Works in progress...

[Vicki Chritton-Myers]

Attended a watercolor workshop today. These are two 11x14 I got started on. Will post pics when finished. I'm still learning to use watercolors. Think I'll really like it when I get the hang of it. Sorry for the blurry pic. of the hummingbird. Will get a better one when I'm finished with it. 

[Jon S]

Great reflections in the water. Water is tough to paint.

[Vicki Chritton-Myers]

Thank you! I don't enjoy painting landscapes nearly as much as I do drawing/painting animals. I can draw pretty much anything. It's when I want to add color the real challenge begins. I see paintings done that look like photographs. That is my 'gold ring'...to be able to paint, say, a wolf and make the viewer want to try to stroke the hair. I guess I should be happy with what I CAN do. I'd also like to do bronzes. Sculpting is easier than drawing for me, for some reason. I can sculpt the figure from clay, but am unsure of where to take it, costs, etc., to have a bronze made. Anyone with suggestions? Thanks! =)

[Vicki Chritton-Myers]

Finally finished. For some reason I was thinking these were 11x14s, but they are 8x10s. Landscapes (aka: TREES) still are not my favorite items to paint.

[wayne70]

They look pretty darn good to me.

[aspenangler (Shane)]

very nice Vicki

[pinnacle]

Awsome paintings.

[Vicki Chritton-Myers]

Thank you! =)

[Randy Budzynski]

Great job on both paintings Vicki, really nice work.

[larry]

Nice job Vicki
  I especially like the hummingbird. I've chased those little buggers with a camera before, hard to get good pics in the wild. I also relate to your post about sculptures, I too am better at working with clay. Part of it is probably that it can be subtracted or added to get to where you want to go to make the subject look right. You will probably need to see if you can find a foundry close to you. I think it would be easier working with someone close, although a lot of people send stuff out west. I am in central Iowa and a few years ago i took a deer sculpture that measured about 17"L  x 17"T x 5"W to a foundry over by Iowa City. I had seen on TV that they had cast new hardware for the state capitol buildings remodel a few years earlier. I didn't have all the hair detail or the base done yet and their estimate was $800 to make the silicone mold and $1700 per casting. I would love to do an actual bronze but haven't had an extra $2500 laying around! From talking to sculptors at a festival i was told you can save a lot if you mold your own waxes and as much of the other work as you can. I have done a couple sculptures in coldcast bronze which is bronze powder mixed with resin to give the bronze look. I would really like to do an actual lost wax bronze someday though. There is just something so cool when you look at a really old bronze. You might google for bronze foundries and go from there. I have watched them pour bronzes a couple times and it is definitely interesting, don't know if i would like to do the pours though! They were bundled up in safety equipment, i think the bronze needs to be 1800 to 2000 degrees when they pour! Good luck and keep up the good work!
Larry