Wrong End of a Rabbit

Wrong End of a Rabbit, 6x8, oil/linen

The wetcanvas.com artwork from life forum challenge for May continues! During this month we are drawing and painting animals from LIFE! No photo references allowed! This is really a challenge requiring you to work rapidly and make sure every stroke of pen or brush is exactly right the first time. Yesterdy I did a series of very rapid gesture drawings of Rosie. you can see them here. Today I went at it with oil paints...total time 45 min.

More will be coming!

Expressionistic Turtle

Expressionist Turtle, acrylic, 6x8 on birch panel

A small fun study of a red eared slider. Heavily textured surface and deep vibrant color made this a fun one to do, eventhough the turtle kept moving around!! This is part of a project this month at http://www.wetcanvas.com/, painting and drawing animals directly from life.

animal art
acrylic painting
art

Eagle at Sunset

Eagle at Sunset

14x18, oil on canvas

A quiet moment at the end of the day with the eagle looking tranquil perhaps even prayerful before he settles down and roosts for the night. All of the eagle paintings in this series were painted very rapidly, all in one session, a working method known as alla prima. The reason for that is to retain the vital, aliveness of these beautiful birds. A tightly rendered painting composed of hundreds of hours of painstaking labor doesn't seem to do justice to their strength, power and swift flight. These are creatures of speed and keen movement. Even when perched their bodies cry loudly of their incredible powers of flight and agility. So alla prima it is! A quick charcoal drawing capturing the character and gesture of the subject, and then a rapid laying of transparent red oxide to tone the canvas. A very large brush and large rapid arm movements construct the background. Next the birds body, then head and finally the all important eye. Of Course most portrait painters of both humans and animals begin with the eye, that is the traditional wisdom, because if the eye isn't right the whole piece collapses no matter how successfully other areas are painted. But for me I need the warm up of doing the whole piece before I tackle that critical element. Finally, the last adjustments are made and then I'm done. Clicking on this link will take you to the Audubon Societies webpage about the upcoming Eagle Festival in Essex, CT http://http://www.ctaudubon.org/about/eaglefestival.htm

And remember all the eagle paintings will be for sale in The Brick Gallery, 10 Main Street, Essex, CT 860-767-2545 http://http://www.brickgallery.com/

during the month of February. If you would like to commission an eagle painting or any other wildlife painting, as well as pet portraits you may contact me directly at jan.blencowe@comcast.net

The Sentry

The Sentry

14x18, oil on canvas

In this painting I focused on the fierce and intense eye of the eagle watching over the land. Eagle Watching my first painting in this series has already sold (see post below) and this one is destined for the gallery by the end of the week.

Zen Cat

Zen Cat watercolor

Something a little different today, a small watercolor painting from my sketch book. This cat's look and serene attitude made me think that he could be meditating! Not sure what a cat would contemplate....mice, fish, birds, a nap, the empty food dish...LOL But here it is anyway Zen Cat.

Red Fox Resting

9x12, oil/linen panel
SOLD

Border Collie

Not for Sale

Springer Spaniel

8x10,oil/canvas

Golden Retriever

8x10,oil/canvas

Golden Retriever Puppy

8x10, oil/canvas

Yorkie

8x10, oil/canvas

Yearling

16x20, oil/linen

This is a piece I completed over the week-end. I've sketched deer from life quite a few times. The local deer around our summer place are VERY friendly and will eat a carrot from you hand! They meander around the yard and even come up on the deck. If I sit quietly I can sketch them, sometimes for 20 minutes at a time. Since I'm fairly familiar with deer from first hand sketching and observation it would be for me a natural subject to incorporate into a landscape.

Eagle Watching

16x20, oil/canvas

Eagle Watching was painted for the 2006 Connecticut Audubon Society's Annual Eagle Festival, February 18-19, which celebrates the return of the bald eagle to the unfrozen waters of the Connecticut River. Click here for information about the festival http://www.ctaudubon.org/about/eaglefestival.htm.

Click the link at the right to visit Art & Life my plein air painting blog to see a painting of the Connecticut River, unfrozen in winter. See Eagle Watching in person at The Brick Gallery, 10 Main Street, Essex, CT during the month of February.