simplystated-wildlifeart

24"x 48" acrylic "Pike River Escape"...Ruffed Grouse

2010-03-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

This is a donation finished today, for the RGS or
Ruffed Grouse Society...once more their honored
featured artist. Goes up for live auction this Saturday
and my lovely wife will be along for the event, and
the nice dinner...

One of my VERY FIRST paintings...and available!

2009-08-25T10:55:00.001-07:00

I received an email from an individual experiencing a very difficult road in life right now health-wise, no doubt leading to very expensive care. Asking if I would know anyone that might be interested in purchasing this work he bought from me back in 1983...

The painting has a bit of history, personally...as I was finishing up my last year in college on the GI Bill...married with two quite young sons. I was a black sheep, as I would be referred to by art profs as my schooling was during the anti-art era of the 70's...and squirting paint in cow manure and whipping it at a canvas would have gone further to earn myself high marks. However, I was checking books out of the university library copying works of Frans Hals and Rembrandt to teach myself how to paint, and then taking subjects dear to me and trying my hand at it.

I was pouring brownish glazes on my works back then, rubbing off with a soft rag which was a technique of chiaroscuro developed in the late Renaissance and Baroque period of painting. It gives a three-dimensional rendering effect of form, and pulls the work together as a whole.

As it would go...the building custodians took a liking to the development of this work on my studio easel and along with others, traveled the four floors up to see it come along. Not caring much else for what other students were doing, which further led to the disdain for my work and presence.

This piece (if memory serves me right) was finished sometime in my last year around 1979...and in 1983 a good friend prodded me to paint up an entree for Wisconsin's annual Wildlife Artist of the Year competition, which I then won in 1984 and more or less catapulted my career painting.

Were my work in general, and myself as an artist to have an important place in art history...and until one's passing how shall we ever know(?)...a work such as this would have great value, showing the development of a painter. Today...I get about $5 per square inch on such sizes... (24"x 36") and would be worth $4320...painted up fresh. However with history to it, and 30 years more painting that followed arguably some broader intrinsic value.

The owner is asking $1600...and if anyone is interested, please contact me and I'll put you in contact with the buyer. Again...this will help defray his costs of his medical needs, and we wish him certainly all the best.

As always, clicking on the image brings up a larger image to view...

Larry

Ducks Unlimited...Redheads Oil Paintng

2009-08-04T17:28:00.000-07:00

18"x 24" oil...Redheads...

Could it be early morning...eyes peeled to the skies when
suddenly from the side of the blind a group of redhead
divers come wisking by? Could it be last half hour of
light where the sun throws much glare on the water, and
your last hope of the day for ducks to decoy?

To feel the air's chill with brisk winds, maybe break a
good bit of surface ice to get your skiff out into the water.
The bobbing and forming of ice beards on your decoy
bills. Its a moment one takes everything in, the mood
of nature and any sign of a change leading to dangerous
conditions, the fronts that push migrations. All quite
exciting for the waterfowler to experience and take in!

This piece, just finished is my donation to the Fox Valley
Ducks Unlimited chapter...where I'm the featured artist,
and as always an honor to help raise monies for habitat,
conseravation, management; all coming up August the
20th...

2nd Runner-up 2010 Wis Inland Trout Stamp

2009-04-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

Well...a little disappointing, but first entree back
into state competition in a number of years, and
first entree with oils...

Buffleheads- Rough Water Bay 12"x 24" oil

2009-04-12T07:26:00.000-07:00

This is a work nearing its finishing, an oil representing
the mood of the bay of Green Bay, which borders the west
shores of Wisconsin's Brown and Door County Peninsula,
Lake Michigan on the east shores. Weather fronts, later
season brings these little divers down from Canada in
migration, as well as goldeneyes, bluebills and such.
They strike one as having a comical nature, twisting and
turning, very animated in swimming, heads flipping about
raising up and looking.

As always, clicking on the image brings up a larger view.

The style here has grown from my outdoor plein air
experiences...that is a painterliness born out of necessity
setting up and painting outdoors on location, due to the
nature of light to at any more change. Compare that to
my acrylics done instudio...this one way back in 1984...
The 3rd place finalist entree for the New York Duck
Stamp competition, the American Widgeon or what we
affectionately call, the "baldpate"

Brown Trout oil...

