Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Blue Boy


I have become quite fond of juxtapositions lately:  Warm against cool, dark against light, calm against active etc.  And turquoise, red, black and white is one of my favorite color combos.  Seems like I used them all in this blue heron portrait. I grayed down the reds a little in this painting to make them recede and the blues stronger.

When I use the word portrait to describe a painting that isn't of a person I mean that the bird, fish, turtle, palm tree or whatever is the only object in the painting.  (I do realize that great portrait painters i.e. Sargent, often painted their subjects surrounded by other objects.) So the next logical step would be to paint the heron in the landscape using the same color palette.  Once again I would like to thank the artists who generously share their reference photos on Wet Canvas.

"Blue Boy"
20" x 16"
$375

P.S.  did you ever do one of the paint-by-numbers of Gainsborough's Blue Boy?  Wasn't it fun!

6 comments:

  1. This color palette is remarkable...sets an amazing mood!
    Yes,I painted by number when I was a little one and boy was I proud...my father framed my work and hung them in the living room! Oh My Gosh what joy!

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  2. This is really one of my favorite. You have a special skill for colors and feathers. I'm proud to add I was an early painter too with numbers. :)

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  3. Thanks, yes I loved the paint by numbers and those little tiny brushes.

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  4. He is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!

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  5. Oh Maggie this is gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous!

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