"Butterfly Kisses" is a break from the birds for a day. Every so often I have to reset and paint something a little different to freshen up my perspective. I really enjoyed painting "Lucky Boy" for Johanna and the butterfly in "Little Wing", so I was thinking of cute dogs and butterflies. The butterfly is a Monarch, prevalent in California and Hawaii. The dog is a West Highland Terrier puppy, or Westie for short. My parents have an adorable Westie, so I like to use him as a model. When I finish a painting, I show it to a select group of people for selfish reasons. I show my husband for support, usually I just get a "looks good babe". (The constant encouragement is great, but sometimes I wish he'd give me a little more feedback.) I show my friend Kris for an art-centric opinion (she's pretty tough and will give me an honest critique). I show my parents for a buyer's view (they are the toughest critics, but usually spot on). So when I emailed "Butterfly Kisses" to Kris and my parents, and they all approved this painting, I thought it would be a slam-dunk. With just "looks good babe" left to be said, I walk up to my couch-lounging husband and proudly present him with "Butterfly Kisses", awaiting the reflex endorsement. Instead I hear, "That would never happen." Moral of the story: be careful what you wish for... At least I know he's paying attention!
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I think I have mentioned before that I sketch a lot. Especially right now while I'm recovering from surgery and can't sit up for too long, sketching is a great outlet for releasing creative energy without expending too much physical energy. "Land Down Under" originated as a sketch (as do all of my paintings) but I loved the sketch so much that I was concerned that my painting version would not be as wonderful. I decided to paint a small poignant composition. The canvas is only 5"x5" to capture the bird's posture and nothing else. Well, I just love how this little guy turned out. He's a Red-Breasted Nuthatch. Nuthatches haven't made their way to Hawaii, but (you guessed it) they are all over California. The Nuthatch has adapted well to urban development, feeding on insects and pine tree seeds. They are also great acrobatic birds, hopping up and down tree trunks, sometimes catching flies midair or upside-down. I picture my Red-Breasted Nuthatch flying down to this ledge for some sunbathing and then realizing there's something even more amazing like a bunch of pine cones on the ground below. He's thinking, "Do I stay and catch some rays? Or do I make the trip down under?" |
AuthorKaren Obuhanych (kto ART) is a Hawaii-based artist who relishes in the simple, happy moments of everyday life. Archives
May 2019
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