Forsythia and Bowl study

Forsythia and Bowl study, 5 x 7, oil (click to bid)

The forsythia is in full bloom making a bright spot in my otherwise unkempt winter yard. I always know (feel guilty is more like it) that it is time to get out and do some spring yard work when I see that blazing bush.

It is such an intense, bright, yellow color and I purposely tone the chroma down a bit so as not to overpower the painting. I do that (mute my color) quite a bit when painting. It gives a calmness to a painting that I like. Yellow is a happy color - I got the following from a squidoo.com web site: "Yellow shines with optimism, enlightenment, and happiness. Shades of golden yellow carry the promise of a positive future. Yellow will advance from surrounding colors and instill optimism and energy, as well as spark creative thoughts."

How the color yellow affects us mentally and physically
* Mentally stimulating
* Stimulates the nervous system
* Activates memory
* Encourages communication

Sounds like we all need a bit more yellow in our lives.

I love to paint forsythia. It lends itself to a loose style that I like in still life paintings. I plan on doing a large forsythia painting next week after finishing another project I am currently working on. 

Thanks for your visit - I hope you enjoy!

Tufted Titmouse study

Tufted Titmouse study, 5" x 7", oil (click to bid)

Birds are one of my favorite subjects to paint. Even though I also paint still life, figurative, and landscape, it can be argued that avian paintings are what I am best known for. My web page devoted to bird paintings is certainly the largest of my online collections. Indeed, my first attempts at painting involved birds.

The bird in this small study is a Tufted Titmouse which is one of my favorite songbirds. They are quite abundant in my area and a common visitor to my feeder where they accompany chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers. I try to keep the feeder full as I find that a yard full of birds gives life to your home.

Thank you for your visit - I hope you return soon!
Ralph

Buddleja Davidii

Click to bid

The house and land I currently own was in sad shape when my wife and I purchased it years ago. Part of the clean up process included moving and disposing of  a huge mound of limbs and other yard waste which was next to an old shed on the property. As I tore into the pile, I began to experience a wonderful discovery. From under the pile emerged an old flower garden from one of the previous residents. Some of the treasures I found included rose bushes, Iris, pyracantha, lilac bushes, hollyhocks, and three butterfly bushes. One deep purple, one lavender, and one white. All of the plants were in pretty bad shape, but with a little care judicious pruning they revived and were healthy and beautiful the following year.

Not only do I enjoy the beauty of the bush but they also provide an amazing sight each year as they draw an gathering of beautiful butterflies and moths. "Buddleja" is the genus of the butterfly bush and "Davidii" is the white flowering form of the bush. This is the time of the year when I see the most butterflies around the bushes. And for some reason, they seem to enjoy the white bush more than the others. Maybe some of my more knowledgeable friends can comment on this. All types of butterflies and moths are drawn to the plants and it is truly a glorious sight to see the plants hanging full of different colors and sizes of the insects.

The 5"x7" study above is a sprig of blooms from the white bush. I have used all of the different bushes in still life and other paintings in the past and I will keep doing so. The painting above was a challenge as the sprig started to droop quickly as it was not in water. This forced me to work quickly which is actually a good thing as it keeps your image somewhat loose and fresh. You might say it is the same concept we use in life drawing when we start out with 1 minuet, 3 minuet, 7 minuet, etc. poses. Your aim is to reproduce the most important and obvious visual information and not worry about the small details. The viewers mind will fill in the details. The resulting quick sketches can be quite beautiful in their simplicity.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing the painting and my butterfly pictures and will return often!

Thanks - Ralph