Winter in the studio ~ On the easel

The cool winter temperatures are keeping the studio a bit chilly.  Oil paintings back on the wall and on to a bit of acrylic painting for now.


On the easel now for a week or so is this cougar with miles to go. (so it seems)  She is a beautiful cougar and I love painting her.  She has a sweet face as cougars go.


I've started on the eyes which I find draws me into the painting process easier.  Today I'll work my way down through the base coats from the mouth down to the base of the painting and back to the upper areas filling in the thickness of the hair and it's details.


The holidays are fast approaching.  It's comes on way to fast for comfort given what I would like to accomplish before hand.    


I've not painted a cat (my favorite) in some time.   It's always a good thing to throw in a kitty to warm up the brushes and my heart.

Autumn and Winter in the Studio

Last year I started this  painting of a male Elk.  It's been hanging on my studio wall ever since set aside for other pressing work that needed to be completed.


Winter is a wonderful time to hunker down in the studio and catch up on all those such paintings.
It's a bit chilly out and rain is in the forecast.


This Male Elk making his presence known to all those willing gals is once again on the easel.
Yesterday I began by filling in all the rocks beneath his feet.  Today much of that is still to wet to work on so I'll be painting in the legs and slowly working in the body.

In the image to the right you can see the rocks are roughed in.  It will be a slow process tying all upper and lower levels of water together.   Oil dries way to slow during the chilly winter months.  


The Elk painting measures 22" x 28" and is on stretched canvas.


So far I'm still on my original design track.  However, anything can change as I see something that can me made better as I move along.

As you can see the level of the water drops off the further back into the image.   The water in the foreground will be shallow.   I'll be leaving some of the rocks above the waters surface to enhance the look.


As mentioned above I'll be letting the work from yesterday dry while I begin work on his legs.


I'll post the progress as time allows.   I hope you have enjoyed the painting process so far.  I do believe there are earlier posts from last year.  I''ll check that to make sure.    And repost if anyone is interested if not.