In the Mood for Camels (Mainly)

Been out to the camel farm recently (thanks for your patience, P and S!) and got all inspired again with these chaps.

This one (above, grazing, and below looking pensive) is a bit of a beauty, so I can see myself painting him/her a fair bit: must also get back to the farm and find out some names.

Did the underpainting last weekend and have been looking forward to getting some colour and depth happening.
Needed to sort the eye out (it was a bit rabid doggy in the underpaint) and the chin which was too short and shallow.
Moved the halter around a bit and am now playing with the contrasting textures of the short and long hair, the eye and the halter and the fluffy ear. This is one of those rare ones that seems just to go well from the start: a real joy to do. Not a great deal left to do really. I'll leave it to dry and them play around a bit with some glazes and the like. Tempted to leave the background just white gesso with the small touches of burnt sienna underpainting coming out from around the edges.
How to look haughty in one easy step . . .

This is from an earlier visit: trying to get the reds and oranges of the sunset light happening.


Not a camel . . . playing around with a new red/brown single pigment, which does tend to be quite red . . . had wondered about doing the whole thing in different shades and tones of red, but don't think it'll work with this one.

Jack's Done, I think

Jack: Oil on Canvas: 61cm x 91cm

I wondered if I'd ever get to a point where I'd consider my first ever finger painting done . . . the temptation to simply keep going with the strangely addictive sensation of smearing paint into canvas with your hands . . . but, give or take some minor messing around with highlights perhaps, I think were done here.

Ormiston Gorge Big Chaps

Rocks and Trees, Ormiston Gorge: Oil on Hemp (92cm x 122cm)

Rocks and Water, Ormiston Gorge: Oil on Belgian Linen (92cm x 122cm)

Did these two a while back, on the largest canvases I've attempted. Then didn't get around to photographing them as they weren't going to Studio 12 or Leaping Lizards. Now I'm considering putting 'Rocks and Water' in the gallery, so thought I'd better do the piccy thing. I enjoyed doing them, but still don't feel able to call them landscapes . . . so these are portraits of rocks, water and the odd tree . . .

Camels Ahoy!

Finally finished this one (the nose took me a while to get right), and so got all inspired to do some more camels. Do need to get to the Camel Farm to meet some new faces though.
Jack's back (did he ever really go away): I've a funny feeling with this pic that it'll never actualy get finished: it's too much fun slapping on the gouts of paint by hand (very regressive finger painting in actual fact), but it's amazing what can by done without brushes or palette knives (my excuse for the sheer joy of getting my hands dirty I'm sure). I splurged on some real cadmium red the other day and am being very sensible about not using it on this one . . . so being a combination of infantile and sensible: highly recommended.
Beginnings x2: now the camel nose is done I've felt a lot more inspired to start some other chaps . . . we'll see how it goes.