2009-03-17T13:31:00.001-07:00

Near Finished...Bluebills on the Bay...oil painting

2009-02-25T16:35:00.000-08:00

Well...been awhile since I posted progress pics on
this blog, and now nearly finished...

Added some incoming bills now, and using a rounded
toothpick that I use with a drafting lead holder pencil,
I paint finer detail such as the ripples on the water to
suggest the breeze/wind effects that accomodate the
coming of a front, and also some of the detailing of those
more distant incoming ducks. Here's what that tool
looks like-

*as always, click on the images to see larger...thanks!

Longtail Island Bluebills- Oil Painting

2009-02-13T05:03:00.000-08:00

Starting a new one that goes a long way back to very fond
memories with friends of my youth, friends still...that of
waterfowling on the bay of Green Bay. Nothing represents
such more for me than the view of Longtail Island, now
very much grown in and near less an island. We used to
wade with decoys over one shoulder, shotgun the other
out into the pitch black thigh to hip deep water in the
direction of the island not seen until about 40 yards off
of its welcome shores.

Somedays so cold, we'd have to break thru 20 yards of ice
to get out or push a skiff.

Here I have a front moving in, indicated by the darker
cloud above...always a welcome time for waterfowlers as
such fronts mean the big wave of Canadian divers will
be on the move. Often bluebills and buffleheads, a good
number of redheads rafting up to congregate and create
islands of ducks 5,000 to 7,000 strong. A site to see.

This is the beginning stages, having painted the background
and using photoshop and my old sketches, am working on
placement of the ducks to assemble a pleasing painting
composition. I'll post the finished work when completed.

Clicking on the smaller image will bring up a much nicer
view...

Studying the Whitetail Deer...

2008-10-23T04:37:00.001-07:00

Birthed from often helping artists learn to better
understand how to see a deer artistically, study its
anatomy and get it right...I have created this pdf
downloadable file... Studying Deer

Hopefully you will find it helpful in your own
depictions of deer...

Privilege of North Wood's Livin'...

2008-09-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

Well...I paint what I live...and what I live inspires
me deeply when I paint!

This late afternoon, I took my best bird huntn' partner
and friend...Ashley, (a curly-hair golden retriever) and
enjoyed some fall action upland bird hunting. My Ash is
eleven years old now, and for the past number of years
I've had my wife take at least one photo of her, myself
and some birds as I never know if it will be her last
year.

What a night...we jumped 17-20 ruffed grouse total,
missed one other. The woods were too thick yet this
time of year, but it sure helps to have a great dog.

Finished Winter Runoff Black Bear 8"x 10" oil

2008-04-22T15:27:00.001-07:00

Well...as the title says, it is now finished. I also took
the photo outdoors in a bit better lighting, so color
may appear slightly different from the originals below.

I made a few darker accents, along the rock in the
nearer area where water lapping might make the rock
darker anyway, but the aesthetic painter's reason for
such is the anchor the darks of the bear so that its
very dark stark value does not appear foreign to the
painting.

Indeed a big black bear bruin with its rich velvety
black fur would appear astonishingly black up close
and personal. Anyone surprised by a bear in near
proximity will remember that about them!

I'm leaning at this time using this as a reference now
to start a much larger canvas...40"x 50" or larger.

I invite you to click on the image to see larger...and
thanks for looking!

Winter Run Off Black Bear...8"x 10" oil

2008-04-21T17:12:00.001-07:00

Painted the waterfalls and woodland scene first, then
added this black bear. Will work a bit more color, some
warms and softening to get the bear to feel the light
and surrounding environment

here is a closeup...click on either image to see larger.

Alaskan Moose...9"x 12" oil

2008-04-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

This 9"x 12" study of an Alaskan moose is perhaps
as finished as I believe it needs to be, saving the
more in-depth work for a much larger studio
piece, My thinking at this time is about a 48"x 60"
stretched canvas.

below is the process of sketches and thinking
that resulted in the painting above-

This is a sketch I worked up in my sketchbook, of another
try at a bull moose. After studying a number of paintings
of Carl Rungius (1869-1959)...wanting to touch on his
giving the moose such a sense of nobility, majestic strength
and power, I was getting quite frustrated.

