Mondays unfinished portrait from a model

Here's yesterdays 2.30hr unfinished portrait painted from a model.I've experimented with leaving more of the underpainting showing through.If I were to finish it I'd make the blue background brighter and add some more yellows /oranges/pinks etc through her face.I've included a fellow artist Dudley clowning around to show you the size.This photo is very early on I'll post the latest version next.

 

Here's what I had done by the end of the session..I always end up getting stuck at this stage. If I get some time I'll have to finish some of them off.
Kim
30 x 40cms
unframed Oil on canvas
I just paint onto canvas as then they don't take much room to store.If I decide I want to frame her later I will glue her to a board and frame her. She rippled up a bit but when you glue them onto a board they go nice & flat.

 

On a happier note..

We've had 3 lots of ducklings this year.These parents seem pretty laid back so maybe they are the same ones that had some last time? I don't know how many ducks can have in a year.

Sorry its a bit blurry but they were a fair way away.

They have 11 - the same as the last lot we had around.

Rain & Roos

We've had a really dry January so the rain yesterday was lovely. Good painting and baking weather!

Here's the view from my studio windows.

Three's a crowd!

I just walked past a group of lazing kangaroos  and noticed this little one looking lost.She's lost an ear and her mother. She was trying to get into this mum's pouch but she already has a joey and was growling and fending her off.

She won't last long on her own. She isn't big enough to be weaned so she needs mum's milk and being out on her own will make her an easy target for predators.I walked closer hoping I could  catch her so the wildlife people could take her and hand raise her but she's too fast .Chasing her would also stress her out and they can die from stress but she's already stressed at not having a nice safe pouch to retreat to when danger threatens.The  female hopped off as I came closer and the poor little thing was hopping madly after her and trying to take refuge in her pouch.

 Maybe dogs have chased the mum and the joey has fallen out of the pouch .
Natures sad at times.

I've sent the kiss off for approval and here's my latest portrait from the portrait group

I've emailed the MK2 version of 'The kiss" through to see what Alex thinks.
Here's the latest portrait from the portrait group. It's unfinished as usual. One day I'll have to finish some off as I always get stopped at about the same stage due to lack of time.
We paint from a model for about 2.30hrs and it's where I get to experiment with colour.
untitled 

 

30 x 40cm
unfinished 2.30hrs portrait
Oil on canvas

 The group has thrown out the challenge and we're all supposed to do a self portrait that will be hung in a group exhibition in April ( I think). I'd like to do one but I don't know if I'll have time as I have to start on my equine art entry soon and also complete portraits that are booked in.

Zeuss and his mates

Zeuss my horse, usually lives alone in the paddock (other than c 70 kangaroos). The last few months he's had a herd of cows to hang around with and he's been really laid back and happy.
The feed is getting down so today they were all taken away to the yards down the road where the guy was going to separate one cow + calf to bring back to keep Z happy.
I got Zeuss and groomed him to distract him as they were taken off and so he wouldn't be a bother as they were trying to run them out.
It took him a little while but after I let him go he realised they were gone and ran around bellowing for them. Luckily the truck came back about half an hour later and popped 2 back in with him.
He cantered over to rejoin them tossing his head and whinnying . Unfortunately for the cows who were a bit stressed having lost most of their mates they then had this paranoid horse shadowing them everywhere. He was only making sure they didn't get out of his sight but they thought he was chasing them .He is the boss of the paddock and occasionally does push them around.
The faster they'd run the faster he'd go after them... Things have settled down a bit now but Zeuss is still following them around like a bad smell! lol's

Rays portrait

Ray
20 x 30cms
Oil on gallery wrap canvas

 

Here's one from the archives.I was going to post the reference photo but I can't find it..grr

You can also have me paint portraits of people- friends , family members etc.
Some artists can paint dogs ok maybe cats , less can paint a good horse and even less can paint people well-they may do a nice portrait of a horse but the rider just doesn't quite cut it.
Because I regularly practise painting portraits from a person in a live sitting rather than a photo I can provide a more natural portrait than someone who has only painted from photos.
When you are painting from 'life' you can see things a photo can't - photos make everything look very flat & 2D , with no depth.The dark areas of the face are often just drab/ blackish and the light areas pink or white.
When you are painting with a person sitting in front of you your eye can see there are all sorts of subtle colours in those areas. With regular practise and experimentation I can use this experience to liven up my portraits painted from photos so they look more realistic.

Ray had cancer. I painted his portrait from an earlier photo taken with a flash but I used more colour and made him younger and happier.
At his funeral the portrait was placed on the coffin as a nice memory of better times and it now hangs on his wife's wall where she can remember the good times they had.

Plan ahead and take advantage of my monthly interest free payment plan

Take my payment option to make budgeting a breeze!
Pre order your portrait and you can then make regular interest free monthly payments while your portrait is created for when you need it.
Great for all occasions but particularly portraits as gifts for Christmas , birthdays , special occasions etc.
 Email me at
 sue.linton@bigpond.com
to discuss your needs.

New portrait option - a line sketch of your pet!

You can now have a one colour line sketch of your pet created on a gallery wrap canvas ready to hang.(Don't worry other than a small signature  my name won't be on it like this - that's just internet copywrite protection).

I can paint them in several colours so you can suggest what you like .The main criteria will be that it needs to be a fairly dark colour or the portrait won't show up - e.g - light yellow isn't  suitable although a deeper orange yellow may work.Best colours are probably black, dark blues , purples etc but feel free to suggest a colour and I'll tell you whether it will work.
 30 x 40cms size $250
This option may not suit all photos but email me your favourite photo and I can tell you whether it will work!

Rhiannon & Storm

Here is a larger portrait I am creating at the moment.
The portrait is to be a framed Oil and the image area is 52 x 57cms.It was to be a 50 x 60 but the portrait suited a square shape so that's the equivalent size in that shape.
The reference photo was taken at a distance and I've zoomed in and cropped it.
As a result it isn't very sharp and it isn't a very flattering photo of Rhiannon  and her face is in the shade so I'm using a different photo that I took for her face to create the perfect portrait.
I chose this photo even though I had many sharper ones , as Storm is groomed for a show and it has lovely lighting so she is nice and glossy .

Here is a nicer photo of Rhiannon that I took.

 This is the early stages of the portrait.I love this stage - what a pity I can't leave it as it is! I will eventually make her jacket black.

More holiday escapades

At this time of year my car is usually full to the brink with sailboarding equipment - on standby so I don't have to pack the car when I go for a sail.
I was driving down to go sailboarding last week going about 60kms/hr down a twisty backroad and a large spider crawled out from behind the steering wheel.
!@@#@^^%%!!!!!!
I HATE spiders. Luckily I could pull over.I sat for a minute frozen as it moved across  the front of the instrument dials and then carefully got out hoping it wouldn't scurry away elsewhere.There was NO WAY I was getting back in if it did.

I found a towel from the back and managed to grab it and throw it out onto the road.
 My partner was supposed to be coming down soon after me in his car and a car like his was coming up the road. I wiped my brow and sagged making a mock show of relief only to realise it was a stranger. It probably amused him!
 I  drove off hoping none of it's mates would crawl up my leg..There is so much 'stuff' in the car heaven knows 'who' else is in there!
 I was so lucky it didn't run up my leg in a 100kms zone or I would have been off the road for sure! I wonder how many unexplained accidents are caused by spiders..lol's