Mother’s Day is just a couple of weeks away, Sunday, May 12. The gift of a Senkarik Original Oil Painting will bring smiles for years to come, long after fresh flowers and candy are gone. I’m offering an exclusive selection of Paintings that are specially priced just for Mother’s Day giving.  CLICK HERE to shop the entire Mother’s Day Collection. “FLIGHT SCHOOL” 10 inch x 10 inch Original Oil Painting on Cradled Panel Moms are truly amazing and called to teach their little ones all kinds of things. When we lived in Arizona, a mother Quail raised her large family of chicks in our courtyar ..read more

We’re traveling from Venice to Cap d’Ail, located on the southern coast of Provence, France. I’ve read about a wonderful walkway there, that stretches for 2 1/4 miles along the Mediterranean, from the border of Monaco to the Plage de la Mala. This beach is considered by many as the most beautiful one on the French Rivera. Hope to one day take this incredible walk. But for now, I’m going to enjoy painting the view of the Cote d’Azur! Since I haven’t actually been there in person, I’ve traveled via Google.com and saved a lot images that I’m using for reference. I can’t copy any of the phot ..read more

Now, let’s finish the second half of our painting of Venice! I love how time and weather have muted the various colors of the buildings over hundreds of years. Mixes of Alizarin Crimson + MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + White are used for this one. You may click on any of the pictures to see them larger! The Viridian Green and White striped awnings glow against the soft hues of the ancient structure’s walls The closest building is made warmer and brighter with a mix of MUD + Cadmium Orange + Cadmium Red Light + White. This makes it appear to come forward of the co ..read more

Let’s travel to Italy, I’m starting on a painting of Venice today. Work begins on a 10 inch by 10 inch cradled panel with the sides painted black. Using a brush dipped in a thin oil wash of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin Original, the basic plan is sketched up. You may click on any image to view an enlargement. The Venetian icon, Santa Maria della Salute cathedral, looms in the background. The sketch for the composition is complete and we’re ready to apply opaque oil color. The upper part of the hazy, morning sky has been painted with a mix of White + Cob ..read more

Today I begin by working on the Loons. Growing up in the south, I’d never heard of Loons until 1983 when I saw the movie, “On Golden Pond”. Oh my goodness! I immediately fell in love with them and their wonderful warbling calls. Kim said they always had a pair out on the water nearby their lake home and would hear their distinctive cry at dusk. Her family enjoyed watching the loons’ chicks, or loonlets, grow up. If you’d like to see any of these pictures larger, all you have to do is click on the image! Kim laughed when she told me her mom named the loons, Claire and Clarence d’Loon! SO…I’d ..read more

We begin painting with the sky as it establishes the mood for the rest of the piece. It’s a beautiful fall day, soft clouds lazily drift across the heavens above. The upper portion of the sky was covered with a mix of White + Cobalt Blue, while the lower part is White + Pthalo Blue. The clouds are lightly pulled over the blue with two shades of White + a touch of Cadmium Orange + a tiny bit of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson). To see an enlargement of any of the images, just click on the picture! The mountains along the distant edge of the lake are blocked in with lig ..read more

I’m beginning another painting of Clear Lake, Minnesota that will be displayed with “GENERATIONS OF MEMORIES”, completed in my previous post. CLICK HERE to see that painting. My sketch for the second piece is shown above. The vantage point is from down at the edge of the lake where a canoe patiently awaits, ready to be paddled out on an adventure. Please remember as you read through my blog, you may click on any image to view it larger! First the horizon line is established, then the basic elements are sketched up on the canvas that I’ve primed with Liquin Basics Titanium White Acrylic. A br ..read more

The distant portion of the hillside, covered with Purple Asters, is blocked in with mixes of Dioxazine Purple + Ultramarine Blue + White and Dioxazine Purple + White. Kim shared a wonderful memory of these Red Pine trees. When she was just a little girl, Kim and her mom stealthily snuck down their road and dug up several small pine saplings. Sneaking back home with their bounty well concealed, they planted the baby trees around their home. These trees hold many heartwarming remembrances. As you read through this post, please remember, you may click on any image to view an enlargement. So I’v ..read more

My oil paint colors for the sky are mixed and I’m ready to begin painting. But first, let me tell you my recipes for the Sunset Hues. #1. White + Pthalo Blue + a touch of Cadmium Orange. #2. White + Pthalo Blue. #3. White + Cobalt Blue. #4. White + MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson). #5. White + MUD + Alizarin Crimson. #6. Two shades of White + Cadmium Yellow Medium + Cadmium Orange. #7. White + Alizarin Crimson + Cadmium Red Light + a little bit of MUD. If you’d like to see an enlargement of any picture, just click on the image. The oil washes, comprising the foliage o ..read more

I’m staying in my studio but we’re heading to Minnesota on my easel. My collectors had a lake home there that’s been in their family for a few generations. They recently sold it and wanted a couple of paintings to remind them of all the good times experienced there with family and friends. One of their favorite activities was to watch the magic of sky reflections on the water as the sun set at the end of the day. Please keep in mind as you read through my blog, you may click on any picture to see it larger. Here’s my pen and ink sketch. The horizon line and distant shore of the lake are dra ..read more