It wasn't until I pulled my sketchbook out, and started
working things out...

What follows is my progression, and when I was done, I came
to the conclusion that Rungius lengthened his body length
a half-head length. Mine was 3-1/2 heads (from nose to just
where the brow tine begins), and Rungius makes his a full
four head length.

Picasso once said that "art is a lie that tells the truth" and
sometimes in experiencing a moment in nature, our senses
feel something that perhaps only stretching the truth visually
delivers.

first visualized the mass and volume of the moose using
perspective and rectangles/boxes to give form

Then I put flesh to this form, and come up with my moose,
but, its not been Rungius'ified yet!! That comes next!

I now push the rump, the shoulder back to reflect that
half-head length addition I observed in Rungius portrayal
of the bull moose...indicated by the red arrows...

Then, I re-work the flesh over again to come up with my
stretched truth...which immediately seems to my eye to
deliver on that greater truth I'm after, namely the
majesty...the noble nature of these fine beasts!

The final touch was working Wolff carbon pencils up to
6B into the drawing, then applying a bit of water using
a sable watercolor brush which converts the carbon
drawing to a wash watercolor. I felt I had a good
feeling for the form having followed this study and
analysis of Rungius moose, and the effort has resulted
in some greater confidence for which the study/painting
above then was birthed. ,

Changes...and better I think... Moose Oil Painting

2008-04-11T14:00:00.001-07:00

Well...advice I often give artists I realized was a pill
I needed to swallow myself today. Anytime something
doesn't quite feel right, 90% of the time its going to
be an issue related to values. Now, its not finished,
the oil needs to tack up so I can paint a bit more into
the fur and such, but its now feeling more to me like
its saying "big honkin bull moose!"

...and here a closeup...but, click on the image and
much larger view!

A study of a Moose in Oils... 9"x 12"

2008-04-09T15:42:00.001-07:00

Using a Zorn Palette...of red, black, yellow ocre and white..
I started a study of a wading, drinking bull moose today-

Working on this for my next book I am writing on learning
to paint painterly realism.

What is interesting is that aesthetically any stage or level of
finishing such a painting like this is possible. I could leave
the left side nearly as is...with a few sketched lines, bring to
a great refinement a focal point such as the head/eyes area
of the moose's head. I could paint the whole of the moose,
leaving it looser, more painterly brushwork...or refine one
area again, finish the whole of the moose more painterly,
and add a suggestive background.

It becomes all kind of fun to play with such, considering one's
options along the way. Will repost when finished...

Clicking on image reveals a nicer large image of the moose.

Common Goldeneye- Oil painting 8"x 10"

2008-04-01T16:01:00.001-07:00

Finished this painting today, very satisfying after so
many years in a couple ways. One, such a painting
fifteen years ago would have required about 50-100
hours time, and this painted in just over four hours.
Secondly...I kept this in a painterly mode...tightening
what was necessary only...

Hope you enjoy...and clicking on image will reveal a
larger view.

Here also is a step by step painting of this painting
video...

Common Goldeneye- Oil painting

2008-03-31T14:57:00.001-07:00

Started this one today...an 8"x 10" oil...and like
the Goose painting below, I'll be making a
2-1/2 minute short video on its making start to
finish. I'll post that here as this one gets finished.

I'm painting on MFD board...sealed with polycrylic,
gesso and pumice...

Spring Thaw Canadian Goose- Oil Painting 8"x 10"

2008-03-31T14:56:00.001-07:00

Canada Goose Oil painting, and included, a YouTube
video of this painting coming together start to finish!

Click on image to see larger...the color and brushwork...

A bit more on the eagle....

2008-03-04T16:44:00.001-08:00

Not sure I'll go much farther than this on the detailing of
the eagle. Going for pose, character, sense of softness
on feathering...but wanting the eagle to feel about the
distance from the viewer I want, and greater detail would
certainly not be the case.

I'll eye this one up a few days and see what I think, if its
about done....

Clicking on image brings up a nicer larger view to take in!

Chilkat Fishin' Buddies...more progress oil painting

2008-03-03T20:52:00.001-08:00

Well..not a whole lot of time today, but progress is progress
and I feel I'm startin' to get this eagle where I want it...happy
thus far. More to do...but gettn' there.

