"Bob, the Llama", 36 x 48 oil on canvas
There are pieces that warm your heart and THEN THERE ARE PIECES THAT WARM YOUR HEART.
Maggie has a stuffed toy llama that she's adored since day she was a few months old. His name is Bob. (The fish's name is Bob. And so is the rhino at the zoo. I think it's a phase). So when it was time to find a piece to hang in her nursery, the choice was simple.
I started with a deeper pink background, and added a light wash for the llama’s shadows. I couldn't move past the dark pink background, so I set the painting aside for months while I worked on other landscapes.
And then one day during a long baby nap, I picked it back out of the “progress” stack of canvases and lightened the background to a sweet, paisley pink.
For the short fur around the face, I used a few sables and flats. The wooley, wirey hair on the head and body needed some swirl, so I brought out the sword liner brush and built them out in thin layers.
We let it dry for a few weeks, and now have it hanging above her bed. I smile every time she points and yells “BOOOBBBBBBB” at it. Definitely one of my favorite paintings, and I love how it completes her room!
The original is of course in our private collection, but you can purchase prints here.
Leave a comment