Love At First Sight

Love At First Sight

6x6, oil on board

Day 29 of 30....Once again I found a really good reason to by a sweet treat at the grocery store.  After all, finding just the right prop is critical for a good painting.  It was all for the sake of art.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!  This little guy was gone before the painting was even finished.  

WIP:   I started with a drawing of an earlier oil painting I did of this scene.  Then I began washing the pastel underpainting down with alcohol when I noticed the initial drawing wasn't right....so, back to the proverbial drawing board for this one!  I wasn't paying too much attention...just playing around.  Oh well...live and learn, and learn, and learn!

Sunbathing Trio - Pastel

Sunbathing Trio - Pastel

6x6, soft pastel

Painting 10 of 30 - Sunbathing Trio in pastel...ok, done with onions for a good long time!  On to finishing Sunset Sail.

WIP:  Sunset Sail

Below are the first three steps on another larger piece titled "Sunset Sail" that I've been working on the past week.   I started with a very saturated bold underpainting...we'll see how it goes!

I'm getting there (or, I will get there come hell or high water).  This is what is often called "the ugly stage".  Where things are sort of coming together, but deep inside you wonder if you shouldn't trash it!  Layering, layering and more layering of pastel to eventually get to the mood I'm looking for....maybe that vibrant underpainting was a bit too much!  We'll see.

Tan Caddis Emerger

Tan Caddis Emerger
5x7, soft pastel

After hatching, a nymph lives on a stream or river bottom up to a year (depending on species) and then begins the process of transforming into an adult fly.  The nymph rises ("emerging") to the top of the water where it will continue to develop, molting into an adult fly ("dun" stage).  Once mature (spinner stage), it will take flight and mate.  The females will return to the water to drop their eggs before falling to the water's surface as a "spent spinner".   Sad...but true.