Now I’ve completed his face and mane, and need to work on the rock to the right, his paws and the foreground mulch. I’m going to stop for the day, The Man will be headed to work tomorrow (first official day back) so I’d like to cozy up to my favorite lump for a little while. 😀
This one may roll into tomorrow, we’ll see how much farther I can get today on him. You can scroll up & down from the last work in progress shot to this one and see there’s a huge difference in his mane & face! I’ve enhanced his eyes, nose, you can see that “panting” look now. I’ve still got lots to do!
I’ve got a few things finished here, so I thought I’d share the work in progress as I finish him up today. Basically, I’m working from the top left corner across to the right, just like us righties who write the right way, write.
😉
The tree, background muddled leaves, grasses and log to the left are finished. I’m working on his right ear and mane in that area, then I’ll move over the center of him, work his mane and enhance his eyes, and you get the picture. I’ve got the webcam on if you want to stop in and see it live!
Help! I lost Saturday. I woke up and was certain it was Saturday, and not 5 minutes later it was midnight. Dangit I hate it when that happens!!
Well, one thing happened yesterday that I really needed to have happen. The Catfish was carried out of my studio and drove away carefully tucked into a sleeping bag. With the fishy smell lingering in my studio, and the temps down to the low 40’s, you can imagine how motivating it is to open the windows and paint like I’ve been craving! Now that he’s gone I’ve sighed my huge sigh of relief and can officially wash my hands with some really strong deoderizing soap. ha!
My schedule has me shipping this Lion tomorrow (absolutely no later than Tuesday) so guess what? With my underpainting dry and ready for it’s final coat, the studio clear of large obstructive fiberglass creatures, I am going to paint with the stereo up very loud for an insanely long time today. So there! I’ll update the cam status when I turn the cam on.
Eye candy today, our pretty Cardinal. I took this pic the other day (he was eating with the Blue Jay).
My good friend Elvis (I’ve painted him twice now) and I would love for you to join us in extending Happy Birthday wishes to Miss Erikie Parikie, aka Erika Nelson, that fantabulous artist friend-o-mine whom I adore! Happy Birthday chickie! Hugs to your mom too, for putting up with you for all these years! :giggles: Love you!
Whooowie kitty! Wow. What a pretty boy he’s turning out to be! You likey? Me likey very much. This is the underpainting. Nowhere near finished, really. I have an additional layer of paint to go!
In other news, I go pick up two new pair o’ specs in about an hour. I have extremely light sensitive eyes so I had to get a pair of Rx shades, too. Bah. Did you know that transitions lenses don’t work when you get in the car? You still need clipons. Windshields. UV protected. No transition happenin’ there. It was cheaper to just get two pair, isn’t that silly?? I thought so too. Thank you for nodding, I could see you agreeing from here. It makes me feel better, since I’m a little dim. Mark’s getting bifocals! Baaahahaaaa! That makes him sound old, doesn’t it? He really isn’t. That. Old. (Smoochies to the old man.)
😉
This pic (full size) turned out so very cool that Mark wants me to paint it. I think I will! (When I’m done with everything else, that is!)
The weather here is crappy. And I mean crappy. We went from a week of YAHOO sunshine and nice warm temps to blech. Rain. Cold. I wanna go back to Florida!! Whiiinnnnneeeeeee can I please can I can I can I?? Someone buy us a house and send me the keys ok? Thanks!
Mark and I will be having our heads examined today. Why? Because we live in Illinois and it’s an annual requirement if you live here. Or at least it should be. Seriously, we’re having vision checks. My left eye is getting weaker (can’t have that), and his vision is messed up now probably from 18 months worth of night vision goggles among other things that tortured his eyesight while he was gone. I’m a sqwisher. My vision gets blurry, I squish my eyes like they’re going to get better if I just do that 100+ times a day. Then, after a year or so, I figure that’s not working so I better get new prescription lenses! I’m as bright as the light bulb that just blew out here in my office. Heh!
I am also itching to have a new skin for the blogaroonie. Whatchya think? I’ll leave this one, and the lovey one, just add a new one. I need suggestions though. I want some “oompf”. Gimme some of your “oompfy” ideas okie doke?
Yayyyy finally!! I’ll have professional pics to share as well, but for now, these are my final pics. He’ll be picked up tomorrow and clearcoated, then photographed professionally for the brochures & whatnot that they’ll have out all summer. He goes on display in a couple of weeks for everyone to see (and mess up, the worst part, grafitti jerkoids) for the entire summer. In August he’ll be auctioned off to the highest bidder (C’mon, Bass Pro Magazine guys!) Click “read more” for the remaining pics.
I added metallic gold along his side, highlighted his eyes, and put reflections over the “fisherman” to make him look more like he’s inside the fish.
I cannot tell you how difficult it was to get a pic of this Blue Jay! They’re pretty fast birds, and I suppose they’d have to be since most of the time they’re stealing other birdie eggs (the meanies). I love their markings though!
So how you guys doin’? I hope you’re enjoying watching me get back in my painting groove. Me, I am still getting used to a bunch of stuff here around the house. For 18 months I was doin’ it all, and talking to myself all day, and talking to you guys when I felt like I was borderline “really wierd” for talking to myself so much! 😆
Ok, I’m really wierd anyway. I admit it.
I did manage to get boxes put together yesterday for all of the gifties I’ll be sending out. We did a lotta shopping at Disney! I’ll ship everything together when I finish up this Lion painting.
So today I have to go to the grocery store (again, I just went last week, yet another thing to get used to!), finish the underpainting on the Lion and finish up the Catfish. I’m doing a great deal of pacing, wanting everything to turn out perfectly for everyone, and I know I’m being a lil wishy-washy on any kind of set schedule. Bad for you guys, but better for the end result of these paintings. I hope you forgive me and know that it’s all going to come back together soon!
