Painting Update

It has been a crazy week around here! I have been be painting a lot at night. I am sure the lil old neighbor ladies are wondering what I could possibly be doing at two and three in the morning. Ya know, it's funny they will come over and ask when I'm going to mow my lawn, but never what it is that I do.



Well anyway, I am back to work on the Barred Owl painting. It is coming along nicely (at least I think so, but what do I know I thought parachute pants were cool in the 1980's). I have added some green to the background to help draw out the reddish tones in the browns of the feathers and the eyes. I am also trying to loosen up a little and only put a lot of detail in the areas that I want to focus attention on, like around the eyes.



This is something that one of my professors had mentioned to me years ago. I had understood what he was saying at the time but I don't think I wasn't ready to "see" things that way. I was to fascinated by the intricate details and complex beauty of nature close up. After doing so many detailed miniatures this past year I have begun to feel the need to express more feelings and emotion in my paintings. I think I am content to leave the behind my attempts at highly detailed images. Not to say that I wont still paint in detail, but that it will become secondary to the thoughts and feelings I will be trying to express in my up coming work. I used to express my feelings and emotions more in words. Occationally some little bit of writing scrwaled on a napkin or scrape of paper would lead to a painting, that often was better than it would have been on its own. I don't see this as much of a new direction, but a home coming.

Life is Good

I know I haven't posted anything in a few days, so I thought I thought I would check in.
The last few days have been very busy and at the same time just terrific. Saturday night I had a get together with some old friends none of whom I had seen in years. It was like no time had past at all. Everyone talk for hours, laughed a lot and just enjoyed being together again. It's strange how the bonds we develop and share in youth never seem to fade. And for me at least it was a much needed break and has left me feeling recharged.

And today was Fathers Day. I had a great day just hanging out with my family at home and chatting on the phone to the ones that could not be here.

Did I get any artwork done, nope! But ya know, that's okay with me.

Sleeping Bunny Painting

I just finished the sleepy little fellow and listed him on Ebay for auction. He looks pretty comfy tucked into that clover. Maybe I'll join him for a nap.

Osprey Ebay item number

I have listed the Osprey painting for auction on Ebay. The item number and link is:

Osprey Original Watercolor Painting by Eric Dull SFA

180369842889

Sleeping Bunny

Things have been kinda busy around here lately, which means I have not been able to get out to the woods or any place interesting lately. So I was pleasantly surprised when the idea for this sleepy little bunny tucked into the grass and clover came to mind. See it what happens when you don't get the lawn mowed twice a week. When the clover comes up so do some ideas. Lucky me.

He should be done tonight or tomorrow and I will be listing him and the Osprey painting on ebay. I'll post the item numbers when I list them.

Osprey Painting Part 2

Woohoo, he is done! I had a lot of fun working on this one. I got to work in my usual tight detail, but I also got to loosen up a little bit in the background with lost of brush strokes. I am really starting to enjoy working on the Arches paper. The colors keep there intensity better and my lines are crisper than on the illustration boards. I think this is my favorite painting of the year so far.

Barred Owl Painting

Another painting I'm working on. A Barred Owl. Their eyes intrigue me. They are so dark and deep they look black until the light hits them just right and you can just make out the rich dark brown. Like a still,dark, pool their strange warmth draws you in.

Oh well I always did have a thing for brown eyed girls, maybe that explains it. Good thing Michelle's are green or I'd be in big trouble.

Osprey Painting

I finally got started on the osprey painting last night. As you may have noticed he doesn't look quite so angry now. Just kinda intense, maybe he had a good lunch.

I am painting him on 140lbs. Arches watercolor paper that has been stretched. That's why you see the lovely brown tape around the edges. Actually it reminds my of art school when I ran out of drawing paper and couldn't afford to buy any, I used the old brown paper grocery bags until I could buy some regular paper. They are still some of my favorite drawings.

I got a new sketch book over the weekend and needed to break it in. It was wet and rainy out this morning so I desided to stay in and sketch out an Osprey for a up coming painting.This is the first year I have seen them here in Ohio. The first was at Spencer Lake in Medina County the other was a good old Sandy Ridge in North Ridgeville. They are some of the fiercest looking birds I have ever seen. And from what my biologist freind Dr. Rothacker at OSU has told me they have a personality to match their appearance. I tried to make this one seem only mildly annoyed, instead of just down right pissed off.

With the way things are in the world today I thought we all could use somethings that are either cute, fun or just plan ridiculous to look at to take our minds off things. As you can tell I started with cute. The others are on their way. And with the goofy ideas popping into my head lately, they will probably be of the ridiculous variety. This little fellow will by listed for auction on Ebay starting tonight. I'll post the link to him later tonight.