Pond Coming to Life

Pond Inhabitants

Today's painting location was a pond which was quite typical of the landscape of Southeastern Massachusetts.  This body of water was immediately surrounded by thick underbrush and beyond that, tall pine and deciduous trees.   It's spring and much of the greenery is just past the flowering stage and now sprouting emerald green leaf sets.

Pond Coming to Life

The pond was really coming to life.  Over the course of two hours, I saw a pair of bright orange orioles, cardinals, chickadees, a red tailed hawk and the young family of geese shown in the photo - multiple facets of enjoyment via plein air!

Pond Coming to Life

In Good Hands

In Good Hands

I loved this family photograph from Christmas so I decided to paint it.   It was a candid shot of my Grand-nephew being held by his Dad while they opened his Christmas gift bag.   Baby was more interested in watching all the activity in the room while chomping on his chubby little fist.    He is so cute and I am not just saying it!  

Sometimes a painting flows and this was one of them.   Although it was done from a photograph instead of "from life"  the structural likenesses were important.   I tried to approach the sketch in exactly the same way as I would if I had the figures physically present.    I think I got off to a good start by establishing a strong geometric rendering which yielded the correct perspectives.

If you like the painting, you can help my "like" count by clicking this link.

To see a video of intermittent stages of this painting's development, you can go to the blog directly and click on the video link.  It's less than five minutes long.

You can also watch via YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_AP_3k1_o4

Baby Love



Baby Love - Stage One

Throughout time, painters and sculptors have sought to capture tender moments of mother and child.   The appeal of the mother/baby image is universal and timeless.   I'm thinking there are few, if any people in the world that can't connect with the classic 'mother holding child' image.    I personally have always loved the intimate Mary Cassatt scenes, chubby babies staring into their mother's eyes, maybe placing fleshy fingers on her face as babies often do.

Our family's babies tend to have perfect faces and I really don't think I am exaggerating. :)   When I saw this photo, I thought it looked like my niece was in a near state of reverie as she held her precious baby.   He had grabbed a tangle of her hair around his chubby fingers to pull her face closer.

Baby Love Final

As you know, I have generally been too cautious with respect to including babies in my paintings.   It really is hard to do justice to their flawless little faces.   I continue to work at it because it has turned out to be very challenging and rewarding.

In Stage One, I was working at getting an accurate drawing.  I wanted to make the baby be perfectly in focus and blur Mom somewhat.  Everything else would be underdeveloped.   Then I started on the hand which I loved because it leads you into the painting.  

My own assessment at this point is that the baby looks like my grandnephew, but his mom, my niece, not so good a resemblance.   I do think the feeling of a mother's love comes through.

This is one of my two entries in the March Boldbrush Competition.   You can help boost its rating by clicking on the following link and then hitting the Facebook "Like."

http://faso.com/boldbrush/painting/63035 

Little Person Perspective

Little Person Perspective

I love artwork that depicts little children or babies (because I love little children and babies!).  Unfortunately it is very difficult to capture the beautifully-formed, young faces well.    I include myself on the list of painters who has struggled to create a rendering that is sweet and innocent, versus, odd and somewhat alien-looking:. Whereas adults mostly have prominent, sharp features and at least a few wrinkles that make it easier to define the face and achieve a good likeness, children and babies have features that are soft and subtle - perfect really.  The slightest asymmetry or flaw seems much more pronounced and certainly unacceptable.

I would love to be painting cherubs regularly, but for the aforementioned reasons (excuses?), I have not.  So that sets the stage for the painting described in this post.  I challenged myself with this effort to not just include a little one but to make her face the center of interest.  The rest of the painting is intentionally underdeveloped and subordinate to the perfect toddler expression.   She is looking up in all her cuteness at the people who tower over her at a large family party.   The viewers' line of sight in the painting was designed to be eye level with the toddler.   I welcome comments....

Little Person Perspective Stage Two

Toddler Art

Toddler Art I

A year ago, a precious little baby came into this world, marking the start of a new generation in our family.   A one-of-a-kind work of art was begun for this baby-to-be.  We didn't know if it would be a girl or a boy at the time so bright colors and vivid value contrasts (infants like that) were used to make a wall hanging a baby might like.   I thought back to when I was a young mother pacing gently around the house with a baby on my shoulder.  When it was time to wind down at the end of the day I would turn them so that they faced a window or a picture.   Where's the ball?   Where's the dog?  Where's the tree?   See the doggy?   Those memories spawned the first Toddler Art painting.   Brianna is turning one, so happy birthday pretty girl!

Toddler Art II

Two months ago, a second precious little baby of this next generation came into this world.   When I say little, I mean little - too many weeks early.   Our family has held a collective breath, put faith in a fantastic medical staff, devoted parents and God, saying countless prayers with a focus on this amazing little miracle baby.  To everyone's relief and with much joy, we learned that tiny Will has achieved the milestones necessary to go home with Mom and Dad.   The original painting is en route, special delivery, and here is a photo of it,  the second Toddler Art painting - dedicated to another precious baby, William!