The Evolution of a Painting

I’ve been working on this painting for quite some time mostly by doing the drawings of animals and the line designs and also some tentative explorations into color using pastels. Today I began the oil paint layer. I will post a new image as the painting changes.

Here is the way the painting looked when I started working on it today:

Then here is the painting as the new layer of color gets added:

The line designs between the animal (and other things) drawings are being covered by the blended colors but I’m keeping the animal drawings there. My goal is mystery and beauty and the fun of trying to find all the animals.

My grandson encouraged me to keep working on this piece when he said, “Grama, did you know there’s a hummingbird in this painting?!” And then he stood looking at the painting for some time trying to find all the other things. Most of the critters depicted live nearby in the woods on and around our property.