Bybee's Abyss of Disorganization

This was from a class and the object was to make an abstract from a cupboard of "disorganized junk" This is about as abstract as I could get. I love abstract and for now will have to buy one. It was fun and fooled some friends when I told them it was mine. This is an acrylic painting which I don't do often enough.

Acylic on panel

Happy Birthday

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This was created from two different photos. I like to paint ribbons for the challenge of the shiny surface. 

9 x 12 oil on canvas panel

Ruffled Iris

The weather has finally warmed up. This got me in the mood to paint more summer subjects.

9 x 12 oil on canvas on masonite panel to bid at auction

Pink on Pink with Polka Dots

I experimented with a thalo blue ground. It was a color I just bought and wanted to familiarize myself with it. Just jump right in and see what happens is how probably not the best way to paint. It has served me well when plein air painting but with a still life setup you have time to think it out. If this works well I will turn it into a larger painting.

I did paint the rose color into the Caribbean Blue at this point. 

Addison's Pink Tennis Ball

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This is my granddaughter's dog as a puppy and may be a gift when I am happy with it. I have no problem with white when it comes to creating shadows but in light colors I need to push myself. This is the same problem that comes up in painting faces. I once had a teacher remark that the face I just painted looked dirty. I may go back to this one to darken the shadow area. 

Yellow Flowers

I painted this from a photo I took at the local garden tour, only I don't know the name of the flowers. I thought it was a Lupine.

6 x 6 oil on canvas on panel

Smile

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I challenged my self with this painting. The eyes were tough.

6 x 6 oil on panel

Three Up

These three were on the side of the hill far enough away that they did not notice me. I cropped the photo to single them out.The challenge was the one in front. I just wish that she was facing me when she scratched.

6 x 6 oil on panel to bid at auction

Heading to Shelter

This composition was created from several photos of cattle. 

16 x 20 oil on Raymar panel

Hide and Seek, 1, 2, 3...

 I thought this composition was challenging. It did take me a couple of wipe offs to get it to this point.

I also liked the way this cow appeared to be speaking.  I think she is counting and the other two are looking for a place to hide. They were in a pasture with lots of  rolling hills and a creek winding though it; great places to hide. This reminded me of playing at my cousins' farm many years ago.

12 x 12 oil on gessoed board

All Pose for the Camera

I wiped this a couple of times before I was satisfied with the results. After wiping away one of the distant cattle I had second thoughts. I wish my paintings had Control Z to undo. I am happier with the cow that I moved and painted again. Sometimes if it isn't working you have to bite the bullet and try again. This was one of the hardest things I had to learn, especially after the first time I tried it and it was worse than the original. I ended up ripping the watercolor painting and throwing it away. I have to chalk it up to learning the hard way. You can make it worse but that is just another learning experience. 

6 x 6 oil on panel to bid at auction

Two Ballerinas

This is a study for a possible larger painting. 

6 x 8 oil on canvas

After the Harvest

I have had this photo reference for years and finally decided to use it. I edited the background to make it more interesting. That was one of the reasons I put off painting it until I felt confident enough to pull it off.

8 x 16 oil on Raymar panel 

Out of the Shadows

6 x 6 oil on canvas to bid at auction 

Lone Tree in Winter 2014

I have painted this year several times through the years. I love the way the branches spread out. It is located in Rodeo Park and during winter they close the gates and you will have to walk to it but it is worth the view. 

8" x 6" oil on canvas to bid at auction

Spring Magnolia 2

Reminders of spring when the magnolias come out. They are one the first signs of spring. This is hoping they come soon. I tried to go more purple than the last post.

6 x 6 oil on canvas

Spring Magnolias

I am hoping that spring is just around the corner. Since I slipped on the ice and sprained my ankle, I switched to watercolor. When painting in watercolor I can sit down and paint. I have never gotten the hang of painting oil sitting down.

image size 6" x 6" watercolor on 140 lb. paper

Catfish

I challenged myself with this pose, but it showed the different colored ears much better. I have a commission coming up and needed to work on dog portraits. I may have to go to the local PAWS animal shelter and take pictures if they let me.

8 x 6 oil on canvas

I started with this rough out because I was having trouble with proportions. I meant to get the whole tail in as it had a spot of white on the tip, but as you can see it didn't work. I have already scraped this off a couple of times. 

Tomatoes on the Vine

I like it when the grocery stores sell these tomatoes on the vine. It makes a more interesting subject matter. I used some of the orange paint left over from the reception. Carroll took a painting workshop from Dreama Tolle Perry and came up with some new paint colors she let me try.

8 x 6 oil on canvas

A Dog Named Catfish

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My son came to visit and brought a newly adopted dog, Catfish. He was too cute to pass up and I followed him around until I got this shot. 

6 x 6 oil on canvas