Giraffe:

Nature gives the best "stories" and "ideas" to paint. That's why Jan encourages anyone who takes her workshops or asks for her advice to "get out in nature - you just can't make this stuff up!"

A great example is the following painting. Jan and her friend went to Kenya in June. One of the first evenings they were observing a pride of lions which had several subadults (teenagers). Watching this age of any cat is always fun and fascinating - but lions in particular. They are always busy practicing their hunting techniques - usually on each other, but sometimes on something as far fetched as giraffes! While adult lions can and do kill baby giraffe, it is not common for them to try to get an adult.


As Jan and Sue watched the lions they saw some giraffe approaching. The giraffe obviously knew the group of lions was there, but since they were over a small hill the giraffes just couldn't help but try to actually locate them. They came walking very slowly and carefully up the hill - their heads raised high and ears up, all tight tension . See if you can spot the lion in the grass.		      
Finally the lion couldn't stand it anymore and charged at the giraffes - sending them running and their attending oxpeckers flying! Jan knew a painting was born!

Jan has jumped in and just begun on the painting without transferring the drawing or masking anything off. She has finished the sky by applying the paint in thin layers and patting to blend with a foam rubber sponge. She is starting the grasses by using an old brush that she "pushes" upward to create the grass stokes. The are several rocks in the grassy ridge which she will do with her cellophane technique.

Jan has now begun work on the giraffes. Notice that she has taped a paper towel to the right. This is because she rests her hand on the surface of the painting - and with this big blue sky, dirt and oil from her hand are easy to see and not see to repair. Oil painters use a stick to rest their hand on as their paint stays wet - whereas with Acrylic, such as Jan uses, the paint dries almost immediately.

This shows the far left done with some of the oxpeckers and the middle one just started. This scene is in late evening which has a very golden light to it. Jan is painting the base color of the giraffes coat and will go back to paint in the spots.

Jan tries to use the largest brush possible in her painting - but the tiny birds with their tiny beaks and tiny eyes required a tiny brush!

The two giraffes on the left with their oxpeckers are done. The one on the right is ready for Jan to begin painting on.

Here is the completed painting "SPOOKED - GIRAFFES". It is 8 x 16" and is available for sale. Jan is going to do a series of 8x16" "Spooked" paintings - the next being zebras running/splashing out of a water hole.