When I saw “Ball Players” by Ira Whittaker, I thought “what a funny and skilful painting!”. The main subjects of the painting are two roosters that the artist imagined in a competitive situation playing with a ball. This is the funny bit. Now, normally, such a painting would look like a cartoon, but Ira’s artwork has a traditional feel to it in the way that the animals are portrayed with all their details – feathers, textures, shadows – and the summery background with the green grass and the warm midday light.
I also love how the artist captured the movement of the animals, and you can also clearly see the brushstrokes and the textured created by the palette knife. This is a truly accomplished artwork that can hit the right spot for many art lovers and collectors.
I spoke to Ira about the inspiration and creative process of this painting and I will let you read her words now:
“Animals and birds bring me positive emotions and inspire me to create new paintings. In my opinion, the plot is very funny in this painting. Roosters usually fight, but in my image, they are competing playing football. In the painting, I tried to show the brightness of the action and a sense of the reality of the moment with the colours, the brushstrokes, and the palette, as well as with the texture. “
“It takes me long enough to paint any painting. First, I am making a sketch, then I paint it. Next, I am adding details and build up the tone of the picture. Finally, I highlight the accents.”
You can get this artwork now with 16% off but please have a look in Ira’s gallery for more inspiring paintings.
