I’m doing several holiday-oriented paintings at once (via Ali Kay’s VIP Fresh Paint) so this is the latest update on the black cat (also posted here). I’m following Ali’s lesson.

We headed out to Lake Catherine State Park near Hot Springs, Arkansas, with extended family for a long weekend. I had never been there before. The cabins were really nice — modern amenities (powerful AC, microwave, Keurig coffee maker, DirectTV, etc.) — and the campgrounds were full. The lake was quite peaceful, and it was good to get away for a few days. The only downer was that it was hot (100F +) and fairly muggy.

I would definitely come back. (This photo was taken around sunrise.)

For the Labor Day holiday, I’m working on a couple of Halloween-themed paintings based off classes at Ali Kay‘s Fresh Paint. This is the initial value mapping for both paintings — I used a mix of Ultramarine Blue and Naphthol Red with a fair amount of water. And, yes, I traced the images before setting down a layer of clear gesso.

Back in March I painted two children building a snowman based off an Ali Kay Fresh Paint reference. I called it done, but the girl’s hat bothered me. So, I finally fixed it! (The new version is on the left, looking more like a hat with a poufy pom-pom.)

Note: the difference in painting shades is due to the light at the time the photos were taken.

I got bored painting this and did not finish. It’s from a class I took via Will Kemp Art. Nothing wrong with the course, just not in the mood for painting a vase of sunflowers. Maybe I’ll get back to it later.

12×16 canvas.

It’s funny… when I display some of my paintings, over time I get to like them more. As an example, I wasn’t crazy about the river/canal painting I did as a part of the Jed Dorsey “Bloom” class, but the more I see it the more I’m liking it.

I continue to like the pancakes with blueberries, and even the Black Labrador. My favorite, though, is the sailboat at sunset. (All those were painted based off references from Ali Kay’s Fresh Paint course.

I am still not thrilled with the 2 floral paintings I did based off my own references. Sigh.