Thursday, August 11, 2011

Paint Party Friday #22

   Sorry, no goofy geckos this week guys! But I have a wonderful reptillian story to tell ya! Last week at work we rescued a baby Blue Tail Skink from getting run over by one of our production carts. ( thanks Hazel !) I have been wanting to photograph one of these gems for years now , so instead of just taking him outside the building and letting him go in the field, we found an empty water bottle ( thanks Sandy!) and coaxed him into it. I left the lid off and carefully slid the bottle into my bag and transported him home. I took a few shots of him in the bottle just in case he made a run for it before I could get him into the big plastic box of props I prepared for his "photo session". ( those came out great too!). Then I let him slide out of the bottle and into the clear plastic box. I gently slid a wood plate under him and began shooting ! He was a sweetheart and stayed perfectly still! Next I took the plate away and traded props for a southwest table runner. That was more difficult as he loved all the folds and kept trying to hide in them, but I still got some great shots! Last of all was the most risky but the shot I had dreamed of on the way home, a bright orange craft lid for a backdrop! The trouble was that the lid was bigger than the box he was in,and I knew he would use it as his escape route and climb out. Sure enough he made a run for it and climbed out via the bright orange ramp! But he stopped long enough for me to get a couple awesome shots!!!! I took a few more of him jumping on to my shoe and then running along our porch edge and finally down to a cool hole in the cement, ah home sweet home!

    Whew, nuff said, now the paint party part. The photos came out so cool , I couldn't resist painting a large watercolor from them ( or one at least). It usually takes me a couple months to paint one that size ( 22X30) so instead of ACEOs I'm gonna share the work in progress for the next few PPFs, so here's the start, not much just pencil and the magic blue tail and the yellow stripes. I'll include the photo on the orange lid too! OK  dont forget to check out all the other entries and big hugs to Eva and Kristen for hosting our party! ROCK ON GECKOANS!!!!!

36 comments:

  1. oooooooh! Wonderful story about your little fella and wonderful start on the painting ~ Wow ~ thanks, namaste, Carol ^_^ (Share the Creative Journey) and A Creative Harbor) ~ I have you on my blog ~ Dont think the PPF is up yet ~ enjoy ^_^

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  2. This is fantastic Deb! I love the story about the photo's ;o) The little guy or girl was great at posing for you ;o) The painting is looking great already! I can't wait to see it in the different stages!

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  3. its going to be a beauty,, how can it fail,, beautiful subject!

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  4. Loved your story and I love the beginnings of your painting. We have blue tailed skinks here too. I love to sit on my porch and watch them dart around. Lizard says "Are you dreaming me or did I dream you?"

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  5. Great post and love the way your Skink is going. Happy PPF, Annette x

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  6. Nice story, and great start to your painting.

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  7. What a beautiful creature! HAPPY PPF!

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  8. Loved your story about the skink. We have loads of them running around our house (on the outside LOL!) and on our porch/deck. I think the blue tail means that they are young. I hope you do share your progress on the painting with us. Looks like a great start.

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  9. Sounds like the two of you had great fun with the photo shoot....he's gorgeous..

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  10. Haha, aww how adorable... X3
    Looking forward to seeing your painting finished, bet it will be awesome!

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  11. Loved the story and your skink is coming along nicely. Truthfully I am afriad of lizards, snakes, and things with longish tails. Ayeeeeee!:DD Your piece though I'm sure will be great.

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  12. Wow..so cool...awww..you are a super hero..awesome rescue!! Gorgeous creature and beautiful art!! Loved your story...very special!!Yay!!
    Victoria

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  13. Wonderful commitment to your passion. Great story

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  14. What a fun story, glad you shared it. Your painting is going to be fun to watch as it develops, it already looks so flowing and nice.

    I had a skink come into my house once via a houseplant that was brought in to the house for winter. He lived in my sunroom for months!

    One question, how on Earth do you coax a skink into a water bottle????

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  15. That was quite a photoshoot. :) Great picture of him!

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  16. wow, he's pretty cool, and so is the start of your painting!
    -Andrea

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  17. This is great, I have never heard of one of these fellas before, never knew they existed- how pretty!. Glad you saved his life and have made him immortal by taking his picture and paintin him. Great story! Valerie

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  18. What a handsome fellow! I can picture him finding a lovely skink wife and starting a little family in his new home :) Away from the dreaded production carts.

    Your watercolor is starting out beautifully!

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  19. Great story! What fun to have a photo shoot with that cool creature! Your painting is looking wonderful so far. I look forward to watching your progress!

    Happy PPF!

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  20. What a fantastic subject to sit for you. Look forward to your work in progress...looks great so far! POP ART MINIS

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  21. Just found your blog from Magic Love Crow's blog! I love your work, your painting and rock carvings are wonderful...I'm looking forward to seeing your newest work in progress (I love watching other artists work!)

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  22. He is a gorgeous specimen! I'm loving your watercolor so far....the lines and fluidity are just perfect!

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  23. Wow what a beautiful skink! They move so fast but you managed to take a wonderful photo!! Looking forward to seeing the finished painting. I also loved your skink for paint party friday, so cute heheheh I love that he plays the guitar!! Thank you also for your lovely message you left on my blog, it really lifted my spirits!!! :0)

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  24. Your skink work in progress is looking good. I like the way you curved him. We have a couple that live by our store's front door. Most of the time they come out to sun themselves, but when you approach, they hide behind the bookcases. When I was a kid my brothers used to catch them. But when they picked them up they always dropped their tails! At least yours didn't do that. :-)

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  25. I absolutely love this!! The entire story is great - wonderful the way you describe how you took pictures of the little guy. And the watercolor tunred out beautiful so far. As did the photo on the oragne ramp.
    I looked around your blog a bit - this is right down my lane. As you probably have guessed from visiting my blog I love the Southwest as well - a lot actually. I'm forever torn between the American Southwest and the Pacific Northwest - quite different! Next I'll visit your Etsy store.

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  26. loved reading your story and I can't wait to see how your painting develops. gorgeous little creature.

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  27. A beautiful lizard. We are looking forward to the end of watercolor.

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  28. Wow, so many of you have had some great skink sightings too, very cool! I didn't know how popular they were!!! As to Jaime's question, he was almost ready to squeeze out of the bottom of my cupped hand so I just sort of put the bottle opening where his head was pokin out and before long...wiggle , wiggle, in he went!Thanks so much for all the fun comments. I had a blast at all of your blogs too! See ya next PPF! Deb

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  29. Lovely story, nice créations painting, greeting from Belgium

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  30. Fab adventure for both of you! Neat photo, very cool setting and subject.
    I´ll be posting a picture of my brayer for you next PPF. :)

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  31. He is so cute and colourful!! I look forward to seeing more of him! Great start!

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  32. What a fun story - it definitely sounds like a unique photo shoot! I can't wait to see how your painting progresses (And I hope you'll share more of your photos too)!!!

    xo
    Kristin

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  33. cool lizard... I can not wait to see more ! My son had a bearded dragon once...pretty cool
    KAT

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  34. Isn't nature amazing!!! Love him and his little blue tail! The painting is very very cool! Can't wait to see the finished project!

    Hug Giggles

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  35. This is pretty cool!!! :D Keep going! Looks fabulous so far!!! :D

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