08/16/2026
“Ravens At Play”
Today’s painting is getting back to bright colors. I’m all over the place, but it’s style exploration, right?!
Inspiration: I recall seeing a pair ravens flying and playing in the rain on a recent trip to Crested Butte, CO. They were having so much fun! I watched them chase each other in the air, performing acrobatics, dives, and actually touching in mid-flight. It was wonderful to watch.
I began this painting with some acrylic paint and Stabilo pencil, drawing a loose aspen tree underpainting (visible in the wing tips). I added encaustic medium all over and applied a laser transfer of one of my photos of the ravens. I fused that layer, then drew/painted the red background with oil pastels. I cut out a stencil of one of the ravens in flight, and used that as the mask for the background. Fused again, then painted with water mixable oils. Fused again, and this is where I stand. 🐦⬛
The colors and segmented areas remind me of southwestern Native American jewelry designs.
12”x12”
Mixed media on MDF panel.
Acrylic, encaustic, oil pastels, laser transfer, and water mixable oil paints.
Painted 8/16/26
