A New Little Robot Painting...

"Repurposed"
(8x10", Oil) Price: $280.00    SOLD

This is my second little robot painting...using an old friend as the model again. This chap has fallen against a tree in one last energy outage and has been abandoned to the fates. However, an enterprising pair of Black Capped Chickadees have found him and think that his head makes an ideal nest. The bright red of the robot's shell will scare off many a predator and keep them safe. The little birds have filled the spare spaces inside the robot's head with moss and grasses against stray winds and the cold. They could not have found a better protector for their eggs than this little robot.

However, my model started to get delusions of grandeur and dreams of artistry when he decided to take a hand, er, claw, er, donut-mitt...to the almost finished piece. Such a little ego...but we love him anyway...


This is my new painting table at our new studio set up. I now have lots of room to paint in. Our original little studio at home was getting really, really cramped. The only thing is that right next to my table is a spongy bit of floor and I literally have to take my brush off the canvas when I hear my hubby about to walk by. The table virtually 'bounces'...which sucks when you're trying to paint fine detail.
Anyway, my palette consisted of: Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Titanium White, Raw Umber, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, French Ultramarine and Sap Green. In the initial layer of paint, I used a large 3/4" Filbert brush to lay down the basic lights and darks and play with the texture a bit. I'm road testing a new big blending brush: it is a Cotman 3/4" watercolour Flat. It doesn't lose any hairs thank goodness, so I wasn't hovering over the painting with a pair of tweezers every time I used it. As you can see, though, I left a good part of the tree textured and not too well blended - as a tree should be. For the finer details, I used a Size 10 Filbert, a Size 6 Flat Shader, and a Size 4 Round. I also experimented with a 1/2" Angular Shader (Flat) that I found 'on sale' at an art store some time ago. Don't forget: these brushes are just what came to hand and seemed appropriate to use at the time. As you paint, you find all sorts of tools that become enduring favourites - these are just some of mine.

Thanks for stopping by. Till next time...
Cheers,
Marianne