I’m sharing another in-progress work tonight: a black silhouette treeline against a sunset gradient, oil on canvas. To celebrate my return to oils from a long hiatus (I was oil on canvas until I turned pro three years ago), I glammed it up with a new brush: an extra long-handled Imperial Bristle hog’s hair round brush by Creative Mark, size 00. I am in love with this tiny brush! I also got a size 1; these brushes are for making the ethereal tree branches to varying degrees of thickness. I have to give a shout-out to my mother, my best patron and supporter, for the gift of these brushes!
Let’s skip to the juicy bits: the pictures.
After I got done with the initial round, I had a blue haboob, aka desert storm that billows like that. I got stuck there for a few days. Then my bestie called with some inspo, a sunset shot of the evening –
Well, the color match was too intense to ignore, so I paid attention. Look at that sunset gradient compared to the one I just pulled out of my head onto canvas- all I had to do was flip it around, and then add some trees.
All along the way I’m debating- should I go further or am I done? That question remains unanswered, but I’m plunging further ahead regardless, curious as I am to the results of this tree situation that grew bigger than intended. That’s why this is art and not photography.
An artist’s best friend is their favorite tool in the box, and my new favorite is the super tiny 00 hog hair brush. It responds so.. responsively, with great accuracy and precision. Well-heftly weighted, this brush feels magnificent in the hand.
Stay tuned for the final product!
The Naturalist Fine Art 
Thoughts?