Ants on a Log
My immediately preceding painting was a detailed street scene with lots of straight line features and strong perspective demands. I needed a break so I chose to do something very different, sort of a “palette cleanser” (pun intended). I settled on a photo I took a year ago while visiting friends in Tasmania. The eucalyptus pictured is right near their front door and the ant infestation was so fascinating I took snaps almost every time I passed it. Sadly, I just found out that the tree needs to be cut down. This is my memorial. My alternative title is “Waiting for Dali”.
Very realistic!
Really good to stretch all the painting muscles.
Have a look at Wolf Kahn’s pastels.
Try a landscape in his style and really let loose!
Having spent a year and more illustrating one of the major tomes on ant behavior, this piece really calls to me! Your technique is really impressive, succeeding in rendering such detail in oil pastel. And this would be an appealing piece even without the ants, as the layers/ tints of the eucalyptus bark create a very interesting abstract composition, thanks to your choice of viewpoint. But of course for me, it’s all about the ants!