Wildlife & Animal Paintings

"In the Limelight" - 11x14" - Acrylic on Canvas -

I always enjoy painting horses, and this piece was no exception. The photo that inspired it was actually taken on an overcast day, but this fellow’s noble pose seemed to demand a spotlight. I wanted this piece to have a theatrical feel, to give this graceful animal the stage and attention he deserves.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/arabs-stallion-thoroughbred-arabian-1367173/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Rough Housing" - 11x14" - Acrylic on Canvas -

There’s so much drama in this piece that it was a joy to paint. I especially enjoyed playing up the contrasting colors to bring out the muscle definition and movement of these horses. This is probably one of my most enjoyable pieces to date.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/standard-horses-combat-mane-horse-1401913/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Ol' Blue Eyes" - 11x14" - Acrylic on Canvas -

I’ve wanted to paint lions for a long time now but kept getting distracted by landscapes or other animals. I’m happy to finally have had the opportunity since they’re such interesting subjects to paint. Between the thick mane, the fine facial hair, the delicate whiskers, and the haunting eyes, they’re a fun challenge.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/lion-male-close-up-staring-3740159/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Monday Morning" - 11x14" - Acrylic on Canvas -

This is one of my favorite paintings to date. I really enjoyed playing with the reds and blues in this lion's fur and the contrast of the light and dark sides of this his face. His pose is a lot of fun too. I almost called this piece “Growing Pains” since he seems to be an adolescent that hasn’t grown into his mane yet, but “Monday Morning” seemed to capture his expression more...just like one of us when we don’t want to get out of bed!

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/africa-animal-close-up-lion-macro-1842302/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Mine" - 11x14" - Acrylic on Canvas -

I had to paint this bear when I saw his expression and the way he’s slumped over this rock. It’s exactly how I feel when I finish a painting…exhausted and just a bit wary. Any artistic endeavor requires a lot of energy, not just to create a piece but also to keep reworking it if necessary. This piece needed to be reworked several times before I was satisfied with it. The lighting was particularly challenging, but the highlights and contrast of the warm and cool tones were a lot of fun.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/bear-meadow-rock-nature-brown-bear-2515711/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Sunday Morning" - 11x14" - Acrylic on Canvas -

Bears can look so human at times, it’s a little unnerving. This guy is no exception, but it took a lot of reworking to get his face and expression just right. I wanted the whole painting to evoke a quiet contentment, like a peaceful Sunday morning just after dawn. The simple background and small flowers in the foreground were a fun touch of color for this piece.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/bear-animal-nature-dangerous-4158536/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Morning Rises" - 12x16" - Acrylic on Canvas -

I wanted to paint this waterfall scene because of all the vibrant greens and yellows. I enjoyed adding all the rocks and playing with the movement of the water, but felt like this piece needed something more. Adding the wolf was a challenge, but it brought a sense of mystery and adventure to this painting.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/waterfall-bad-urach-urach-waterfall-2866253/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #landscapepainting

"Chickenhound" - 11x14" - Acrylic on Canvas -

This painting was named after a character in some young-adult books Sara and I read when we were in school. The books were about talking woodland creatures, and foxes were usually portrayed as cunning villains. I thought this red fox’s expression fit that idea rather well with his piercing green eyes. The fur textures were a bit challenging but I loved playing up the oranges against the deep purple background.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/fox-nature-animals-roux-fauna-715588/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Fortunata" - 11x14" - Acrylic on Canvas -

It's always nice to paint the same subject more than once. It gives me the opportunity to refine prior techniques and experiment with new ones. This fox painting was no exception. Where the fur in “Chickenhound” was more smooth and sleek, this fur was much more fluffy and texturized. I loved playing up the blues in the shadows of the white fur and complimenting them with the rich orange tones.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/fox-camouflage-autumn-wild-animal-985292/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Across the Sea" - 12x16” - Acrylic on Canvas -

Before returning to land-based subjects, I wanted to try painting some sea creatures. I chose these whales because of the way the sunlight highlighted them so perfectly. At first, I tried exaggerating this highlight to bring more drama to the piece, but quickly realized that it overwhelmed the whales and wasn’t true to how real sunlight behaves. Repainting the water was frustrating, but I’m satisfied with the end result and encouraged by how smoothly the piece came together once I realized my mistake.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://unsplash.com/photos/maxbZW7MKs4
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Silent Predator" - 12x16” - Acrylic on Canvas -

To finish off this summer’s ocean series I wanted to paint another sea creature, but this time from an underwater perspective. I chose this scene because of the way the light filtered through the water and cast patterns on the sand and shark. The shark was actually challenging at first. I repainted it several times but still wasn’t satisfied with it until my fiancée suggested adding some aqua green. She was right! The whole piece came together beautifully after that and I was able to achieve a much better sense of depth.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://unsplash.com/photos/GBDkr3k96DE
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Savage Predator" - 9x12” - Acrylic on Canvas -

After painting a great predator of the sea, I thought it’d be cool to paint a great predator of the sky. This eagle captured my imagination with his fierce expression and dangerous vibe. I had fun with the color scheme; playing up the blues and browns to accentuate his bright orange beak and eyes. The eyes were actually my favorite part. It was a lot of fun creating the sense of threat and danger in them.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://unsplash.com/photos/PltXkZ0KNh0
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"A Quick Buck" - 11x14” - Acrylic on Canvas -

I’ve thought about painting a deer for a while now but kept getting distracted by landscapes and other animals. I loved the way the light illuminated this stag and created so much contrast between the lighter and darker tones in the fur. It provided a nice challenge in an otherwise simple piece. I chose blue for the background to really make this guy pop and create a more dramatic atmosphere.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/deer-stag-wildlife-animal-1982416/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Alight" - 9x12” - Acrylic on Canvas -

I thought it was time I tried painting some insects and wanted to try a scorpion, but my fiancée, Sara, is highly adverse to almost all forms of creepy crawlies. She told me she’d only tolerate paintings of three types: ladybugs, butterflies, and dragonflies. Since she’s not only my editor and videographer, but also my photographer, I knew if I went ahead with the scorpion, it would probably never see the light of day! In fact, I believe Sara would have probably knifed that painting when I wasn’t looking, and then blamed it on its “looking too realistic.” In the end, after finishing this piece, I realized I really don’t enjoy painting insects, which I’m sure is a great relief to Sara!

