Follow along through the steps I take to create an earthy painting. My process isn’t pretty, as I tend to make mistakes. But things usually turn out alright in the end :)
On Tuesday this week, I kicked off the first oil painting in my Kings River Four Seasons series. Today (Thursday), I did the underpainting (or underbody?) for the second one. I’m going backwards through the seasons, so here’s the start to Kings River in Autumn: It’s also on a 16 x 20″ birch board. But …
Alright, today kicked off the first oil paintings in my Kings River Four Seasons series. The one I chose to start with first is the winter scene. Here’s Kings River in Winter as photographed and here’s the first pass. It’s just the underpainting, and I wasn’t sure if I should do it all in one …
So many excellent paintings of the Buffalo National river and the surrounding natural areas exist, but I haven’t seen many King’s river paintings. While both rivers begin in our local area, Wild Ozark is in the Kings river watershed. And Kings river is closest. We cross it several times when we go to town. The …
I’m in the process of painting the third of three different geckos for a ‘Unique Pet’ portrait commission. I’m almost finished now with the painting phase of this project. After the last little gecko is finished, I’ll frame them and mount the pigment sample rocks on the frame. Finally, the backs will be professionally finished …
Madison Woods paints with natural pigments and works with a limited palette. She paints scenes in colors native to the location.
Every year for their birthdays, the grandkids pick the subject they want me to paint. And every time we do this, their requests are getting more and more challenging. The latest one I’ve started is a scene that includes two cows. Not just any cows, but a longhorn and a highlander. I make a print …
Highlander and Longhorn Cow | Painting Process for ‘Best Friends’ Read More »
Follow along to watch the progress of my bear painting using Ozark pigments.
I’m working on a painting for my husband’s Christmas gift. It may not be finished in time, but it won’t be too long afterwards before I’m done. It’s the house where his aunts lived in Weesatche, Texas. It was a little German settlement, with houses, businesses, and a big round gathering hall. He’s told me …
I’ve long wanted to do a Great Horned Owl painting, since I drew up the list of birds of prey and put them on my To-Paint list. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of it at the very beginning. So this will pick up where I remembered to take the first pic. Here’s what I’ve …
Painting of a farm. It was a special gift to the seller from my daughter realtor. The owner hated to have to sell his family land.
I bet you’d already guessed it. The namesake of the Buffalo National River is … the buffalo. But that’s a misnomer. What we call ‘buffalo’ are actually bison. The American ‘Buffalo’ is really an American Bison. Before Europeans arrived on this land, there were bison everywhere. Many tribes of Native Americans depended on them, literally, …
How Did the Buffalo National River Get its Name? | “Namesake” Read More »
Follow along as I paint a picture of the yellow-billed cuckoo! Featuring earth pigments from Ozark rocks, clay, and bone.
My 6th painting was a special request by my granddaughter. She loves wildlife and wanted me to paint a fox. Her actual favorite was a kit fox, but instead I painted a red fox kit. I had a good photo to use for that one, taken by photographer friend Terry Stanfill, whereas I did not …
Soul of the Ozarks | The 6th Painting | Red Fox Kit Read More »
My current painting in progress is one of the buildings on the grounds of the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, located in Springdale, Arkansas. Dr. Carter’s Office was moved to the museum at a later date, but started life in the late 1880’s in Elkins, Arkansas (Washington county).
Here’s the process for my Bearded Dragon painting. All pigments are from Ozark rocks.
Lisa J. Tomey interviewed me way back in 2019 for an article to be published in Okra Magazine. Just when it was about time for it to run, Covid struck and that article got pushed back on the publisher’s to-do list. Well, I’d almost forgotten about it, but Lisa did an awesome job of keeping …
Stones to Grind | A Fantastic New Interview and Publication Read More »
Originally, I had planned to do a series of my favorite woodland plants in grayscale. But that was before I found the stone that gives me a sort of green pigment. So changed up the plans a little. Now I’m doing a series of our orchids in my full palette of pigments. First is this …
Showy Orchis (Galearis spectabilis) in Ozark pigments Read More »
My 5th painting was a special request by my sister. She loves pelicans and wanted me to paint one for her. This is the story of my journey into the world of being a watercolor painter. My angle on this is a bit different than most other artists, in that all of my paints are …
After the second kestrel, which was the third painting, I thought I’d try another kestrel. I had another good photo to work from and I’d come to really love the colors and form of kestrels. By this time I was back home and could make more paints. I hoped I would make better ones – …
The first painting of 2021 is also the first of its size, and the first using a single source for pigment. But it is my second Brahman cow portrait. ‘Brahman Baby’ was the first. This is my progress page, for those who like to see the progression of how a painting looks from blank canvas …
Cow Portrait | Whisper, the Brahman cow | Painting Process Read More »
Still in July 2018, and still in Qatar visiting Rob, I decided to try a 3rd painting. I’d do another kestrel and see if I could do it better this time. Because it was so hot outside during daylight hours, there wasn’t a whole lot else to do all day other than read or watch …
Honestly, while I was delighted that my handmade watercolors worked alright for my first try, I wasn’t real pleased with the painting itself. So I decided to try a second painting. The Second Painting I was still in Qatar. It was July 2018, and the daytime temperatures outside were so hot I didn’t want to …
Many of you who have followed me for a while will have already seen these paintings, and you might remember the stories that go with them. I’m sorry for the repetition you’re about to endure if that’s the case. But I’m beginning to forget some of the details of my earlier paintings and I want …
SOUL OF THE OZARKS | Part 1 | The First Painting Read More »
I’m working on painting a raccoon on black paper. It’s the first time I’ve painted on black, and the experience is very different from anything else I’ve tried to paint. As I was deciding which paper to put it on, I was holding the old Arches block of watercolor paper and about to throw the …
Painting a Raccoon in Ozark Pigments on Black Paper Read More »
Behind the Scenes of a Wildlife Art Commission, with an artist who makes her own paints from local pigments.
