Thursday, January 24, 2013

#24 - 30 out of 30

"Chickenator I"
oil on Arches OLEO
(very wet paint)
6" x 6"

I keep finding out that if I wait to paint 
til later in the day - 
like today, I run into all kinds of issues.  
I always underpaint with red oxide, 
almost always, anyway.
Today, I had the bright idea (I thought) to use a 
blue/green acrylic.  
I was looking to maybe help the ground in this painting...
it was a dull gray/drab photo of my hen Chickenator.
Learned that I shouldn't do that one..
made everything cold and gray and drab.  
Although as I stated yesterday, 
Chickenator is a great camouflage bird, 
she blends in with the ground - 
so I had to push the colors - 
but didn't push them enough.

Tomorrow I am going to paint her again (#25)..
using red oxide undertone and a little different pose.  

If I paint my animals, they always end up 
on the wall in my house.  
I put these three chicken paintings up 
against one another.
Queenie - 1st one done..kind of tight, harder edges 
and it took many hours..
Harlough, finished yesterday, looser, less fuss with color, bolder brushstrokes...several (but not as many) hours..
And today - finished in 2 hours - very loose, 
lots of paint on the brush, more uncalculated and wilder 
brushstrokes...go figure...
it takes me awhile to LOOSEN up - 
loose and painterly - I like that alot.
This last one seems to have movement - 
AND shows how cold it was yesterday.
And why are they all facing the same way?  That's
where the sun is in the afternoon, in the 
southwest on the south
side of the coop 
where I take my photos and observe from.

So maybe I have found my niche  
as to 'how I can loosen up and get more 
bold with brushstrokes and less hard edged.'
Paint faster - have less time involved.

All in all, it was a frustrating time at the easel, 
BUT I learned a few things!!





3 comments:

Claire Beadon Carnell said...

The title really made me laugh! What a great painting, and I love your expressive brushwork. The many strokes of color in this chicken are fantastic, Pattie!

Pattie Wall said...

Thanks Claire - luckily today's went much better and really looks like her.

juliefordoliver.blogspot.com said...

This one is my fav of the three. Love the energy and I also find the color harmony rather sophisticated.It has given me ideas.

More NEW art pieces

  Lukki - watercolor 9" x 12" acrylic done from Unsplash ph ref, thanks C Deluvio!