New Additions to the "Life Cycle Imperative" Series--#8 and #9

Most of my time this last month has been spending time with family. This is a wonderful gift, of course, but it does take away from my time to paint. Ahh, the choices: the river not floated of the painting not painted.










However, I did find some time to get out to the studio where I added two new salmon paintings to the  "Life Cycle Imperative" Series. Number 8 is telling the story based on the Native American belief that salmon was a gift of the Salmon People in the river. Tribal members were careful to return all the skeleton remains to the river after feasting on the salmon. The failure to do so could bring harm to individuals or the entire tribe.

There is also a very practical reason to return the salmon parts that are not eaten, and that is to provide nutrients to the stream and to the salmon eggs.

Life Cycle Imperative #8: Returning the Gift

Life Cycle Imperative #9: The Spawning Redd 

Step by Step

The painting I finished today started with a loose sketch, a test color strip, and a couple of new stamps made for this particular piece. 

I then prepared a sheet of watercolor paper by saving the white of the paper with contact paper in the appropriate shapes and securing the edges with masking fluid,
(I have learned the hard way that contact paper allows color to bleed under the edges.)


Once the white paper is saved, I can really go to town preparing the background. I like to know that once the background suits me, I can take off the contact paper and work on the subject.

Poor color, sorry

After the first washes were on, creating a water and gravel separation, I wanted to add a warmer tone to the upper part of the water and added a wash of yellow. Over several sessions, I added pigment to and deepened the colors of the background.

Once I had the background washes, I added the rocks and pebbles, ripples above and worked on the sand and gravel that the spawning salmon stirs up making her redd (nest).

After that was done, I peeled away the contact paper and masking fluid and painted the salmon and reflections. Today I altered the fish a bit and added a rock ledge to the right and a piece of wood to the left. I walked away from the studio feeling quite happy with this one.

Life Cycle Imperative #9: The Spawning Redd