Small Cardinal Painting - Final

© Ellen Blonder

Done. I hope the fallen leaf gives a sense of scale to this little bird.

Small Cardinal Painting - 4

© Ellen Blonder

I spent yesterday and today adding leaf colors and details, and starting the dried grass at the cardinal's feet. 

Small Cardinal Painting - 3

 © Ellen Blonder

 © Ellen Blonder

It's time to give the cardinal an environment. I worked it out on tissue paper, then transferred the results roughly onto the canvas through graphite paper.

I'm planning to add lighter dead grass in layers over the dark ground, and some delicate weeds I've been wanting to paint. I found the leaves in the background at the McBryde Garden in Kauai. They seem to be a kind of philodendron. 

Goodbye, Donkey, Hello, Breadfruit

© Ellen Blonder

I don't often give up on a painting, but I need to at least set the donkey painting aside until I can feel it more in my bones. 

Meanwhile, I have long been wanting to do a painting of a breadfruit I saw at the McBryde Garden last year in Kauai, part of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens. This is the first day's beginning of a sketch, on a section of a 16 x 20-inch canvas. 

Daphne 2

© Ellen Blonder

Wandering through McBryde Garden, part of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens, I saw many places where I could situate Daphne, but it's a small painting, and I want her to remain the focus.