From Grandchild's Wish to Canvas

"Grandma, make me a painting... a painting of a porcupine."

The truth is, we have quite a few porcupines here in our area since I live in a rural village. I've come to realize this is actually a very large animal, and sometimes quite intimidating when it raises its quills. But Dor asked, and Dor received... a porcupine.

The challenge in this painting was the numerous quills. I used masking fluid to isolate the quill areas, which allowed me to paint freely around them while preserving their sharp, defined lines. It's a technique that works wonderfully for complex details like these.

There's something magical about painting an animal that lives so close to home. Every time I see a porcupine now, I think of this painting and Dor's enthusiastic request.

What do you think? Have you ever painted wildlife from your own backyard?