Ellen Polyard Art

 I got the digital images back for two pieces I'm submitting to an art exhibition near Denver. "Yvnnash" is the Choctaw word for bison.  Reminds me of bison wallowing in the dirt and mud during the rutting season. "Tatanka" is the Lakota word for bison.  This piece was inspired by a bison skull I came across while working in Yellowstone National Park.  After visiting the Georgia O'Keefe Museum in Santa Fe I was inspired to paint the bison skull. I'm more than a little obsessed with the American bison. I'll know by March 13th if either piece is accepted.  Please keep your  fingers crossed.

Now that the underpainting is finished and dry it's time to start laying in some color. I have to admit that I like the underpainting. The monochromatic sepia style is kind of cool. First, I want you to take a good look at the tree stump because that's where I'm going to start.  What color do you think is the base for the parts that still have bark?  It might help to squint your eyes to see the color. I see varying shades of purple and lavender so that's what I'm going with. At this point you might think I've lost my mind.  Don't worry.  After this initial layer dries in a few days I'll cover it with a darker color and use a tool to expose the lighter shades and give the bark some texture.  And finally I'll add the green moss. This is a technique I used on my "Fawn Pass" painting for the grasses and reeds alongside the river.  If it works it will be stunning, if not, it will be painted over.   Just another experiment in the life of an artis...