« Iguana and Strangler Fig |Main | Branching Out »
Neighborhood Heron
March 19, 2009
Neighborhood Heron, 11H x 11W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas, wrapped sides painted. Frame unnecessary. Hang on a wall or display on a flat surface. Signed on the side so as not to impose on the composition.
Sold but a similar piece can be recreated upon request. Please allow 7 days to paint before shipping.
Started with a base coat of very watered down translucent pthalos green mixed with cerulean blue. Spraying rubbing alcohol over a damp painted water-based surface then allowing it to dry without moving it will create starry, spotty textures. Salt shaken over wet paint allowed to dry, then wiped off with a dry cloth will produce similar effects.
Alcohol loosened up the entire surface of paint, so using fingernails under a damp smooth t-shirt cloth, I rubbed off areas to shape the heron and winter trees. This represents a super argument for the wingin’ it methods!
In college I took a pottery course for one semester, and the thing I remember most is the instructor saying how it’s a good idea to allow some of the raw characters of the materials we work with to remain and “speak” without trying to smooth over and perfect everything. She was of course referring to clay, but over the years I’ve found that it applies to many other mediums also. In Heron, the branches extend into the body of the bird, connecting it to its environment. The effect also does a subtle play on the motion of its flight too.
Showcased in the J. Mane Gallery’s Fins, Feathers and Fur 2020 exhibition.
Categories: acrylic painting, animals, birds, city streets, exhibitions, Magic Square Series, series, sky, Sold, Texas, The Majesty of Trees Collection, Winter | 7 Comments »
7 Responses to “Neighborhood Heron”
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
March 19th, 2009 at 11:06
This is beautiful Nikki.
March 20th, 2009 at 11:06
Thank you Elizabeth..I may let this one rest awhile because further work on it might remove the emotion in it…and it’s all about the emotion, right!
March 23rd, 2009 at 11:06
This one is really interesting…..wouldn’t be the heron that flies around Richmond (Ontario) is it?
March 23rd, 2009 at 11:06
They are such exotic, reagal looking birds aren’t they? I wonder if the herons in Ontario do fly south for the winter? The local herons stay here all winter..there are so many canals in the cities around Dallas and they have no need to leave.
March 23rd, 2009 at 11:06
ooo, ahhhh. Gorgeous!
April 7th, 2009 at 11:06
Very cool nice colour!
April 11th, 2009 at 11:06
Thanks all – I wasn’t sure 2 weeks ago, but now have decided this is finished.