Turkey Dinner

Turkey Dinner 6"x8" acrylic (SOLD)

This was our Christmas dinner. When we took the turkey out of the oven and saw how good it looked I grabbed my camera and took some photos. The turkey tasted as good as it looked.

I put together a demo of the painting below this post.

Turkey Dinner Demo

In the top photo you can see how I block in all the shapes of the painting trying to get the color and values (lights and darks) close to what they will be in the final step. You can still see the pencil sketch of the roaster. I put a hint of a reflection from the roaster on the table.

Middle Photo

At this stage of the painting I start defining the forms of the turkey and the roaster. The legs and wings start taking shape and I work on the roaster with a variety of greys trying to give it a shiny look. I put in the reflected light from the turkey on the inside of the pan, reenforcing the shiny look of alumnium.

Bottom Photo

Now its a matter of readjusting the colors of the turkey with different yellows, oranges and browns to fine tune the shapes and give the skin that roasted look. I add the highlights to give it a moist look. I make some adjustments to the pan and the painting is finished.

I hope you enjoyed this demo, it gives you an idea of how a painting is constructed.

Christmas Ornament

Christmas Ornament 7"x5" oil   (SOLD)

Last night I set up my easel in front of the Christmas tree and painted this ornament. I had the lights in the room turned down so I could observe the lighting from the tree. The only trouble was I had a hard time seeing the paint I was mixing, so I had to keep going in the kitchen to see if I was mixing the colors right. I spent about two and a half hours on it before finishing up at 11:30.

Quiet Time,Cardinal

Quiet Time, Cardinal 7"x5" acrylic
During snow storms the birds find refuge in the tree right by our front window. It gives me the chance to observe the birds up close without them being alarmed.

Early Morning Action

Early Morning Action 6"x8" oil  (SOLD)

Moon over the Lake

Moon over the Lake 5"x7" oil

I went to the lake before dawn on a cold ,cold December morning to watch the sunrise. I wanted to be in place to photograph the changes in the sky as the sun made its appearance. I remember my fingers being numb that morning because I forgot my gloves. The moon was going down so I decided to photograph that before it dissapeared. This painting is based on the pictures I took that morning.