Herodias

 

Herodias

11 in. x 14 in., acrylic on cradled board

$325 unframed (no frame necessary)

After painting this great blue heron, I found out that the scientific name for them is Ardea Herodias.  I thought Herodias would be a fitting name for this piece, since the historical Herodias was the cold-blooded initiator of the murder of John the Baptist.  She waited for the right moment to put her daughter up to asking for his head on a platter in front of a room full of her step-father's partying friends.  In order to avoid embarrassing himself, he granted the request.  Great blue herons are patient and lethal hunters; they will stand as still and unnoticed as possible, watching and waiting for their prey to swim confidently closer and closer until they can impale them with their long, sharp beaks and swallow them whole. This painting was done as an exercise to assist an aspiring art student in learning to paint.  I hope you like it.

Reference photo courtesy @diego.madrigal.cr

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Backyard Bandit

Backyard Bandit

8 in. x 8 in., acrylic on Masonite

$180, framed

This well-fed little guy visited my workplace during a summer evening shift a few years ago and I'll admit to feeding him... pretzels.  He loved them.  I raided a coworker's stash for the salty little snacks, leaned out the office window, and he snatched them from my fingers.  This little painting, done quick and loose, captures the fleeting 7 or 8 minutes he hung out with us!

 

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Well Hello, Leon - SOLD

Well Hello, Leon

8 in. x 8 in., acrylic on cradled board

$180 unframed (framing not necessary) ~ SOLD!

Leon and his companion Huey were the resident Percheron draft horses in the pasture adjacent to the former Twiggs Gallery in Boscawen, NH, belong to the Sanborns.  The poetry group I belong to that originated at Twiggs are the Percheron Poets, named after them.  One weekend day at a gallery event, I snapped an up close and personal picture of Leon as he gazed at me curiously over the fence.  In a recent private art coaching exercise, a friend and I used my reference to paint portraits of Leon.  As you can see, he's quite paintable!

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