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. 

Speckled Rooster 2

© Ellen Blonder

This is a quick underpainting of the setting I want for the rooster. With all of his color, I want a pretty dark background.

Banana Trees Detail, a Few Days Later

Now that the upper part of the painting is at least roughed in, I've started to add foreground foliage. Philodendron abounds, especially in northern Kauai, and shell ginger even grows along some roadsides. I love the form of the well-named flowers. Using a white pencil, I've sketched a bromeliad-like plant and ferns to paint next.