April Challenge, Fish

The Challenge for April is quite simple and can be interpreted any way we like. It is just Something Fishy.

* * * * *
Carmen Beecher's Fish

I love brilliant tropical fish with their elaborate costumes. This is a Red Siamese Fighting Fish.

Carmen Beecher

www.carmenbeecher.com

www.carmensart.etsy.com

* * * **

Fay Picardi's Fish
   

Carmen's post is especially hard to follow, but I can't not post a fish. Having a husband who goes out fish hunting 2 or more times a week makes it mandatory to at least try. I found this little fish that I started when we were trying to do lion fish. Donna did a great one, but I abandoned mine fairly quickly. I rediscovered this little attempt several days ago and set out to save it.

After some research, I found that the Trigger Fish is the closest to what I had already done, et voila. 

I first did the background with stripes of blue paper, trying to go from dark to light. None of the images were of the ocean, but I wanted to give that impression. When I looked for papers to fill in the rest, I wanted something bright but not plain. I ran across a jewelry advertisement and finished the fish with gold, diamonds and emeralds. So I named it appropriately.  

What's Your Trigger?  by Fay Picardi

I like the effect of the different strips because I can create so many landscapes as I look at them. Ocean, sky, mountains. What do you see/sea?

www.faypicardi.weebly.com    

*****
Cindy Michaud's Fish

I know nothing about fish that isn't found on a menu! But since I really needed some practice with repetitive design work I decided to make this challenge into exactly that.  The underwater grasses are the fun in this pen on paper work.  I stuck the fish in to keep with the theme!  Many ways to skin a cat...err....fish?

Cindy Michaud

art@cindymichaud.com

******

Kathy Garvey's Fish

Gotcha!
16x20 Acrylic

This started as canvas for "cleaning my palette" a long time ago. I used all the colors leftover in my palette and spread them onto a canvas so they weren't wasted. Then I tried to find something in the crazy results and I saw a fish jumping at an artificial lure. I finally finished it for this challenge.

Below is the watercolor I started for the same challenge. It's hard to finish a picture I don't really like, but wanted to get it uploaded before the month ended and we moved on to something else.

Wreck Fish
9x12 Watercolor

*****
Donna Vines

I redid a Lion Fish that I had done a few years ago.  I have always wanted to do another and this was the perfect time.  I had to use an old canvas of an abstract landscape that I had.  The top was light blue and it had a lime green area, a dark stripe across the middle and a dark blue bottom.  I thought it might look interesting as a background, it didn't so I painted the canvas using some really fun acrylic tropical green paint I had.  I had enough for two coats but not three so you can still see some shading.  This was a fun one.

Lion Fish 2

donnavinesart@Etsy.com
dvines1944@gmail.com


Mary Warnick

I have not been painting lately because my painting corner has been converted to a
sewing corner, so I can stitch up face masks.  However, here are a couple of old fish paintings and a recipe.

Recipe:  Healthy Fish and Chips
for each person use about one quarter pound piece of cod or haddock and one medium size potato.
Cut the potato into french fry shapes, with or without skin.  Place in baking pan that has been sprayed
with olive oil (either Pam or from a Misto), spray tops of potatoes.  Bake at 360 for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare fish.  Beat an egg in a low bowl, and grate a little lemon peel over it.  Coat fish with egg and then coat with panko bread crumbs.  If you have room in the potato pan, add fish to it.
Otherwise prepare another pan the same way for fish.
Turn potatoes over, spray top of fish and continue to bake about 30 minutes longer, turning fish once.
Serve with tartar sauce and/or lemon wedges, and be sure to round out your meal with veggies.
           

Fish Faces

Funny Fish

Mary Warnick

••••••••••

FISH
The original sketch submitted for my mural for the Eau Gallie Arts District

The trout were representative of the Indian River. The child in the rain was from Verdi Eco School. 

The mural is still there, facing West. I'm not sure how the trout are doing. There are fewer now than when I moved to Eau Gallie in 2002. I will say though, the water seems clearer lately since our quarantine!

The Black Hat, Original Oil on Canvas 8x10 Portrait of Woman

$175

This is quite a departure from the 50-stroke paintings I've been doing. I don't know what got into me, but I really enjoyed this one. It has a vintage look but with a timeless feel. We need a little glamour now and then.

Carmen

Shady Cows 10x8 Original Oil on Canvas Landscape

Click to Buy

It's been a while since I posted. I've been very busy working on a book that will be coming out in April. You will be hearing more about that later.

This painting is all about the light. I love the shade in the foreground, with a tiny couple of slivers of light on the pasture.

Carmen

Hello Kitty, 7x5 Original Oil Painting Animal Portrait of Cat

 

This is my daughter Suzanne's cat, an imperious creature, as you can see. This cat bit me once, but I have a very forgiving nature and honored it with a portrait anyway. Also, I happened to take a dramatic photo that I couldn't resist painting. By the way, the cat's actual name is Hello Kitty.

Carmen

Daily Landscape Painting, "A Little Bit Country" 6x8 Oil SOLD

I have had this image in my files for several years.  Each time I tried to paint it, I failed.But, I kept the image on my memory stick, always nagging me, like waving a red flag at a bull.

This time I was happy with the results.  It's is not a particularly difficult scene.  I don't know what caused me so much trouble.  All I know is that every nine or 10 months or so, I would give it a try and then wipe it off.

SOLD

The attraction was the strong light in the mid-ground and the back lighting on the fence.  I am happy to finally delete this from my "things to paint" list.

Have you ever had this experience with a specific scene?  If so, how did you overcome the challenge?

Pretty in Pink, 6x6 Original OIl Painting by Carmen Beecher

Kathy Garvey and I made a trek to the zoo and had a lovely time photographing all the wildlife. As you can see, some flamingos were brighter in color than others, but they were all beautiful.

Carmen

Sunglow, 8x6 OIl Painting on Canvas

$99, Click to Purchase

Some sunrises are "quieter" than others. This one was very soft, but that's because I just didn't get there in time for the bright reds of early morning. I like the softer side of sunrise too.

"If you want to be reminded of the love of the Lord, just watch the sunrise."

That quotation is from Jeanette Walls, who wrote Glass Castles. Every whiny, demanding child should be made to read Glass Castles, about Ms Walls' childhood, to make them see how good they have it. It's a terrific book and one of those that sticks in my memory. With my memory lately, it takes a really good book to to linger in there for long.

Yellow Roses, 8x6 Original Floral Oil Painting by Carmen Beecher

$95, Click to Purchase

Wouldn't this be a romantic Valentine's Day gift? Flowers and candy are nice, but they don't last. Diamonds and oil paintings are forever.

I painted this twice. I was not satisfied with it the first time, but I learned a few things from my mistakes. The second time I was able to get what I wanted, and did it much faster.