Chilkat Fishing Buddies 32"x 36" oil

2008-03-01T13:44:00.001-08:00

Taking an old scene I painted from my time two
summers ago in Alaska, and finally starting to add
a gliding eagle.

The Chilkat Mountains (off Juneau) are absolutely
stunning...and we saw eagles abound. In some
places, perhaps as many as 1500 eagles...and yes,
the dog/chum salmon were running...

I just blocked in the basic shape, values and color
and will begin knit pickin' next week...

Ruffed Grouse Oil Painting...progress

2008-02-26T15:43:00.001-08:00

here after today...wish I had more time to paint.
Teaching's been taking up much of it...

a few closeups...trying to keep background soft and thin layers,
and nearer foliage thicker and carefully laid on...

2008-02-25T17:03:00.000-08:00

Progress steps of a ruffed grouse painting I'm working on,
putting yellow-greens, yellows, and pinks into the sky..
as paint dabs, and will build that up more.
I am approaching the work of the wings a bit more cautiously,
as I want to suggest movement...a slight blur or soft focus.

Here is a closeup of some brush and color work...and clicking on
the images will bring up a larger image of both images here.

Announcement...Work Now on FineArtAmerica.com

2008-01-11T09:17:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to announce to those that follow my blogspot, that
I have now another site, a gallery of works that will be available
for sale, but even more importantly I will be offering various
works I've painted and yet will paint as giclee prints. Those that
have enjoyed my work, but find the prices of the originals less
than ideal...will now have an option.

Please visit my work at Fine Art America using the link below and...

...note I now have a Fine Art America link in my links (right column)
area. Click on it to go directly to my gallery there.

Winter Tree Turkeys- Oil Painting 40"x 50"

2008-01-02T16:06:00.001-08:00

Well...I think after today, this baby is really pretty much about
done. A touch up of edges, some minor work in the midground
tree area...but, I already put my name to it, so...pretty happy
with where its at.

I believe it took me about the same amount of time to sketch
up my turkeys, (which I used to paint from) as the painting end
of it itself.

here's the sketches....and the paintings. Each image clicked on
will bring up a much larger image...

Chessy Retriever Oil Painting- Riley...

2007-12-28T14:34:00.000-08:00

Now that Christmas has come, it is now safe to
post this work I completed about a month ago, which
I did at my younger son's request as a gift to his wife
Ashley. From my wife and I....

To prep, I did a couple smaller oil studies...

The dog is young...full of vigor and all that is pup.
She is maturing. I love her intense gaze. A very pretty
dog...and painting this reminded me why I used to love
accepting commissions to paint dogs. I believe I will
open myself up again for such dog portraits.

20"x 24" oil

clicking on the image will show a nicer larger
view

Near Finished...Big Squall Ruddy Ducks- Oil Painting

2007-12-12T17:02:00.001-08:00

6"x 9"

I'll let it sit around, tack up a bit...see what needs
touching up, but I'm pretty happy with how this one
is coming around. Clicking on this image will bring up
a larger view...

Trout Theme Painted Chair

2007-12-11T20:02:00.000-08:00

I was asked by a local person if I'd do a favor for
a Christmas present.

I always hate when folks in the community ask me how
much something would cost. Living in a northern logging
community, I know people here work VERY hard for their
often meager living...and have little understanding or
appreciation for the arts.

If I told them what I should get for something like this, I
just know they wouldn't be able to afford it, or perhaps
they might...but their values being what they are couldn't
fathom paying it.

So...I did this for a very small fee, which kinda floored my
wife, but...I said, "hey...it's Christmas you know?"

They wanted a trout fishing theme...with a creel...so I
painted a brook trout, rainbow...some flies, a creel and
fly fishing rod...

Northern Shovelers over Bog Brook- Oil Painting

2007-12-07T20:16:00.000-08:00

Not totally finished here...but getting close. Experimenting
with a painterly treatment of the ducks in keeping with my
painterly treatment of the background. Different from my
past hyper detail of every feather and feather group. I am
enjoying the process....

9"x 12" oil

Here is a closeup of the drake shoveler...and clicking on it
will show the unique coloration and brushwork...

