Day 28 of Painting 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Rhino"

7 1/4" x 5 1/2" (small)

pastel on plein air board

Rhinoceros is a symbol of gentleness and peace.

They are powerful, steady and agile.

This rhino was an interesting study in those creases and folds.

Didn't want to do ALL of em. I am into suggesting

these details lately, and I think it works.

Everyone knows that a rhino is wrinkly - right?

Day 27 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Raven"

(on hold)

8" x 12"

pastel and watercolor on Colourfix Plein Air Painting

Board (Multimedia) by Art Spectrum

I found a new surface, that I didn't even know was so wonderful.

Just before I took a big break from doing art, I ordered 

these boards as I was taking a class

and was tired of gluing the paper

to a foamcore board.

These are so wonderful!!  They accept the watercolor so well, and then putting 

pastel on TOP, is like painting on butter (or at least a 

really super pastel surface as far as I am 

concerned).  I love how this one turned out.

The photo does not show the color of the background like it

really is, must be the time of day I took the photo.

Raven - genus Corvus

(and there is no consistent distinction between a crow

and a raven, although I read somewhere about the tail feathers

being of different lengths)

brings messages from the divine to the mortal world.

In the order of Bards and Druids, raven is symbolic

of a Black Hole in Space which draws

energy toward itself and releases it in 

new forms. (I like that explanation!)

This is another one of my favorite animals.

So mystical and mesmerizing to watch.

  AR - Pixabay

Day 26 of Painting 30 Paintings in 3 Days

"Cheetahs"

8" x 7"

pastel and pastel pencil on Canson Mi Tientes paper

Today, I revisited my OLD way of doing pastels of animals.

I used to silhouette the animal, vignetting it in a sort of way,

without background objects or color of the space around it.

I let the colored paper do that work.

(As I look at this photo, I see something I need to do, oh well,

that is for tomorrow.)

Canson used to ALWAYS be my 'go to' substrate.

So today was a very cushy time at the drawing table.

That had to be - because prior to that I was tackling 

a pastel that wasn't working at all.

The photo reference for this is used with permission

by photographer Riaan Human.

Here is the pastel with an 11" x 14" matboard around it.

Cheetahs are fighters and have strong survival instincts, although it's interesting

to note, most don't reach adulthood. Why? You ask?  

According to studies (in one article I read of one in captivity), 

female cheetahs are terrible mothers.  But upon 

connecting with the photographer in Africa

he wrote, 

"Do not agree with the studies that Cheetahs are bad mothers.

Have followed them in the wild many times and believe them to be wonderful mothers.

Unfortunately they have to compete with and contend with lions, leopards

and other carnivores who does not think twice about killing a cub if they get a chance."

They are a symbol of:

STRENGTH

SPEED

DECISIVENESS

PERSISTENCE

EMPATHY and

CAMOUFLAGE.

Day 25 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Sea Turtle"
SOLD

12" x 12"

acrylic on wrapped canvas

Sea turtles have a long life span.

Because of this, they symbolize

PATIENCE

WISDOM

ENDURANCE

and

GOOD LUCK.

Not that I would have, I remember the locals WARNING you

not to bother them on the beach, several years ago 

at Kona Beach Resort in Hawaii.

They were a sight to see and watch.

Went snorkeling from the beach

and it was a treat to see them

underwater, as well as the beach!

Day 24 of 30 Paintings in 3 Days

"Wolf"

Purchase info

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/pattie-wall/wolf/653874

9" x 5.25"

graphite/water on Yupo paper

(If you know me, you have probably been wondering, well, when is she going

to paint a WOLF?)

Wolf is my very, very favorite wild animal.

I built a grade 1-2 thematic unit on "Wolves" when I taught

at the elementary level.

I wanted to increase awareness and empathy for wild animals -

along with teaching about family/clan/pecking order and protection of 

wild animal groups.  Kids ALWAYS really enjoyed it! (Me too!)

