Dreary Days and Heavy Hearts

Some of you may have seen this portrait of our little Maltese that we got from an area rescue over 5 years ago.  She has been the only one of our pets that I've been able to paint and I'm sooo glad to have this portrait of her.  We lost her a week ago this past Sunday.

We don't really know what happened - we'd taken her to the vet the Monday before because she just wasn't herself.  Nothing we could put our fingers on but just not our CiCi.  They found the beginnings of an urinary tract infection and gave her an antibiotic shot.

She continued to fail the rest of the week and we had her in and out of the vet clinic several times.  She died with my husband and I with her at home early Sunday morning.  We were just shattered.

We got her from the local rescue not knowing much about her.  We found out that she had a very severe heart murmur and luxating patellas soon after adopting her.  She also had had to have all her teeth pulled during the quarantine time with the rescue.  The rescue would have taken her back after we found out about the heart murmer but we'd already fallen in love with her. 

CiCi went everywhere with us and was a great little traveler.  She was not a barker and never made a mess in a motel room or at any homes we visited.  But she wanted to be with us all the time and yes, had a bit of separation anxiety that we had only been able to modify in the last couple of years.  She was a love bug and a snuggler and only wanted to be close to her people

We are missing her so much - so much more than we ever thought possible!  The weather has been rainy and dreary for over a week now but it fits our moods - it just feels as if the sun will never shine again without C here with us.

CiCi, we love you and miss you!

N C Wildlife Artists Society Exhibition

Just wanted to remind everyone that the North Carolina Wildlife Artists Society Exhibition is opening today at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center!

I'm sure there will be some outstanding art and I hope you'll stop by to see the exhibit if you're in the area!

Alkyd Oil Paint Brand Observations

I had promised to let you know what I thought of the different alkyd oil paint brands that I bought about a week ago and this is the post for that.  I don't want to call this a review of the various brands because I haven't tried every color in every brand and I know there's often a difference in paint handling characteristics among colors of even the same brand.  Instead, I'll just give you my observations about the paint I've actually tried.

 I bought four tubes of the DaVinci alkyd paints and all of them ooze a clear liquid every time they're used.  I'm guessing this is the binder they use and it comes out even if I knead the paint tube prior to opening.  Otherwise, they're an ok paint.  I tend to like a softer, more fluid paint and these seem noticeably softer than the other brands.  This is not something that bothers me a lot but may be a game changer for some who like a firmer paint.  However, the clear stuff coming out with every use so far does annoy me somewhat.










On the other hand, I was disappointed in the C.A.S. AlkydPro paint that I bought.  It's advertised to be American made with high pigment loads and I was excited to try it.  As far as the actual paint goes, it's great.  The consistency is good, at least with this one tube (& I only bought one tube) and it handles well for me.

My disappointment lies in the difference in color between the color charts I saw online and the actual color of the paint.  The following photo is from the C.A.S. pdf color chart but all the online art supply sites showed samples of similar color:

What I received is shown below.  I don't know how it will show up on your monitor but the color I received is a sort of tan with a slight greenish cast to it.  It was also quite a bit darker than the online color charts showed. 

I don't paint portraits often but had hoped to try some using this color as a starting point for flesh.  And, in the color charts, it also seemed like the perfect color for some animals.  I don't know whether I'll ever use this particular color - it may be good for landscape painting but since I don't do many of those, it may just languish in my paint box.

As I said, it's not the paint itself but the color that doesn't really work for me.  I know all the art supply companies say to ask for an actual sample if you need a certain color because the online samples may not be accurate.  Even though I didn't exactly need this particular color as shown, I would say that's very good advice!

I had purchased a small set of the Gamblin alkyd paints some time ago and really like them.  I would definitely purchase the Gamblin brand again.

The only other brand I got in this last order was one tube of Winsor and Newton alkyd paint but I have some very small sample tubes that I got from an art store opening years ago and had just never tried until recently.

To be honest, I was all set to dislike the W&N brand because I don't feel they care about quality as much as they used to.  But I was pleasantly surprised when I used the little samples for the first time.  I like the way the paint handles and it dries as quickly as the other brands.  I haven't done any research into the lightfastness or other archival properties of the different colors so I only purchased one tube;  Winsor Red to replace the one in my sample set.  I really like this vibrant color and the way it handles.  As far as I can tell, this red is about as lightfast as any other red but W&N isn't exactly forthcoming about the pigments they use or the proportion of pigment to fillers.  That is why I don't normally buy W&N products - it's just too hard to research their longevity and quality and forgive me but I refuse take the company's word for their lightfastness.

So, I'll definitely continue to buy Gamblin and C.A.S. alkyd paints but will skip DaVinci and W&N unless I have to have a color that the other brands don't have.  I wasn't really comparing price when I placed my last order but C.A.S. and DaVinci seem to offer the best value.  However, much of the paint was on sale when I ordered it and if I continue to catch sales, it's very possible that any of the brands could be a very good deal at a given time.

