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I’m thinkin’ “Monarch” is finished It really didn’t require much more detail to complete, my effort concentrated on the reflected light in the shadows on the flower petals and creating color variation in the background. It might seem odd, but the negative space (background) in this painting took the most time. I’m not interested in slapping a monochrome solid color behind the positive space, I believe that every inch of a painting should be beautiful, and inch for inch this work is interesting and quite nice. I’m satisfied. “Monarch” 18×24 acrylic on canvas © Gail Niebrugge, call for price and availability (907)746-3256.

Next I begin serious work on the painting from my Artist-in-Residence at Denali National Park. I’ll squeeze time for this new project in between shows this month.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska landscape art

It always fun to start adding details, here is a close-up of part of the wing of the Monarch butterfly.

Here is a close-up of the body of the Monarch, you can see all of the overlapping dots in these two details. Even though I’m beginning to develop detail, some of the main components of the painting are unresolved and in a very rough stage. I’m putting the cart before the horse (so to speak) by focusing on details at this point, this is usually reserved for last but for some reason I’m drawn to the patterns on the butterfly and got distracted. Oh well, I’ll just have to paint it all over again if I’ve jumped the gun and I might have a price to pay. My students will surely roll their eyes with this demonstration, we shall see if the gamble pays….

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska wildlife paintings

It may be hard to see, but I’ve been refining the patterns in the background, softening some and darkening others. I’ve changed the colors, some areas are blue green, others red violet, and others green. It is subtle, but much more interesting. I’m not sure I’m done yet, I’ll wait awhile and contemplate…… The butterfly and the flower remain unchanged and unfinished.

Gail Niebrugge, Artist

At this point I’m contemplating the shapes and hues in the background, and I think I’ll modify some….they seem too regular, to much the same. Some should be larger, some lighter, some darker, more variety. I’ve begun to add definition to the flower petals and the center. Nothing has been done to the butterfly for quite awhile. There is much to do yet, it is not the way I want it to look…..time to think, and study.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska painter

I’m developing shapes using hues and shades of blue and green dots in the background behind the butterfly and the flower. It could work out fine or I might change the whole thing, we shall see how it goes.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

At this point I’ve added more dots of color to the butterfly wings and began to define soft shapes in the background on the lower right by adding darker shades of blue and green. I’m contemplating varying the background values throughout the painting, a few dark dots have been added along the left side. This will be an exploratory effort and will be subject to a great deal of change.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska painter

I’m adding more colored dots to the butterfly and the flower shape. The background remains unchanged. All of the work at this point is nothing more than laying in values and color, many changes will take place before the painting is finished.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska landscape artist

I’ve filled the background with dots in shades and hues of blue with a slight variation in value, and began adding color to the butterfly and parts of the flower. All of this work is very preliminary at this point, many changes will take place before I am satisfied. The background could change entirely, I won’t know until values and color have been added throughout the painting.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska painter

Many more dots in shades and hues of blue are added to the background of the painting. At this stage the value of the blue is pretty much the same, I will begin to lighten or darken areas of the background later.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

I’ve begun to apply the first layer of dots to the background of the painting, multiple shades and hues of blue. The dots are applied very random and the values are applied equally random at this stage.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

This sketch is from my trip to New Zealand where I saw many butterflies in the botanical gardens, I’m painting a Monarch butterfly as it feeds on a flower.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska flower artist