Cow Paintings

I've been experimenting. Thick paint application, impasto, using pallet knife only on board. After a trip up to Palomar Mountain here in San Diego, I took a series of photos of cows on the hillside in the snow.
The landscape was void of detail and the cows were dark silhouettes.
These are small quick paintings.  So here we are an example and more to come.

Sketch for my next painting

Getting ready for the next painting. Three pigs. These ladies were resting when I came upon them here in San Diego. I like the composition. I've worked on a notan and value study now ready to select the substrate and color pallet...I'm having fun with this one

Sisters, 2 Lioness Oil Painting on Canvas

My next adventure. This is what I am currently working on. It is a 30" x 40" oil on canvas. Two lioness, sisters living at Lion Tigers and Bears here in San Diego.

Squirrel Painitng, Animal Wildlife

Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents.
"In general, the hind limbs are longer than the fore limbs, and they have four or five toes on each paw. Their paws include an often poorly developed thumb, and have soft pads on the undersides.^[6] Unlike most mammals, Tree squirrels can descend a tree head-first. They do so by rotating their ankles 180 degrees so the hind paws are backward-pointing and can grip the tree bark".

" Sciuridae Family Member"  18" x 24" Oil on Canvas.

More work on the squirrel painting

Lots of thick paint....more work on the squirrel painting.  This squirrel lives in Warner Springs, Eastern San Diego.  The plan is to finish this painting tomorrow. I have so many ideas lined up. May become a studio recluse for a while.

New Painitng Squirrel in the trees

Started a new painitng today.
This will be the first time I have painted a squirrel. 18 x 24 inches. Started with a small thumbnail to plan the values. A long with a Notan.
Using a pallet knife to block in major shapes...I've starting working into smaller shapes and detail . Having fun.
So here's what I've done so far.

Plastic Wisdom

I'm going to call this one complete. So here it is 22" x 28" oil on canvas. I used both brush and Pallet knife.

"Plastic Wisdom" The owl and the Pussycat.

The Owl and the Pussycat, Plastic Wisdom Oil Painting continues

Rich thick creamy vibrant color. More to come. Plastic Wisdom continues.

Plastic Wisdom, The owl and the Pussy Cat

As the journey continues, Babybear meets a plastic owl who is giving words of wisdom.
Plastic wisdom like believing in commercials and media hype. Not exploring and learning the wise ways form wise sources.
This painting is 22" x 28" and is an oil on canvas and is still in progress.
I'm really enjoying creating light with color .

Dragon Dream continues The night before the journey

Did some work on the night before the journey. Dreaming of Dragons..."Dragon Dream"
Not completely satisfied with the way this painting has turned out...but it is one of many to be painted.

So here it is.

The night before the journey

Baby Bear rests peacefully before he begins his journey the next day...dreaming about Dragons


"Dragons generally symbolize power and grandeur, but Eastern versions view dragons as benevolent, lucky and wise, while their Western counterparts associate them with malice and trickery. In many cultures, the dragon's fierce, majestic presence makes it a symbol of virtuous qualities, such as bravery, intelligence and ambition".

This is a small painting   9" x12" oil on Canvas . Not complete.   I seem to say not complete a lot.
But they do get completed...this is the process.

The Journey.....Baby Bear, my cat scoping out the journey

Getting close to being finished.  Tomorrow last touches...perhaps some distant birds.
Amping up the colors. Contrasts of warm and cool. This is being created on some unstretched canvas.

That's quite a journey Baby Bear is considering. Leaving the cool shadows and safety of home, through the open valleys unto the mountains...and many unknowns.

Here it is.."The Journey" oil on canvas.

Some new Paintings in the works.  A Mother and Child....living at the San Diego Safari Park .
Strange to see a mother and child on display...She was looking for quiet . Finally at one point she got up with baby in tow to a quiet place around a corner. Food was being droped in from above the enclosure.  Strange when you think about it this way. We're told this is to educate us....sure does.

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And then there's Baby Bears journey...across the great divide over yonder........

In progress.

Something different Ocean and Sailboat

This is a commission I just completed for a home on the beach. Working conditions were superb. I was painting on a wall with slider glass doors facing the ocean.   I had fun.

Conrad the mountain lion

In his den away from the mid afternoon heat is Conrad the mountain lion.

I'm trying to hold onto subtle. Just like the word is spelled so is the challenge to keep this painting subtle. I want to jump in and create great contrast instead I am edging on grays. Trying to keep mud at bay. A little mud can't hurt.
So here's the painting in the process

More work on the lioness

Almost there. Trying to maintain movement, not get too tight.

She'll be Coming around the Corner

This Painting is now officially complete.

Lioness, a new painting

Here's a painting I started the other day.

 Once again using reference from the vast amount of photographs I've taken at Lion Tigers and Bears.  This is Suri a female lioness that resides there.
Suri came to Lions Tigers and Bears along with her sister Jillian and brother Bakari at the age of 4 weeks.  Due to overcrowding in a big cat sanctuary in Louisiana LTB was contacted and asked to take the three cubs.  

Blocking in shapes and color moving more quickly creating movement and life.
This is a realatively small painting  18" x 24".  More work to do....

the Continuation of the Girraffe walk

Next stop. Here it is. More vibrant color and impasto application.
Still going.

Giraffe Painitng, Oil on Canvas

This is what I am presently working on. Giraffa camelopardalis, African even toed ungulate mammal, {hoofed animal}  the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminate, better known as the Giraffe.


This is a 30 x 40 oil on canvas.  Not done yet.
I photographed these three at the Safari Park in San Diego.

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marlaepsteinart.com

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Coming around the corner Yes she is

More work on the Lioness painting. "Coming Around the Corner"  Yes she is.
Having fun with color..amping up the saturation..Intensifying the color. I enjoy strong contrast, Darks against lights. POP.

Moooove over

Some fun stuff. Pallet knife, loose strokes.   "Mooove over" oil on panel.

color

As I continue working on the painting of the lioness.....I want color....I want strokes that count...I want mood.

More work on the Lion

This painting has been inspired by the passing of a friend and the love of his family. His wife a very dear friend of mine....."The Passing"


The lion, Bakari resides at Lions Tigers and Bears.

Almost done or maybe done  30" x 24" oil on linen board.

Also in the works, not yet done , another painting in the Lions Tigers and Bears series...

New Work More color

I've been working...changing refocusing seeing more differently.
Hue, value. Bumping color up, making things more intense.
Feeling akward but driven to keep going.
As of late I have not completed a painting...I've worked on several studies.

Here's one I am currently working on.

I'm determined to show strength ..lot's of contrast warms and cools...values.
Brush strokes...