Songbird

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife

30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge—Day 20.

One thing I have discovered during these past 20 days is that I like to paint birds. Their colorful feathers make a great match with my palette knife style. My wife got a shot of this little guy in Norris, Tennessee. I confess I didn't recognize what kind of bird it was. After researching for this painting, I discovered that this bird is a Brown Thrasher.  The Brown Thrasher is a songbird with one of the largest repertoires in North America (estimated over 1,000 song types including mimics of other birds). So, here's a tribute to the Brown Thrasher. Sing on, my friend.

Offering 3

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge—Day 19.

It is Sunday again, so here is a third offering of flowers. Read why I'm posting flowers on Sundays HERE. Have a beautiful day.

Family

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife

30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge—Day 18.

Today's painting is dedicated to a special family friend. A mother of two and breast cancer survivor, my friend knows a courage and strength that comes from a different place than many of us. Last summer, her family traveled to Africa, where she took pictures of these elephants. She told of how they lived in family groups for survival. 

I believe these elephants are a testament to the strength of the family bond among all of God's creation. 

Handbell

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge—Day 17.

Today's painting is in honor of my friends in our church's handbell choir. Handbells are beautiful instruments. Ringing them requires lots of teamwork and coordination. They can be played in many different ways to achieve a variety of sounds and textures. Below you can see a video of a choir in Taiwan performing the piece we rang in worship last Sunday. You can see some of the different techniques used. Watch the boy at the far end with the largest bells. Those are the ones that I play. It's quite a workout sometimes. Enjoy.

Frozen Forest

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge—Day 16.

If you live in Middle Tennessee, you live on the edge. The edge is the narrow difference between the frozen and the thawed. Last night, many areas near us were covered in ice. We were on the warmer side of the edge. A road near our home takes us up to a slightly higher elevation. As we drove up the hill, the landscape changed into a magical realm of ice. All of the trees were glazed with ice which looked like crystal. We stopped at an overlook and discovered this pathway cutting through the frozen forest. It was like we had entered the great hall of a crystal palace. I felt privileged to have seen it, and compelled to describe it with paint.

Patience

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife
SOLD

30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge—Day 15.

I have now reached the half-way mark in the 30 in 30 challenge. Right now, it feels a bit like, "Only Day 15?" But when I look back at all of the work that has been done so far, I feel good about what I have accomplished. Today's painting comes from a friend's photograph of the Grand Canyon. What a marvel the Grand Canyon is. To think how it has been carved out for centuries by water is amazing. It is a miracle of patience. It inspires me to have more patience with my painting and the remaining 15 days of this challenge. And so tomorrow I will pick up the palette knife again and paint once more.

The Wishing Bird

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge—Day 14.

Cardinals are very special birds for our family. We know them as wishing birds. Whenever we see a bright red Cardinal fluttering around, we make a wish. In that regard, today's painting is a moment of opportunity for you. 

Go ahead. Make a wish.