There is something intimate about peeking into a bird's nest to see a clutch of eggs. It is a sight rarely seen, and it is reassuring, in a way, to see nature's wild creatures going on with their life's business as they have for thousands of years.
I painted this piece on Gessoboard, which is a very smooth surface. To suggest a structure of weeds, grasses and twigs surrounding the eggs, I used heavy body acrylic paints mixed with modeling paste applied with a palette knife. The knife edge gave the thin, grass-like strokes I was looking for.
This painting is sold, but, stay tuned, as I plan on doing a series of eggs in nests.
10 comments:
Carol!
What a nice combination here!
You have the smooth blue eggs against the heavily textured grass of the nest.
Thanks for explaining how you achieved the 3-D effect!
-Dean
Very nice! Love the color of those eggs and how they complement the straw color of the nest.
You certainly are the Master of textures and colors. You even though out to have your font in the matching blue! I am eagerly waiting for the next nest paintings. Oh, and thanks for sharing some of your techniques...I'm still learning and it is always helpful to read what artists I admire are doing.
This is beautiful, what a novel idea to paint a nest with eggs, it looks like a real nest just waiting for the parents to come back and sit on them!
Carol,
I truly love your work and it is a great inspiration to me. I've just found you, right when I'm making the plunge into abstract art after a successful 22 years painting the representational. I would appreciate any comments from you. . . . . . and if you're too busy, that's ok. I'll keep following.
Nora Kasten
Hi Nora,
As you can see my style bounces around from realism to abstraction. If you show me a picture of anything - animals, people, landscape, still life, whatever - I can do a fair job of replicating it for you in paint. It's the abstract works that exercise the true creative process. I have to pull it out of my head from some unknown place.
I've always said painting abstractly is like taking a journey with no map and no destination. I never can visualize the finished painting when I first look at the blank canvas. For me, that's what is so exciting about abstract painting.
The two Cityscape paintings I've just completed were both inspired from the same photo. They are different, but have a certain similarity to one another. If you've been painting 22 years, it's time to set yourself free. Take a photo, such as the one I based Cityscape 1 & 2 on, break it down into it's compositional elements, and try it.
Best of luck with your new direction in paint,
Carol
P.S. Almost every abstract painting goes through the stage where I ask myself "Is this going to work or not?" Many of them work out, but some remain clunkers for which there is no cash.
Oh, Carol . . .
Thank you so much for your wise advise and instruction. It is wonderful that you share so freely and I wish for you a one hundred fold return for your goodness to me and the many others whose lives you are touching.
Nora
The texture of the nest is so great. Gives the painting a 3-D look. You captured the perfect shade of blue for the eggs. Great job!
I love this homage to the birds nest. It's such a thrill to watch the hatching and the fledglings. I remember a fantastic piece you did in blue and gold with a clock theme. It was wonderful!!
Great stuff here.
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Best regards
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