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As regular readers will know, I’ve been working on a series of animal paintings lately. While I had originally planned on having fifteen done by April, that time line is proving to be unrealistic due to my current commission workload.

My intention had always been to sell prints of these images, but my initial research into that market revealed other avenues I hadn’t considered. With the generous help and advice from galleries, books, and a few other artists, I now have a clearer direction in mind.

There’s a lesson, by the way. Ask for help. You’ll be surprised how many people are willing to share their time and knowledge with you, if you simply ask nicely. And remember to pay it forward.

A couple of months ago, I started talking to a local gallery about selling giclee stretched canvas prints. This has been a bit of a nervous process, because I know that galleries get approached on a daily basis by artists wanting to showcase their work. Most of the time, the art is declined, either because of the quality or because it isn’t any different than the work they’ve already got for sale.

I was fully prepared for rejection. As any working artist will tell you, that’s just part of the job. Too many artists take it personally and fail to realize that galleries are basically art stores, and if their wares don’t sell, they won’t be in business for long.

Yesterday, I received confirmation that my work has been accepted for display and sale on a consignment basis at Editions Gallery in Banff. I would have been happy if they’d agreed to take only one piece, but they’ve asked for all three of them in both of the size runs I’ve laid out. They will also consider any others that I paint in the future.

Considering how much I love painting these pieces, this has turned out to be a very good week for me. It has also further reinforced the lesson that nothing comes without a certain amount of risk. While some people have told me I should do more ‘traditional’ styles, I’ve no desire to try to be the next Robert Bateman. He’s doing quite a fine job of filling that role himself.

I’m a cartoonist who loves to paint, so whether it’s caricaturized portraits or whimsical looking animals, I’m quite content with the marriage of those two styles. I also have an awful lot of fun with them, and as any artist will tell you, that always shows up in the work. Case in point, I’m working on another animal right now, and having a great time doing it.

As Henry Miller once said, “Paint what you like and die happy.”

“Season’s Greetings, everybody, from KBHR, the heart and soul of Cicely, Alaska. This is Chris In The Morning. From where I’m sitting, I’ve got a great view of all the yuletide decorations going up all over town. That’s right, everywhere I turn my head I see ebony birds roosting for the holidays. You know, twinkling colored lights are nice, and so are plastic Santas and reindeers and manger scenes, but I’ll tell you something, friends… nothing like the sight of a beautiful black-as-pitch raven to get you in the Christmas spirit.”
– Chris Stevens, Northern Exposure.

This is the second animal painting in the series of many that I’m currently involved in. When compared to the grizzly bear painting I recently did, I’m not sure which was more difficult, fur or feathers. But I enjoyed painting both, and learned a lot from each.

Here’s the closeup. And while my wife and I don’t really celebrate Christmas, Happy Holidays for those of you that do.

I’m fortunate to live in The Canadian Rockies, an area rich in wildlife, and home to some of the most majestic animals in the world. Bears, wolves, elk, and many more species are wandering the woods just down the street from my home.

I recently found myself inspired to do a series of wildlife paintings, but I wanted them to have personality and life to them. Something different, something fun. So this grizzly bear ‘portrait’ is the first in the series.

My close friends are well aware of the irrational fear of bears I’ve had for a number of years. I call it bear-anoia. Frankly, I’ve never understood it. I love bears, and always have, but found myself quite nervous about running into one while on a hike or out camping. There is a difference between being ‘bear aware’ as they say in these parts, and worrying that Yogi or Boo-boo is going to jump out from behind every bush doesn’t exactly enhance an excursion into the great outdoors.

I don’t like having phobias. I used to be claustrophobic, but I cured that by taking a couple of guided trips into the Rat’s Nest Cave in this area. Very tight spaces and no easy exit. Now, I can’t get enough of the place. So to deal with the bear thing last summer, I went the hypnosis route and it is now much less of a concern than it used to be. I think people should face their fears. It’s very liberating.

Following are some step-by-step screenshots. Click on the image to see it larger. It should be noted that I while I did sketch a few studies before painting this image, I didn’t scan the sketches and work directly from them. The painting was starting and finished completely in Photoshop.

I really think I’ll enjoy working on this series.

I’ve been wanting to share this job for awhile, but as in all contracts, secrecy is usually required until it’s finished. I’ve been done with the images for a little while now, but I got word this week that the bus was on the road, so I couldn’t wait to drive to Banff to take some photos. Click on any of these images to see them larger.

Chinook Rafting presented me with a big challenge: Paint a cartoon of a whitewater raft full of people to be wrapped on both sides of a bus. Since there is text that couldn’t be simply reversed, that meant two paintings, even though most of the other side is identical, but flipped. The design and painting wasn’t so much the problem. Sketches, changes, more sketches, cleanup…the usual. It was the layout and the size of the final image that presented the challenge. After all, there’s a door, and windows, and wheel wells.

The main file I delivered to the company that did the actual output and printing of the vinyl was 1.59GB. Yep, that’s GIG. A vector design would have been a whole lot easier, but the painted look can’t be done that way, hence the huge file size. And this is why I keep my computer hardware updated.

I worked for a sign company here in Canmore for a couple of years, so I knew what was involved with doing a vinyl application for something like this and what layout challenges might come up. While there were some problems (aren’t there always?), they were manageable and I’m extremely pleased with how this looks on the bus. Can’t wait to be driving down the highway and see this vehicle taking visitors to the area out to go rafting.

The company logo and contact details will be put on the front and back of the bus very soon but I’m not involved with that, as it’s a pretty straightforward layout and application.

I love my job, so most days are good in my world. Today, however, was VERY good.