Wolf is the ultimate positive symbol of guardianship, ritual, loyalty

and firm emotional attachments.  They trust their own intuition

and instincts.

They represent:

PERSONAL POWER

BALANCE

SELF-CONTROL

This piece IS a painting.  I used graphite aquarelle which are

graphite pencils that are water soluble.

I was searching for a substrate today, was going to paint in acrylic,

but needed a canvas and they are still in the moving trailer.

It is soooo windy here, I didn't even want to open the big back door

so found my Yupo, which I have never had much success with. Many people

use alcohol inks on it - not me.  It also mentioned pencil, acrylic, watercolor etc. etc. 

I thought I could paint on it with something other than inks. 

The aquarelle graphite worked - voila!

It is 100% polypropylene and my pad is heavyweight pages of 144 lb. weight.

The other art tool I used is a Molotow One4All acrylic pen in white 

(for the eye sparkle - gotta have that eye sparkle - otherwise, dead eyes!)

During my entire time in the studio there are two others who live there,

that really enjoy my company.  We have lots of brushing, petting, and play time.

Meeka - who is so big and round and fluffy and loves her new window view.

 

And Pyewacket who is also quite round..and is a Hemingway kitty, 6 toes.

She loves to sit on her cat tower and look over my shoulder as I work.

Day 23 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Armadillo"

6" x 6"

pastel on pumiced and underpainted gatorboard

Their armor alone, should tell us lots about them..

defense, protection and a guarded disposition.

7 more to go!

For some amazing art to see go to Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 blog.

https://www.saetastudio.com/february-30-in-30-blog

Day 22 of Painting 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Vulture"

10" x 10"

oil paint on canvasboard

This one turned out really well, I think, I found this great brush in my

stash of art brushes that 

'flick fuzzy feathers fairly fast'!

How's that for alliteration?  I have been enjoying finding the more obscure

creatures that have meaning to us humans in this challenge.

Vulture was so fun to paint.

Dilemma on this one, where to sign my name, there are

such good feathers at the bottom, and I am not sure signing

on the top of the painting is going to look right.

AS a symbol, to the Mayan mind the vulture was observed as a death eater. As a consumer of death, the Mayan felt the vulture could also convert death to life. So, the vulture was considered a symbol of cleansing , renewal and transformation. It's also associated with water and the vulture controls the rain. (got that from googling 'vulture as a symbol')

Day 21 of Painting 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Tiger"

8" x 10"

oil on wrapped canvas

Tiger is a powerful reminder of overcoming fears and obstacles by reclaiming your place of power.
Tiger imagery represents the ability to manage strong emotions more effectively (says Google).

Painting went much better today.  I like the way this one turned out.  As a daily painting it is OK by me.

Here are photo I thought to take as I worked today:

I started with a canvas that had been tinted Azo yellow gold acrylic.

I sketched the tiger with a raw sienna and smallish brush.

Usually I paint darks first, but sometimes I get anxious to see how bright I will

be able to get the lightest lights so darks and lights happening simultaneously.

I am pushing myself to see other colors in the animals that

I am painting this month.  Some underpainting needs to happen 

to have this be successful. Had to get the background going, running

it into the figure helps to make continuity to the line and brushwork.

At this point, I walked.  I needed to go to town to food shop

and go to the post office. It was definitely time to think.  The painting

is almost all cool color.

Good that I went for a Jeep ride and played

my LOUD house music.  I processed this painting

 on my journey to town, what I needed. 

Came back and worked on mixing some color to warm it up a bit.

I painted those white areas, many, many times to get it to read right and 

those whiskers were fun!

Day 20 of Painting 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Bunneree"

5" x 7"

oil on canvasboard

Today I hit the wall - big time. My thumbs are so cracked and sore

from pastel (and no I can't wear gloves - can't hold the pastel like I want to)

so I switched to a brush.  I have spent years when all I painted in

was oil paint.  It is my old reliable friend...but wait, I haven't used them

in forever.  And today it was 'wipe it off' and restart twice before

I got something going and I still don't like it.  One thing

I will admit, you just can't get the pop of color from 

oil paint like you can pastel!

