Rooster Yard Dog original oil painting on 24" x 30" canvas by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

Adding a lose background, and some of the lay-in, using the darkest colors to start building layers of color.

A close-up shot, making sure I am happy with the drawing, and ready to add those bold rooster colors we all love so much!

Coming along on this large canvas oil painting of a brilliantly colored rooster.

Another close-up shot of the handsome rooster, "Yard Dog".

A close-up shot of the finished rooster, showing the wrapped and painted sides- no frame needed!

The finished original oil painting on a wrapped- all sides painted, no frame needed, high quality  24" x 30" x 1.5" canvas. I've taken the liberty to title this big boy,"Yard Dog" because he knows he is so dang handsome, and strong. He is  faithfully watching very carefully for any intruders who might try to seal from his harem in the chicken yard.

Landscape in oils impressionism style on 12" x 24" wrapped canvas

I have already prepped my canvas background with burnt sienna , thinned with turps (odorless turpentine), added a mixer of black, for my darkest "darks", like the trees that will be in the background. Dark pushes things into the background,wile light colors bring things forward. I've mixed some black with cadmium yellow medium to make a good earthy green. I have also added a touch of blue in the sky, still deciding on what blue will work for me. I am using a #5 palette knife, or a medium pointed palette knife. I will also be using a large brilliant #22 paint brush- wide with a fine edge. The copy of a painitg that you can see clipped to the easel is not this painting. I was going to repaint that one again- or something close to it, since it has sold, but I ended up allowing my imagination to take over today with something new.

With the pallet knife, I have scraped downward and to the sides a little, making the paint smoother, but lose. This is not the stage to use thick paint. I've added a small pond, or the illusion of some water using the blues I've selected for the sky colors. My blues are Winsor Newton French Ultramarine blue, Radiant turquoise blue by Gamblin, and WN titanium white- mixed.

As you can quickly see,I have not been great about taking enough photos during the process. I apologize! Sometimes I can stop and take pics, while at other times it is flowing so nicely for me, I forget to stop! I will try harder to take more photos of my steps in painting.

 So, here is my completed and signed painting, for sale, and listed in my Etsy Shop.

A side shot to show how the painting background wraps around the canvas- on all sides. Ready to hang with hooks and wire, no frame needed!

I appreciate you looking and watching as I create. I love painting in oils!


Blessings to you and yours,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer
Fine Art

Palette knife landscape original oils on canvas by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

Palette knives were used to make this brilliantly colored landscape, impressionism style. Lots of texture.

 ****Always feel free to click on any of the photos to see an enlargement!

The depth of the 16" x 20" canvas is 1.5", so no frame needed!

Another close-up view of this landscape original oil painting.

A close-up shot showing the lose strokes and scrapes of the palette knife, as I pull it all together.

One last close-up shot,showing off some of the bright and cheerful colors in this original oil painting. I hope you've enjoyed this painting. It is for sale in my Etsy shop, under Sandra Cutrer Fine Art.


In my last blog I mentioned making new beginnings for myself. One of the many changes I will be making is trying to slowly transitioning my name, adding in my maiden name, Reeves, then slowly removing the Cutrer name, since it no longer pertains to my new life. Thank you for reading my blog. Please come back soon.

 Don't forget that I have started a new Facebook page called, "Still Magnolias". Using the word STILL, meaning, although many of us have been BRUISED, BEATEN DOWN in so many different ways mentally, physically, emotionally, or even spiritually by an abusive addict, we are STILL beautiful flowers, blooming and living until the day God picks us and takes us home with him.

Blessings,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer
Fine Art