Work In Progress

WIP: Downy Woodpecker Update #2

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:12:00 +0000

After 10 wonderful and inspiring days spent in Yellowstone and Kalispell, MT I have returned to the easel. I got back to work on the little downy yesterday; I added more texture to the background, roughed in the hemlock bark, and refined some small details on the bird. Will work on it some more today.

New WIP: Downy Woodpecker

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:36:00 +0000

With news of a new show in the spring and another one pending, I decided I should try and crank out some smaller, affordable pieces. So, I started this 6x8 oil of a male downy woodpecker yesterday. I shot the reference outside my dining room window of this male downy feeding at one of the suet cages I have setup. He would grab some and quickly look around to make sure no predators were about. Wise, as there's several sharpshinned hawks that frequent the neighborhood. In my reference, he had suet all caked on his bill, but I used artistic license and cleaned his bill up!
Click image to enlarge.

Terns Finished?

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 21:38:00 +0000

I hope everyone had a nice holiday! Mine was nice...I spent it with loved ones, ate lots of yummy food, had some good belly laughs, and I had time to paint. I think that the terns are finished. I'm going to let it sit on my easel for a few days and decide if it needs any further tweaking. What does everyone think about the underpainting peeking through? I personally like it...but do you think too much is showing? Please tell me your thoughts. By the way, I'm calling this piece "Backoff!"

Click images to enlarge.

"Backoff!", 18x24, oil on Gessobord panel

WIP: Terns nearing completion

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:24:00 +0000

Figured I'd post an image of where I left off on the terns before I get started on it this morning. The flying tern is well underway and if all goes well, I should be able to finish this painting over the Christmas holiday. Speaking of which, I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday!

Click image to enlarge.

WIP: Another Update on the Terns

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 16:10:00 +0000

While nursing a sore jaw over the last few days (I had a tooth extracted Friday), I holed up in the studio and made some more progress on the terns. As you can see now, the second tern has been started. Just roughing it in at this point. The other tern is probably finished, but I may finesse it a little later. This is only a portion of the 18x24 panel.

Click to enlarge.

WIP: Terns Update

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:07:00 +0000

Regrettably, I have not been making alot of progress with this painting of late, but I've made some. I've had too many other things going on. Anyway, the tern's wings are both almost complete; I added some more detail on the head and eye; and I added some more detail into the tree limb.
Click image to enlarge.

WIP: ? Update

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:08:00 +0000

Revealing a little more of this painting. My birding friends probably know what it is now :)

41st Annual Waterfowl Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 23:17:00 +0000

Last week was the annual Waterfowl Festival in Easton, MD. This is one of the few booth shows that I do and it happens to be in my home state. I always look forward to this show. I remember being very young and dreaming of being a part of it one day. This was my third year exhibiting and although I did not have the best year there sales-wise, I do hope to be back next year! I had the privilege of being booth neighbors with two artists I greatly admire, Matthew Hillier and Terry Miller. I was delighted to come home with a Hillier original that my husband bought for me as a Christmas present! Below are some photos of my display:

While in Easton, I always get out to Blackwater Refuge. I went out early one morning before the show and it was extremely foggy. I loved the atmospheric quality. Here's a collage of some of the photos I took:

New WIP: ?

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:46:00 +0000

Something new is on the easel...I'm going to just tease you with a section of it for for now as I really have only locked in on the dead limb.

Click image to enlarge.

String of Good News

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:56:00 +0000

I’ve had a string of good news of late...

First, I sold 4 out of the 7 paintings I had on display in a solo exhibition at the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum.

Secondly, I learned that I was awarded First Place for Watermedia for my painting Driftwood Perch at the Irving Arts Association's Annual Juried Wildlife Art Exhibit.

I was then completely thrilled to learn that Driftwood Perch was awarded Best of Show at the Richeson 75: Animals, Birds & Wildlife Online Exhibition! What an honor. Mort Solberg, master watercolorist, was the juror. He had this to say about my piece: "The painting consists of a strong design, well executed with nature shown in its winter harshness, yet alive with life."

Here's the link to view the entire show: http://www.richeson75.com/wildlife/index.html. You can also vote for the People's Choice award through Dec. 15th by clicking the link at the top of the show's page.

Driftwood Perch, watercolor, 20 x 14.5"

As if all this was not enough excitement...lastly, I learned that I received a Merit Award for Good to the Last Bite in the Maryland Pastel Society's Shades of Pastel Exhibition.

Good to the Last Bite, pastel, 12 x 17.5"

What a fun ride it was!

Finished: Painting of Whitetail Fawns

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:38:00 +0000

I finished this painting very late last night. This piece almost hit the trashcan this weekend as I was so frustrated with it at one point. The wet, dewy grass was giving me a fit. I just did not like how it was turning out. I took a break from it for a few days, just to look at it again with fresher eyes. I returned to it last night and salvaged it the best I could. I'm calling it done! This one is called "Misty Morning Fawns" and will be available at the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, MD next month.

