Black and White

I did it!  Well almost.  It is January 30th and even though I painted every day, I didn't complete two days as I didn't like what I painted.  The last week was the most difficult.  I wanted to go onto different subjects, try a new limited palette and not be under so much pressure.  All in all, it was a great exercise in that I have never tried to finish so many paintings in one day.  Not too sure I will join the next 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge in September.  

This chicken is such a beauty.  It's a White Crested Black Polish.   What a beautiful breed!  Hope you continue to follow the blog after this challenge.

Black and White

8 " x 6"

Oil on Canvas

$40 Auction

Forging for Lunch

When I bought my 5 day old chicks, I thought all were female as I requested.  What a surprise when I found one of the black silkies was a rooster.  My grandson, Ayden, had named him Ferrari.  He was beautiful as his black feather were luminescent with a gorgeous green.  As El Paso only allows you to have hens, we had to find a home for him.

Forging for Lunch

8" x 6"

oil on canvas

$40 Auction

As I Was Saying..

What a day!  I left the house at 9 this morning to help with the garden club luncheon.  I really like going to these events to see friends and learn about what I've neglected to do in my garden this month.  I returned home at 2pm and panicked knowing I only had a few hours to paint.  As I was taking the painting into my photo room, I noticed how little contrast there was.  Thirty minutes later, I improved it but may go back and "retouch" it.

I have really enjoyed trying to finish a painting every day, but will appreciate painting away from a deadline.

As I Was Saying...
6" x 6"
oil on canvas
$40 Auction

Safe and Sound

Yesterday I had one of those days where nothing would come together.  I spent about 4 hours in the studio and stopped painting before anything was finished.  I scrapped one of the paintings to start over.

Today was better but not great.  What is it that puts up blocks to completing something you like?  Hope I get back on track soon.

This little painting struck me as sweet.  Here is a mom protecting her chicks knowing too soon they would "fly the coop", just like our kids do.  I guess I was missing my kids and their families.

Safe and Sound

8 " x 6 "

Oil on Canvas

$40 Auction

High Lights

This was a difficult painting for me.  At the Guild we were asked to use a limited palette, similar to Ned Jacobs.  As a colorist, I wasn't sure I could get the vibrant colors I like.  The palette was chrome yellow medium, Windsor Orange, Alizarin Crimson, Cobalt, Ultramarine Blue and black/white.  I had to add turquoise! 

I couldn't find the original reference for this painting, but I loved the colors in the headpiece. I can only guess it is a Polish.

High Lights

8 x 6 inches

Oil On Canvas

SOLD

On Guard

I love Fridays!  It's the day I drive to Las Cruces to meet with the Artists Guild of Southern New Mexico.  Today Lindy, Carol, Anne, Sue and I met with our cherished mentor, Julie Ford Oliver.  How lucky can we get!!!  She had suggested we work with Ned Jacob's limited palette.  It was a real challenge for me as I wasn't sure I could get the colors I am used to painting with.  (she said I could use turquoise) I do love the color harmony one can achieve. I will try to paint tomorrows chick using it.

On Guard

8 x 6 inches

Oil on Canvas

$40 Auction

Click on the photos under DPW to bid

No, It's Not a Wig

Very strange day in El Paso today.  We had several inches of snow with strong winds that made it miserable.  Great day to stay in and paint.

This hen is a White Crested Black Polish hen.  I've heard from some people who actually have these chickens.  What fun to paint them!

No, It's Not a Wig

8 x 6 inches

$40 Auction

click on the DPW photos to bid on this and other paintings

I Did Cut My Hair!

Just nine days left on the 30 day challenge and I have so many more chickens I want to paint!  I was given a homework assignment in the Guild last week and don't even have a reference for it yet.  I really have to paint it tomorrow as we meet again on Friday.

This is a non-bearded Golden Lace Polish hen and apparently you have to trim around its eyes for it to see.  I hope to paint a bearded one later this week where you will see why a trim is necessary.

I Did Cut My Hair

8 x 6 inches

Oil on canvas

$40 Auction

Click on any photo under DPW to bid

Shall We Eat It?

After a few appointments this morning, it was good to get back in the studio!  I just love cute chicks and I hope you can see how cute these two are.  I first washed the entire painting with local color in transparent paint.  The next day, I added opaque colors.  Not sure I expressed exactly what I wanted, but I'm so happy to just paint.

