"Santa's Little Helpers"

Watercolor, Pen & Ink

8" x 10"

(c)2009 NL Matus

Finished this watercolor pet portrait I was commissioned to do, and delivered it yesterday. The customer was delighted, which made me feel great. I usually don't do the pet portraits in watercolor, but she wanted it in the style of my botanical watercolors which have a sort of whimsical feel to them. This was a fun project to do, and I really enjoyed painting the little Chihuahua on the right.

"Desert Poem"

Oil on Canvas Board

5" x 7"

(c)2009 NL Matus

This is a painting from a roadtrip from early summer, and I had been tinkering with it off and on during the last month. I was attracted to the contrast of the red-orange cactus blossoms against the shades of green/olive in the cactus itself. Without trying to get into too much detail, and capture that which caught my eye. I have 2 paintings I developed further from this one, and I would like to continue in this theme for a bit. This one is about 4" x 6".

"SanTan Late Afternoon"

Oil Pastel on Canvas

5" x 5"

(c)2009 NL Matus

Now that the heat has subsided, and we are in full Fall 'cooler' weather, it is really nice to be out and drawing / painting on site. I took a drive in the desert, out to the SanTan mountains area, and as the late afternoon sun was making everything golden, I decided this was a good subject for oil pastel. This is a small painting, maybe 5" x 5", and on canvas. The shadows were really deepening by the time I finished, so I had to work pretty quickly to catch what attracted me.

The drive home was leisurely, and I had a folio of sketches and quick color studies to show for my trip. I am so happy that the cooler weather has arrived, as I can now do more of these work trips.

"Untitled"

(unfinished)

Oil on Canvas Board

5" x 5"

(c)2009 NL Matus

Another small study I did in the field, this is about 5" x 5". This was another recent day trip, out through the Globe/Miami area. The rocks are so eroded and the relationships they form fascinated me. The moon was visible in the daytime sky; I think I will add it as a counterpoint in the sky here. I am finding my small sketchbox and the small canvases are ideal for these trips.