Cardinals and Orioles, Works in Progress

This many male Northern Cardinals would probably not be hanging together.  They fiercely defend breeding territory from other males and do so with the most beautiful voice. The Orioles are more social.  They are seen feeding in pairs on the nectar feeder. These two paintings have been commissioned.  The upcoming posts will show the many stages that transpire as the patron and I collaborate on ideas. Commission work is different and somewhat more difficult for me.  This time for instance the patron wanted a particular canvas size and format that made it difficult to re-create a similar painting he had seen.  

He had seen this painting which is 12"x24" and wanted a similar composition but a format that was 16"x24".  That meant either a lot of empty space above and below the birds or really huge birds.  We finally compromised on 14"x24".  

Rose of Sharon, In Progress

Rose of Sharon

Working with this range of colors on the muted ground is very pleasing.  It is a challenge to keep within the hue of each flower and not become muddy when inputting the darks. This second stage of working is to establish the forms, the lights and darks and the color.  As I paint with a lot of transparency the ground is still influencing the color.  A third stage should bring the color out even more against the ground.  

In the south where I grew up, the Rose of Sharon is referred to as Althea.  It is in the hibiscus family and is related to okra.  Now, okra is a favorite food in the south and of mine.  In southern Louisiana okra is an ingredient in gumbo where it is used like corn starch to thicken the dish.  My mama always breaded it with corn meal and fried it.  Every visit to her home came with a request for her fried okra.  How I miss that.  So as I work on this painting I'm continually reminded of her and home.  

The Beguiling Heron

The Beguiling Heron

The Great Blue Heron stands and fishes in Mink Cove, the salt marsh that runs behind my house.  The water depth changes constantly with the tides.  This was a high tide on a summer day when the grasses were at their greenest.  One of the challenges of this painting was to create a sense of depth without an horizon line.  I may need to emphasize the diagonal movement of the water more.  Hmmmm.  The title comes from a friend who, when seeing the painting, remarked, "I'm beguiled by the heron".  

Rose of Sharon, in Progress

Rose of Sharon, Oil on Panel, 10" x 10"

I've had this board around for a while having plied it with palette remains from Bayou Dorcheat work sessions.  I like the way the green of the ground can suggest landscape and depth.  I took a photo of the Rose of Sharon last summer on one of my walks which I decided would work well with this ground.   My grandmother had a Rose of Sharon shrub that to my childhood memory was 20' tall.  It grew outside her kitchen.  Now when I see one, I'm transported back to the memories of times at her house.  

Mink Cove and the Great Blue, in Progress

Initial Composition

Adjusted Composition

I've been using facebook recently to post my daily work progress.  My facebook friends are very generous with comments, always positive.  With this work I had some questions about the great blue positioned in the center or even if the bird was too trite to include.  After posing the question with the first photo the vote was, yes, keep the heron and yes to center location.  A minority didn't care for the center location and thought placement in the upper left would work better.  I elected to go with the majority opinion but move the bird slightly left and reduce the size.  I also removed the marsh grass in the upper right and add a sliver of water above the grass on the left.  

Painting the American Goldfinch

There is a local NPR station that has a weekly program, Bird News, with Mark Faherty of Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. This week I learned that the American Goldfinch feeds its young only seed.  This accounts for their frequency at the feeders throughout the summer.  Many of our birds leave the feeders in search of insects once they have fledglings.  

Painting, The American Goldfinch a Work in Progress

Continuing with the theme of paintbrush and bird,  I began this small 6" x 6" piece today.  It is June here and the male Goldfinches have turned their bright yellow.  They are distinct among the green trees and on the feeders.  

Also on my easel are two commissioned pieces, one of orioles and one of cardinals.  They are 14"x24" and each have 6 birds perched on and near apples for the cardinals and oranges for the orioles.  I will need to ask the client if he minds posting the progress here.  

Harvesting the Oysters a Work in Progress

Harvesting the Oysters, Session 2

Mark Kurlansky wrote about oysters in his book, "The Big Oyster: History of the Half Shell".  I highly recommend it as a beautiful story tying our nourishment to the health of the natural world.  I learned from this book that the oyster spends the first 2 weeks of its life at the mercy of the currents, tides and waves.  After, it settles on a surface where it will remain.  Because of this settlement, it is the only bivalve that is not symmetrical. And, this lack of symmetry made for the ability to ship oysters around the country prior to air transport.  If the oyster is shipped with the convex side of its shell face down, the juices of the oyster will remain inside and keep it moist and living.  We regularly eat the oyster from Little Harbor.  They are succulent, briny and a delectable delight.