WIP - Cumbres & Toltec Engine 487

WIP - Work In Progress, I started the narrow gauge DRGW engine painting a year ago.  I did a very basic block-in and got frustrated.  Which happens a lot, especially lately, sometimes you know what and how you want to paint but, it just does not come out right.  This has been my last week at the 9 to 5 job and in the evenings this week at the easel.  I had mother's day and other "honey dos" to attend to so I only got in a little time on this painting.  I started to add the the background and sharpened some of the edges.  I feel like I have a better idea of where I want to go.  This is not a study, but it is an original of my design and is based off a trip on the Cumbers & Toltec Historical Railroad in Colorado and New Mexico back in 2010.  I have lots of sketches and paintings in me, just need the time to put them on canvas.

Sky and tree study - part one

This is the start of an oil painting, tree and sky study.  I have blocked in the sky and will add the tree after the sky gets tacky instead of full wet paint.

Snowy Maple and Beeches Study

I little throw back to winter study, as I worked in the yard this weekend and did not get much done art wise.  I did work on this little study to continue the practice of throwing paint on canvas.

Experiment and Surprise

This is an experiment and a block-in start.  The experiment is I painted this on a smooth hard board so it requires some different brush techniques.  The unpainted white area will be water with a sky reflection.  I will let this half dry and tomorrow night I will work in some cloud color and brush strokes.    We will se if it works, I sort of ran out of time tonight.

Rufous-sided Towhee

This a colored pencil sketch of a Rufous-sided Towhee.  He is part of the backyard crew we sometimes get here in Maryland.  I have three sketchbooks for sketching all the birds I have seen and identified.  Not all have been sketched yet but I plan to sketch them all.

Snowy Maple Study

The start of a Snowy scene with I think a Maple tree.  I plan to add more branches and texture to the trunk.  Back to the day job grind tomorrow which is fun since I had to go into the grind for part of the day today.  Soon I will switch over to painting full time.  I cannot wait.

Beech Forest Study

Continuing the string of studies, this is the start of a beech forest, in spring especially since today os chilly and not too spring like.  I can see now how I need to vary the background and work on the roundness of my trunks.