Ridge Ravine Whitetail Oil Painting

2007-11-15T16:43:00.001-08:00

Working up another study, this one again just
8"x 10" in size...

Plans to do a few, then perhaps work up a
rather large canvas, hoping these small studies
give me a good lead in on a large one...

Not finished, but here's where its at after one
session this late afternoon...

here a closeup..(click on it is quite larger) so that the
brushwork for this smaller piece can be better examined-

Oil Painting- Whitetail Buck Bustin' Out

2007-11-12T19:37:00.001-08:00

One of those nights...one of those days, and
painting just seems like the best thing for the
moment. Always feel a bit better after painting.

I've got large whitetails on the mind after my
son Jeremy and I, saw ten bucks this past weekend.
First time I witnessed a couple bucks fighting as
well. Very cool!!!

This painting is more or less sketched in, and I
used a Lee LeBlanc principle, one Lee shared with
me back in the late 1970's...which is, reserve the
darkest dark, the lightest light, and purest color
for your wildlife subject and all else should pale
by comparison. That was his recipe for some dang
nice paintings that spanned a long and noted
artist career.

As only an 8"x 10" study, and already not too
bad for what I was aiming for...

and a closeup...(click on both images here to see larger view)

Oil Painting of Eagle Soaring

2007-11-05T17:40:00.001-08:00

7"x 5" oil

Working up some studies of eagles...and several
approaches to applying oils. I want to remain soft
and the image not overly tight.

A closeup reveals the simplistic suggestive
brushwork...

these images can be viewed larger by clicking
on them...

Riley...a femal Chesapeake Retriever...

2007-11-05T17:38:00.002-08:00

a 10"x 8" oil sketch study of my younger
son's retriever, Riley...

Redhead Drake...Oil Painting...a study 5"x 4"

2007-11-05T17:38:00.001-08:00

More practice to eek out the rough edges...a redhead
drake in oil...

5"x 4" oil on pumice gessoed panel...

Now on sale...(visit my Will Paint for Gas sales blog)

When you do these...thinking of the stamp reduction size...
you paint with reduction in mind, that is for the stamp.
Often...artists will use a reducing glass. I tend to hold a
pair of binoculars in reverse, which shows me the smaller
size. Something like this...

Hen Woodduck Oil Painting...4"x 6"

2007-11-05T17:37:00.000-08:00

This late afternoon was an experiment once more with
the Zorn palette...adding a bit more blue to the black
since an artist mentioned to me that the black Zorn used
in his day had more blue. Having not painted ducks as
much as in my earlier wildlife art career, thought I'd have
fun using the palette to play with the hen wood duck.

I did opt to use a bit of cobalt blue on the side for the
wing/feather colors...and the restraint of color throughout
much of the rest of the painting then would cause this
blue to feel even more irridescent.

What a pretty little lady this duck was...

4"x 6" oil

I may paint a few more ducks in days to come, as a
number of folks (including my wife) have been pushing
me to perhaps enter some duck stamp competitions
again. Maybe work to aim at the Federal Duck Stamp
competition...
...felt a little rusty today, but it was fun using this palette
and the control for softness I had. Softness, is the one
detail of a bird or fowl that has to come across more so
than any other detail. Something I think quite a few
artists don't give nearly the consideration they should.

Not a Bato...but..I'll paint just the same...

2007-09-14T22:16:00.001-07:00

I scraped a paint panel off after painting this afternoon,
and my first painting scraped off perhaps in 20 years or
more that I can remember. I came to the conclusion I
might learn something about light, or find some inspira-
tion in Bato's work...but, I'm no Bato. I'm no Clyde Aspevig,
or Scott Christensen either for that matter. Love seeing
what is working for other artists and figuring out why.

I decided I needed a quick effort to recover my ego, so
I went back to my roots. No...its not a 200 hour painting
but it is a duck, a drake bluebill, very much like my
earlier work.

This oil sketch is 5"x 7" and painted in about an hour's
time.

Its not at that state of submission-like perfection
I would work on for a competition stamp entree, but it
was fun...and I kept it brief and simple. Quick...and in
a sketch like state. What might be fun to do, is try one
counting my brushstrokes like I did about a year ago on
a half-dozen subjects. Such really gets you thinking about
the brush work...

