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 :)
I find it odd that I can paint an animal fairly well, but throw a human into the mix, and if there’s a face, I balk. Human faces are one of the biggest obstacles in my art journey, and I want to scale that mountain. In my current painting, I’m pleased with what I’ve learned, though there is so soo sooo much more I need to learn and practice.
I’m currently painting a French bulldog pup. This is my youngest son’s fur-baby. He’s not so little as this photo anymore, but Garrison wanted one of him as a puppy, and then another later as an adult. Progression
Gail’s House This photo taken by my dad is the reference I’m working from. In this memorial gift painting, there’s a lot more bright green than something I’m accustomed to. I’m not sure my pigments will get quite there, but it should be close now that I have some thyme on hand. The lake pigment …
Progression Page | Gail’s House | Memorial Painting Read More »
This is a 5 x 7″ commission of Limelight hydrangeas. I’ll use my Ozark pigments in oils plus white made from titanium. For the green, I’ll use a combination of the yellow lake pigment that I made from thyme I grew in my garden and a Maya blue that I made using purchased indigo pigment, …
Limelight Hydrangeas in Progress | A commissioned painting Read More »
Sometimes they’re just gnarly, twisted trees. Welcome to my progression page for a Twisted Tree in Ozark pigment oils. My Twisted Tree paintings fall into a category all by themselves. These paintings have no direction, and I just go wherever the painting wants to go. They’re really good for helping to re-awaken the imagination, or …
Here’s the progression page where you can watch this painting in progress. The background is finished, starting on the foreground soon.
Several years ago I had the fortunate opportunity to not only get one, but several photos of three little Eastern Screech owl fledglings. And so now you get to see the progression of my painting of a screech owl.
Here’s where you can see all of the progress pics from start to finished for the Kings River in Spring painting.
For the past few days I’ve had to make a detour from my Detour for a Thirsty Raven painting. Because my art is made from natural materials, it means I have to take the time to replenish my supplies from time to time. So, I’ve been washing pigments and making paint. Besides, the layers of …
A painting of a thirsty raven in a beer cellar, featuring oil paints made from Ozark pigments, by Madison Woods. Title: Detour for a Thirsty Raven, Size: 29 x 37″.
While I’m waiting on my white pigment powder to arrive, so I can make an opaque white paint, I figured I’d experiment a little with the paints I have on hand. My white grounds came in a few days ago, so I gave one of my 5 x 7″ boards a few coats. I’m finding …
The new year of 2023 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. I’ll rotate through them to work on one while layers on others dry. Here’s Kings River in Winter as photographed and here’s the first pass. …
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.
