Bugle

"Bugle" -- oil on canvas 12x12" -- Margie Guyot

Believe it or not, but bugles are BOOGERS to try to draw!  All those crazy bends in the tube.  Whew!  Notice how I haven't attempted to paint my saxophone yet (murderous -- all those keys!).  I found this cool bugle last summer in an antique store up in Pellston.  The red velvet Mexican sombrero was from a garage sale in Glen Arbor.  It weighs a good 5 pounds.  I don't know how the guys can stand to wear them, but they're fabulous.  Love the sequins and doo-dads!  


Lots of fine lines in this painting.  And I painted all of them with my #8 flat brush.  It's a Silver Brush Ruby Satin.  Those are the best brushes!  They hold their knife-sharp edges very well.  Mooshy brushes: absolutely maddening to work with!  Which reminds me: it's another reason to be glad I'm an adult.  As a kid, I had no say in what art materials I got to have.  All my brushes were cheap, mooshy ones back then.  So I'll put up with a few wrinkles -- as long as I can have my Ruby Satins!

Corn

"Corn" -- plein-air field study -- oil on canvas -- 18x24" -- Margie Guyot

I'd been wanting to paint a pile of sweet corn for a while, so I finally bought a bunch the other day at a farm market.  This was one of the more pleasant plein airs to do, as I was able to paint it on my little patio.  A rare treat, being close to all the creature comforts!  

Again, I used one of my favorite vintage tablecloths.  In reality, it's got stains and a couple holes in it, but I prettied it up for the painting.  

I did this one day last week, right before we had several days of heavy rains and wind.  Knowing the bad weather was fast approaching, I painted as quickly as possible, using my trusty #8 flat brush.  I do probably 85% of most paintings using that #8 flat.  Generally I only use 2 brushes to do a painting, switching to a smaller one (sometimes a #4) only when absolutely necessary.  I've found a brand of brushes I really like: Silver Ruby Satins.  They're a blend of natural and synthetic, and what's so great about them is they hold their shape very well.  I can do a fine line with even a #8 brush.  It's usually easier to use that brush than a skinny brush for fine lines.  The fine silk hairs in this painting were done using the #4.

The corn ended up being pretty dried up, having laid there in the blazing sun all afternoon.  I gave all of it to my chickens.   Lots of happy clucking that afternoon!