Since the 80's, giraffe populations have decreased by about 30%...think about that. Just 40 years and nearly a third of these gentle giants are gone. The more I paint animals, the more I really appreciate just how special they are. This one is done from a copy of a photo, and then I added my own idea of an African landscape. Painted on a 10"x12" treated canvas board with watercolor paint.
I love tiny canvases, and found these at Dick Blick a couple of years ago. They came as a pack of six, and have just been sitting in my art supply stash for quite a while now. Since I enjoy painting animals it seems lately, I thought it would be fun to paint Bean and Jerry-my older kids' cats. Both of my older kids are roommates, and they each have a cat. Bean belongs to my 24 year old daughter, and Jerry belongs to my 21 year old son. These cats each have quite their own personality, but one thing I especially love in cats is their eyes. Bean (my daughter's tabby cat) has glorious green eyes, and Jerry (my son's white cat) has some intense amber eyes. These canvases are just 2"x2", and these head portraits are painted in gouache.
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| Bean on the left, Jerry on the right |
A few months ago, I had an intense dream of these blue and gold Macaws flying above my back patio at dusk. It was a very happy feeling, yet somehow not a single spot of bird droppings in the dream. The feeling that I was left with inspired me to paint one in my watercolor bird journal. These are large birds, and live for many years, such incredible and beautiful animals. Watercolor on paper.
Often I dream of traveling, but the actual logistics of flying, sleeping in a different bed, trying to figure out where to eat are details ...