Shall We Eat It?

8 x 6 inches

$40 Auction

To Bid just click on the photo under the DPW

I'm a Real Redhead

My sweet sister Patty and her husband, Eddie, left early this morning for San Antonio.  We had a wonderful time.  Now back to painting.

In highschool, one of my best friends was a redhead, a real one, Betty Bausch Franzen.  She was so funny and so much fun to be with.  She was also a beautiful girl whom I admired  greatly.  I know she will think this is a great tribute to her redhead clique.  

So many people have asked me to paint some more "crazy hair" chicks.  They make me smile so much that I am happy to paint them.

I'm a Real Redhead

8 x 6 " oil on canvas

$40 Auction

Click on DPW photo to bid on this painting

The Brown Egg

So I missed a day of painting.  I had worked on one to post earlier, but it didn't work out quite right.  The one I'm posting is one I did as an experiment in October.  Julie Ford Oliver had the Guild swirl white and black gesso on a flat surface.  We mixed it up slightly with a brush end and then pressed a canvas board in to the wet gesso.  We were then supposed to paint what we "saw".  It took several days, but surprise, look what I finally saw.

Here is the finished painting using transparent paint.

The Brown Egg

8 x 6 '  oil on canvas board

$40 Auction

The black and white gesso board

Two Down, Three to Go

It is wonderful having my sister and her husband visiting for the 3 day weekend.  We spent the day at White Sands and Mesilla, NM.  The temperature was in the 60s with beautiful sunny skies.

This is a very high key painting.  I noticed it once I photographed  it.  I usually like to have more drama with a lower key painting.  With company, I just don't have the time to make it more to my style.  I went back to the palette knife and felt like I was coming back to my style.

Two Down, Three to Go

8 x 6 inches

SOLD

Click on photos under DPW to bid

Birds of a Feather

This is the last post on Silkies.  I want to back to using the palette knife more. My sister and her husband are visiting this weekend so I tried to paint 3 today.  I'm not sure I will post them all without more work and they look too rushed.

Birds of a Feather

8 x 6 inches

$40 Auction

Click on DPW photo to right to bid

Proud Mama

Day 15 - Half way through the 30 day challenge.  This weekend my sister, Patty, and her husband will be visiting from San Antonio.  I have painted two paintings today and will have to paint two tomorrow in order to not miss a day.  A little stress, but so much fun as I hear from so many people who say these paintings make them smile.

Another thing I like about silkies is the variety of colors and shades they come in.

Proud Mama

8 x 6 "

Oil on Canvas

$40 auction

To Bid on this click on the photos under DPW on the right

A Walk in the Garden

Anna (RIP), Fluffy and Rosa would love to walk in the garden.  Unfortunately living in the desert on the side of a mountain makes this impossible.  On the other side of our rock wall, occasionally inside the garden, live all the scary predators that would love to harm the girls.  I caught a fox trying to get into the coop last month.  We see many coyote, snakes, huge birds of prey and even mountain lions.  So I make sure they get daily servings of kitchen scraps and green leafy vegetables.

A Walk in the Garden

8 x 6 inches

Oil on Canvas

$40 Auction

To Bid on this click on the photos under DPW on the right

Fluffy and Rosa

I mentioned how crazy I am about my Silkies, Fluffy and Rosa.  It is difficult to paint their "feathers" which don't look like feathers.  They look like puff balls with no eyes,  the bill the only feature on their face.  I use a combination of palette knife and brush in painting this.

Fluffy and Rosa

8 x 6 inches

$40 Auction

To bid just click on a photo under DPW.  It will take you to all my auctions.

Yes, I am a chicken!

If you haven't guessed by now, I love my silkies.  I had three, but lost sweet Anna last year.  I have Fluffy (White) and Rosa (black) left.  As I mentioned before, my grandchildren name them - these named by Ashton and Brooke.

Silkies are the "lap kitten" of the chicken world.  They have hair-like plumage and are incredibly  sweet.  They lay very small eggs (half the size of a medium one) and spend much of their time in the nest trying to hatch it.  They are the easiest pet ever!

I have decided to do a week of nothing but silkies.

Yes, I am a Chicken!

Oil on Canvas

6 x 8 inches

$40 at auction

To Bid Just Click on the photos on the right and it will take you to the auction.

Where's My Comb?

