"B" is for "Blue Jay" - "The Alphabet Mini's challenge"

"Blue Jay"

Today for my "Alphabet Mini's" challenge I painted a "Blue Jay" for my letter"B".  He looks a bit scruffy, but I don't have quite enough time today to refine him.  It is a 4"x4"oil painting on a canvas panel. Here is a photo of it on my easel:

Also see a few images from another artist that started this challenge.  Her name is "Jennifer O'Cualain" and she is an incredible wildlife artist.  Here are a few of her "Alphabet Mini's" for today's Letter "B":  They are actually very tiny oil paintings 3.25 x 2.5.  Below is a link to her website.

 "B" is for "Burro"

"B" is for "Bison"

Aren't they wonderful

Jennifer O'Cualain's website

Barbara Rudolph

my website

email

"A" is for "Anna's Hummingbird" The Alphabet Mini's Challenge

Anna's Hummingbird

Here is my first daily painting for the "Alphabet Mini's" challenge.  It is a 4x4" oil on canvas panel.  Once I figure out how to link to the other participating artists work, I will post some here.  You can even join in if you want.  Just paint or sculpt one small piece a day starting today, (June 1st).  Each day work your way through the alphabet creating something that begins with the letter of the day.  Today, being June 1st, I chose the "Anna's Hummingbird" for the letter "A".  

Barbara Rudolph
website
email

Baseball Painting "The Love of Baseball" (framed)

"The Love of Baseball"

Here is just a snapshot of the new oil painting framed up for my client.  

Barbara Rudolph

my website

email

Baseball Painting "The Love of Baseball" with Hank Aaron Ball

"The Love of Baseball"

Another of my "baseball" commissions is finished up and ready to go to the framers today.  It is an oil painting of an old "baseball glove" with a ball autographed by "Hank Arron".  I also painted in several of the books that belong to my clients like "The Love of Baseball".  They are particularly fond of the "American Goldfinch" since they have them around their home in Wisconsin.  We also have the "goldfinch" or "lesser goldfinch" here in Arizona, and they are fun to watch.  I like to photograph them and use them for reference in my oil paintings.  I think the bright yellow color of the "bird" really helps this oil painting pop.    

It measures 12x16" and is painted on canvas.  

Your comments are welcome. 

Barbara Rudolph

my website

also called:

PaintingBirds.com

email

Painting Baseball "DEM BUMS" FINISHED! "In The Catbird Seat"

"IN THE CATBIRD SEAT"

My "Dem Bums" commissioned "baseball" painting is finished.  The title of the oil painting is "In The Catbird Seat."  This oil painting commemorates when the "Brooklyn Dodgers" beat the New York Yankees in game seven of the "1955 World Series".    

My clients had several important objects that they wanted included in the painting.  The "baseball books", the original "Brooklyn Dodgers" cap and the "DEM BUMS" vanity plate.  (That phrase was considered a term of endearment in Brooklyn.)  Since I specialize in "oil paintings with birds" the "catbird" fit perfectly into this composition.  "Red Barber" the very famous Major League Baseball announcer of the time, made the phrase "Sitting in the Catbird Seat" popular.  It meant "sitting pretty" like a batter with three balls and no strikes on him.  

I posted some snapshots of the in-progress work on earlier blog posts.  I actually have been working on two different "baseball" commissions this month and if feels good to have them all finished up so I can move on to some new paintings.

If you have a comment, just click on the comment link.

Barbara Rudolph

website

email

June Painting Challenge - "Alphabet Minis"

The "Alphabet Mini's Project.
Join in this painting challenge for the month of June

Here is a wonderful painting challenge for the month of June.  Two extremely talented artist that I have met from doing the "Celebration of Fine Art" show together, posted this venture on Facebook, and I think it is a fantastic idea.  Beginning on June 1st, every day paint something small that begins with the letter "A" and work your way through the alphabet.    You can create whatever it is that you do, but challenge yourself to do one everyday working from A to Z.  Since I needed a little "summer inspiration", this seems like a fun challenge to me.

Since I paint "birds"  I am already starting to think of "birds" that begin with the letter "A".....like "Albatross"....."Anna's Hummingbird"......"American Tree Sparrow"....."American Goldfinch".....   sounds like fun...but not sure what I'll do for "X", "Y" and "Z"???  Any ideas?

Anyone can join in this fun challenge.  If you do, please forward me your information and I'll link your sites.  The credit for this "Alphabet Mini's" challenge goes to "Paul Rhymer" and "Jennifer O'Cualain" who then credit the artists below in the original post:

Paul Rhymer

Starting June 1st I am embarking on a little 26 day self indulgent project Jennifer O'Cualain and I are calling "Alphabet Minis." So on the 1st I'll sculpt, and she will paint, something that has to do with the letter "A" and will work through June until we get the whole alphabet finished. Anyone who is interested is welcome to join us in this venture. I may cast and sell these as one-of-a-kind pieces, but the main idea is to create every day. Anyone else in?
Tip 'o the hat to Adele Earnshaw for inspiring me to do this. — withKay Crane.

Paul Rhymer is an award winning sculptor
Jennifer O'Cualain an award winning wildlife painter

Barbara Rudolph
my website
email

I hope you will join in too

Baseball Painting - Problems and Solutions - Lost and Found edges

Continuing on with my "In-Progress Hank Aaron oil painting"

I have painted in the "baseball glove", "bird", and "books" here, minus the details.  I still have to do all of the shadows and highlight in the glove and the books.  I will also have to paint in the shelf and the background shadows of the painting.  Before I could get to this stage, (as shown above) I had to resolve a "problem area" with the right side of the "baseball."  (see images below)

One important element I have learned in painting is what is called a "Lost and Found" edge.  It is very important to have this in your paintings.  I struggled with this for a long time and couldn't see it in my earlier works.  I had a friend and very talented artist point this out to me a few years ago while doing a show together.   He would  just walk right up to my painting and say Barbie "You need to "loose that edge".   Thank you "Kirk Randall".   I was just working too close to my paintings and was missing that very important lesson.  Even now...as I am working on several of these "baseball" commissions, I discovered a problem area with my "Hank Aaron" painting.    

In this first image below, do you see the "hard line" on the right side of my "baseball"?  Looks terrible right?

The solution:  I made the right side of the "baseball" in a much stronger shadow.  "Lost and Found" edge here.  See the difference it made?  Just a very simple step to do, but what a difference it makes.  Now I can continue on to the next layer of color.

Hope you will check back in again soon to see the finished "baseball" paintings. Click on the comment link below to leave a comment.

Barbara Rudolph

my website
Painting birds . com
email