Painting In Progress (Pileated Woodpecker)

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Jeanette Fournier

We have several groupings of white birch trees scattered around our yard, which I frequently stop to admire when I pass by.  At times, they seem almost to glow with brightness, especially when the sky is a particular shade of cerulean blue.  They are the inspiration for my painting in progress this week.  I’ve been noticing a lot of woodpeckers lately too and decided to add one into the composition for an added splash of red.  If I don’t hear the drumming first, I see that telltale flash of red or a black and white pattern reflecting starkly against the trees.

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Raven Painting Complete (bird art)

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Jeanette Fournier

Title: "The Messenger", 13" x 19"

I finished this raven painting moments ago with a satisfied feeling of accomplishment and a huge sigh of relief.  Lots of undivided attention was spent on the feather details and trying not to splatter any dark paint ANYWHERE else.  I find it very challenging to paint something that’s all black and still give it depth and highlights.  Used a lot of ultra-marine blue mixed with burnt umber and a little rose madder and neutral tint colors combined to create various shades of black.  I used small amounts of ivory black in only the deepest, darkest areas.  It sure made painting the branch a breeze at the end!

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My New Website Design (Nature’s Way Studio)

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Jeanette Fournier

The final touches were put on my newly re-designed website last month and it’s looking GREAT!!  A huge THANK YOU goes out to the creative crew at Wetherbee Creative & Web for all their efforts.  And for the added bonus of videos for “training the artist” with patience and humor.  Be sure to check out my website and let me know what you think.  While there, if you’re not already signed up for my monthly E-newsletter, jump on the band-wagon!  I’d love to add you to the list!

(No artists were harmed in the making of this photo!)

You can hear all about my “Artist Gone Wild” adventures in obtaining photographs of animals for my artwork.  There’s never a dull moment and I never know what I’m going to experience.  I’m blessed to live where I see lots of wildlife (and with a husband willing to carry all the heavy stuff into the woods with me).  You’ll read stories about artwork “On The Drawing Table…” and other art show and studio news I’m involved in.  And you might even see some art that needs to come home to you!

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Barn Owl Painting in Progress

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Jeanette Fournier

"Ghost Owl", size 7" x 7"

For the fans of my bird art out there, here’s another owl painting currently on my drawing table…owls definitely seem to be my “muse” as I never tire of painting them.  Quite simply, they fascinate me.  I had a chance to observe a barn owl and take a few reference photos at the Raptor Center in the Vermont Institute of Natural Science in Queechee, VT last summer.  I’ve spent the past several weeks working out a few compositions in my head before putting a brush to paper.  The barn owl’s unique heart-shaped facial disc helps it locate prey when hunting.  It has a “ghostly” appearance when seen at night due to it’s white feathering and silent flight, resulting in the aptly named “ghost owl”, to which it is sometimes referred.  This owl’s pose of unwavering attention to something on the ground and the back-lit lighting really appealed to me.  Stay tuned for the finished painting!

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Painting Adventure #1 Out Of The Idea Box (jersey cow)

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Jeanette Fournier
jersey cow painting

"Brown Eyed Girl" 5" x 9"

A friend of ours has a large barn and pasture, which she rents out to a family raising a small herd of cows.  One day I wanted to create some paintings of cows so we went over to take a few photos.  On the advice of my “cow-wise” husband (grew up on a dairy farm), I was instructed not to look them directly in the eyes and maintain a quiet, non-threatening demeanor since we were unfamiliar to them.  I thought…I’m threatening??!  He’s kidding, right?  At 5 feet and 3 inches, I barely reach the top of their backs, they weigh well over 1000 pounds,  and frankly, could “take me” in a matter of seconds.  So, in what I deemed appropriate “non- predator” body language, I slowly made attempts to get close enough for photos.  Turned out, these cows were extremely curious and would bravely approach me.  From behind.  The moment I lifted or turned my head to look at them, they would bolt away in a panicked stampede as if the hound of the Baskerville was after them.  After several frustrating encounters like this I was finally poised to take some good photos when I heard (and felt) a warm moist snort of breath directly on the back of my neck.  The next thing I know, this cow licks me from the bottom of my shirt and all the way to the top of the back of my head.  Think a cat’s tongue is rough?  Well, it’s about the same way, just A LOT bigger and wetter.  I couldn’t help but let out a yelp of surprise, which naturally sent them galloping for safety.  I did eventually obtain some photos and even managed to make friends with some well placed pats and scratching behind the ears.  Er…their ears that is, not mine.  It was well worth the effort…the big babies!  I set aside a couple of photos for consideration, and the result is this first painting to come out of my “idea box” this year.

