Kelly Leahy Radding

Cat stopping Mom from drawing

Studio Assistant Gryffin got promoted after my long-time Studio Manager Gram left us for the Rainbow Bridge last December. I don’t think Gryff was paying attention to Gram’s instruction.
He’s supposed to help, not hinder.
#cats #catsofbluesky #studiocat

Silverpoint drawing of a sandpiper bird

Does anyone need a moment of quiet stillness? Art can help. Here’s my contribution.
Reflecting, silverpoint & watercolor on casein prepared paper, 14x10 in.
#artheals #natureheals #silverpoint #birdart

Mr. Scruffy, the Carolina Wren, faces Monday with his jaunty tail up in the air for all to see. On this Monday morning, be like Mr. Scruffy! 😉🪶.
#mondaymorning #funnybirds #facethedaywithboldness

Barred owl in snow covered tree

I’m embracing a ‘skies the limit’ philosophy here at @bsky.app. As an artist on other social media, I’ve pretty much adhered to the ‘artist social media rule’ to only post art- but not here- my art, photography and anything I feel like! #skiesthelimit #artist #photographer #wanderer #backyardbird

Day 20- #artadventcalendar I missed a few days but today the snow is softly falling outside my window so I give you a cool tree from a snowy day in Yellowstone NP.
Witness
16x12 inches
Egg tempera on gessoed panel

Day 16-#artadventcalendar
More feathers and a maple seed samara on vellum.
Of Winged Things
Watercolor on calfskin vellum
7x5 inches
#watercolor #vellum #featherpainting

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Day 15- #artadventcalendar switching to drybrush watercolor on vellum. This piece is just finishing up traveling with the 2023 Birds in Art exhibition. I think I’ll see it back in the studio sometime in January. I love painting feathers!

#feathers #watercolor #vellum

You know how much I love this painting-it’s so full of life and character!

It has opacity like gouache- can paint lights over dark. The biggest difference from gouache is how a layer will cure so that consecutive layers won’t disturb the layers underneath. It dries to a soft matte finish like gouache but on a panel it can be polished to a soft shine and framed w/out glass.

Yes it is! Casein is a bit magical. It’s water-based so it can be used like watercolor if diluted enough
But it’s also opaque like gouache. It will ‘cure’ and become water impervious so consecutive layers won’t disturb what’s underneath. Looks totally different on panels than it does on paper.

It’s an amazingly versatile medium that deserves more attention!

Day 14- #artadventcalendar - this painting just came home to me today from Iowa- it was in the Society of Animal Artists annual exhibition. It is a casein painting of a wild mustang in the Onaqui herd in Utah.
The Reflecting Pool
Casein on museum rag board
7 3/8 x 18.5
#casein #mustang # wildlifeart

Thank you so much!

Thank you!

Thanks for the shout out and your kind words! I love our art community - I have found so many friends, mentors and like-minded people. This study is just perfect, brava!

Thank you!!

#artadventcalendar Day 13-
Another blue sky piece-
Of Air & Water
Casein on Ampersand Aquabord
8x8 inches
#casein #egret #birdart #birdartist

We saw this on a glorious fall day at Harrison Reservoir in Southwest Montana. The flock was really large and swirled above our heads while we were eating lunch. Needless to say, yogurt cups went flying as we grabbed our cameras and looked up into that gorgeous blue sky’

Jumping on the #artadventcalendar a little late, but as the saying goes - better late than…
Day 12 - picking one of my
‘Bluesky’ paintings
Gliding Under a Gilded Sky
Casein on panel
16x16 in
American White Pelicans

four paintings of birds on branches.

Nature is my personal muse. My intention is to have my work create a connection not only to the physical beauty of the natural world that I love, but to reach a deeper understanding of our own essential connections to nature, to our own stories.