Emerald Swallowtail Butterfly

oil on cradled panel, 6" x 8"

Another exotic butterfly to close out the year, the emerald swallowtail is found in Southeast Asia but also commonly collected and kept in butterfly houses worldwide.  I'd hate to cage this beautiful insect, or any wild and beautiful creature for that matter.  I'd rather discover it in its natural habitat, or perhaps make a painting if you can't see it live.

Egret in Flight

acrylic on canvasboard, 12" x 12"

Here's another study that somehow slipped through the cracks and was forgotten for a while.  I painted it early in the year and rediscovered it the other day as I was going through ALL my paintings, cataloguing, labeling and boxing ahead of my move to New Mexico in January.  I had wanted to do a series of birds in flight, but that idea got shoved to the back burner, as often happens with me due to the varying demands on my time.  I see myself in this bird now.  

Mexican Bluewing Butterfly

oil on canvasboard, 6" x 8"

I learned with this little study that the smeared paint technique works better on smooth hard surfaces, such as a gessoed wood panel or metal plate.  Not as easy to do on a canvas or canvasboard, but that was all I had on hand and wanted to paint this little being.  Still, I'm not displeased with how it turned out.  The Mexican Bluewing's habitat ranges from Mexico down through Central America.

Salt Marsh Moth

oil on panel, 6" x 6"

Moths are beautiful, too!  These are nocturnal creatures, whereas butterflies are out and about during the day, but they both belong to the order Lepidoptera.  The salt marsh moth is common to Florida and Texas.

Chinese Red

oil on canvas, 8" x 10"

For a change of pace, here's a palette knife painting of an Oriental poppy I did some months ago and, like a few others, recently looked at with fresh eyes and thought better of.  I've been going through my entire inventory, boxing up paintings ahead of my move to Taos, and have made more than a few discoveries of overlooked early work that have stood the test of time, at least in my mind.  I may post some of that early work in the coming days.

Black and White in Blue

oil on MDF panel, 24" x 24"
sold

A seemingly perennial work in progress, this is the same heifer as in a previous post, from a different angle.  I think I liked this painting better in its third iteration.  Maybe the cow is trying to tell me something, as in leave me alone!  Can't I just stand here in peace, enjoying a cool drink of water?  We'll see about that.

A Patch of Blue

oil on canvasboard, 8" x 8"

Here's a little abstract done a while back that I'm offering now as a ray of hope for all Californians who have lost their homes in the devastating fires that have ravaged this once beautiful state.  The deep irony of a blue state being blanketed in red is not lost on me in this challenging time for everyone everywhere.  May the Phoenix rise again!

Rhetus Periander Butterfly

oil on panel, 6" x 6"

Another colorful butterfly found primarily in Central and South America.  

Cleared for Takeoff

oil on canvasboard, 8" x 8"

Another little abstract ditty that got lost in the shuffle, painted a few months ago.  I have precious little time to paint right now, so busy getting ready to move.  I will be posting a little less until I'm over the hump of tasks in preparation for it.

On the Wing

oil on panel, 12" x 12"

Here is a case for putting paintings in a time-out room.  This is what later became "Space Balls," as seen in the previous post.  Although I like Space Balls, I now see that its predecessor had merit on its own.  I regret painting this one over, as I am in love with things with wings, and I see such a thing in this painting.  Ah well, live and learn, as they say.

Space Balls

oil on panel, 12" x 12"

This is an abstract piece I did earlier this year.  It got buried amongst other pieces I was working on concurrently.  In preparation for my move to New Mexico this coming January, I've been going through my entire inventory, something I've never done since I started on this art path, and I am overwhelmed by the number of paintings I have accrued over the years!  I hope to have time to focus a bit more on marketing my work in the new year.  I do know I will be wanting to paint more than ever, so this could become quite a challenge.

A Delicate Balance

oil on linen-mounted panel, 16" x 12"

It is what it is, folks.  All my paintings are experiments to varying degrees, and this one was my attempt to merge my love of cows with my love of birds, as well as subject with background, admittedly with varying degrees of success.  I do like that cow, though; she makes me smile.  The bird is a black-billed magpie.