Little Fox

Today's painting is 6x6 inches on gallery-wrapped canvas.  He is another addition to my series of animal portraits.  It is so fun to create these little paintings.  My son is my biggest fan.  If it were up to him, I think he'd like me to just pass them all over to him.  He has a goat, a gorilla, and I can't remember what all.  Maybe for the holidays I'll have to create something just for him. This fellow has SOLD, but there are some more animal paintings available at my Etsy shop .  Original little animal portraits can be viewed here. If you are interested in a fine art print of this little painting, they are available here.

Are You Following?

This is the second in my current series of sheep in a sunny field. I can't decide if this fellow wants me to follow him or not. The backward glance conveys some curiosity, but about what I am not certain. This painting is 5x7 inches on a canvas panel and was created with the same limited palette as yesterday's painting--Sap Green, Cadmium Yellow, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, and Titanium White. When the paintings in this series dry, they will join some of my other animal paintings at Small Impressions Gallery where they can be purchased online.

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Big Daddy--Sheep in Sunshine

Painting sheep in fields of green is a creative direction I take when feeling a need to relax. After a busy week, it is nice to imagine myself in a summer field with these peaceful animals roaming about, grazing, and taking it easy. This painting is a 5x7 inch oil painting of a really large animal looking over the landscape. I can only imagine what he is thinking. Perhaps it just feels good to have the sun on his back and plenty of grass to eat. Life is good!

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Alone--Original Farm Animal Sheep Painting

The painting of this little lamb was quick and fun. He was created on a 4x6 inch canvas panel with a limited palette of Sap Green, Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White, and just a touch of Alizarin Crimson oil paint. He has joined some of my other small paintings at Small Impressions Gallery and can be purchased for $24.00 plus $6.50 for shipping to US addresses by clicking here.

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Donkey or Mule? Original Animal Painting

Apparently there is a difference between a donkey, a mule, and a burro, but I don't know what it is. This little 4x6 inch painting on a canvas panel is one of those three, but since I'm not a farm girl, I don't know which one. This sweet animal was hanging its head over a fence and asking to be remembered, so when I got home, this painting comemorated our introduction. It will be entered into Small Impressions Gallery later this week along with some of my other small animal paintings.

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Curious Piglet--Original Animal Portrait

She's finally dry. I painted this little 4x6 inch piglet painting several weeks ago and it seems like it has taken forever for her to dry. Logically I know there are good reasons why it took so long, but I'm still impatient when the drying time stretches into several weeks. The weather is beginning to cool off, the air is damper, I used some M. Graham paints which are made with walnut oil and take longer to dry, and this particular painting contained a lot of white which generally takes longer yet. Nonetheless, she is finally ready for placement in my Small Impressions Gallery and can be purchased for $24.00 plus $6.50 for shipping to US addresses.

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Mad Rooster--Original Animal Portrait

I'm not sure why he is so mad, but I'm thinking it's that evil eye that gives away his mood. Perhaps he's mad because all the chickens can live in backyards and have an easy life in the city, but no one wants a rooster living next door. I imagine if he'd sleep in and stop the early morning crowing, someone might be willing to take him in. He's painted on a 5x7 inch black gessoed hardboard panel with professional grade oil paints. He will be for sale in the Small Impressions Gallery with some of my other animal paintings as soon as the paint dries.

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One of the Crowd--Original American Sheep Portrait

This little sheep is lost in the crowd. He can't get out and is stifled by the sameness of his peers. I didn't mean to trap him like that, but when my paint brush hit the surface, he emerged--lost and alone--just one of the crowd. He has joined some of my other animal paintings at my Small Impressions Gallery on Etsy and can be purchased for $50.00 plus $6.50 for shipping to US addresses.

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Am I Blue? Original American Sheep Portrait

The past few weeks I've really enjoyed creating these little animal portraits. It must be some kind of hangover from the state fair. This little fellow is named after Ethel Waters' 1929 song, "Am I Blue?" If you are unfamiliar with the song, listen to it and you will have an idea of the way I imagined this little girl is coping with her blue life. You can download an original version of the song at the Internet Archive . Although the song was recorded by a number of artists including Billie Holliday, Ethel Waters' version is my favorite and fits this little 5x7 inch oil painting well. This painting can be purchased from Small Impressions Gallery for $50.00 plus $6.50 for shipping to US addresses.

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Original Animal Portrait--Baby Lamb--Contemporary Painting

This weekend was the opening of the Western Washington State Fair in Puyallup, Washington. It is a the largest fair in Washington State and runs from September 11-27. One of my favorite activities is visiting the livestock barns. Cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, and roosters are just some of the animals that are on exhibit. This little baby lamb was inspired by this annual celebration and my visit to the livestock barns. He is painted on a 4x6 inch canvas panel with professional grade oil paints. He sold quickly in the Small Impressions Gallery, but there are still several other small animal paintings available at the gallery if you are a collector of small format art.

