Animals

"Flare" by Lesley Spanos. Gouache painting on Multimedia Artboard, 6" x 4". Copyright ©2011 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

This is a harness racing horse I saw at the State Fair a couple of years ago. It’s painted in M. Graham gouache. I love gouache!  The matte surface is so velvety. I’d use it more often, if it didn’t require framing under glass.

"Redear Sunfish" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 7" x 5". Copyright ©2011 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

This painting proves that just about any subject can be found at the State Fair if you look around enough. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has a beautiful display of fish at the Indiana State Fair. Outdoor ponds and indoor aquariums showcase native and introduced species.  There’s even a catch and release fishing pond where kids can learn to fish under supervision.

What attracted me to this redear sunfish was the translucence of his fins. The light shining through them reminded me of fiber optics.

A few images taken along the way:

"Goatee" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 5" x 7". Copyright ©2011 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

I never really thought about the source of the word “goatee,’ until I saw this guy. He had quite a nice beard, long, silky, and clean.

Here are a few shots taken along the way:

"Stare Down" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 6" x 6". Copyright ©2011 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

Chickens scare me a little. I’m glad this one was locked safely behind bars at the State Fair. Though, if looks could kill…

Any chicken experts out there know what breed this is? When I took the photos, I thought it was a Salmon Faverolle, but when I checked my photos against images on the web, there appeared to be too much red.

"Twenty Lashes" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic and ink sketch on Arches CP watercolor paper, 4" x 6". Copyright ©2011 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

This pig had amazing eyelashes,  hence the title.

This is another ink drawing done live at the fair, with color added in the studio.

"Feed Me" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic and ink sketch on Arches CP watercolor paper, 4" x 6". Copyright ©2011 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

The sign actually said, “Please hold hand flat when feeding,” but the goat’s eyes said, “Please feed me.” The key to photographing petting zoo animals is to carry a few pellets in your hand and wave them around every so often. Otherwise, you’ll be ignored. These animals have no patience for anyone not bearing a tasty treat.

This one started as a live pen and wash sketch at the fair. Later in the studio, with my memory jogged by photo references, I added color and tidied it up a bit. I like this one. I think it deserves to be painted again in a larger format. Maybe 9″ x 12″.