Chameleon Carapace

Winter vacation is finally here, thank the unknowable powers that be.  "Chameleon Carapace" is nearly done, and so is "The Garden's Guardian":

I have mixed feelings about this one--I think this work was more of a learning exercise than anything else.  This canvas is quite old--I've probably had it since high school.  It was a horrid, unfinished painting I'd started years and years ago, so when I found it I just started sloshing greens, blues and yellows on it without any particular idea in mind.  While there are a lot of things I do like about it, planning it out beforehand would have helped a great deal, and clearly I need to work on painting foliage.

Anyway, time to move on to other things:

This is the concept sketch for "L'escargot aux yeux écarquillés".  In the end, I decided to go big for the painting, minimizing background.  I intend on doing a drawing with a detailed background, though, in addition to the painting.  Canvas sketch in progress:

And now for the wash and first darks:

Happy holidays, and until next time...!