Rattlesnake in his Hole
Pastel on paper 8 1/2" x 11"
photo reference by meriadoc from WetCanvas
I'm into nature this month. I had been planning to do another cat, but the animal art prompt was "lives in a hole" and the first cool thing I could think of was rattlesnakes. I've actually seen them in holes in the wild and this reference had a bit of sunlight on his head that was very attractive. So I had fun with it.
Definitely enjoying Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. It's gotten me going and doing bolder, larger, more colorful paintings.
Interesting subject matter. We have a no snake zone at our place. They can live if they stay out of that zone. Once in the zone and spotted - dead. I used to be so scared of them and now I am just aware. Always on the lookout. Oh, sorry, I digress it is a nice piece and I like the way you used the purple.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Actually that no snake zone makes a lot of sense. They are dangerous and you don't want them too close to living space. I always liked snakes but I also live in a city and don't really have to worry about surprising them. I had a very mystical experience with a rattlesnake as a small child - was lucky enough to see one very close in a situation where it wasn't coiled to strike and because I didn't scare it, was able to watch it crawl away for about 20 minutes. I felt blessed to get that close to a dangerous animal and see it without being at risk. I was lucky and knew it. I don't go seeking them out but whenever I paint one, I remember that dry yellow day and the way it moved so lazily past me down into its hole. It could have been deadly for either me or the snake, probably both, but not jumping and yelling meant we just passed each other by.
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