2nd Attempt of Bato Inspired....Black Bear

2007-09-14T22:15:00.000-07:00

Well, not there yet...but gettin' there. Not fully happy with
the water. For one, I'm known pretty much for how I paint
water...but there is no fussin' in Bato's method, and I can't
seem to shake the need to fuss. To not fuss, and yet get
the essence of it. Think this will drive me crazy!!! Might
have to change the name of my blog to "Artist Gone Mad!"

But, I did get I think a pulse on what Bato is doing now.
I had to pay attention to his color, and then it hit me. It
seems most of his paintings are based on an analogous
color scheme palette. That is...he has about three colors
that are neighbor colors, then uses the complement of that
plus black and white.

So, while not quite happy with the water totally (I'll work
with it till I like it better), I think I'm getting something
here. I chose several blues..in their tinted form, violet
blue to a slight greenish/blue with a pastel or tinted form
of yellow-orange or pinkish orange. Check out Bato's work
yourself, see if you might not agree...many are analogous
in color.

This one, 8"x 10"...and not quite yet finished...but interesting
enough to share and report progress...and you must, you
simply must click on this one to see larger. The color and
brushwork will impress you totally different and you will see
more what I was doing!!!

Now for Something Completely Different!!!

2007-09-14T22:14:00.001-07:00

Well...its that time once again to experiment, push myself
in directions unfamiliar, discover what I can and implement
thereafter what I find useful and pertinent to me as an artist.

I have been taken in by a Russian Artist, whom Californian
artist Bill Wray has introduced us to on Wetcanvas.com, his
name is Bato Dugarzhapov and I suggest if
you check him out, do take time to look thru a good many
pages of his work. At first you may not get it...but using a
lighter light key in many of his work, he suggest so stinkin'
much appearing to do so very little!

To make it easier, I have a thread going at Wetcanvas.com in
the Animal/Wildlife art forum...where you can see examples
of Bato's that speak to me...and some works of my wildlife art
for comparison. That is, if this whole experimental push thing
interests you. Just click on the word Wetcanvas.com above.

I decided tonight, I would take a 5"x 7" panel, mix up a
simple palette in a higher light key than I might more
likely use. It certainly is NOT Bato enough...but I was
inspirted by Bato's work to try something looser, more
suggestive.

Some artists fear such experiments, or especially sharing
such things, but the art instructor in me asks "why not let
you come along on the journey with me?" ...so, I tend to
take risks perhaps in what others might think of my work.

In truth...I act like a teacher giving myself assignments,
knowing it has been said that a "mind stretched can never
return to its former dimension"...and I stand to learn
something valuable. I can do such believing that what I
experiment on does not ultimately HAVE to DEFINE ME.

My wife and I recent spent time on the Pine River, at
La Salle Falls in NE Wisconsin, and while there I envisioned
black bears visiting the spot. Here is my "BATO" driven
first attempt...

Please, by all means click on this image to see a much
better larger image. The brushwork and color will make
much better sense.

Finished...Beefed Up Values...whitetail buck oil

2007-05-24T20:24:00.001-07:00

8"x 10"

not much time today...but wanted to add a bit more to the
background and bring this to a finishing...

here a couple closeups...

as an extra, went out jogging last night, and I tend to run
on off the beaten path, trails that lead into forests and such,
and came upon and startled a young wolf. I guessed the
wolf to be perhaps about seven or eight months of age. Only
my second time in the wild to come upon a wolf, the last
being a larger black wolf in NW Wisconsin two falls ago.

Excercise in Brevity- Whitetail Oil Sketch

2007-05-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

8"x 10" pumice panel

Was just dying to take a break from end of year classroom
teacher stuff to lay some paint down, and had about 20-30
minutes. Premixed some paint and did this quick sketch of
a buck. Not quite finished...but,

I wanted to push the mandate to say as much as possible
with as little paint as necessary. Such requires mixing up the
right color and value on the palette so that no tweaking or
adjusting is necessary on the painting. Lay the stroke in, and
leave it. Such also requires having some confidence that you
know your subject well enough to leave well enough alone!

