Currently on my easel is a portrait in progress of a gorgeous blue-eyed juvenile raptor. It’s a painting of a Cooper’s hawk. As he matures, his eyes will change to yellow, orange, or red.
Tamalyn Wortham, Photographer
“The story behind it is…. I was sitting in my car and looked down. It was right outside my door. I couldn’t even get the entire bird in the frame. I was shocked I didn’t spook it when I opened the door. Juveniles are like that. They don’t know to fear humans till they get older.”
About the Painting
Size is 16 x 12″. The bird will be larger than life-sized and I’m hoping it allows me to create more realism in the feathers. The background is mottled earthy reds and yellows, and I’m loving that part of it already. I think it’ll definitely allow the Cooper’s hawk itself to be the focal point, with good color contrasts.
This one is an experiment in substrates. I’m painting in oils on Arches watercolor paper that has been attached to a birch cradle board. It gives a different texture to the surface, and it takes the paint differently, too. I can’t describe it well, but I like it a lot. When I’m done, the painting will need longer to dry than one on canvas or board alone. Once it’s varnished, the longevity of the work should be as good as any other surface.
Progression of Painting of a Cooper’s Hawk
Finished, but still drying
In the meantime, while it’s on the easel and until the painting is dry and ready to frame, it’s available as pre-order at a discount.
There’s a special group in my newsletter for those interested in my original art. When I get one finished, and while it’s still on the easel, I send out a notice to that segment. If you’re not subscribed, and don’t want to, then check back on this page next week for updates. If you DO want to subscribe, then here’s the link:
https://www.wildozark.com/newsletter/
A Little About My Process
Since my paints are handmade and locally foraged, I have to make sure I have the colors I need before I begin a project. If I’m close to out of one, then I’ll go look for the rock that gives me the color I need. If it’s a plant pigment, then I’ll need to harvest the plant. The only three plant sources I use at this time are indigo, thyme, and the root bark of Osage trees. The rest comes from rocks, soot, bone, or purchased titanium dioxide powder.
So, if it’s a rock, then I’ll break it to smaller pieces, then crush it as finely as I can. The crushed rock is the raw pigment. After that I put the powder into a jar and fill the jar with water. Depending on the source rock, I’ll either pour off the colored water into another jar to let it settle, or pour the rinse water out and keep the sediment for the paint. After the water clarifies and the pigment has settled, then I pour off the clear water and let the sediment dry. That is what I’ll make the paint from.
When it comes to plants, there’s more chemistry involved. I’ll make what is called a ‘lake’ pigment. Here’s a post that gives more information on that process.
Contact Mad Rox: (479) 409-3429 or madison@madisonwoods and let me know which hat I need to put on 🙂 Madison for art, Roxann for real estate, lol. Or call me Mad Rox and have them both covered!
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Author/Artist Info
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Roxann Riedel is a salesperson for Montgomery Whiteley Realty, artist, owner of the only ginseng nursery in Arkansas, and the author of books and this website. Madison Woods is the pen-name she uses for her creative works. She’s a self-taught artist who moved to the Ozarks from south Louisiana in 2005. Her paintings of the Ozark-inspired scenes feature lightfast pigments from Madison county, Arkansas. Her inspiration is nature – the beauty, and the inherent cycle of life and death, destruction and regeneration. Wild Ozark is also the only licensed ginseng nursery in Arkansas. Here’s the link for more information on the nursery
There’s always a discount for paintings on the easel 😉
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