This commissioned piece, though far far from finished, is coming along well. The buyer is a skilled quilt artist and she likes my "fat little birds." So when she called to commission a painting, we combined her grandmother's antique sewing machine with her favorite birdie, a chickadee. I haven't decided if I want the bird holding a thread in its beak or not. There will be a great deal of detail in the gold pattern that will overlay the blue machine and in the fabric, so I don't want to get bogged down by introducing yet another detail…but then again…it might help draw attention to the bird more. I hope to finish this painting before Thanksgiving.
I've always admired the almost airbrushed quality in the backgrounds of some realist painters. I've sought to emulate it, but it has eluded me until now. It seems it's all about patience. Who knew?! So this time, I spent several hours kicking out brushstrokes with a soft sable brush, wiping it off every few passes. I was determined to get it right no matter how long it took. I'm rather happy with the result. Never stop growing!
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