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Month: June 2011

Bunnies In My Yard

Posted in Reference Photos

Bunnies In My Yard

I've written in the past about the bunnies in my yard. They are so darn cute….. except when they eat my flowering quince bush….   We have  what must be a vary  large new batch of babies nibbling in every corner of the yard.  They are palm size – so little and cute!

They've shown up regularly in my paintings over  the years.  They move too quickly to get lots of photos.  I guess I don't have the patience to sit quietly and wait for them. I'd make a lousy wildlife photographer.  But you can learn a lot about your subject by watching them in motion…..preferably inside with a nice cup of coffee. : – )   If you've ever  watched rabbits, they suddenly take off running in zigzags for no apparent reason, giving you get plenty of time seeing them in motion.  I love the more rounded features and short little ears of the babies.  And over time, you can tell the difference between them by size, narrowness of the face, and variations in fur coloring.

Here's a peek at a few photos I managed to grab of them:

Isn't he a cutie? He or she is only 4 –  5  inches or so from nose to tail.

Sometimes they get way too comfortable around here.  This was freshly planted with flower seeds. Guess it looked like a comfy place to hang out.  This is one of the photos taken from inside.

New Shell Painting

Posted in Art Work, and Reference Photos

New Shell Painting

I have a new miniature painting up at my Etsy shop. I used some sea shells I have on hand from various family members. I laid them out on my work table as models to paint from directly.  I painted the shells on a background of the beach and seashore where they were first found.

Here is the new miniature:

New painting of shells with ruler to show size.

I have a larger, newly started beach painting that will also include shells. I hope to have that painting done by next month. So stay tuned. 

New Paintings at Mall Gallery

Posted in Art Work, and Other Artist Work

New Paintings at Mall Gallery

If you are close  to Exton, PA,  I have new mini paintings at the CCAA Mall Gallery.  I will be adding more next week as well.  The Summer swap out was last week so there is lots of new and wonderful art work. I saw  great paintings of all sizes, wonderful pottery and gorgeous photography. It's well worth the time to check out what's new.

My New Trick For Getting A Great Flower Photo

Posted in Reference Photos

My New Trick For Getting A Great Flower Photo

I had an interesting idea for how to photograph a flower.  It's probably new to just me and has done by many others……  but, it worked fantastically. 

I was trying to get a close up photo of a Meyer Lemon flower  – my latest favorite new house plant. There were so many leaves and background distractions in the photos, so I grabbed a sheet of black paper. Held behind the flower, it  allowed me to get a photo of just the flower. And WOW  – a really great photo.  Take a look and see what you think!

Meyers lemon flower

Isn't that wonderful?!

Meyer's lemon flower

The black background really makes the white pop.

Meyer's lemon

and here is the baby lemon ?

Free Online Art Workshop

Posted in Other Artist Work

Free Online Art Workshop

There is still time to sign up for a free online art workshop.  "How to draw with color pencil" by Sandra Angelo live workshop on Monday June 14, at 1 pm est.  It's a great opportunity to watch a great artist at work and pick up some good techniques and tips.

"Award-winning author and Executive Director of 9 Annual Colored Pencil Symposiums, Sandra Angelo knows the top Masters’ insider tips, tricks and shortcuts. In this FREE online event, Sandra reveals techniques that make colored pencil super simple, fast and fun! Pulling lessons from her Colored Pencil Methods of the Masters Home Study Library, Sandra will show you insider tips, tricks and shortcuts for powerful colored pencil pieces."      –     Artistsnetwork.com

Click here for registration link