Burro #1

Burro #1

Watercolor, 2012

9" x 12"

This is not a bird. I painted this from a photograph by Rafa Montero. He was kind enough to let me use a great picture from Egypt. His photo had two burros on the top of a rise, I only used one burro and added some southwest cacti to make it look more like Mexico.

I took a lot of time on the drawing and transferred it using Jana's newly returned light box.

I painted this piece over two weekends, starting with the background, a wash of Yellow Ochre and Ultramarine Blue (Windsor Newton).  The cacti color is Olive Green from a da Vinchi tube, and the rocks were a combination of Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna and Ultramarine Blue (Windsor Newton from a pan) with a lot of scrubbing in the shadows.

I liked the idea that burro is in a strange place, looking back from where it came or perhaps starting on a descent into a canyon.  I stopped short on adding any more color to the head only because I didn't want to lose the quality of the expression, if donkeys have expressions, and decided not to push my luck.  I think of this painting as an illustration, which is the way I think of the birds in flight I've been doing of late. The drawing was one of  my favorites and the painting also makes me happy. I hope the owner enjoys it too.