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Hound Dog--Original Dog Portrait

I confess--I'm a dog lover. I enjoy their company and am one who wants to take them all home. It is probably a good thing that my husband keeps me in check and reminds me that they require a lot of care, will wake me early on Saturday, and sometimes are more work than children. We haven't owned a dog for many years and my husband isn't eager to own another one. I often tease him that if anything should happen to him, he WILL be replaced with a dog. Since we remain divided on our love of animals, I shall have to remain content, at least for now, with painting some of my dog acquaintances. This friendly hound was painted on a 4x5 inch canvas panel. Although he delights me, my stash of finished paintings has grown large and I need to move him to a new home. He is for sale at Small Impressions Gallery for $20.00 plus $6.50 for shipping to US addresses. I'm hoping he finds a new home with people who will love him and take good care of him. I promise he won't wake you up early on a Saturday morning and will be a lot less work than children.

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Rooster--Original American Animal Portrait

Here he is, the rooster that saved the canvas! Let me tell you how. When I paint larger paintings, sometimes I will work on a hand-stretched canvas because the quality is superior to purchased canvases. The difficulty is that it takes a lot of time to make the stretcher bars, stretch the canvas, and prepare the surface. I don't practice on my hand-stretched canvases, but save them for really special paintings. Now--how the rooster saved the canvas. This particular 18x24 inch canvas was to be the surface for a landscape painting that I had created in an 8x10 inch size and decided I liked it so much that I would enlarge it. The lesson I should have remembered is that not all small paintings work well in a larger format. I didn't consider the composition fully and recognize it was the color that attracted me. When I was finished, I didn't like the painting. It just didn't translate well into larger painting. I lamented a while, tried to alter it several times, and still didn't like the results. I painted over the entire painting, let it dry and had a new surface for a new painting. I painted a second landscape on the surface, but once again I didn't really spend the time I should have planning my design. A painting emerged that was not satifactory. I painted over the design. The blank canvas sat in my studio for weeks while I tried to decide whether to take the canvas off the bars, restretch, and begin with a fresh canvas. Then, in a moment of devil may care, I began to paint this rooster. The background of neutral grays, the texture left from the previous paintings, and his evil determination saved the day. He is going to hang in my studio for a while as a reminder to plan carefully and never give up.

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Morning Cow--Original Cow Painting

Farm animals have been on my mind lately--perhaps it is the bike riding I've been doing-- passing luscious fields of rubarb, strawberries, and grazing animals of all kinds. Nothing like summertime on a bike to bring out the country in a suburban dweller. This curious cow was certain I didn't belong in her neighborhood. She was painted in oils on a 5x7 inch gessoed hardboard. Her purchase price is $50.00 plus $6.50 for shipping to US addresses. The animal paintings section of my Small Impressions Gallery is where she is residing for the time being. I've been painting all kinds of animals for the last couple of days, so the barn will be filling up soon.

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The New Baby--Original American Piglet Painting

This morning I enjoyed bringing this little fellow to life. He is painted in oils on a recycled 6x6 canvas panel. The texture of the panel was perfect. Beginning with his eyes, every paint stroke brought character to him. When I was finished, it was difficult not to like his cute little face. He sold quickly at my Small Impressions Gallery at Etsy.

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Curious Cow -- Original Cow Oil Painting Portrait

Here she is--the third of my recent cow paintings--red cow on a field of green. This young lady is curious, but weary, like she is uncertain about the world at which she is peering. This painting like the last two, is a small 5x7 inch oil painting. Brush strokes and texture are easier to see in closeups. Oil paint is a great medium for creating special textural effects.

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Frog Friend--Original American Oil Painting

Today I went to the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge in Thurston County, Washington State. There are are a log of wetlands, birds, and other wildlife. It is a wonderful place with miles of trails and sites to see. Right outside the Nature Center is a pond that is full of these big green frogs. Altough I've not painted many animals, I had to recreate one of these guys with their big eyes and lovely green skin. This painting is 5x7 inches and was created using professional grade oil paints.

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Evil Eye--Original American Cow Painting

This cow gave me the evil eye; apparently I am a disruptive influence. It must be a cow's desire to eat, sleep, and rest without the distraction of pesky humans. She was a fun subject in spite of the evil eye. This rendering was completed on a 9x12 stretched canvas with professional grade artist oil color. I especially liked using Gamblin's Tranparent Earth Red on this reluctant subject. The paint has a rich depth that I especially appreciate.

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