Ostrich Skull Still Life

Ostrich Skull, oil on panel, 12" x 12"

Here is a fun painting that I finished this week.  I wanted to choose a background and fabric pattern that had similar tones that I could see with in the ostrich skull itself, which would force me to use a narrower range of color and value.  Choosing a pattern that supports the "character" of the main subject of a still life painting has been a favorite past time of mine since I first started painting dead birds (has it really been about a dozen years?).  In 2009 Larry Groff did a wonderful interview of me on Painting Perceptions which about halfway down has a nice description of the dead bird series.  Then again a few years ago, I used this pattern idea in my Beautiful Vessel series.  I am enjoying incorporating this personal tradition into my current paintings of natural forms.

Here are a few progress shots of this painting:

humble beginnings...

  Sometimes an in progress glarey photo actually helps you internetlopers see the built up texture of the paint.

finished detail version.

And again the final painting.
Ostrich Skull, oil on panel, 12" x 12"

At the end of this post I can't help but think of John Baldassari's painting (yes, this is a huge acrylic painting in the Broad Collection) titled Tips for Artists Who Want to Sell.  Notice the items in parenthesis of the second bullet... I am doomed.