Two more landscapes for my 60/60 Challenge

I'm way behind schedule on my 60/60 Challenge (60 paintings in 60 days from life - no photographic reference).  These two landscapes are my 30th and 31st.  Just over halfway done!  I painted this first little study looking out the studio window to the hills of Eketahuna/Mt.Bruce, about 25K north of Masterton on New Zealand's North Island.  It's just a tiny piece - perhaps 4.5" x 4". Today was chilly and windy, so looking out the studio window was as close as I wanted to get to 'painting on location'.

The first piece gave me an idea of how I could 'fix' the second piece that I'd painted a few days earlier and didn't like.  I simplified it and concentrated on values.   I've noticed such a huge improvement in my little 75/75 bird studies by doing them daily, I'm hoping the same thing will happen with my on-location studies.  *sigh*  Nothing good comes easy!

The Hills of Eketahuna

10" x 8"  Oil on gessoed board

Today's Oil Study - Cactus Wren

It's been a while since I've painted a cactus wren so I've done one for today's study....a break from New Zealand species.  Like the other studies,  it's a 5" x 7" oil on gessoed board.

258 - Cactus Wren

5" x 7" oil study on board, unframed

US$75 plus $6 shipping within the U.S. or New Zealand

SOLD

Today's Oil Study - Another Tui

I really liked the tui I painted a couple of days ago.  It's hard to just suggest vegetation in a painterly way, especially the New Zealand bush which is a myriad of greens. This study is my second attempt to suggest the NZ bush without noodling it to death.

256 - Tui (2)

7" x 5" oil study on board, unframed

US$75 plus $6 shipping within the U.S. or New Zealand

SOLD

If you're in New Zealand and would like to purchase this study, the Paypal "BUY NOW" button willtake your NZ credit card and convert it to NZ dollars.  I will mail it to you once it is dry in about a week.  If you purchase it from the U.S, I will mail the painting to you once I return to the U.S. in mid-May, about a month from now.

Yesterday's Oil Study - Pied Oyster Catchers

These little guys are Pied Oyster Catchers,  a common bird native to New Zealand.  It's easy to see them at Sandspit, north of Auckland, where at high tide they stand around in the parking lot.  My internet has been really restricted so yesterday's piece didn't get posted until today, though I did
paint it yesterday - honest!

SOLD

255 - Pied Oyster Catchers

5" x 7" oil study on board, unframed

US$75 plus $6 shipping within the U.S. or New Zealand

If you're in New Zealand and would like to purchase this study, the Paypal "BUY NOW" button will take your NZ credit card and convert it to NZ dollars.  I will mail it to you once it is dry in about a week.  If you purchase it from the U.S, I will mail the painting to you once I return to the U.S. in mid-May, about a month from now.

Today's Oil Study is a New Zealand Tui

I'm really happy with the way this study came together.  It's a New Zealand tui.  While I was painting it I could hear tuis singing outside my studio.  They have a beautiful song!

254 - New Zealand Tui

7" x 5" oil study on board, unframed

US$75 plus $6 shipping with the U.S. or New Zealand

SOLD

If you're in New Zealand and would like to purchase this study, the Paypal 'buy it' button will take your NZ credit card and will convert it to NZ dollars.  I will mail it to you once it is dry - in about a week.  If you purchase it from the U.S. I will mail the painting to you once I return to the U.S. mid-May - about a month from now.

Today's 75/75 is a Magpie

Today's oil study for my 75 for $75 project is a magpie (North American).  We have magpies here in New Zealand too, but they're an import from Australia...black and white, stockier and a shorter tail.

253 - Magpie (North American)

5" x 7" oil study on board, unframed

US$75 plus $6 shipping within the U.S. or New Zealand

SOLD

Please note:  If you purchase this study and you live in the U.S., I will mail it to you when I return to the U.S. mid-May.  So there will be about a six week delay before you receive it.

