A Change of Pace

Our local art club had a paint-in yesterday sponsored by Richeson art materials.  Richeson donated 24 of their 5" x 7" gessoed hardboard panels as well as two nice gift certificates for Richeson products as awards for the paint-in. (Thank you very much, Richeson!) This is my painting.

The background is from a photo I took of the beautiful fall foliage on the crape myrtle in my yard.  The sparrow is a composite of a few various sparrow photos I found on line.

It was difficult to get started on the painting because I hadn't decided what I was going to paint until yesterday morning just before I left home for the event.  It was also a challenge because I didn't have as much time to spend on the drawing as I normally would.

But I am happy with the outcome.  I finished 90% of it yesterday then took about a half an hour this afternoon to finish it off.

The border is Lumiere gold acrylic paint.  It took several coats to cover the white gesso and in the future I will remember to underpaint with yellow ochre.  The rest of the painting is Liquitex soft body acrylics which I like very much.

I like, and highly recommend, the Richeson gessoed panels.  It is a very smooth panel, which won't be everyone's "cup of tea" but it worked beautifully with my thin applications of the soft body acrylics and the layering style I like to use.