I had to paint another pair of chickadees! They are so cute and fun to paint. These two are my favorite type of chickadee, the Black-Capped Chickadee. I feel like they look very content and completely satisfied, sitting together on ordinary day, enjoying each other's company. I have noticed a theme that makes me happy: sitting with a friend or love and just enjoying a moment in peace:)
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This is a small study to make a larger, more detailed painting. My mom took a photo of her bird feeder in the plum tree right outside our house. Growing up, I loved playing in the trees, picking the plums and watching birds bounce around on the front patio. After I moved away, the feeder got upgraded and the patio received a facelift, but the feeling is the same. There are some things that will always remind you of home and childhood. Plum trees, roses galore and old timber bird houses are three of those things for me. Love Forget Me Nots! Add a lady bug and we are in business:) I loved the colors in "Blue (Da Ba Dee)", so I used a similar color palette. It's not exactly the same because I mix everything as I go, but it's in the same color field. Niners are playing today and I had to bring a little extra lady luck! Go Niners! :) 'I'iwi are my hummingbirds, they make me feel good. They have this quirky, endearing quality that just bring a goofy smile to my face. It reminds me of "Movie Face". I know most people get "Movie Face" so whether you know what I'm talking about or not, you probably do it yourself... "Movie Face" is when you watch a movie and you get so into the story, you have this dopey look on your face. Usually this occurs during a funny or sentimental point in the movie. 'I'iwi give me "Movie Face" and I like it, so there;) Yes, all of us dog lovers out there know "the look"... It goes a little something like this: 1. puppy sees something he wants 2. puppy notices you are not giving it up (at this point you might say something like, "this is my turkey bacon sandwich, not for dogs") 3. puppy realizes his only chance will involve deploying his ultimate irresistibility tactic... -puppy looks down, as though defeated -stretches paws out in the submissive lay down pose -slowly lowers head on paws, all without looking at you -then, when he knows you are looking his way with empathy, he takes his kill-shot: THE LOOK You are a goner. Goodbye last piece of bacon on your sando... Puppy: 1 You: 0 Remember this song? If you do, then you will probably have this song stuck in your head all day, like I do right now... sorry! I wanted a more upbeat, slightly mindless song for this painting because my little bluebird looks like he's just enjoying a nice day on a boysenberry branch, not brooding over anything too serious. Everyone should have a moment of joy everyday like this, where you can just sit and let the world rush by without you rushing with it. Love doing pet commissions! These guys made it tough on me! They have the dark patches around the eyes and mouth, which makes it hard for those features to come out more defined without looking outlined. But I feel I succeeded in the end. Kim is happy, I am happy and the dogs look happy (well, Peanut on the left looks a little more intrigued than happy), so it's a triple win;) Thanks Kim! I hope Grandma likes the painting! I felt like painting a hummingbird today. There are many types of hummingbirds, but none have made it to Hawaii. This one is a Broad-Billed Hummingbird. I love his bright orange/red bill! Of course, I also needed some flowers, so I decided to paint him amongst some of my favorites from California: lavender and poppies. It's a love-fest day:) At the Genesis Gallery Hawaii, there is an artist named George Aldrete and he paints gorgeous trees in the Hawaiian landscape. One such tree is the Royal Poinciana. Visitors are always asking, "What tree is that?" With its brilliant cadmium orange/red flowers and umbrella-like shape, these trees are breathtaking and unforgettable.
So I decided to paint the 'Amakihi enjoying a fair-weather day on a branch of the flowering tree... Only thing missing is his sweetheart:) I can just hear the starting guitar riff for "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith. My rooster is strutting around like he owns the place. He imagines all ladies swooning over his incredible dances moves and good looks... Cut to reality: you see behind him and see one old lady looking on. She's not so impressed, she's seen this walk before! |
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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