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/dragonfly-azure-bridesmaid-insect-540839/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #insectpainting

"Into the Light" - 12x16” - Acrylic on Canvas -

I wanted to paint another springtime scene and loved the way the light illuminated this forested path. I really had fun playing with the different color relationships, creating contrast between the foreground and background. The sun rays gave this piece a somewhat mystical feeling, but it still felt like it needed something more. I added the heron to give it that last touch of magic that it was missing.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/sun-s-rays-morning-light-landscape-1139123/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Out of the Mist" - 12x16” - Acrylic on Canvas -

This is the companion piece to “Into the Light.” I loved the mysterious feeling in this scene and the way the bird was framed so perfectly by the foreground leaves and misty sunlight. It was a challenge making the foreground interesting, but once I started adding the blue and green leaves the whole painting came together smoothly.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/heron-egret-landscape-feathers-5394026/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #landscapepainting

"Black Magic" - 9x12” - Acrylic on Canvas -

This piece was a lot of fun and went extremely quickly. The only thing I had to watch out for was making the fur look too bright against the dark background. I really enjoyed adding the purple mist and orange eyes, and look forward to doing more spooky paintings next year!

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/cat-moody-angry-close-up-3386220/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #catpainting

"Flamenco" - 11x14” - Acrylic on Canvas -

I wanted another subject to compliment “Tropical” and Sara suggested I try painting a flamingo. I haven’t done any animals in a while so I thought it would be a nice change. I’m really happy with the way this piece turned out although I don’t like it as much as “Tropical.” The most difficult part was settling on the right hues, but adding the light blooms and teal background to make this guy pop was a fun challenge.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/flamingo-bird-pink-tropical-color-89367/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Snow Day" - 11x14” - Acrylic on Canvas -

It’s been a while since I’ve done any animal paintings, so I wanted to try another. This piece was inspired by all the snow we’ve had here recently. At first, I created a more detailed background, but when it detracted from the horse’s form and movement, I simplified it. This inspired me to also simplify the color palette and give the illusion that the horse was a part of the snow itself. I really enjoyed accentuating that illusion and may try a similar piece with water in the future.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/white-horse-winter-snow-december-3010129/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #horsepainting

"Lurking" - 12x16” - Acrylic on Canvas -

Someone asked me to paint a whale underwater but I haven’t been able to find a good reference image yet. Instead I found this shark and was instantly captured by the eerie drama of the scene. The whole painting went really smoothly and someday I’d like to do a similar piece with a hammerhead shark.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/sea-water-ocean-underwater-fish-2561399/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Simba" - 5x7” - Acrylic on Canvas -

Some friends commissioned this pet portrait for their niece when her beloved cat, Simba, died recently. They said she trained him to take walks with her and caused quite a stir around their neighborhood. He must have been a very special cat and I hope I captured not just his likeness, but his spirit in this painting.

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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #petportrait

"Chillin'" - 11x14” - Acrylic on Canvas -

I’ve wanted to try painting a tiger for a long time but just never got around to it. I figured now was as good a time as any! This piece was actually a bit a breakthrough for me. I wanted it to be simple but still realistic and I think I succeeded in my goal. I don’t usually enjoy painting, it’s hard work and tiring, but this piece was a refreshing change and I hope it makes my future paintings go smoother.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/tiger-animal-wildlife-nature-cat-2196128/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Under the Sea" - 11x14” - Acrylic on Canvas -

Before I got back to doing landscapes I thought it would nice to do another wildlife painting. I chose a sea turtle because they’re one of my niece’s favorite animals. I love the color palette in this piece but the detail work was a bit of a pain with all the lines in the flippers. The shell texture was also challenging, but overall, I’m happy with how it turned out.

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/turtle-tortoise-swim-sea-turtle-863336/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Self-Portrait" - 12x9” - Acrylic on Canvas -

Someone asked me to paint a sloth recently and I chose this scene because I thought this guy’s position was rather comical. It took some work to find the right fur colors, but the background was a lot of fun to create. I titled the piece “Self-Portrait” since I honestly feel a little slothful at times. Sara tells me that’s ridiculous and I guess she’d be the best judge, but I still think it’s a fun title!

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/sloth-tree-animal-rest-depend-4167380/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting

"Tick Tock" - 12x16” - Acrylic on Canvas -

I painted a dragon in “Time to Go” but realized that I’ve never actually painted a lizard. I thought it would be cool to try a crocodile and was instantly captured by the dramatic eeriness of this scene. The skin texture was really fun to create and I enjoyed playing up its color against the water. The water itself was a bit tricky though and I had to redo it several times before being satisfied with it. This is actually one of my favorite videos to date. I think Sara was spot on with the music and it perfectly complements the eerie mood I was going for!

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PHOTO INSPIRATION:
https://pixabay.com/photos/crocodile-zoo-alligator-animal-1730510/
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#acrylicpainting #timelapse #wildlifepainting