feathered inspiration

(7x11)
Chickens and roosters are a popular subject among painters; I decided to give it a try. They are a good subject: not hard to draw, and interesting shape, and they come in a lot of colors!
The background color was inspired by Don's barn at A View from the Green Barn--which is also a great place for feathered inspiration.

happy valentine's

(9x12)
It's been so long, I don't know what to write ...
I've good intentions, once again, to get back on schedule with my painting (and posting).
This is a painting I did from a photo about a week ago, trying to get my darks darker, forcing myself to use more pigment and less water ...
Started another, below, but wasn't too committed. I think one difference was that, for the first one, I chose my colors before painting and mixed them on a scrap sheet, to see what I would get; for the second, I skipped this step and then found myself unsure where to go with it.
(9x12)