Two Spirits On Mars

This painting of two foxes has a special meaning for Angela.

- Angela Morrissey

MATERIALS

• A stretched, primed canvas

• Charcoal – Willow Charcoal is good for fluid, flowing lines

• Various brush sizes with silky brush hairs suitable for oil painting. Make sure you get really high-quality brushes. They are expensive but are well worth it in the long run as the higher the quality – the less you have of bristles coming off onto your painting! I highly recommend using Isacryl brushes.

• Oil paints: I have used Spectrum Red, Spectrum Red Deep, Titanium White, Lamp Black, and Spectrum Yellow. Art Spectrum is my favorite brand but Rembrandt is good too

• Number One Medium for oil painting

• A jar of Dissolve for cleaning up. This is better than using methylated spirits as it does not harm your brushes and is a more efficient way of cleaning and caring for your brushes. Methylated spirits can cause damage to your brushes.

The painting I have chosen is called Two Spirits on Mars. As I mentioned in my profile, I am quite spiritual. The Gospel of St Matthew says: “Foxes have holes… but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” For me, the fox has a spiritual meaning. This painting is of two Fennec foxes (found in Israel) that represent the spirit of my late father and cousin Jenny. My father passed away in 2007 (brain tumor) and Jenny passed in 2010 (skin cancer). I am grateful for the comfort I find not only from the Bible but also from my creativity.

STEP ONE