Spring!

Yes, it's spring, finally happening in Wyoming. It has been raining a bit and everywhere I look is green as can be. This is so refreshing after the monochromatism of gray winter days. Nature has come to life again and because of the harsh climate, it's a yearly celebration.

I find myself wanting to paint everything green, in fact. It's such an amazing color and it's fascinating the know that most of the world is green -except for the oceans and seas, indeed. So it's the most "natural" color around, but it's never been an easy color to reproduce. What comes out of your tube of Permanent Green Light you will never find outside. Green is difficult to reproduce, and it has often been made of metal, or rather, the corrosion of metal.

I am loving all the nuances and thinking I need to explore a painting that encompasses them all, without being boring and overly uniform.

In the meantime, I'm back in my studio painting a lot! I had a difficult winter with my sweet beloved dog being sick and passing away and it took me a long time to recover. Now on, my art will always be dedicated to him, for he was a grand presence in my life.

Here is one of my latest studies, mainly green, I guess. It will most likely change in design and values, but for now this feels good.

Dawn, as the birds know it.

Acrylics on wooden panel, 16 x 20 in.

Each morning, birds are the ones waking me up. And I love mornings, for they are full of hope, the hope that this day will be leave me with a full heart and mind. 

I try not to become "attached" to shapes as I paint, or to anything at all, in fact, but shapes seem to be what calls to me the most. That is how I work, by developing shapes and creating a composition that is harmonious. I often see something in a shape and want to keep it on the painting, but it doesn't always work. When I slowly traced the bird shape on this piece, I knew what it was all about: dawn and birds.

Sketching at the Raptor Center

Today I had the great pleasure of sketching at the Teton Raptor Center, with the wonderful artist Shannon Troxler Thal. I've always loved her work, and having her there to help me as I worked was most inspiring.
I had the opportunity to sketch Ruby the partially blind red-tailed hawk, a real beauty, a bit restless but after a while I understood her shape. Her talons were stunning and I wish I had had more time to sketch them.
I also drew Owly the great-horned owl, a true model at heart as she was pretty still except for a few twists of the head to follow whoever was walking nearby. Her eyes are amazing, and I didn't do them justice, but I'll try again some day.
Sketching live, and birds, not people, was very challenging, and I learnt much in three hours. Observing these birds was also a special moment, as they are mesmerizing.
Thank you, Shannon, for allowing this to happen, it was awesome!

Aujourd'hui, j'eus le grand plaisir de dessiner au Centre des Oiseaux de Proie de Teton (ouf, traduction peu heureuse, le titre est plus joli en anglais !), en compagnie de la merveilleuse artiste Shannon Troxler Thal. J'ai toujours adoré ses travaux, et je fus très inspirée par l'aide qu'elle me fournit tout au long de la matinée. 
J'eus l'occasion de faire des esquisses de Ruby, une femelle faucon à queue rouge, une beauté, un peu agitée mais après un moment je compris ses formes générales. Ses serres étaient étonnantes et j'aurais aimé avoir plus de temps pour les dessiner. 
J'ai aussi dessiné Owly, une femelle grand-duc, un vrai modèle tant elle était calme, excepté pour quelques mouvements de la tête pour suivre ceux qui marchaient dans les parages. Ses yeux sont inouïs, et je ne les ai pas très bien exprimés, mais j'essaierai de nouveau une autre fois. 
Ce fut un vrai challenge que de dessiner des oiseaux vivants, pas des gens, et en trois heures, j'en ai appris beaucoup. C'est un moment unique que de pouvoir observer ces oiseaux de près, tant ils sont stupéfiants.
Merci, Shannon, pour cette matinée fantastique !