African Tenderness by RL Huff

I had so incredibly much fun doing this painting. 12x24 acrylic on canvas, these two sweeties were so fun to watch in the Philly zoo, but were also as much a joy (and challenge) to paint. I have always had a fondness for giraffes and any African animal... I really do hope one day to go to Africa, so I can see them in all their glory, instead of confined to a zoo....Until then, my reference photos will have to tide me over!! :))

http://www.rockymountainfineartbyrlhuff.com/

At Long Last....!!! by RL Huff

It has been quite some time since I was able to post!!! The craziness of the holidays has finally calmed, and now, I am caught up... a month or two behind, but projects are done and I can move on!!

I took on a project for a dear friend of the family, who's husband passed on this past August. I knew he was American Indian, but I had no idea he was Mohican!!! He always joshed he was Cherokee... haha!! So, I had to do a bit of research about them before I painted him. My initial idea was to have a landscape background with spirit animals that the Mohicans revered. Unfortunately, that left the painting tooo cluttered! So, I changed it around and made a calm background with 2 of the four animal spirits in the background, and I put all the animals in his hatband. :) Mohicans have a symbol they use, and I have yet to discover why they use it, but that is on his band too. The original had a white hat, and I didn't like that one very well, and he rarely wore it. he was more often seen in a baseball cap, or a black cowboy hat, so I went with the black when I changed the background. Since his skin tone has lots of orange and burnt sienna, I knew a deep blue would work out great. I am very happy with this, although it took me an eternity to do. I started it in December, had to do a quick commission in the middle of the month, tried still to get it done after Christmas, and JUST NOW finished it!!! But I am happy with it now, and so is the widow he left behind.

And so, at long last, I am able to post again, and, at long last , this portrait is complete!!!

"Chum": Mohican Cowboy ..... Acrylic on Canvas, in loving memory of Chum.

The Visitors by RL Huff

Acrylic on Canvas 12x16 "The Visitors".

"The Visitors" started off as a still life painting. But then, with all the birdseed everywhere, due to the feeder above, there were always visitors, and this picture just wouldn't be right without them!!! (A nuthatch and a chipmunk) Now I have 2 challenges ahead of me, after letting this one sit to see if there's anything I am not happy with, is a 12x24 of a barrel racer I need to start, and one titled "hunting season" that will be on it's way to getting paint on it today. :))) that one is 18x36, the biggest size I have ever worked with!!! It will be a humourous one, sorta like the visitors, but a little irony thrown in. :) Can't wait to see that one emerge!!!

This visitors one was fun to do, especially since it evolved a little differently than I had imagined. But isn't that the way a painting always goes!!

Inquiring Eyes by Rebecca Huff

And so here he sits, looking beyond you, wondering what it is that is over there. "Inquiring Eyes", Acrylic on canvas, 16x20 was a joy to paint. I do not think I was ever frustrated at all with any part of this painting. (Frustrated a couple times when I globbed on toomuch paint in the brush a time or two!!!)... but the cat cooperated fairly well! I am going to let him sit and decide if there needs to be any changes. I love feedback, whether positive, or critiquing nicely. I am excited to continue on a still life I have going on, and then to start either a monkey or a chickadee, I can't decide just yet!!! Plus I have a HUGE one with a little bit of humor that will be started soon too!!!

Into the world of blogging! by Rebecca Huff

So, I now enter into the world of blogging... I have tried it once, but never keep it up, so maybe this will prove to be a bit better!!!

I have a leopard I am working on, and am so thrilled to get it how I see it in my mind's eye!!! She's got a lot of work to do yet, but she is progressing. I have so much nature projects to start and complete in this next year!! I am always hopeful for commissions to come in,but at the moment, it is nice to breathe a sigh of relief and be able to paint for myself!!! There is nothing like the feel of paint stepping onto the canvas!!! Tomorrow will bring more progress that I am already excited about!!