Today's 75/75 is a Chickadee

Today's oil study for my 75 for $75 project is a North American species - a chickadee.  I had fun doing the background on this because the board I'm using here in New Zealand is slightly different than what I'm used to painting on when in the U.S.  I've also started using a painting medium - and find that I like it!

252 - Chickadee

5" x 7" oil study on gessoed board, unframed.

US$ 75 plus $6 shipping within the U.S. or New Zealand

SOLD

If you live in the U.S. and purchase this painting, please be aware that I won't mail it to you until I'm back in the U.S., mid-May.  So rather than the usual 1 - 2 weeks before shipping, it'll be about 6 weeks before you receive the painting.  By then it will be good and dry!

Painting with the kids of Eketahuna

Yesterday morning I worked with some of the local kids making banners for the Anzac Day memorial at the newly restored Anzac Bridge in Eketahuna (90 minutes north of Wellington on New Zealand's North Island).  As my father spent five years in Europe with the RNZAF during WWII, my grandfather was wounded and gassed in WWI and great uncles were killed at Gallipoli, I considered the time working with the kids well spent.  Kay Flavell, director of NPS Mt. Bruce where I'm currently artist-in-residence, is responsible getting the ball rolling for the restoration of the neglected Eketahuna Anzac Bridge. It was built in 1924 and inscribed with the names of local soldiers lost in WWI.  Anzac Day, first observed in 1916, commemorates Australian and New Zealand men and women who were killed in war as well as honoring returned servicemen and woman.

I had a great time with the kids who worked well and enthusiastically..quite a few budding artists among them!

#27 and 28, 60/60 Challenge

Aghhh!  What was I thinking when I planned two daily painting projects at the same time?  I'm seriously behind on my 60/60 Painting Challenge (one painting a day from life, for 60 days) but this is only day 3 or 4 of my 75/75 project (75 bird studies for US$75 each) which will continue for 30 days.  I am doing a 30 day residency at NPS/Mt Bruce, a few minutes south of the farming community of Eketahuna at the south end of New Zealand's North Island.  The peace and seclusion means I have absolutely nothing else to do but paint and sketch.

Yesterday, my painting buddy Joe Garcia and his wife Anne stopped by my cottage with the gift of a radio and a bag of feijoas.  What gifts!  I was getting pretty tired of the songs on my Ipod so now I can listen to talk shows and news.  Joe and I painted in the afternoon at the Anzac Bridge just south of Eketahuna.  The low mountain range (or tall hills?) to the west are the Tararuas....so the first piece is titled, Rain on the Tararuas.  

60/60 Challenge #27

Rain on The Tararauas

(painted from the Anzac Bridge south of Eketahuna)

8" x 10" oil on gessoed board

Yesterday morning I painted this tiny opaque watercolor of the view from the cottage, looking over the hilly farmland to the east.  

60/60 Challenge #28

Opaque Watercolor on 300lb Arches Cold-pressed Paper

75 for $75 is Back!

This month, I'm artist-in-residence at NPS-Mt. Bruce, just a mile down the road from the Mt. Bruce Wildlife Centre, so I decided with this 75/75 project to paint both New Zealand and North American birds.  As I'm right in the middle of another project, the 60/60 Challenge (60 paintings in 60 days, painted from life) I'll hopefully make two posts a day - one for each project.  Where do I get these crazy ideas anyway?

I've been trying to figure out if I need two different payment buttons - one for NZ $ and one for US $ - but then I realized that it isn't necessary.  If you're in New Zealand and wish to purchase a piece, when you use your credit card you will be charged the current exchange rate in NZ dollars.  Postage is the same in both countries.  But PLEASE NOTE:  If you're in the U.S. and purchase one of this month's 75/75 studies, I won't mail them until I'm back in the U.S., mid-May.  So rather than waiting a week or two to receive it, it'll be about six weeks.  By then the painting will be good and dry!

Phew, this is almost too much for my right-brain to comprehend.  Stay tuned!  I'll start posting the studies tomorrow.