haven't been able to ride. Some nasty flu virus saw me coming, and decided to take up residence, so I've been laid low for several days. I haven't yet quite established a routine that organizes me, so that I have time for Bruno and for art, and somehow Bruno always wins out ... but I'm getting there.

Thank you so much for dropping  by!

The Baby Goose Has Some Siblings ... Work in Progress

You remember this little cutie. Well, there were actually at least a dozen of them scurrying around the field.

I masked the geese, and then painted three wet-in-wet graded washes - quin. burnt orange, pink and indanthrone blue. Then I removed the masking, and started working on their form shadows with a mixture of orange, pink and indanthrone. The beaks were first done with indanthrone.

The blacks of their eyes and beaks were painted with a mix of quin. burnt orange, quin. violet and indanthrone. And I did a wash of aureolin on their legs.

I am here now. I've done two glazes on their form shadows, and am ready to get their local color  - a purply/grey - started. I have also glazed their legs with a green made of aureolin, indanthrone and orange. I have a feeling the color to be added to their feathers will have to be dry-brushed on ... carefully. That's why I have stopped here to take a break. And Bruno is hollering from his paddock. Time to RIDE!!!

Thank you so much for dropping by!

Aurora Ranalis ... Loosely Translated as Light of Frog ... Another Process

This was the sketch for the painting. My model was one of the frogs in my collection - must have about forty.  The frog joke [and collection] started after I moved out here fourteen years go.  I had never seen or heard tree frogs before then. They are tiny and adorable, and have a huge BARGUMP noise for such a small animal. I fell in love with the wee beasties, and would rescue them if they wandered into my home or barn, or managed to fall into the pool and couldn't get out. They show up in the strangest places! 

First I did several w/w glazes with a mix of quin. burnt orange, quin. violet and indanthrone to establish the shadows .

I had originally planned to try painting an effect like scarves of bright transparent colors, but it looked like so much work, so I opted for an impression of the aurora borealis. Here, I did a w/w application using aureolin and phthalo blue.

Then I painted two w/w washes with a dark blue-black mixture. And here he is - the tiny frog admiring the lights.

Aurora Ranalis
13 x 9 in.
33 x 23 cm. 

I added this photo, too, taken with a flash. It seems to interpret the painting more as I see it.
I have another pose of the frog on paper, ready to paint. This one will be in BRIGHT colors!

It's been pretty soggy here for the last two weeks. I haven't been able to ride, which I miss terribly. Just managed to groom His Lordship, and take him out for several walks on hand. I'm also doing a lot of studying online, catching up on all the continuing education courses I need for re-licensure as a dental hygienist. There was even one titled "Saliva: the Magic Fluid" ... how does that tickle your fancy????? Maggie, the stealth dog, has turned out to be quite a sleepy-head in the winter [I don't blame her - hibernating seems like a great idea to me, too] She doesn't really like the rain, and will only go out if someone else is outside with her. So it's pretty slow here.

On a very positive note, I am LOVING teaching! I am teaching the second session of classes [five classes per session], and this time I have seven students. They are all having a great time. And I noticed yesterday, in their project, that they are making big improvements in their techniques. For some reason, getting the paper adequately wet to allow for the pigment to flow was an issue, as well as using a very delicate touch when applying paint. Most wanted to forcefully and directly manipulate the paint, rather than allowing it to move on its own. But I saw definite improvement. And most importantly, every one is happy to be there, painting. I am thrilled to be able to do this!

Thank you so much for dropping by!!! 

Another Process - Step by Step Botanical Study

I started with a thin wash of aureolin, let it dry then did a w/w drop-the-color-in type of wash with quin. burnt orange.
There is a tiny bit of masking on the upper right of the leaf.

I then went into the cast shadows, which were almost as colorful as the leaf itself. Again, I used aureolin and quin. burnt orange, with a soft black mixed with the orange, quin. violet and indanthrone.

I mixed a bright green with phthalo green and quin. gold, and did a dry brush application with that. I then glazed over the entire leaf with aureolin, and the shadow area with aureolin and quin. burnt orange. I find doing a gentle glaze, with a delicate touch after the original colors are dry, softens the painting, and gives it a more realistic look.  

Here it is with all the detail added.
The painting is 6 1/4 x 10 1/4 in. [16 x 26 cm.]
It will be available at Daily Paintworks.

Thank you so much for dropping by!