Artist Tip #24, Trailing of the Sheep Festival 2010, Sun Valley, Idaho

" Trailing of the Sheep II "

Oil

6x6

$550
Copyright J.Bellinger 2010

I have fallen in love with painting sheep! I think it is the way they bunch up that makes for dramatic compositions. Designing a painting is my favorite part of the creative process. In this little painting I had the dark horse/rider and the black faced sheep...needed another dark area so darkend the shadows on the far left edge for balance.

If you are in town the weekend of October 8-10 please come by the Ketchum Sun Valley Heritage & Ski Museum, 1st & Washington to see my exhibit. I will be there Friday Oct. 8 from 5:00-7:30 to visit with folks. Chef Ric Lum "Delicious Revolution" will be serving lamb, you can meet Cindy and Jeff Siddoway, a ranching family from Mud Lake, Idaho and Kelli Young, board member, Trailing of the Sheep Cultural Heritage Center, Inc.

Trailing of the Sheep Festival 2010

Artist's Tip # 24: Use the largest brush possible (I use a #4 bright for 6x6 panels). Load your brush with paint (don't be stingy..its called painting for a reason and we aren't house painters) Put the stroke down..leave it alone! Go back get more paint, put it down..leave it alone. Keep putting strokes down...step back. See what needs modifying...keep edges soft/fuzzy for as long as possible. Hard edges mostly belong in the focal point area. Don't be concerned about details until all the main shapes are down. After composition, value is the most important. Third is color. Your color can be off, but the values must be correct or your shapes won't read correctly and will have a flat effect..fine if that is what you are after.

Trailing of the Sheep, Ketchum, Idaho

" Curious "

Oil

6x8

SOLD

Copyright J.Bellinger 2010

This handsome sheep was in a pen with hundreds of others; we stopped on our way back from the Flat Top Sheep Ranch BBQ in June. As I slowly walked up to the pen to take photos, didn't want to spook them, it dawned on me that there could be a Great Pyrenee guard dog or two so I stopped about 15 from the pen. I heard a low growl...scampered right back to the car! He was lying next to the fencing about 10 feet where I was.

This painting will be on exhibit for the 2010 Trailing of the Sheep Festival

Trailing of the Sheep, Lambs, Sun Valley, Idaho

Spring Lambs

Oil

8x10

$750

copyright J.Bellinger 2010

The first of three new paintings for the 14th annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival which begins October 8th here in the Wood River Valley and culminates Sunday with the sheep herd trailing down Main Street and right past my house!

Seven area artists are featured at venues around Ketchum. I will exhibit my paintings at the Ketchum Sun Valley Heritage & Ski Museum .

I photographed these little lambs this summer at my friends farm. I don't know the various breeds but my favorite are the black faced ones (Suffolks?)...will have to investigate.