Saturday, January 29, 2011

Landing In Honeysuckle - Bluebird Painting

"Landing In Honeysuckle"
8X10
Oil on Linen Panel
©Cheryl A. Pass

SOLD
Click on image to enlarge the view.

One of the sweet surprises of living in the south is the wildflower, Honeysuckle. There's a fat bunch of it just down the street from my house and when I walk in the summertime the yummy smell of it wafts over to me as I walk by. It can get out of hand if it grows in your yard, but for obvious reasons, the bluebirds love it.

This painting turned out somehow different than I expected it to....or maybe that I chose a color scheme that is not my usual choice. The background gave me fits...I had to grey it down twice to make it fade back away from the Honeysuckle and the Bluebird which I wanted to pop. I put a few brush strokes in the background just to give it more of a feeling of movement, as if the leaves are shaking a bit from the recent landing. I had every blue tube of paint out of my paint box, from Manganese to Ultramarine to Cobalt. It is hard to capture the vivid blue of this gorgeous bird. We are lucky to have some of them living in our neighborhood. As it turns out, I think it has sort of a Victorian feel to it.

Once again, another attempt for the Nature Show. Not sure if I will put this one in. I'm going to keep painting from now until then to try to come up with what I would think is my best work.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Carolina Wren II - Sweet Tweet

"Carolina Wren II
8X10
Oil on Linen Panel
©Cheryl A. Pass
SOLD

Click on image to enlarge the view.

The local, annual, Nature Show is coming up in one month at the Schiele Museum of Natural History. It's never hard to come up with subject matter for this show, especially if you love the natural world around us as I do. I painted a Carolina Wren last year and loved painting it. Happily, it was bought immediately. I had taken lots of pictures of these little darlings since they hop about out back feeders and bushes all year round. I also went looking for other reference photos to help me figure out a background for this one.

I'm having to back-track on the paragraph below....Donna emailed me immediately to say she wanted this painting, so I am just going to have to come up with something else for the Schiele Show and put this one aside for her. She's a very sweet collector of my work, and had asked me for a Carolina Wren last year...so it is her's! Now I'll have to speed up and get one done for the show!

There is a lady who wished me to do one for her.....so Donna, if you are reading this, I have not forgotten you. I need something to put in this show for now, but if it doesn't sell from there, you will have first dibs on it. If it does sell, I promise I will do another one just for you!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Bosley in the Hallway

"Bosley in the Hallway"
6X6
Oil on Gessoed Board
Available

Click on image to enlarge the view.

Here is the little rascal who distracts me with those eyes. He also is just like the "Doggie in the Window" because he is the "one with the waggily tail." This is actually a warm up for another dog portrait I am just beginning to work on. I hadn't painted for a couple of weeks, so I felt I needed to feel the paint again before I work on a commission. Maybe I should explain the odd angle. I was once again trying to catch Bosley for a photo, when he decided to be camera shy. He headed into the hallway and I called him back. He reluctantly turned around, but his desire was still to go the other way. I barely caught the photo and it is really a blurr. So this is the best I could do with it. Little rascal.
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