The Blue Monarch

Turns out, I've been on a bit of an insect kick. Perhaps it was the summer season. Or maybe it's just that we live in the country and are constantly surrounded by bugs.

Let me veer off on a tangent for a moment and just share this right here:



That, my friends, is a caterpillar. He has shaggy fur-hair that reminds me of pipe cleaners. I found him eating our milkweed late in the summer. After much research I learned that he is (very appropriately named) a milkweed caterpillar.

But back to my latest painting.

8"x8"
Oil on board

This, along with the praying mantis I just finished, have been fun little paintings. I don't normally work on these smaller sizes but somehow I've accumulated quite a few of these small canvases. They are perfect for painting little insects like this butterfly :)

I also did some experimenting here with the board. I've had issues using store-bought boards in the past where they seem to absorb the paint inconsistently. So before starting, I coated the board with gesso... which I've never used before. I'm amazed by how smooth the surface was! Almost too slick. But I do like the effect it has and I can see preferring the appearance over canvas for certain projects.

So why did I choose blue? No good reason except that, as I stared at my paint options, blue seemed more fun than orange.

Mantis

I almost forgot to post this little guy:

5"x7"
Oil on Canvas

This is sort of an end of summer painting. This praying mantis was hanging out on our deck one day. I can remember being a kid and thinking it was such a special thing to see one. But now we see them all. the. time. They're still neat little bugs though.

Prints are available here: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/praying-mantis-caroline-serafinas.html?viewall=true

Election Day

Only less than 24 hours left until the campaign ads are over. We can do this people.

Happy Cows

Completed 2012
16x20"
Oil

There are these cows that I sort of admired from afar for awhile. I would pass them on my way to work every morning and on my way home in the evenings. (I have a very scenic commute to work.) They would just hang out and munch on their grass.

Is it weird that I painted this picture with food in mind? Let me explain... I think most people envision that their burger is made out of happy cows like these guys. When that might not necessarily be the case. A lot of cows don't get to happily graze all day. (Ahem... factory farms... cough.) So it's nice to see this.

I'm not judging. I love a good burger too. I'm just saying...

So this painting is how I think cows should be. I am celebrating cows as the free-ranging ruminants they were meant to be.

(Word of the day: ruminant)

We all know I love cows. Remember by friend Frank from the farm?

Eye of the Tiger

Completed 1998

8"x10"

Oil

One of my most favorite paintings from the 90's. In 1998 I was still in my awkward freshman/sophomore years of high school!