Over on Painting Friends we've recently done another in our year of painting set.
Each month we have a photo reference set for us and we interpret it in our own fashion.
This month was a lady cardinal, a bird not native to the UK. I was a trifle concerned how I would cope with painting something others were very familiar with and me not at all !
The original photo had the bird sitting on a branch and lots of other branches and the tree trunk visible. I decided to remove all of those and just paint the bird with one snowy branch and a very wintry background.
I hope you enjoy the painting and if you have any questions on how I did it, fire away! I will do my best to answer :)
Wintry Day
This and all my other paintings are together on my permanent gallery site HERE Do go over and have a browse - and enjoy :)
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Hi Pat, your Cardinal looks very nice indeed and the background is simply fantastic. First class watercolor! Ciao!
ReplyDeleteGreat painting, Pat! I am in awe of this fabulous background! It looks very icy and cold.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I am going to join Painting Friends!
Thank you Tito. What a great compliment from you, a maestro of the art! xx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Judy, glad you like the background. I had originally intended to add snow, but loved it as was - so no flecks!
ReplyDeleteThrilled you'll be joining, look forward to seeing you there! :) :) xx
Lovely painting Pat. Your background shows a lot of depth, did you use some cling film to get the effect?.. anyway, great job.
ReplyDeletethanks Ann.
ReplyDeleteYes, I did use cling film - very wet washes, a few pieces of cling film stretched vertically and some heavy books to weight it down and get those lovely deep impressions :)
Hi Pat The painting is wonderful. With the background the bird comes to a wonderful validity
ReplyDeleteElsbeth
Pat, really nice painting, it looks cold , something we're not used to here in Florida, but the cardinal we have a lot of them.. Beautifully done. hugs, BJ
ReplyDeleteDear Pat,
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely masterpiece. Brilliant. Congrats!!
Kind regards,Sadami
Well done, Pat. The scene does indeed look wintery. Your background is perfect!
ReplyDeletePat,cada vez me dejas más impresionada.
ReplyDeleteEres una artista capaz de crear una acuarela increíblemente hermosa.
Felicidades y un besito para ti.
Lovely painting. I like the background, and at first I was wondering if you used such cling film. And indeed you did.
ReplyDeleteDear Pat
ReplyDeleteYour cardinal is just beautiful and I love the background..
Blessings,
Penny
Simply beautiful Pat , the colors are wonderful and 'wintery'. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteA painting so sweet...xx Arianna
ReplyDeleteBello,molto,molto bello,sei bravissima!!
ReplyDeleteCiaoo!!
Hi Pat, very nice water colour!
ReplyDeleteBut I didn't understand what is the "cling film"...
Is it, perhaps, that plastic film typically used for sealing food?
However, a beautiful experiment of great effect, and very nice and colourful the little bird (I think a red-crested cardinal)!
Good night and good luck,
Francesco
Buen trabajo, muy lograda la sensación de frío, me gusta mucho.
ReplyDeleteSaludos
Your lady cardinal is lovely and I love the icy-looking background. Really well done as always, Pat.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cardinal, Pat, and the background is amazing!!!! Congrats! xoxo
ReplyDeleteThanks so much everyone, I can't tell you how pleased I am you like this, I was so unsure of the bird. Now I feel much happier about it - you're all the best! *hugs*
ReplyDeleteand yes, cling film is the plastic film for sealing food, wrapping sandwiches - all that stuff.
If you tear off a long strip, then scrunch it up and stretch it out just enough to cover a very wet wash, weight it down with heavy books and leave it overnight, you get this wonderful random effect. The colours you use will determine if it looks frosty or sunny. I used sunny in "At Sanctuary's Gate"
Lovely painting Pat. Brrr, that background is super and really looks soooo coooold! The bird looks a little bit like our winter friend, the Robin, only with a punk hairdo!
ReplyDeleteYour choice for the background was excellent. Wonderful painting
ReplyDeleteI like the cling film effect - Isn't it a great way of adding texture! I have always wished we have Humming-Birds in the UK. I see so many paintings of them on the blogs! I want to paint one too! And this bird is also very handsome! :0)
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful Pat. Love the background.
ReplyDeletePat, I love it!You did a great job on the cardinal. You also caught the feel of winter. I'm staring, trying to find a way into the painting so I can cool off:)
ReplyDeleteGlad you all liked it. I really enjoy playing with texture!
ReplyDeleteMichael, I thought she looked like a fat sparrow who'd been using a Dayglo marker :) xx
Pat,
ReplyDeleteshe is wonderful and the background is perfect! Of course, you are reminding me that winter is just around the corner. It is so wonderful to look out at the fallen snow and see a beautiful cardinal. It makes winter a bit more durable.
Hugsxx