Bull Elk...WIP (work in progress)

2007-04-20T20:33:00.001-07:00

Another fun study...but looking shortly to
produce a very large elk painting, and hoping
my small studies and experiments come up with
something down the road as a reference for
that large one.

This is developing from a split complementary
palette...will post finished work.

Progress on the Mallards...

2007-04-04T16:53:00.001-07:00

A bit more done today, and I've been filming this painting's
progress...intending on a short YouTube and Google short
time lapse video...and possibly a longer indepth step by step
dvd...

Here the larger work followed by a couple close-ups of the
ducks so far...

Mallards in Flight Painting -donation to Ruffed Grouse Society

2007-04-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

I started a 19"x 29" heavy canvas stretched oil painting
for my piece to be donated for auction at this year's
Ruffed Grouse Society; once more honored as their
guest host artist.

I began with paper mock ups drawn of the ducks which
I temporarily taped onto the canvas...then used turps,
copal and mud/neutral pigment to sketch out..

then, I mixed up a large batch of the mud gray neutral
at midgray value, and blocked in the masses, then wet
into wet would work lighter and darker values as well
as color into it...

Here then, after my first day into this is where I
end this session. Feeling I got a lot of this off to
a good start....

A Larger Version of Rocky Bighorn...

2006-10-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

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20"x 24" oil on canvas
Finished...

I have decided I need to break away from
the confines of the smaller 5x7 format
for at least a little while. My habit
also being to keep my little studies
around 'till something catches my eye and
feeling it would look good as a much
larger painting. I decided on this bighorn
ram...and will use a 20"x 24" canvas. Not
huge by any means...but a decent hanging
size.

I first set my study up next to my art
table as reference...

I'm thinking what would be informative,
experimental and fun...would be to put
to task one of Emile Gruppe's ideas of
juxtaposing an overlaying of complementary
color to its opposite color's undertone.

Allowing hints of the undertone to show
thru, thus creating some color vibration,
(color vibration...something Edgar Payne
said was necessary for good paintings).

Gruppe used to say that we don't know
just how red a red is without, for example,
the color green nearby to judge it against.

Also...Payne taught that color as nature's
light presents it is 200 to 300 times more
intense than pigment can imitate, so painters
of their day would incorporate devices such
as this undertoning to enhance color to be
that much more effective.

To ready this direction, I paint what will
end up a blue sky first with a thin turps
and orange undertoning. The eventual warm
bighorn and rock structures will receive a
bluish valuing of undertone-

Having laid that in, you can see in the upper
left I have started to dab in the finishing
overlay of sky pigment, and in this next one
a close up of more sky painted in, revealing
some of the undertone left to be seen.

How much of that undertone will actually be
left visible will work itself out as I make
decisions in the painting's progress...but
even a hint of it will add to color vibration
as well as color rhythm which then assures
unifying harmony overall-

With much of the sky having been painted in
it is time to move on to another area. It is
good to jump around. Some artists have the
habit of finishing one thing off completely
and then moving on to another, but it is
best to work the whole of the painting and
bring it to a finishing together. This leads
to better judgment of the painting working
first and foremost as a painting and a whole
work.

That being said, I now begin to paint in the
rocks...and it takes relatively few strokes of
buttery paint to suggest the presence of the
rock. I think of course this is the contrast
of the complements that causes this sensation-

Lastly, or to end this session anyway,
I want to establish something of the
presence and statement of the bighorn
itself. I suggest some darker values to
establish depth, and color to render form-

Here then after a second night's session, only
about an hours opportunity...but getting closer
to finishing already. Note how very small hints
of blue in the bighorn are visible, which helps
connect it to the sky...bits of orange yet
visible in the sky...color rhythm happening all
over the work. An experiment in Gruppe and
Payne'ology if anything else...

Rubbing Territory

2006-10-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

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5"x 7" oil

We are entering that time of year...
exciting if you love the ourdoors,
where bucks are going into their
pre-rut phase then followed by the
blown outright rut.

Beginning with ground scrapes, the
rubbing of bark off trees to caution
other traveling bucks they are
encroaching claimed territories. An
inch-two inch tree/sappling usually a
2-1/2 year old buck or so...but when
3-6 inch trees are shredded in this
card calling ritual...you know a dandy
mature buck is in the area...!

