I have mentioned several times that I walk most mornings at Ft Benjamin Harrison State Park. It is the site of an old army base and has wonderful wooded areas and is home to ducks, herons, squirrels, deer and beautiful birds. Did I say deer? There are lots and lots and lots of deer! One Sunday morning I saw 6 deer and less than two minutes later 5 deer. The invasive honeysuckle bushes have been cleared and it was very easy to see the deer enjoying their Sunday Brunch.
So why am I telling you this? For many months I have been struggling with the direction I should take with my painting – realistic, representational, or abstract? Animals, still life, abstract or landscape? I have had success with my abstracts and I still love color so I will continue to paint abstracts but they say you will have the most true success (i.e. happiness!) painting what you love. I decided to spend some time painting animals and nature. I always feel peaceful and happy when I’m petting my dogs or walking in the woods laughing at the playful squirrels or listening to birdsong.
Recently I painted two small watercolors of deer. I started with a loose background over a primary color “mingle” and then painted the deer. I just made up the backgrounds and focused on summer and fall colors.
The deer have slightly different looks and some are definitely enjoying the bounty of the park more than others. It was fun and I just relaxed as I painted. The paintings are a beginning. I hope you enjoy them.
Linda Halcomb's Blog 