Painting Papa Day 1

HP aged 2 months

February 4th, 2015 we welcomed a new addition to the family. Our little bundle of joy will be joining me in the studio. I have decided to share the joys and struggles of being a professional artist and stay at home dad.

Hot off the heels of the Portrait Society of America's Art of the Portrait Conference in Atlanta, Georgia I have started my first day with HP in the studio. We began the day by getting cleaned up, a bite to eat, then running out on some errands. Once we got back I fed HP again then swapped him between napping, tummy time, and a little daddy entertainment while I worked on setting up new still life arrangements and sorting possible wildlife photo reference from a recent trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park

I look forward to the challenge of having a little partner in my studio. I am happy to be a new father and want to give HP all that I never had.

Black Bear Yearling

 Great Smoky Mounting National Park

Cades Cove

Lately I have developed an interest in wildlife photography which will also inspire future paintings. One of my favorite places to visit is Cades Cove in Smoky Mountain National park near Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  Up until recently we lived a short two hour drive away.  The 11 mile loop opens at sunrise and if you get there early most days you will get to see the spectacular fog that is common in the area.  I have often seen groups of deer and turkey foraging in the pasture in the early morning . Cades Cove is known for its black bear population. I have been told there is one bear per square mile.

I have most often encountered bear in the early to late afternoon.  In the spring the sows have just had their cubs and if your lucky you will see them playing accrobats or rustling around with each other in the woods.  In the summer you can often spot bear eating the ripe black berries in the fields. Later in the year you may see them in cherry trees eating cherries or eating acorn in or beneath the oak trees.  The greatest thing about Cades Cove is that you never know what you are going to see.  The weather always makes it look different and you never know when and where wildlife may pop 

up.

Smoky Mountain National Park

Cades Cove

"Rockin"

I recently found this sock monkey on ebay.  I have seen many baby sock monkeys but this is the first made of rockford red heel socks with baby proportions. I loved how the mini guitar fit him just right.

In The Open

"In The Open"

10x10 

oil on linen

This Autumn my wife and I visited Grand Teton National Park.  I have always loved animals so it was really exciting to get to see them on a daily basis.  While on a morning drive I came across this buck grazing in the field.  I watched him from the roadside for about fifteen minutes.  Suddenly a group of about 8 pronghorn came scurrying across the road from behind me. The buck was startled and took off through the field bounding along the way. It was a fascinating site watching him hop up and down effortlessly. He retreated off into the prairie about 30 yards. Halfway into the field I noticed he had stirred up another group of bucks hiding in the brush.  They all huddled together in a row looking out accross the field. Buck after buck I was amazed to see 10 different ones all about the same size. 

I look forward to painting more studies for some larger wildlife paintings I will compose in the near future. I will be making these studies available for sale at Daily Paintworks. You can visit my gallery to check out my works at: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/92556

Also, 

Feel free to check out my website at www.jasondanieljackson.com