Swanderful

oil on canvas, 20" x 20"

I've been itching to do some figures lately, and portraits in particular, but I'm not yet over my bird fascination.  So, a light bulb went off with the thought, why not combine the two?  This was a fun project.

Pond Swan at Ellis Creek

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 24"

This painting was done from a photo I had taken at Ellis Creek not too long ago.  I painted it with a palette knife, except for the swan and the slim tree trunks in the mid-ground, for which I used a brush.  The black area surrounding the swan was left unpainted, having been primed with black gesso.

Ellis Creek Trail

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

This is a sketch I did while on a walk with the pups yesterday at Ellis Creek in Petaluma, just after a light rain.  This area, a nature reserve, is astoundingly beautiful, with all kinds of birdlife on view.  Swans, Canadian geese, stilts, and blue and white herons are all common sightings.  I'm hoping to carve out a few hours some day soon to do a plein air painting.

Swan

oil on zinc plate, 4" x 5"

Not done yet with these metal paintings.  I kinda like the pink water in this one.