"Trailhead" Progression

I promised you the "Trailhead" progression video. Look closely to see subtle changes, and enjoy the violin music of one of my fav musicians, Peter Lee Johnson - violin cover of "The Only Girl" by Rihanna.

"Trail Head"

"Trail Head" took several detours before arriving at this place. I scrubbed off half of the initial sketch, moving the lily pads to the bottom, leaving the center to breathe. To keep the two groups of objects connected I made a point of using oranges and greens found in the lily pads in the group of rocks. I like how the water has depth and a touch of mystery. 
"Trail Head"  SOLD   12x18" on LaCarte

"Sand Dune Daisies"

"Sand Dune Daisies" was painted from my time at our NPS Camp Casey paintout last summer. I've taken artistic license to create a sense of place that reminds me of our trips to the ocean each summer as a child. The challenge here was to get the horizonal feel of the daisies among the tall grasses without them being too overbearing. I like the composition - which I changed from what was actually there. I like the whispy feel of this piece and the suggestion of lavender in the foreground.
"Sand Dune Daisies"  18x12" on LaCarte  NFS - going to a show!

"Showoff"

And another late night painting. I will post a video of the progression this painting took - it was quite a mess to begin with, but that's half the fun - to see if you can "pull it out" !
"SHOWOFF" Pastel 8x10" on LaCarte

On Guard

"On Guard" 12x9" pastel on LaCarte
This is a good character study of our cat Trix - she has this attitude of "are you talkin' to me?"
Love how this came together - layered the pastels so the cat's body would have depth and lots of color underneath, using the orange of the orange to bring warmth to her belly. I emphasized the shadow areas and exaggerated her lines, especially those around the head. I like how the tail is "floating" in the air as if she is twitching it with annoyance.