Hello again! What a busy few weeks its been. Today I delivered my latest commissioned painting – a portrait of an Alaskan Malamute – to its new owners and to my delight, they were over the moon with it! Having worked from a provided photograph rather than photos I’ve taken myself, it was a little nerve wracking showing the painting for the first time. The owners know the dog’s every whisker – where as I had never met her in person, and only had a selection of photos to go from. There was no need to worry – it seems I captured her ‘just right’! Big smiley faces all round π π :p

Finished Portrait of Alaskan Malamute 9 1/2″ x 12″ Acrylic
With the portrait finished, I began a new painting of a Barn Owl. I’ve been sketching various ideas/compositions in my sketchbook, planning possible combinations of location shots (trees, fields, paths etc) with different photos of George the Barn Owl from the falconry centre. I had several sketches with good potential for being developed into paintings and as I was deciding which image to draw on which size/format canvas, a relatively large, previously used square canvas caught my eye… That was it – no sketch required, an image popped into my mind and before I knew it, I was drawing it out directly on the canvas using brush and paint!! A scene I had photographed a couple of months ago was there, in front of me on my canvas! Here it is…the latest background, waiting for a Barn Owl to take up residence on the branch in the foreground!
I’m really looking forward to a quiet day next week so I can start work on the owl!!
In half term, I popped down to Cornwall for a few days where I was lucky enough to attend a colour theory lesson and also an oil painting demonstration. Below is a very quick watercolour study of George the Barn Owl using only a cool colour palette. Now I have to do the same painting again but using a warm colour palette. It was a great exercise which really got the brain cells working hard!!
In the oil painting demo, Sian Bowen showed us how to paint a seascape in oils. Having to travel by train the next day, I chose to use acrylics but tried to use them in an oil painterly way. Seascapes are not my usual choice of subject, but I gave it a go, and here is the result…a lovely piece of the Cornish coast!
Last week, I went to proof-read our entry in the North Somerset Arts Week Catalogue….ITS GETTING CLOSER!!!!! Looking forward to a few quiet painting days so I can work on my latest barn owl! π
Happy painting, Mandi π
I should think they were “over the moon” with the malamute, it is so Alive. Your Cornish Coast is very good, it has that evening glow about it. Good luck with George!
Thank you Pam π xxx
Thanks for your comments Bob, much appreciated! I painted in the first layer of the owl today and started a new winter scene with a Kestrel in it – slightly experimental, using a very limited cool colour palette (even for the trees!)…will see how it goes. I’ll put pics up in my next blog.
Mandi xxx