Anyway, lesson learned.  Cold turkey with an old friend doesn't

always work.

Bad photo to boot - because it is almost dark outside and paint shined - 

colors don't read right.

Anyway enough of my rant.

Rabbit symbolizes fertility, sentiment, desire and

procreation.  Boy - do they procreate.

Also represents SPRING - sometime it will come.

Here in the high country probably not as soon as the rest of the world.

But bring it on, with lots of spring showers! 

Day 19 of Painting 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Badger"
(SOLD)
6" x 8"
pastel on pumiced and tinted gatorboard

A badger stops at nothing to get what it wants

and is a reminder to us to be persistent in our pursuits.

It is fiercely independent and can be aggressive

which is a lesson to us to stand our ground

and make our presence known.

This painting is of a European badger, as a kin to
the American badger.

Although, I have known a badger

to be quite a sleuth and play dead

when you come upon it quickly and note, that a
badger is a badger.

They dig great holes in the earth to tunnel 

for a den wherever they want - usually

in the side of a hill on a roadside or right IN the road. 

We had two holes right below our mailbox 

on the road

about the time we were moving out of our farmstead home

in the countryside of north central Kansas.

One had to step carefully when you were around that area so

as not to fall or twist your ankle in the holes. 

The holes are truly larger than your foot.

You can bury the hole that a badger has dug, 

but I found it will eventually come

back and dig the hole again in almost the same spot.

DAY 18 of Painting 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Giraffe"

Purchase info

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/pattie-wall/giraffe/653873

8" x 11"

watercolor and pastel on Art Spectrum

Giraffe is your symbol for expanding your psychic awareness

and getting your ready to take on all tasks.

I feel like that could be me today, but so much to do outside and the

wind is crazy strong.

Giraffe is also noted to be gentle of spirit 

but strong on kick!  I would imagine in the wild

a giraffe has not much else to defend itself with.  

This one went together very quickly and I purposely

left some spaces unworked to let the

underpaint show through.

Day 17 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Lion"
Purchase info
https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/pattie-wall/lion/653872
8" x 10"

pastel on azo gold tinted and pumiced gatorboard

King of the Jungle - right?  The Lion King!

Perhaps the top wild animal who has

symbolic meaning to

so many cultures.

Powerful, courageous, noble, supreme strength, leader,

fearless and brave - these all tell the story of LION.

I don't know if it's because I am really pushing hard to try solidify a few things
in what I am doing and the colors I am using or ??  But these
are getting more difficult.  When I think of the decisions that I make
when I do a painting right now- WOW!  By the end of it, my mind is whirling
and I really have to force myself to say, "That's enough."

DAY 16 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Bear"

6" x 8"

pastel on gatorboard

Bear - a symbol of courage, physical strength and leadership.

Mother Bear - the ultimate protector.

Sort of hit the wall today.  Not happy with the background.

Had it going, then 'noodled' it too much

and lost my chance of freshness.

Wiping it off, usually ruins it when I do it -

wiped it two or three times.

But, have to move on!

Thanks for looking!

AT THE HALFWAY POINT - DAY 15 of Painting 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"SQUIRREL"

NFS

11" x 9"

pastel on gatorfoam board, pumiced and underpainted

Squirrel - - - ask anyone, most will state they see them as a real pain in the ass.

They dig up bulbs, they tease the pets, they eat from the bird feeder - but as a

symbol (think about it) they are planners, observers and entertainers.

They are true treasure hunters and carry their fair amount of charm.

I love their little paws and digits.

SEE more 30 in 30 paintings 

from other artists at 

https://www.saetastudio.com/february-30-in-30-blog

Today is the halfway point - YAY!  Although I prepped 

my reference material, so I wouldn't waste time

each day pondering what to paint.

