Bird Squares Continued

Progress, so far:

Sketch on Paper Copy of Painted Background

Tracing the Sketch

Applying Charcoal to the Back of the Tracing

Transferred Sketches to the Canvases

The Painting!

One down; 3 to go!

Bird Squares Part II

It's been a few weeks of typical day-to-day busyness. As such there has not been much in the way of art production of late.

But here are the next steps in developing the Bird Squares:

Each square was traced and "sized" for the canvas-

Next, charcoal was applied to the back of the tracing-

Lastly, the image is traced directly to the canvasses-

Simple as an elementary school exercise, but effective in order to comfortably design such a small composition!

With some luck, I hope to have the chance to take them to the next level some time this week!

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This past week, I was fortunate enough to be able to contribute to a new blog, Paper, Paint, Pencils & Pens, hosted by Lynn Cohen. Check it out some time; it's a very diverse, themed collection of artwork, across the boards! 

There are quite a  lot of fun challenges and showcases out in Blogger Land. And there is a lot of work that goes into so many of them. Thank you to all of our wonderful hosts!

Poppies A-Startin'

While the beginning process for this painting is not as involved as the process needed for the Bird Squares, I thought it would still be fun to document the start of Poppies!

This is being done on an 8x8" stretched canvas so laying down a charcoal sketch is much easier than on 3x3" squares.

The first image is the base: a mix of titanium white and sap green water soluble oils, blended and criss-crossed for texture. 

The second photograph is the laying-in of the basic reds and greens of the poppies, stems and leaves, over the charcoal sketch. You can still see some "extra" lines under the paint.

Will be jumping between the Bird Squares and Poppies, between everything else, of course! Stay tuned!

Bird Squares

It's time to try a little something different!

Through the last couple of years, I've collected various sized canvases along the way. I've puzzled over what I could do with a package of 4-3" square canvases. After doing "Cece's Window", there was no longer any mystery.

I've started by painting a basic set of colors in a simple pattern for the background. But, I've been trying more pragmatic ways to design my compositions.

Background Paint

In this instance, I made a colored print of the squares and, then, sketched the birds. Once the background paint is dry enough to work over, I'll transfer the images to the actual canvases.

Sketched Birds on Print

The painting of the birds will be in a looser style, but I like having the images detailed enough with which to really work. For this small a canvas, willow charcoal would be fairly useless.

I'll keep posting the steps as I go along...

Keep growing and flying, my friends!

Simple Inspirations

Cece's Window
6x9 Water Soluble Pencil
©2014 BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts

Sometimes I find myself overly absorbed in the world of so-called social media. In other words, I get trapped in the tentacles known as Facebook.

It can seem to be a “waste” of time, but, on the evenings when it I’m in need of a belly full of laughter, I can usually find it. Sometimes, it’s the opposite need that’s fulfilled: a yearning to be touched in the soul and just cry.

Social media is no substitute for face-to-face interaction, but, in it’s own way, it enables us to filter what enters our minds and hearts on the days we need that control.

Blogging was the beginning of the foray of making friends online, whom one will most likely, never actually meet. Facebook is an abbreviated, instant interaction along the same lines.

This past week, I found another connection that made my day happier and, unexpectedly, the friend’s heart happy, too. And, isn’t that what any friendship really is about?

The inspiration of the week: Cece's Window.

May your heart and soul be inspired this week and always!

Gold & White

Unending cold, unending darkness,

Fill the unending wintertime.

After the storm covers the drabness,

The sudden beauty seizes the eye.

The glorious bones of trees, old and twisted,

Rise mighty and bleach-white.

Sunlight flits through the laciness

Of twigs that crosshatched,

Cast shadows, dense and intriguing.

Flecks of gold, cast about by the sunlight,

Crash joyfully onto the snow.

Fluff and ice that entices us

With promise of more loveliness to come.

Completely Fallin' Over Falls

The almost final of the Untitled Falls I posted a while back:

And, a little, teeny change and, the final painting:

And, the title is simple & to the point! "Stony Waterfall".