I think it would be fun to do a series of chicks with the variety of feather heads I see!  This is a young male White Crested Black Polish.  

Where's My Comb?

8 x 6 inches

Oil on canvas

SOLD

Bad Hair Day

Apparently people bath chickens!  Maybe they are for a show, lets hope.  This one is a Polish hen.  Despite the fact that I have a pure white chicken, she is never dirty.  She is often seen taking her dirt bath in DIRT.  I had so much fun painting this one.  She made me smile all day.

Bad Hair Day 

6 x 8 "

oil on Canvas
SOLD

Chick Labor

Unlike their human counterparts, hens lay the egg and then the chicks need to find their way  into the world alone.  It must be exhausting!  At first I painted the eggs white, but there wasn't enough contrast.  I made them green in honor of my Easter Egger Bantam (Ameraucanas), Bunny.  She lays the most beautiful pale green eggs.

I only used a palette knife on the background.  My painting friend and member of the Artist Guild of Southern New Mexico, Margaret Heath, gave me a brush that is fabulous for feathers.  The ends are uneven so give the fine lines for feathers.  Thanks Margaret!

Chick Labor

8 x 6 inches

Oil on Canvas

$40 Auction

Three's Company

Because my chickens live in a coop with a dirt floor, I have to feed them greens every day.  Usually it is a spinach-kale mixture.  (even when I'm out of town, my chicks get their greens).  I went down to the coop today and found them huddled in a corner, just like the chicks in this painting.  I heard the sound of the gardner using a leaf blower and knew why the were so "chicken".

Three's Company

8 x 6 inches

Oil on Canvas

$40 Auction

I'm the Man!

It always is a dilemma when it comes to the background with a solitary figure.   I love color and use it whenever I can.  This is a white chicken and I wanted to make the background exciting.  I still have so much to learn!

I'm the Man!

8 x 6 inches

oil on canvas

$40 auction

A Basket of Cuteness

Only day 7 of the challenge?  It seems much longer.  I would love to find a chick in this pose - it's just that they are never still!  I had fun painting the basket.  Used both brush and palette knife - a fun painting for me.

A Basket Of Cuteness

8 x 6 inches

Oil on canvas

SOLD

Evening Stroll

There are so many breeds of chickens.  I have a black and a white Bantam Silkie.  I don't know if these are silkies, but they look similar.  My grandchildren named my chicks; that insures they will never be dinner.  My white silkie is named 'Fluffy", named by my 7 year old Dallas grandson, Ashton.

Evening Stroll

8" x 6 " oil on canvas

$40 auction

Mama's Brood

As much fun as our holiday vacation was, it is always good to get back home and in a routine.  Back in my own studio, I finished up two "Chick" paintings I started in Colorado.  The one today, for Day 5 of the challenge, is not just chicks, but also mama.

I've been toning the canvas pink and using a knife in most of the painting.  I do use a brush around the face and legs.

"Mama's Brood

8" x 6" oil on canvas

SOLD

Quattro Pulcini

We arrived home from Santa Fe tonight to find the roof had been blown off the chicken coop.  None had flown away!  Thankfully the weather will be good enough tomorrow to repair it.

Day four of the 30 in 30 challenge are four little chickens.  As I'm trying to learn Italian for a trip to Sicily this spring AND naming paintings is not easy for me, I just named the painting in Italian, "Quattro Pulcini".  Hope this translation is correct.

"Quattro Pulcini"

6 x 8 " Oil on Canvas

$40 Auction

What fun it is to join so many other artists in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  

30 in 30 Day Three

Heading back to El Paso today, but stopped in Santa Fe and are staying in one of our favorite hotels, La Fonda.  Snow is forecast for tomorrow, but we are in no hurry and can stay an extra day if we have to.

The only time I ever saw the chicks bunch together was when they heard something or were cold.  Other than that, they were in constant motion.  I always wondered if they were looking for "mom" as their heads were in moved about.

"Where is Mommy/"

Oil on Canvas

8" x 6"

$40 Auction

Painting Challenge Day Two

We are still in Colorado Springs.  Snow all day which is unusual for desert dwellers!  Painted a little, but needed to pack up for our trip south.

My second painting is of two chicks backlit while cuddling.  I have found that chickens are very social animals.  While there is a very definite pecking order, they depend on each other when frightened.   

"I'll keep you Safe"

8" x 6"

oil

$40 Auction