Peacocks!

Several weeks ago I finished this peacock painting...I couldn't share it with you earlier because it was a Christmas gift to my daughter.  Some time ago she asked me to do a peacock painting for her new apartment. This is not the sort of thing I've painted before, but let me tell you, it won't be the last.

I did some research on peacocks and found that the peacock is rich in symbolism across various cultures and religions. In India, the peacock is the national bird and revered for its beauty and grace. In Buddhism, the peacock represents purity and wisdom. In Christianity, the peacock is a symbol of immortality. Since peacocks are faithful to their partners, they are often seen as symbols of eternal love.

As I did my research, I thought about my painting's composition, color scheme ... Once I had made a few small sketches, I was ready to work on my canvas. I already had a 24x24 canvas with the background painted the color I wanted. I sketched the outline of my peacock on the painted canvas with a white chalk pencil and then applied molding paste to create texture. 

I love working with molding paste...it adds such depth and energy to a painting. You can see that I added this texture to the neck of the peacock, as well as it's wing and then the feathers that will surround the peacock.

I also enjoyed working in the jewel-tone palette of blues, teal, gold and a bit purple. These are my colors! I'm surprised I didn't paint peacocks sooner!

The whole painting came together quite quickly and smoothly. Since this piece was created for my daughter, I have already started a new piece--similar in composition, but a bit larger-30x30. It will be for sale when completed. 

All the research had me thinking about peacocks, their symbolism and I think there will be other peacock paintings in the near future.