The Corrections that Made the Painting

Aug 17, 2023

Sometimes it ain’t over until the painting sings.

I spent lots of hours working on “Disappearing Act.” I’m not sure but it may have set a record for the longest time I’ve spent on one painting. It certainly made me cross-eyed more than once. [It’s all those intricate, small shapes. And so many of them.] 

painting of bobcat walking into brush and looking back

I got all the layers of wax and paint on. Batiked it. Ironed the wax out. Stood back to evaluate. I liked it. There were a few tweaks I needed to make. I made ‘em.

BUT – the eyes just weren’t right. Boy, were they not right. The dark shape around the bobcat’s right eye was too big and the dark area coming down from his left eye was way too much. Dang. That was going to take some serious correcting.

So I changed some shapes, lightened some dark areas and recovered a couple of light highlights. Oh, wow. What a difference. Here’s the side by side.

The eyes are the windows of the soul. The bobcat now had eyes that communicated and the painting had come alive.

I always want to give honor and respect to the animal I am painting. In this case I had to stay with it long enough to do just that.