Day 14 of Painting 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Horse"

6" x 8"

pastel on pumiced and underpainted gatorboard

A HORSE stands for FREEDOM WITHOUT RESTRAINT.

When you ride them, you can get that feeling of

freedom.  They also are a symbol of travel, movement and desire.

I have always been completely head over heels about horses.

Never owned one, but have always wanted to.

Used to go riding at the horseback riding stables every weekend

I could when I was young.

Love visiting other peoples stables and barns where there are horses.

I envy those that are horse owners.

Painted from my own reference from Litchfield Wild Burro and Horse

facility in California.

Day 13 of Painting 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Otter"

Purchase info

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/pattie-wall/otter/652760

6" x 6"

pastel on gatorboard (again)

Otters are symbolic of 

CREATIVITY

FLUIDITY

and

TRANSITIONS.

Right up my alley!  Due to their affinity to water

the are said to symbolize HEALING (pure and cleansing water).

The power of the otter in a spirit animal sense,

is in knowing that you have to take care of yourself FIRST

in order to BE of use to someone else.

I never knew this until I researched it this morning.

I have new respect for the OTTER, don't you?

Day 12 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Cardinals Appear When Angels are Near" so the saying goes. 

"Redbird"

purchase info

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/pattie-wall/redbird/652759

5" x 7"

pastel and pencil on pumiced and underpainted Gatorboard

This little portrait of a red cardinal is a reminder

that we're never far apart from our departed loved ones.

They show up when we are remembering them the most 

and their spirit will help the person live on in your heart.

As a symbol, I have experienced this one 

a bunch.  There was JUST a pair at my farmstead in Kansas.

JUST two, male and female.  Always there, always calling one another,

never far apart.  My mom passed about 6 years ago, and my dad just over a year.  

I always believed these birds were there to remind me 

of how much my parents were loved and vice versa.

Just in time for Valentine's Day!

DAY 11 of Painting 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Pigeon"

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/pattie-wall/pigeon/652544

4" x 6" (small)

mixed media on Art Spectrum mounted on foamcore

What good is a pigeon?  If you live in or have visited a large

city, you know they are considered by many

as a menace.  Just like many domesticated

animals, they will stay where the food is.

The Pigeon is the world's oldest domesticated bird.  They

live all over the planet.  They have excellent

navigation, are trainable and are smart messengers.

As a symbol, they represent HOME.

When visiting NYC several years ago, I couldn't help but

be fascinated with the amount of pet homing pigeon

huts and cages on rooftops.  It is a big sport there.  

Pigeons in the parks?  Not such a fan. I can see

where people get irritated with them. However,

I see beauty in them, their coloration and

their physique/stockiness are interesting, plus the 

fact that they are smart and can be trained.  This one 

was fun to paint.

DAY 10 of Painting 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Lizard"

11" x 8 1/4"

mixed media on Art Spectrum

When life changed and we decided to move from KS back to CO, I was in the midst

of an online workshop "Merging Watercolor with Pastels" with Tonja Sell.  

They were wonderful lessons - and I loved the technique, it was a perfect

jumping off spot for me...always looking for something new to try

and different.

Again, I have to emphasize, an artist is always working -   in     their     mind,

if not at the drawing table or the easel.

I had a couple of surfaces prepared to use in my lessons and decided today

I would push some of what my mind was thinking about over time to one 

of these surfaces,

 some of the DOING I just mentioned.

Lizards - you either love them or you don't.  FOR ME - I am always drawn to 

them because they remind me of dinosaurs. The series of Jurassic Park books and movies are 

some of my very favorites.  This lizard sort of reminds me of a Raptor from JP.

It is stylized, I did not paint it PC...for that reason.  I was going for more fantasy.

But as symbols 

Lizards represent solitude,

adaptation

and FREEDOM.

My mix of media was colored pencils, watercolor, hot glue stencils and other

stencil materials, watercolor in pan and pencil, paint pens and pastels.