Those are the brands I've purchased and used.  None of the paint companies gave me any kind of monetary reward for a favorable review and I'm sure that none of them even know know me from Adam's house cat!  I'm adding that disclaimer to let you know that this is all just my honest opinion of these brands and nothing was said out of coercion of any kind!

I might add that I think alkyds offer the perfect alternatives to both acrylics and oils.  I find that acrylics dry much too fast for me and regular or water soluble oils dry too slowly.  Alkyds are touch dry in about 24 hours if they aren't applied too thickly and, as a rule of thumb, find they are touch dry 2 to 4 days quicker than oils of the same thickness.  If you've been on the fence about trying them, I think you should give them a chance.

Creative Slump?

I've been working on various aspects of the upcoming exhibition at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum on Harker's Island, NC and have nearly finished.  All I have left to do is to take my paintings to the Museum so it's a relief to get most of the preparations behind me.

I think I've mentioned it before but after a marathon painting period, I sometimes go into a creative slump where I don't want to see another canvas, paintbrush or tube of paint!  Well, it's happened this time too but I was determined to keep painting through it.

We planted a new-to-us variety of that old Southern staple, okra, and it's gorgeous!  Really, it's gorgeous.  It's a beautiful variegated maroon color with bits of lime green in it.  It's not often that mundane garden veggies inspire me to paint them but did I mention that this okra is gorgeous?

That's why I chose a few pods of it to try to paint through this slump.  I know I haven't done it justice.  Reds are notoriously hard to shade properly - if you add white, you get pink instead of a lighter shade of red.  You can supposedly add yellow to lighten but that doesn't always work either so I just did the best I could with it.  It was a learning piece and I wasn't expecting a masterpiece so wasn't all that disappointed when I didn't achieve one!

Another reason I wanted to paint is that I received some new paint from an order I placed a while ago.  I've been painting in alkyd oils for a while now and I really like them so I ordered some replacement (& new) colors in various brands so I could compare them.  They only just arrived yesterday so I'll let you know what I think about them in another post after I've had time to play with them a bit more.

In the meantime, I'll be in the studio painting!

Tatters at the End of Summer

Here it is the middle of August and it seems that everything is looking a bit on the ragged side.  The flowers are not as bright and perky as they were just a month ago.  And look at that butterfly - note his tattered back end - not the best look for the beautiful yellow Tiger Swallowtail, is it?

This is coming to the time of year that's my least favorite.  Most people look forward to the time when the weather cools down, the kids go back to school and the hectic summer activity slows down a bit.

I don't look forward to the autumn like most people do.  Give me the spring and summer every time.  I love seeing fresh, perfect flowers and butterflies with complete wings!

But, this is what nature has given us so I guess I'll just make the best of it and look forward to next year.

A Little Update

Wanted to give you a small update on our Carolina Wren nest.  As you can see, the nest was built but we've never seen an occupant so guess it was a decoy nest that the wrens will sometimes build.  I think it may be a bit late in the season for them to nest again so we'll just have to hold out hope for a family next year.

As far as the Cecropia Moth painting goes, I decided to cradle the panel and do without a frame altogether.  I think it looks much better.  Unfortunately, the edges are still wet so I can't show you a decent photo of the completed painting.  I just think cradling it gave the subject more breathing room and gave the moth the dignity of space she deserves!

I've now begun to think more on what needs to be done for the upcoming NC Wildlife Artists Society show at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center, 1785 Island Road, Harkers Island, North Carolina.  This exhibition will run from September 10 - November 27, 2015 and if any of you will be in the area, I hope you'll pop in and take a look.  September through November is my favorite time to visit the North Carolina coast as the weather is still very mild and most of the tourists have gone.  The views are stunning of course but I just love the chance to wander the beach in solitude and just refresh my soul.  I know that sounds corny but the ocean has that magical effect on me.

The title of the show is "Images of Wild North Carolina (from the Mountains to the Coast)" and must depict North Carolina wildlife.  This will be my first NCWAS show and I'm very excited, yet nervous, of course.  I have no idea of what to expect from this exhibition but am just glad I'm getting to be a part of it.

I'll keep you posted as more details develop!

Cecropia Moth Finished

I think I've finally finished the Cecropia Moth and hope I've done her justice.  Yes, this is a female - you can tell because her antenna are smaller and thinner than those of a male.

Anyway, here is a photo of her with a frame that I'm considering for the painting.  The painting is not fully dry so the frame is just leaning against the painting.  That's why there's a shadow area on the left side of the painting.

The moth colors look pretty accurate on my monitor but the frame has more gray in it along with the brownish color.  The color of the frame goes well with the painting but I'm not sure it's THE frame even though the barnwood frames are very, very popular now.

So now that the moth has been completed, I've started a portrait of a pug - a really special pug who recently went to the Rainbow Bridge.  Jack was a dog I knew well and loved and that makes it harder for me to paint him, I think.  A friend once told me that it's hard to paint your own pets or those you know well because you know them in so many different moods and ways.  You get confused over which expression or look best portrays them.  Anyway, I want this painting to be especially perfect so wish me good success with it.  I'll post it when I finish.