This month’s theme is equanimity. I googled “equanimity endangered species” and, unsurprisingly, got no results. I tried “peaceful endangered species” and (through their AI) received a choice of amphibians. Contestants were the Hot Creek Toad (good name for a band) and the axolotl. Anytime I see the tl ending on a word, I guess that I’m looking at an Aztec word. Sure enough, these creatures are native to lakes and wetlands in southern Mexico City, particularly Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco.
They won because it looks like it will be easier to paint. The toad has all kinds of spots and highlights that would take time. The axolotl is so unusual, it will be difficult to tell what’s accurate. I’m looking for “quick and easy” because I suspect I will need to get off the wheelchair more in the near future because of a pressure sore.
STRATEGY
where are the whites? – None
What’s light and dark? – Light: On top of the head, upper lip, and outer arms and leg.
Dark: the gravel against the glass and the inside of the pot.
In what order should I paint? – Body sketch, then gravel. I could then complete the body and ignore the background. If I’m going to paint background, I should do that before the feathery protuberances (what the heck?). Later note: those are gills. I learned more about them (including pronunciation) from Top of FormBottom of FormA Lot About Axolotls! | SciShow Kids
CREATION
I confess I did not take good notes, partly because I was trying not to spend note-writing time in the wheelchair.
I roughed in the body of the critter in pink. Came back later to concentrate on the arms and head. I originally painted the ground in tan, but it didn’t stand out from the pink. I added a couple more coats of brown to deepen it. Finally, PCA Amber Harris outlined some areas with a white colored pencil and deepened others with a pinkish colored pencil. She also put in eyes and mouth when I was unable to do so. (My drawing mouthstick is temporarily lost and I’m not sure I could still use it anyway. Problem for another day.) Lastly, we added some green background to set off the pink. (Afterward, I realized it probably should have been blue to indicate water.) This has been an adventure…
INSIGHTS
- Traditional amphibians are good ambassadors of equanimity because of their ability to live in water and on land sort of like accepting difficult and wonderful conditions with poise. (This beastie lives only in water.)
- it’s better to mix colors and apply them rather than paint layers.
- I feel the urge to simplify my painting style. Maybe I can learn from Asian art?