Mount Juneau Brown Bear

2006-10-24T16:01:00.000-07:00

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5"x 7" oil

My son, Jason...and I on one of our
last days in Juneau, Alaska...took the
tram that traversed up the side of the
mountain overlooking the city below.

About 3,000-4,000' in elevation...and
walking up the path we met folks
coming down telling us they had seen
a bear just over the next peak's ridge.

Of course...with Admiralty Island about
seven miles away (the Fortress of Bears)
hosting about 3,000 brown bears, and
southeast Alaska alone residence to
about 16,000 black bears...this should
come as no surprise.

One of the joys of the pristine last great
wilderness is that you experience nature
in its wild state. Perhaps one of the very
worst things you could experience, is
nature in its wild state!!! hahahaa....

This is how you wish not to see the
Alaskan brown bear. Poor eyesight with
perhaps one of the best noses, standing
to make better sense of your presence
and what you are. Not a good time to
run...but very slowly back away. Pray
there are no nearby cubs...

Bighorn Ram...

2006-10-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

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Took about an hour end of day, but
here it is now finished. I think, for
myself anyway...for the better. Though
I caught enough sense of it in the
initial start...

5"x 7" oil

Finished my elk earlier today, and with
left over paint...my practice is to scrape
it over to one side and mix it well...the
result being a neutral, or perhaps a mud.
Often though...a lovely mud at that!

I like to use rather than waste this mud
to start or initiate the next painting,
and having just about fifteen minutes, I
made a few marks with the charcoal vine
stick...and quickly blocked in masses. The
background is totally fictitious.

The immediate look of the work as is in
so short an order of time, is that it
reminds me of the wildlife art of Bob
Kuhn...though, he was a master. Once I
finish it, likely tomorrow...I doubt that
it will look Kuhn'ish any longer...but its
fun to capture at this point a sense of it!

Buglin' Elk

2006-10-17T15:10:00.000-07:00

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5x7 oil

High in the Rockies...the bugling of a monster
elk bull is heard echoing, the call traveling
down into the mountain valley. A crisp chill
in the air...

Humpbacks....

2006-10-13T16:34:00.000-07:00

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5x7 oil

Started this ...first referring
to photos I had taken in Juneau, Alaska this
past summer...and doing a number of Wolff
carbon pencil sketches...

Redheads

2006-10-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

Now on sale...(visit my Will Paint for Gas sales blog)

5"x 7" oil

Due to some requests, I put this together as a demo for
interested artists at-
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=376008

Fun little piece to do...

Alaskan Brown Bear- two...

2006-10-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

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5"x 7" oil

Second brown bear in an ongoing series
of paintings of my impressions of my
Alaskan experience, and wildlife.

This is that time of late afternoon or
evening (the sun not setting till after
10pm or so), when the sky is filled with
the glow and glare of the sun. Walking
along you bathe in the glare, but then
the eyes have to adjust to see what's
just up ahead...then a bit of movement
confirms your greatest fear...

Point of Crossing- Whitetail

2006-10-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

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5"x 7" oil

This ole buck is perhaps watching several
does cross this point of a river to see if it
is safe. Didn't get this big being dumb!

Shadow Lurking Elk

2006-10-06T06:38:00.000-07:00

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5"x 7" oil

A fictional setting based upon color and mood,
using my plein air exeriences painting outdoors
I wanted to see if I could easily enough pull off
instudio, a convincing envirnoment for this
handsome bull. I personally like the results...

my 5"x 7"s are about 1-2 hour efforts, and
become candidates to possibly refer to for a
larger canvas.

Alaskan Brownie...

2006-10-06T06:24:00.000-07:00

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5"x7" oil

Spent several weeks in Alaska this past summer,
and painted about 20 plein air studies of the
beautiful scenes of mountains, Gastineau
Channel, and Mendenhall Glacier...but quite often
with one eye out for the possibilities of "you know
who" showing up.

Actually quite safe, especially if you follow the
advice and good sense of the locals, but you still
hear the stories...and you know they are there.

I was about seven miles off the island called, "The
Fortress of Bears" or Admiralty Island, which has
three thousand brown bears. I was surprised to
find out that southeast Alaska has about 16,000
black bears as well, and we were more likely to
see one of those.