Three Frogs Hangin' 2
Watercolor
13"x9"
$150.00

My sister and I took Mom and Dad to a butterfly farm. In the gift shop Mom saw the statue of a frog that Mom liked. Karen, my sister, is a stained glass artist. She wanted me to download pictures of frogs from the Internet so she could make a stained glass piece for my Mom.

I got an idea for a painting for the 'Think Green' Show at Waverly house. I started downloading images of frogs. Heads pocking out of the water and bodies under the water, were my target.

There is a copyright issue about painting from photos that someone else has taken. I used an eye here an mouth there and developed the bodies from several photos. At no time did I copy an image. I just used the photos for information. Problem solved.

I painted the frogs first. I had to mask the heads to do the water on the top. I did the same for the bodies under the water, but also did several layers of washes that went over the top of the frogs. As with the other frog painting, I worked to make above the water cool. (sky reflection) Under the water was done in warmer tones.

This painting was the first of the two started. I did not like how it was going so I started another painting, which I finished in one night for the competition. This painting was toyed with, for several more weeks. I finished it for the Animal show at Finley River, but I did not enter it because I had two other paintings ready for that show.

Finally I put this painting in a show this fall at the College of the Ozarks. I will ship it to St. Louis as soon as it comes home. It has sold.