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Art Work In Progress (rainbow trout)

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Jeanette Fournier

Here’s a rainbow trout painting I’m working on for a customer, who has very patiently awaited its completion.  I’ve still got to add in a nymph fly, otherwise it’s very close to being finished.  I’ll donate a limited edition reproduction giclee of this image to the MadDog Trout Unlimited chapter in Vermont for their annual fundraising effort this Spring.  It remains to be seen what sort of impact the destruction caused by Hurricane Irene last year will have had on the wild trout species of the Mad river and the Dog river.  I certainly hope this artwork will help raise funds to continue the conservation efforts to restore a healthy population of wild trout in these waterways.

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Painting Wildlife In The White Mountains (New Hampshire)

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Jeanette Fournier

When we first bought our house here, we asked the previous owner if he saw much wildlife.  His response was an emphatic “no, never”.  Being a artist who paints wildlife, I was a bit discouraged by this but we went about planting a variety of trees, plants and bushes to attract birds and encourage wildlife anyway.  I thought, this is the White Mountain National Forest I’m living in…of course there’s wildlife here!  The first weekend we spent renovating the house, I stopped to catch my breath and happened to glance out a window.  Standing in the snowy back yard were two deer, not more than 20 feet away, digging through the snow to get to the grass under it.  In the six years since then, we have observed deer, moose, black bears, porcupines, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, grey fox, red fox, snowshoe hares, bobcat, weasel, river rat (ewww!), raccoon, numerous owls, hawks and countless varieties of birds to name a few.  OK, I’m going out on a limb here, but we have also been lucky enough to once see a mountain lion.  I know, I know…that’s like telling people I’ve seen a unicorn, but it’s true.  It was one of the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever seen and I treasure the memory of it.  Living in such close proximity to the natural world is what inspires my artwork and there’s always something new and wonderful for me to try and capture in my paintings.  No wildlife… are you kidding me?!

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New Year…New Adventures In The Studio

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Jeanette Fournier

I’m sitting here in my studio, lost in thought this morning as I look out at the woods around our home.  The ground is covered by a fresh blanket of snow and the air has a definite bite to it…winter is here in earnest.    It looks a bit like the magical land of Narnia right now.  Stepping out the front door onto the porch, I huddled down deeper into my coat before hurrying to the studio with an arctic blast of wind and snow buffeting me.  It’s the beginning of a new year and I’m thinking on new paintings to create in the coming months.   I’m a devoted “maker of lists” so I’m sipping on a cup of tea and, you guessed it, making a list of ideas for new work.  I’ve spent the past several weeks with no inspiration and not much painting getting done.  Perhaps it was the holidays and everything that goes with it… before, during and after, but with the start of the new year, I find I now have the inner peace and the solitude to concentrate on painting again.

About a month ago, I bought a colorful photo storage box and a small journal and have labeled it my “idea box”.  I’ve collected all the little scraps of paper on which I’ve jotted down ideas or made rough sketches and photos of animals that appeal to me and tossed them in there along with the journal.  In the journal, I’ve made little lists (naturally) of good ideas for titles of paintings, artwork I want to do, art shows and places to explore for viewing wildlife.  Once a month, I’m going to look through this box and pick something to work on or a place to go for inspiration.  That sounds suspiciously like a “new year resolution” doesn’t it?!  In the course of this year, I’ll make regular posts here on what comes out of the “idea box” and share the art and/or the adventures with you.  Who knows what will come out of it and or where it will take me but that’s the magical part.  Funny… I’m quite sure I just felt the walls of my studio shake from a particularly strong gust of wind…or perhaps I just heard the roar of a lion.

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Seasons Greetings

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Jeanette Fournier

Wishing you…health, harmony & happiness in this holiday season!

 

 

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Painting in Progress (black cat and adirondack chair)

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Jeanette Fournier

"Adirondack Chair Moment" (working title)

A small painting I started working on this week.  I decided to paint something fun and charming since I’ve been spending time getting all sorts of the boring year-end accounting work completed, updating the 2012 budget and my business plan.  Oh, and let’s not forget getting the filing caught up.  I’ve wanted to create this painting for quite a while and decided now was the time.  No pressure, no deadline….just me and my paints, playing around.  Kind of like the cat in this painting…
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