Toadfish

These fish are not the most beautiful.  The sit on the bottom of the Gulf and in secluded areas.  They have special muscles that vibrate the swim bladder, making grunts and croaks.  The is noisy enough to be hear through the hull of a boat.  They have broad flat teeth to crush fish and crustateans. They are not very active and sit around like land toads.

This is a koi swimming up to the surface with one thing in mind.  He thinks that I am standing at his waterhole to feed him.  I stayed at at hotel where there was a tropical greenhouse in the middle of the rooms going up the sides.  The koi were fed about 4:00 in the afternoon.  I showed up a little early with my camera.  Several of the koi swam up to pose.

This painting was fun and simple but sort of tedious in drawing and then painting the different areas.  I think this one is definitely an keeper.

Macaw

This was fast.  I met this bird and a restaurant called Macaw's.  The place did not look like much from the road but a very quaint pleasant restaurant was behind the front building in a very tropical setting.  All doors were wide open as well as the windows. 

Getting this guy to pose was my entertainment while waiting for my dinner to be prepared.  Getting a shot at any thing other than the back of his head was a challenge.  He was not in a cage, but on a stand.  As you can see he has a stunning face. 

This is day 2 of the Painting challenge.  So far brushes are wet and my painting table is a mess.  It takes several minutes to clean up for the next painting in the morning.  Eventually I am going to have to produce  2 paintings in one day.  I plan to be traveling in the middle of this month.

Speckled Crab

Having trouble adjusting the color on this one.  I will make a note to take a photo at night, so I have no conflicting light.  Me Eyes are tired.  Two weeks and both eyes will be back.  I can't wait.

I think this crab is done.  It started out as a day painting.  Then I reworked it.  A new, painting a day, challenge is starting in September.  I can't wait to start.  It is fun to throw a painting together in a day, quickly exploring many different subjects. 

This is a crab that I found dead on the beach.  It was easy to pose him for photos.  If he were alive he would be running from me.  I do not know the name of this species.  Pictures are on the web, but no name.  I have most of my recourses at my Florida home, so identification is eluding me.

It will be good to get back to Florida and to the water.

Nightime Fountain

I am going to look at this for awhile.  Adjustments may still be needed.  I am not sure about the dark shape at the center bottom of the painting.  I have not focused on that lately. 

This is the fountain used with the previous painting of lavender water lilies.  I was delighted to see that the fountain was lit at night.  the light shining through the water lilies had me hooked.

 The goldfish were not in any of my photos, but goldfish do live in the fountain.  The little swimmers were quite a problem when constructing the painting.  I think I am happy with them for now.  I am hoping they add to the vision that the light is under the water lilies, making the lilies translucent.

Wading Ibis

I have been struggling as an artist.  Cataracts made my world dingy.  It is like looking through dirty windows.  This spring it was hard to paint for long periods of time, because of eye strain.  Now I have one eye corrected.  It is great.  Colors are clear and my vision is 20/20.  For the first time in my life I can wake up in the morning open my eyes and see. 

The problem now is half my world is clear and bright and the other half in totally out of focus.  Extreme nearsightedness and astigmatism was corrected in my right eye.  I still wear reading glasses.  I wear a patch over my left eye only when I paint.  I can see the reflection of my eye in the lens that is covered.  That is pretty much the focal point of that eye.  I can't wear my old glasses with one lens removed.  My old prescription makes things appear smaller.  The eyes will not work together. 

It is funny, I can play the piano. Things are fuzzy with both eyes but clear enough to see the notes.  I had more or a struggle reading music before Eye surgery.

In about three weeks.  I will be in great shape.  Both eyes will be done and my world of sight should be pretty remarkable.  I am grateful to live in a period where my sight can be made better than when I was young. Getting older has it's benefits.

Now about the Ibis.  This bird is in progress. The lighting of the bird is not right yet.  The sun is setting behind the bird,  making the body darker.  I still want more light on the birds back and neck.

The water needs more development.  I experimented with the foam of the waves around his legs.  Scraping out color and adding dark marks with a fine brush, seem to be doing the trick.  It is all about light against dark, and dark against light. 

I am hoping to post a much improved painting in a few days.

Lilies in Blue Water

This painting is a composition made from photos when visiting a favorite fountain.  Over the years there have been incredible lavender lilies in bloom, with each visit. 

The contrast of the pale flowers against the water is natural.  Indigo was the sole pigment in depicting the water.  Indigo can be fun to work with.  It is rich.  The paint flows but can lend itself to lifting for variation.  I chose Winsor Newton's Indigo because it leans more towards blue.  Some Indigos can be too black.

For several years this fountain is surrounded by a restaurant that has my name, Jane's.  It serves a stellar breakfast that gives me the feeling of ultimate pampering.  The Owner, Jane, is British.  Her restaurant is very fitting in surrounding my favorite fountain.