High Desert Mural: LAPC & Monday Mural

High Desert Mural Siobhan Sullivan 17 August 2020

I have been busy filling up space and time by creating a High Desert mural. I recently posted more details on creating my Outdoor Pronghorn Painting. This weekend I added three additional paintings to the mural.

Outdoor pronghorn painting by Siobhan Sullivan August 2020

As I mentioned in my post about the pronghorn painting, I use photos I have taken and other sources to do my first sketches. I like to refer back to field guides and set them up for easy viewing.

Work space for drawing an American badger August 2020

Creamy white paint is painted onto each piece to make the colors stand out. Here are the three back painted pieces.

High Desert mural rough drafts Siobhan Sullivan August 2020

Once I start applying the colors, the piece of paper I use for cleaning my brushes and trying out color mixes becomes a work of art.

Brush cleaning and mixing paper August 2020

Why did I choose these specific critters? They are all characters in books I’m working on. I once heard an author speak about surrounding himself with “artifacts” his characters use while he is writing. I’m displaying some of my characters so that I’ll see them every day, even on the days I’m frustrated with writing and revising.

Manuscript Siobhan Sullivan August 2020

Black-billed magpies are one of my favorite local birds. In my work-in-progress book, the magpie character is named a Chinese word that means “bright.” They are very intelligent birds.

Black-billed magpie Siobhan Sullivan August 2020

The golden-mantled ground squirrel helps save the day in the book she is featured in. Her name means “green” in Spanish because she is the protector of green petrified wood.

Golden-mantled ground squirrel Siobhan Sullivan August 2020

The American badger is featured as a secondary character and is also featured in a fable. Though unnamed, the badgers are important characters.

High Desert mural - American badger Siobhan Sullivan August 2020

I particularly liked how this painting turned out – especially the eye. This badger is guarding some of the rocks featured in my I like rocks! post.

With the addition of these three animals, my High Desert mural is complete. Well… at least until I come up with another idea for a book. 😉

Lens- Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Creativity in the time of Covid

Monday Mural

27 thoughts on “High Desert Mural: LAPC & Monday Mural

  1. Fantastic work. The characters in your books-in-progress come alive. Can’t wait till I see the mural it in person.

  2. Wow Siobhan – if we were giving awards (which of course we don’t) you would definitely be in line for most creative. The mural is lovely, I love that you painted it to help you along with a book, and I really love the color swatch modern art you made from the colors on the brushes. Fabulous!!!

  3. I love how you are surrounding yourself by the characters in your book through your paintings and the mural looks fabulous! Wishing you happy writing and a successful journey into publication 🍀

  4. While doing an oil painting, I like to keep a blank canvas nearby to smear the excess paint onto– before cleaning that brush and choosing the next color. That way I’ve already got a head start for the next painting– which will have an interesting background to blend over.
    Art

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