Wednesday, June 24, 2009

"Little Burro"

I changed my palette a bit on this painting and used mostly French Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna and White. Just a touch of Cad. Red and Cad. Yellow to push the mixes here and there but not very much.


"Little Burro", 11 x 14" oil, Frank Gardner © 2009
Private Collection

47 comments:

Jeffrey J. Boron said...

A very lovely painting Frank. Bold in it's wonderful simplicity!

Jeffrey

Elizabeth McCrindle said...

Lovely painting Frank you've captured it spot on....good colours :)

L.Holm said...

Absolutely perfect. I love it! You've worked magic with a simplified palette. Clear evidence to the notion that sometimes less is more. Much more!

Colin Page said...

Holy Crap Frank!!! That's a great little painting! I really dig this little donkey. A very nice painting. I'm going to start practicing drawing donkeys for when I finally get down there to paint. I love this little painting.

Alicia PadrĂ³n said...

Oh, oh oh!!! Mira ese burrito!!!

Oh this is just so lovely... It is absolutely perfect. I love him so much just by looking at him. I don't know how you do that. His posture and setting say so much.

Lindo burrito... son animales tan nobles. Wonderful job amigo! :o)

Art with Liz said...

This is beautiful and thank you for sharing your colours with us.

Christine Mercer-Vernon said...

oh frank, this little guy is so sweet. i like the warm palette and that shadow!

innisart said...

I love it! What a beautiful little burro!

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks a lot Jeffrey, simple is what I was aiming for.

Hi Elizabeth. Thank you very much.

Thanks Liz. Yes, less if often more. That last one had a lot going on and I wanted to shift my focus back to a much simpler design.

Ha ha, thanks Colin. Get practicing amigo.

Alicia!! como estas?
Gracias.
Yes, burros are great animals. The posture attracted me because I wanted to see if I could draw attention to his face instead of the parts that are closer to the viewer.

Thanks Liz.

Thanks Christine.

Hi Matt, thanks!

Solvay said...

WAIT!!! Colin called your burro a DONKEY!
ha ha ha

Anyway, I clicked on your FB image to look more closely, since I'm on a decent computer monitor, for a change. What a dear, sweet painting! I want it - I need to win the lottery! Its sweet face reminds me of my kitty, Girlie - soft-faced Girlie, I call her. Anyway, the road, the everything. Beautiful, tender, endearing. (and that cool shadow is fabulous!)

Frank Gardner said...

Donkey, burro, it is the same Solveg.
Glad that you like it!

Solvay said...

wasn't there a big discussion last summer in one of your paintings about the difference between a donkey and a burro? regardless - the painting's lovely, and the sweet animal's face makes me want to take him/her home with me.

i'll stop now.

Jessie Vosti said...

I love your donkey. He would make a good mate to the donkey I already have of yours. Just wish times were better so I could add him to my collection. Always a fan...

Daniel Corey said...

That is a sweet "ass" painting Frank! I said it before and Ill say it again, I love this pc.

Marian Fortunati said...

Funny... before I read what you had written I was staring at the cute little guy wondering how you got that very dark dark dark brown out of your palette.
Whatever you do I love it, Frank.
I've been reading Gruppe's first book.. (The brushwork book awaits..) and have some questions for you later about his color palette and why your normal one is a tiny bit different.
This is so cute.

Frank Gardner said...

Solveg, I think it was a discussion if it was a burro (donkey) or a horse in a painting.

Frank Gardner said...

Hi Jessie, Thanks. Burros always look good in groups.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment.

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Dan. I appreciate that.

Frank Gardner said...

Hi Marian. Well, you know that I would tell you that you can mix up a burnt sienna with my regular palette anyway.
It really harmonized it all to just start with it from a tube as sort of my "soup" for this painting.
Fire away with the questions about that Gruppe palette compared to the one I'm using.

David Lobenberg said...

I think this is a beauty in terms of perspective and rich, warm color. I like the hints of blue shadow crossing the stones.

Unknown said...

You have squeezed so much out of the palette that you have used. Great view, wonderful image.

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks David! and Thanks Mick! I am going keep the same colors on for the next painting and see if I can push it a bit further.

Paula Villanova said...

This is the BEST!

n warner said...

What a wonderful painting! Found you via Ambera's site...and I am in awe of your great talent...Something in those perked ears and the demure look up near the fence is so sweet! Thanks for that!

Nina

Frank Gardner said...

Thank you Paula!

Frank Gardner said...

Hi Nina, Thanks for the very kind words.
I'm glad that you stopped by.

Dean H. said...

Love that burnt sienna red on the burro, Frank! And then, that wonderfully blue cast shadow. Great sureness in the anatomical structure!

Very successful work!

Alston said...

Frank, I am seeing your work for the first time and love it. your
" Little Burro" is excellent with the burnt sienna and blue.I invite you to visit my blog artbyalston.blogspot.com
Best, Alston

http://www.onpainting.wordpress.com said...

Beautiful painting.

Anonymous said...

I hate to be repetitive, Frank, but this is a really great little painting. I love the simplicity of it and the burro is such a sympathetic little character. ...And, of course, I love anything with barbed wire in it.

Jennifer McChristian said...

I LOVE the 'Little Burro'!
Exceptional piece all around. Great composition too!
Such a variety of gorgeous colors from a limited palette...

Barbara Pask said...

Sweet painting Frank. Love the sense of sunlight and all the color I see in the burro. He's a cutie

Deb Kirkeeide said...

Love this one - the palette is wonderful.

Frank Gardner said...

Thank you Dean, Alston and Bill.

Bill Sharp, thanks, I was going for simple after a few more complex scenes. Really glad you noticed the barbed wire. So tempting to put in all the barbs, but I went for just suggesting one or two. Happy that you took notice.

Thanks for the compliment Jennifer.

Thank you Barb and Deb!!

Ambera said...

Damn. If I could afford it...it would be mine!!

Daniel Corey said...

I keep coming back to see this....I'm thinking.....Bookcover.

Frank Gardner said...

That is a nice compliment Ambera.

Maybe Dan, is that a subtle hint that I should get back on that book project?

Daniel Corey said...

yes

Paul said...

Hi Frank, I return to your site regularly and this time I thought I must leave a comment. I love the apparent simplicity of this painting with the fairly narrow colour range; but the subtlety of the value judgment is stunning! The shadow of the burro with the light blue notes across the stones really makes the reds and oranges sing! Best regards. Paul

kim shields said...

I just stumbled onto your blog. Your burro painting is amazing especially considering the limited palette you used. I had to go back to your very first post and look at all your work and read your posts. You are my new favorite artist.

indiaartist said...

This is my most favourite. Beautiful.

Mary Sheehan Winn said...

this is a slam dunk, Frank. Beautiful composition naturally flows toward the Burro. You are kickin' it.

on a completely unrelated note, I'm gonna compare my computer meltdown of two summers ago, to a mushroom cloud on Facebook ;) to take the heat off ya....
jk

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Paul!
Wow Kim, you went back all the way to the beginning?
That is a lot of blog posts. Thanks!!!
Thank you indiaartist.
Thanks Mary, ha ha, yeah, computer meltdowns are not fun. I was able to save all my info. Just need a new motherboard in there.

Jennifer Bellinger said...

Hi Frank, OK, this is my favorite of all burro paintings, love the shadow shape, simple and strong..You nailed it!

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Jennifer. I'm glad everyone liked this one so much.
It stayed in the family. My sister was just here visiting and she took it home with her.

Claudia Finn said...

What a beautiful work of art, I love the glance from the burro, and your colors masterful!!

Alston said...

I love your burro, and your colors are wonderful.