Big Goat - Final

 © Ellen Blonder

© Ellen Blonder

Finally finished. I decided to stop before overdoing everything. The second photo gives a better sense of the scale of this, and why it took so long to paint.

Big Goat - 18

© Ellen Blonder

I've been working out the orchid structure, frustrating because my key reference shot was blurry and other shots were from different angles. 

Big Goat - 17

© Ellen Blonder

I'll still have to do more to the background, but I want to add details to the orchids first. I've waited a long time for this. 

Big Goat Painting - 1

© Ellen Blonder

© Ellen Blonder

I haven't done a big painting in a long time. This one is on a 3 x 4-foot canvas. After a week of sketching in details to scale, I've finally started the underpainting the last couple of days. I spied the goat in a field in Kapa'a earlier this year, and he posed for me obligingly. Painting his long ivory fur is going to be a challenge.