Day 9 of Painting 3- Paintings in 30 Days

"Bison"

5" x 7"

pastel on tinted and pumiced Gatorfoam Board

This one was finished after dark, I don't paint well when I no longer

have natural light.  Not an excuse, but definitely prove it

to myself, over and over.

Does that happen to you?

Today, my cats (who have always lived in a studio and have been 

living in a spare bedroom since we arrived here, til the studio was ready for them)

have finally moved into THEIR new digs.  It was hard,

one of them is extremely OK with change, the other, not 

so much so.  It took her all day

to warm up out of a hiding place.  But I 

had my little 'six toes' back with

me by end of my time in there for the day.

Bison is my subject.  If you want to see cool bison, just

travel I-70 among the Genessee area above Denver or go to Yellowstone

National Park.  There is even a herd down the highway from here

on a ranch recently acquired by the Navajo Nation.

The Bison is the symbol of gentleness and moderation, 

but it may also symbolize abundance and determination.

They are mighty and powerful mammals, and it amazes me when  people

get too close to them in Yellowstone..duh...did I say powerful??

I chose this reference photo due to it's almost complete obliteration of 

details on the animal.  I had to really try to bring it into the light a little more.

Day 8 of Painting 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Forgot the underpainting today. OH well, wanted to get going on a bigger one

and was so excited to get going that I forgot that step.

I really noticed it on the long stretch.  It didn't have that
great golden glow to assist on the highlights.

Moose is a symbol of being headstrong, longevity, wisdom, confidence, self-esteem, primal feminine energy and steadfastness.  I never saw a real moose in the wild until we started RVing in the high country in Colorado between Kremmling and Dillon at Sugarloaf, there were ALWAYS moose.  
I have sooo many photos of them.  

Started this yesterday after I finished Day 7, as I knew being bigger it would take more time.
Here are steps, although I often forget to keep up the photos with the 

levels as I go, went to lunch in town, so between #3 and #4, there is a big jump.

Even though I absolutely got into the ref photo and the rendition of it,

 this was a tougher one - had FUN with the antlers.

At this point I thought maybe I was done, but I always need some 

time to look at bigger ones, my personal critiqueing usually sees more

wrong or needing to be done -

but the problem can be I DO TOO MUCH and should leave it alone.

If it wasn't a daily painting, I would step back and observe it

for several days before calling it good, but that isn't the case

right now.

 So after about another hour, here is the final.

"BULL MOOSE"

10" x 12"

pastel on pumiced gatorboard

I invite you to view MORE of the 30 in 30 artists submissions. 

Scroll down to the bottom of the latest

post - for the day and the artist.

https://www.saetastudio.com/february-30-in-30-blog

Day 7 of Painting 30 Paintings in 3 Days

"FALCON"

Purchasing info at:

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/pattie-wall/falcon/652140

6" x 6"

pastel on pumiced and underpainted gatorfoam board
(OK have to admit, at first I thought I was painting a hawk but after
much scrutiny, I see I have a Falcon.)

I should know this as I once painted an Egyptian scene with a falcon in it but falcons are
the symbol of the rising sun in Egypt, known as Ra.
He is a solar symbol meaning success, victory and a winning situation.

Not knowing the physical difference  - just like the bobcat and lynx, who has time to catch all the details to tell which one it is - 

they are quick and one doesn't get too close to humans.

The following I found online because I wanted to know the difference between a falcon and a hawk.  Seems that when people post photos of them - even they don't know there is a difference.

"1. Falcons belong to the same genus while hawks fall into several genera.

2. Falcons have a notch on their beaks while hawks have a simple curve on the beak.

3. Falcons grab their prey with the beaks while hawks use talons on the feet to kill prey.

4. Hawks are generally larger birds than falcons."

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Read more: Difference Between a Hawk and a Falcon | Difference Between http://www.differencebetween.net/science/nature/difference-between-a-hawk-and-a-falcon/#ixzz56QVxoI9o