Misty Morning Fawns, 12x16. oil on linen panel

Update: Painting of Fawns

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:55:00 +0000

This piece is still progressing along. I put in the second fawn over the weekend. I'm a little uncertain at this point how much more detail to put into the grass. I'm kinda liking the way it's loosely painted so far. What do you think?

Click on image to enlarge.

New WIP: Whitetail Fawns

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 14:00:00 +0000

A pair of whitetail fawns are currently emerging on my easel. I'm painting this in oils and it measures 12x16. Inspired by a recent morning outing spent alone in a tree stand, I photographed this beautiful pair of whitetail fawns in a dewy meadow. They were ever alert with their ears twitching this way and that. I never did see their mother, but I'm sure she was nearby, just out of sight. I watched them for quite awhile until a young buck came bounding through the meadow spooking them away.

Birds of the Chesapeake

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 12:57:00 +0000

The Havre de Grace Maritime Museum in Havre de Grace, MD is currently displaying 7 of my bird paintings in a temporary exhibit called "Birds of the Chesapeake". The birds included in the exhibit are all birds that live or migrate through the Chesapeake Bay region. The exhibit will hang through November 6th and the paintings are available for sale. FMI: click here.

Ripples Never Come Back, 12x24, oil

10th Annual Irving Art Association's Wildlife Art Show

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 12:39:00 +0000

I'm pleased to announce that all 3 paintings I entered into the 10th annual Irving Art Association's Wildlife Art Show were accepted! This show is held each fall at the Jaycee Park Center for the Arts in Irving, Texas. The show dates are Sept 26 - Oct 27, 2011. These are the accepted pieces:

Click images to enlarge.

Winter Serenity, 13x14, watercolor

Driftwood Perch, 20x14.5, watercolor

Cranky the Heron, 9x12, oil

Finished: Blue Grosbeak

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 14:48:00 +0000

I finished this one up a week ago but I'm just getting around to posting it. For lack of a better title, I'm calling this one "Blue Grosbeak".

Blue Grosbeak, 9x12, oil on Gessobord panel

Shades of Pastel: 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 15:52:00 +0000

Good to the Last Bite has been accepted into the Maryland Pastel Society's national exhibition, "Shades of Pastel: 2011". The exhibition opens Oct 26 and runs through Nov 20, 2011 at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA.

Click image to enlarge.

Update on Blue Grosbeak painting

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 15:39:00 +0000

Here's the latest progress shot of the Blue Grosbeak (as of yesterday). After contemplating cutting the board, I've decided to keep the size as is.

Click image to enlarge.

New WIP: Blue Grosbeak

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Next up on the easel is an oil painting of a male blue grosbeak. I photographed this fellow along a brushy roadside in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. This piece currently measures out at 9x12" but I'm thinking of chopping the board down to an 8x10". After already starting work on it, I felt this piece would work better compositionally if the bird was more to the right. I should have given it more thought but was anxious to just get paintin'. For now, I'll leave it alone and decide later if it gets the table saw...he, he, he.

Click image to enlarge.

Some Press...

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 22:32:00 +0000

My little Canada Lynx painting and a write-up on me appears in the September 2011 issue of Western Art Collector magazine in a special section: "Wild Ambition: Collecting Wildlife Art."

Click image to enlarge.

Finished: Barred Owl

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 17:47:00 +0000

Put the finishing touches on the barred owl this afternoon. Owls are always a joy to paint! I'm calling this one "Backlit". Hope you like it!

Backlit, 8x10, oil on linen panel

WIP: Barred Owl Update 2

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 22:36:00 +0000

What a busy week last week was. After a week of not being able to paint, it felt good to finally get back to the easel yesterday. Here's where I left off...

Click image to enlarge.

WIP: Barred Owl Update 1

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 22:02:00 +0000

I have not progressed far on this piece this week as I've been busy getting other necessary tasks done, but I did get a little more painting done on the head and I've started laying in some of the background. As you can see now, the owl will be backlit. In fact, I'm contemplating giving it the title "Backlit". Hmm, we'll see...

Click image to enlarge.

New WIP: Barred Owl in Oil

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:12:00 +0000

I started work yesterday on a small 8x10 portrait of a barred owl. As many of you know, I love owls and they are one of my favorite subjects to paint. This is my first time painting an owl with oils. My past owls were painted with watercolors or acrylics. I didn't make a whole lot of progress yesterday, surprising as I worked on it quite a long time! I know I was carefully painting this. I started working on the eyes first and have been radiating outwards from them.

Click on images to enlarge.

Finished: Cougar Painting

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Singleton) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 16:30:00 +0000

The finishing touches were put on the cougar last night and this morning. I used a combination of palette knife and brushstrokes to finish off the boulder and I used loose brushwork to finish off the background foliage. The whiskers were saved for last. Funny how when painting cats they just don't look right until the whiskers are put on! I'm calling this one "A Moment in the Sun".

Click on images to enlarge.

A Moment in the Sun, 16x12, oil on linen panel

A Moment in the Sun - Detail