Soar Purpose

12/06/2026

Final pics of recent paintings, 'Hive' and 'Red Alert'. Both painted with acrylics with very different styles. I don't like to stay confined to any subject or style.

I take the final pics BEFORE varnishing, so there are no extra reflections (a bit like glass in the way). For more even lighting, I take the paintings outdoors into natural light.

Aiming to varnish these soon plus make some more progress with a bird painting.

11/06/2026

I don't paint everyday. However, I do wear lipstick most days for a colour boost. Sometimes I film which colours I use from my modest makeup collection during my getting ready for work routine.

I actually own more paint than makeup. Makeup can be a way of enjoying colour. I improvise.

Usually I paint over the weekends. Hoping to make more progress with a bird painting.

My name is Xanthe. I am 53 years old.I sometimes film some of my ...

11/06/2026

I was asked what kind of phone is good for bird photography.

Generally, phone cameras are useless for photographing wild birds, as one needs to respect distance for birds to feel comfortable. Some birds will come closer on their own accord.

For bird photography, one needs to be able to zoom in with a lens. Pro wildlife photographers typically have mega expensive gear.

I have more entry price point gear. My most used camera is my Panasonic Lumix super zoom bridge camera. It has a build in zoom lens and I use it for most of my bird photos and also for vlogging.

Weaknesses are that it's a bit grainy in dim lighting. Also not sharp enough for art photography for prints.

These video clips and photos were taken with the camera, which I bought on sale for hundreds of dollars, less than some phones. Way less than typical photography gear which can cost thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Will hopefully make some more progress with a painting using references from this video.

Main voice in the video was my sister who also likes walks in nature and who also paints.

I enjoy hobby photography but the main purpose for me is reference pics for paintings. Plus photos of completed paintings.

I have achieved highly commended in photography awards judged by pro photographers. Including international awards. I like to enter categories which are a bit different from my art, such as photojournalism.

Out of curiosity, I've entered a few phone pics to see how they do.

Some of the birds from Zealandia, a fully-fenced ecosanctuary in Ne...

10/06/2026

Square crops of otherwise unedited photos to show how I use my DIY colour checker.

I experimented with ones made from card but I found the best was to actually use my paint pigments. Using titanium white, black plus some colours I am very familiar with painted onto a canvas board.

I take photos before I varnish (otherwise varnish can be a bit like putting behind glass with extra reflections).

I take the photos outdoors, as my paintings are small to medium in size. I choose a time of day when the lighting is more neutral ('natural light' varies a lot in quality and temperature).

Avoid any cast shadows.

If I want to emphasise texture, brighter colours and use of metallics, I use direct light. I don't over prints of paintings which use metallics or heavy textures.

If I want to avoid extra texture, such as canvas weave, I wait for sun behind clouds and soft shadows. Too overcast, though, and it can grey out colours.

I use my 'best' camera which captures detail (sometimes, I blur detail slightly when editing). They can look different than the progress pics as I use my phone for convenience in uneven artificial lighting.

I look at the colour checker to help choose the best exposed photos plus look at which are sharpest, then choose one for editing.

When I edit, I straighten edges, crop backgrounds and don't go overboard with any adjustments. More particular if it's for a print.

Some recent paintings to edit. Cropped some of the art out to show the colour checker.

07/06/2026

These two abstracts are painted with the same pigments.

Revamping the high chroma one as it's a handy reference. The blacks in the inner rings don't have black pigment. They are mixed from the high chroma pigments.

All of these colours, except the existing black around the edge with gold, are high chroma pigments.

White can lighten and also mix greys.

Muted colours, light colours and even dark colours can be mixed from high chroma pigments, but not the other way around.

Using artist grade pigmented acrylic paints. Chose colours not already mixed with white.

The abstract on the square canvas was to play with leftover paint. Colours remind me of hydrangeas

06/06/2026

I actually quite enjoy doing the "ugly stage" of a painting, as making a mess can feel liberating when one has perfectionist tendencies.

Did the underpainting in burnt sienna but the colour scheme is quite different. Will build up multiple layers of acrylic paint, with details usually left until last.

Main aims of the underpaintings is to map out the composition and to give a "mood" (hopefully warmth and grounded) plus "harmony". Will be completely painted over.

Can you guess the subject?

Clues:
Name idea = "Presumed extinct"
It's a portrait
Aiming for deep blues, purples and turquoise
Native to New Zealand.

31/05/2026

Got 2 of my 3 entries for photography awards vetted for compliance to the rules. Had to supply the original captures. Have never had this happen before.

Am guessing is to prove that I didn't just apply a filter for the unusual colours.

Hoping this means they were a bit impressed, if suspected I faked them!

Won't find out the outcome for months.

My highest achievements with photography is "highly commended", including in international awards with mixed hobby photographers (me) and pro photographers.

Won't share the images yet.

31/05/2026

Came across this lovely demonstration painting a colour study with a limited warmer palette vs a limited cooler palette. Choosing 3 colours and painting the same subject, with reference pic converted to greyscale.

I tried painting with two color palettes in gouache using the same reference in my sketchbook!Head to https://squarespace.com/jesskarp to save 10% off your f...

30/05/2026

Did a few tweaks to try strengthen roofline. Problem is, with detailed paintings, is always notice something else to "fix".

Paintings can have little imperfections.

Acrylics on cradled panel. Phone pic under artificial light.

Is of the local firestation, build in the '60s.