Thoughtful Buffalo Painting
Today I am sharing one of the Bison / Buffalo paintings called “Thoughtful Buffalo”. This is a gorgeous buffalo from Texas who I had the pleasure of meeting in person. The sweet looking creature in the painting really is a large and somewhat intimidating creature. However, in this shot I saw a softer side, perhaps more thoughtful side, during that one moment in time. I wanted to capture that and share it in a painting.
Bison Painting continues
Painting Bison, or the American Buffalo, is a relatively new thing for me. However, I am so happy to have had the opportunity to meet with these creatures face to face. It would be hard to think of a mammal more symbolic of our nation than the Bison. Buffalo are considered the largest mammal in North America. If there was any doubt in my mind, it was erased the day that we met them. Eek!
This painting is called “Buffalo Crossing” it is a nice smaller painting, size 8 x 10.
Painting the Buffalo
Check out my newest paintings, a series on Buffalo, aka the American Bison:
This fall was one filled with travel, mostly out west: Utah, (western) Texas and Oklahoma. The panoramic landscapes, of Texas and Oklahoma, the steep trails and amazing colors of Utah-all exceeded my expectations. The desire to paint “the American West” was set, like someone lit a fire under me! The beautiful animals, such as the American Bison, cattle, horses, and even a very special donkey, named “Radar” have captured my attention and are all being painted in my studio back home in North Carolina. Sadly, I couldn’t paint everything “plain air”, but was able to sketch, make color references and photograph to supplement my live experiences.
Part of my trip was for a commission (will post soon) I received to paint some beautiful buffalo in Texas. Not just any old wondering West Texas Bison, but there was a specific herd, and hope to paint the clients “favorite” buffalo.
The buffalo’s name is “Baby”, but don’t let that fool you! “Baby weighs in at about 3,000 lbs. He also can run about 40 miles per hour, not bad for such a big guy!
We got to see them first from a great distance (which was good, it was wise to “ease in”). Then, we were privileged to get up close and personal, even feeding a couple of them a treat. This particular herd does “live off the land”, but is used to a few particular human beings. The caretaker of this beautiful herd was kind enough to take my children and I for this up close visit. Even though they knew the caretaker, It took quite some time for them to get even a little comfortable with 2 of my tween boys bouncing up and down with excitement.
(scroll down for images of the some of the these beautiful creatures)
I will forever be thankful for the opportunity to interact with these amazing animals, and look forward to sharing the actual commissioned piece and other studies I did in future entries.
A special shout out to Rick and Cindy Langford, along with “Doc” for the very special journey of painting this incredible herd.
#1 Summer Painting: NC Shells
A recent trip to the North Carolina Outer Banks gave me a great opportunity to do some painting-and the first one off the easel is this 6 x 6 “NC Shells”. Done on Cape Hatteras en plain air style! It great to combine things I love: being outdoors, being on the beach, being with family, painting, and even having a beer! Things could be worse-no doubt about it.
For the first time ever, I painted sitting down in a chair (Hey, it was vacation!), which was certainly different. It gave me a great chance to get up close and personal with my shells.
The only disadvantage: Sand in my beer. Oh well, better luck next time!
Perceptions of Beauty: Art, Life and Shells
Recently I was at a celebration being held at the beach. I was responsible for some of the decor for a particular evening, including picking up lots of beautiful sea shells to incorporate into the design. As I was gathering up the “beautiful” shells, the thought occurred to me that my choice of shells may not be pleasing for the others. That the shells I had in fact picked, could be perceived by others as “ugly ducklings” My selected shells did not look “perfect” at all, but they were beautiful in a way that was attractive to me. However, I reminded myself that this was not about me. I really did want to please everyone involved and so I tried looking for shells that “they” would like. Hmm. What do people want in a shell? What attracts you to a particular shell? Perfection, character, something standard, or something unusual?
Funny, kind of like saying what do people want in art? Or what do people want out of life? Some people want money, some want time, some want change, some don’t want change. In art some want it to “match” their decor or a color scheme. Others just fall in love with a piece of art and get it, knowing it will be at home, somewhere in their home-they just love it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?
I wondered what “most” people would find beautiful.
I was thinking that maybe the “average” person might think that these shells were the “best”. They are traditional looking shells, and all are in good shape:
But, what about these shells? They are smooth as glass to the touch, like they have been sanded to a silk like surface with years of sand and ocean washing over them. They are a sensory delight in the hand.
Or what about these cool shaped shells? I call these my “guitar pick ” shells. Some remind me of a guitar pick and there are couple that remind me of shark’s teeth. They are so neat!
But also beautiful are these shells with vibrant color:
Or these with great pattern:
Here are some I liked for their reflective, almost metallic properties:
These were special because they had a hole in the middle (I put ribbon through them and hung them from a sea branch bouquet).
And finally-this one: Depending on how I looked at it, it reminded of me of either the cochlea or a fortune cookie.
Now, I have my favorites, but for now i will keep those to myself. What I do want to know, is what is YOUR favorite, and if you know why, tell me. Which ones would you have picked up from the sand and taken home?
Just Ducky: A bathtub painting
“Just Ducky” is my first “bathtub painting” . This is something very different for me, and so far has gotten an excellent response. I have always loved doing “interiors”-that is paintings of scenes inside a home/barn/office, and while this does go in that category-I think its in a genre all its own!
Fishing time in the art studio
It’s always a good time to go fishing and also to paint. It’s nice to put the two worlds together! This particular painting is my entry to the Daily Paintworks challenge. See link to my DPW gallery for more on that. 🙂
I’m thrilled with how this turned out and would love it if anyone wants to send me photos of their latest catch for me to paint.
I’ve done some catching myself lately but the fish haven’t been quite as interesting or paintable. For the upcoming fourth of July I will be doing some fishing down at the Pamlico River-stay tuned and see what’s catching!
Gone Fishing is a 6 inch by 6 inch painting and is available for $95.00
Sunflowers with Lisa Daria
I painted these sunflowers during a workshop with Lisa Daria. I loved experimenting with how she positions her still life settings. Looking down at the subject was a new thing for me, and it was lots of fun! Sunflowers are beautiful and fun to paint!
Painting with Lisa Daria Kennedy
I recently had the opportunity to take a workshop with prolific daily painter Lisa Daria Kennedy. I have followed her work for a couple of years, and was thrilled to get the opportunity to paint with her. One of the things I found most intriquing about her personally was that she gets up early (still dark outside) and completes a painting first thing each morning. She, like everyone else was facing the distractions of daily life-that can easily pull you away from your craft. Having a studio in my home I am very familiar with being taunted by laundry waiting to be washed or dishes to put away. I too am an early riser -5:30 each morning. I need the time of quiet, to “wake up” before my family stirs and requires my attention. But could I use that time to paint? That was a thought.
Check out Lisa’s daily paintings: http://lisadaria.blogspot.com