Jaguar of the Jungle, Acrylic Painting

Jaguar of the Jungle

Acrylic, 14 x 11

An exotic and beautiful animal, the Jaguar is little less known than some of his African relatives. Jaguars live in the rain forests of South and Central America and have also been seen on occasion  traveling the freeways near Los Angeles, California. (Sorry, I couldn't resist that one.)
My sightings have all been in zoos, which isn't the ideal - every artist agrees it is best to observe wildlife in their natural habitats - but it's the best I can do for right now.  Traveling the world and shooting wildlife with a camera ( and only a camera!) has always been a dream,  but it is still a dream, and with each passing year it seems a little less likely to become reality.  I do carry a sketchbook with me wherever I go - just in case. You never know.

This painting was my first attempt to express the spirit of this particular exotic cat. Usually I do big cats in pastel, as that medium just seems to lend itself to fur, especially when there are spots and other markings. For some reason this guy asked to be done in acrylic. I usually go by what they tell me. There is no analyzing it, maybe it is artist's intuition. I just go with the flow. He is a beautiful, incredibly well designed animal.  I love the texture of his fur, his amazing spots and especially his ears and whiskers. Like everything on earth, he is "fearfully and wonderfully made" and, as an artist, I stand in awe of his Creator.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Jaguar's namesake, who happens to be an automobile. The vehicle is described as being well built with sleek, low lines, beautiful color and lots of speed.  Well, that fits. So I googled cars named after cats and found there are at least forty, from cougars and pumas to kittens and pink panthers (that seems like a stretch.)  It would appear that people are fascinated by cats and want to identify with them.

 And I will put in a little plug here: If you have ever wanted to own a Jaguar, but thought you couldn't afford one, here is your chance.  This and many other paintings are available for sale in my online gallery.

The Creative Spirit Gallery, Art by Della Burgus

Sunrise: Morning Has Broken

Sunrise:

Morning Has Broken

The sun rises over distant hills casting a rosy glow across the landscape. The colors are slightly muted, more subtle than the colors of a sunset - a bright, cheerful hello at the beginning of a day in contrast to the vivid, dramatic colors announcing its end.
In order to preserve the luminosity of the colors, I worked this one in layers, gradually building them up from very thin to thicker paint.  It was done is a somewhat looser style than my animal and wildlife paintings without so much attention to detail.
The colors themselves are a fairly standard selection - ultramarine with a little cerulean blue and lots of white for the sky, more white, cad yellow hue and a little ochre for the sun, and just a tiny bit of crimson and even more white where the sun meets the blue sky.  The earth was painted in ochres and umbers, with a bit of raw sienna. I am experimenting with  a new addition to my personal palette -quinacridone burnt orange.  Not new, but new to me and it is working out well so far.
Occasionally adding new colors to my working collection is a good way to keep me from becoming bored - and therefore boring. It can be overdone, of course, but a little change now and then keeps me going.
I gave the painting the title of a favorite song, Morning Has Broken. You may be familiar with Cat Stevens' version of it, My favorite is by Michael Card.

This and many other paintings are available through my gallery

The Creative Spirit, Art by Della Burgus

Blue Jay Dining Out

Blue Jay

Dining Out 

Pastel

 What grass is visible has turned a dull brown, the last flower faded months ago, and the sky is gray for days at a time. We call it "winter." The white snow is pretty at first, but a little color would be nice for a change. So God made the blue jay and sent him into my backyard. So what if he has a reputation for argumentative and a few bad habits? There is no denying he is graceful and beautiful. That is all he needs to be, that is his calling in life and he fulfills it well. He is always a welcome sight to me. He reminds me of the color of the sky when it isn't gray and the bright pretty flowers in my garden.

The beautiful blending of blues and soft, subtle grays inspired me to paint him. I wanted to keep the background simple and somewhat neutral in color to contrast with those bright feathers. I love his expression, which is bright and perky, but seems to say, "This is my spot and I have a right to be here." My thanks to my husband Larry who provided most of the resource photos.  The birds don't have enough patience to do any posing for portraits.

This pastel is no longer available for sale. It was purchased by a fellow artist and birdwatcher, who is also an art teacher for fourth and fifth grade students.  I love hearing from other artists and feel honored that she chose to buy my little jay bird.

Thanks for reading. Here's hoping you all have a colorful day. Spring is coming!