Villa Koi - COMPLETE

This is the completed painting, Villa Koi.  I hope you enjoyed seeing all the stages that led to the finished piece. 

Villa Koi - the pond stages

This is the beginning of a painting of the Koi fish at the Getty Villa. 

Putting in the first layer of the pond - a pea green wash.

Laying in the second layer of color in the pond. From this point on, all the paint is applied with a palette knife.

Adding some green to the pond floor.

Laying in the first lily pad.

The next lily pad is a deep, dark red and green.

And another lily pad in another beautiful variation of green.

Added another layer of a much lighter green, letting the dark green show through.

Now for some tiny lily pads.

Spent some more time on the light layers in the pond and then started on the submerged lily bowl.

Added some more color to the bowl but not too sure about the green.

Darkened up the greens on the pond floor.

Added the rest of the paint to the submerged bowl.

30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 2

Great Blue Heron

Oil,  20x35 on wood board

$1,200

Yes, this is not a new painting, but I was so excited to finish it and to post it for you to see that I am making it my Day 2 painting.  Today I added the legs, detail to the head and to some of the rocks.  I forgot to mention yesterday that this painting was done primarily with a palette knife and a small amount of brush work on the legs.   I am so lucky to live near where this guy and his friends like to hang out.

30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 1

Great Blue Heron, Stage 2

Oil,  20x35 on wood board

What better way to start the new year than with a 30 Day Painting Challenge!  Artist Leslie Saeta is graciously hosting a 30 Paintings in 30 Days painting challenge to jump start all artists on the road to a prolific 2014.  Over 270 artists have decided this year to take up the challenge and post daily paintings to Leslie's blog for the next 30 days. I started Blue Heron in mid-November and decided that I would revisit him today.  I was not able to complete his portrait today; I need to add in the legs and the details on the beak, neck and the background.  

I hope you will enjoy following the the 30 Day Challenge this year!

Great Blue Heron

"Great Blue Heron 1"

Oil,  20x35 on wood board.

Within walking distance from our house is a lake.  Living at the lake is a tremendous variety of bird species. One day when I was on a path that bridged a stream flowing into the lake, I saw this very large bird standing in the stream.  He was not afraid of me being there and posed for some pictures. When I returned home, I looked him up in my bird guide for the area and figured out that he was a Great Blue Heron. I had this piece of wood I had been saving and it seemed the perfect size to put this giant bird on. 

I have not painted anything this large before and my biggest challenge so far is mixing enough paint.  I am used to mixing small piles of colors and having that be more than enough.  Well, it is when you are painting 6 inches square but not when you are painting something this big.

This is stage 1 of Great Blue Heron.