Latest on mini WIP carving

Worked on it yesterday and today (around the piano lessons) and he's getting to not look so "naked" as a friend so delicately put it!!! Boy, those pelicans have "nasty" feathers on their backs- try to make sense out of those groups!!! It's taking me a lot of studying, and alot of "more reference, more reference" and "where WAS that other shot of that area" to get it!!! I think you can see the detail here and the lifting of the feathering...


By the way- the body from neck to tail is 1.75" in length. So that should give you an idea of how tiny the feathering is. You can also see I've undercut the one lifted wing on the top. I have more undercutting under the wings yet, but that waits until the last minute once all the rest is done.

Egret and Heron miniatures

I've recently finished an egret miniature and also a great blue heron miniature. Don't usually do two birds in a row like that, and now I'm starting on a bald eagle. Must be in a "birdy" mood!

Heron is done in casein. 3"x2"

The egret is 3.5" x 2.5", done in mixed media (casein and acrylic)

A Fountain and a robin

I finally got to finish this one several days ago, but just hadn't had a chance to photograph it. It is a combination of several references I had. The fountain was one I saw in a garden in Iowa with my aunt. It was huge, but just gorgeous. It wasn't running unfortunately, and it had a sparrow on it which I wasn't sure I wanted so decided to change to the robin. Hope you like it. It is in need of a title- as usual!

I'm working away on the puppy and hope to have it to post very soon.

Egret WIP

Well, here's the first "installment". He's beginning to look the way I want him. Still a ways to go though... Hoping I can capture the trailing feathers reflection in the water. When I took the reference shots I failed to notice some sort of plant in the foreground which blocked his reflection nearly completely so I'm going on "instinct" with that part. I just have to quit focusing on those animals and see the rest of the world! Heeheehee... I just love animals, that's my problem. :-)
This fellow was in full breeding plumage and just beautiful. I am changing the lighting as at the time I saw him it was mid-day, and I want to put in the sunset colors and am changing the color of the water just a bit as well. As you can see, it's not exactly the colors of the original sketch- I knew it wouldn't be at the time I did the sketch, but the sketch helped me with the general direction I wanted to go. I refine as I begin painting. I may get better with the colored pencils over time, but I really didn't want to spend that much time on that- just get a feel for what I thought I wanted to do.