Arden Ellen Nixon

Paintings, Ahoy!

Added 2025-05-28 15:13:44 +0000 UTC

Believe it or not, I actually PAINTED something that wasn't/isn't a secret!

Last time, I shared with you the start of a 5 x 7"-ish papyrus painting meant to fit an unusual frame size. I realized I had never painted a fox skull, so I figured why not?

The black tiger lilies are thanks to my anticipation for our black tiger lilies, which are roughly a month away from blooming. The frame in question is a gorgeous, heavy beast picked up at Goodwill for $1.99. Shipping is out of the question for this brick house, but I'm happy to deliver!

Seriously, isn't this a neat frame?! The image is imbedded in the resin frame like a fossil, not printed on.

The same day I finished the above piece, I re-started this watercolor.

It was originally sketched during the pandemic, only to be set aside because I didn't know how to finish it. Full color? Black and white? Acrylic or watercolor? Years on, I looked at it and realized that the answer was: All of the above!

Why do I have such a fascination with animals smoking? I haven't the faintest, beyond finding it amusing, always.

Black and white watercolor will be the predominate scheme, with acrylic gold filling in the scroll work. The gold will have to wait until the very end, as I'll need to erase all the leftover pencil smears on the illustration board first.

This specific painting has seven different layers of inside jokes to explain, but that deserves to be a post in its own right. ;P

May you be well and wonderful, friends!