Brittle Bird (Shannon)
LightNews LightNews
banner
brittlebird.bsky.social
Brittle Bird (Shannon)
@brittlebird.bsky.social
300 followers 250 following 140 posts
Chronically ill stay at home mom who draws and paints while the baby naps
Brittlebirdart.com
DM for commissions
Prints available through brittlebirdart.bigcartel.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
brittlebird.bsky.social
Brittle Bird (Shannon) @brittlebird.bsky.social · Nov 18
Hi! I’ve been making art for ~15 years now and I’m just looking for a place where I can share my work with someone other than the spiders in my basement. Here’s a glimpse of my current work in progress
brittlebird.bsky.social
“Desecration of the Magdalen” 2025
After Georges De La Tour’s “The Repentant Magdalen” 1635-1640
12x16
White pencil on black paper

#DarkArt #Gothic #TraditionalArt #ArtHistory #MasterCopy #WhitePencil #BlackPaper #Chiaroscuro #GothArt #BlackArt #Drawing #DarkArtist
Drawing done in a realistic style with a white pencil on black paper of a figure with the head of a got caressing a skull. The lighting is dramatic following a chiaroscuro style. The drawing is inspired by a 1635 painting by Georges de la tour
August 4, 2025 at 2:10 AM
brittlebird.bsky.social
Recent drawing in a custom hand painted frame. Absolutely love it!

#Drawing #Art #FineArt #DarkArt #HorrorArt #Oddities #Gothic #TraditionalArt #ColoredPencil #WhitePencil #BlackPaper #CustomFrame
Drawing of a woman in a fancy dress with the head of a deer holding a wolf’s head on a platter. The drawing is done with white pencil on black paper and framed with a black mat with a white border. The frame is ornate baroque style and hand painted by the artist to be black and silver. The silver in the frame compliments the white pencil of the drawing.
July 30, 2025 at 10:35 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
Poor sweet little mouse 🐁

Another quick 45min study trying to find balance between finished and unfinished, life and death.

#OilPainting #Art #DarkArt #GothicArt #SpeedPaint #OilOnPanel #StillLife #EmergingArtist
Oil painting of a dead mouse lying on its sad. It is painted in a dark umber with. Reductive method and left half finished on purpose. The mouse’s face and front paw is fully rendered while the rest of his body remains sketchy aside from some texture on his tail. The background is abstract with large paint strokes and drips
July 24, 2025 at 4:16 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
An experiment with gold oil paint and building my own panels and frames

#OilPainting #Painting #Art #FineArt #TraditionalArt #BirdArt
Oil painting in an expressive style of a dead hummingbird lying on its stomach. The painting is done on a wood panel and has a hand built frame around it. The frame and highlights in the bird are done in gold oil paint Oil painting in an expressive style of a dead hummingbird lying on its stomach. The painting is done on a wood panel and has a hand built frame around it. The frame and highlights in the bird are done in gold oil paint. This photo shows how the gold paint shimmers in the light
June 26, 2025 at 9:03 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
Human artist, physical drawing

One piece to convince people to follow you
A drawing done with white pencil on black paper of Artemisia Gentileschi’s Susanna and the elders where Susanna has the head of a deer and the elders have the heads of wolves. The contrast is emphasized in this rendition to highlight the figures over the background
June 19, 2025 at 7:26 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
I’ll Tell You How the Sun Rose: Part Two
36x48in
I was overly ambitious and tried to paint this during the baby’s nap time/after she went to bed. I was up until 4am and there’s still so much I wish I could’ve finessed.

#OilPainting #FineArt #ContemporaryArt #Motherhood #Painting #Art #FemaleArtist
Image of a painting of a woman holding a baby in front of a window. She is backlit and mostly in shadow. The details of the window are visible although you cannot see through the open window, it is only light and fog. She is breastfeeding her baby who reaches up and grabs at her neck. She is leaned back against a wall and appears utterly exhausted but serene
June 19, 2025 at 1:38 AM
brittlebird.bsky.social
Absolutely in love with my recent painting.
“I’ll Tell You How the Sun Rose: Part One”
36x48in
Oil on canvas

#OilPainting #Painting #OilOnCanvas #Chiaroscuro #Tenebrism #Motherhood #Art #FineArt #ContemporaryArt #WomenInTheArts
Photo of an oil painting of a woman seated in front of a window holding a baby. She holds a bottle in front of the baby that the baby reaches for and it seated on a bench. Most of the background of obscured by shadow and painted black. The window is open with only light showing through and there is a decorative window pane with circular glass inlays behind her
June 17, 2025 at 3:49 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
I’m learning how to prep and build my own frames and panels. I think I like painting on harder surfaces like this more than canvas. But also, incorporating the frame into the painting as a whole is so much fun

#OilPainting #FineArt #HumanArt #TraditionalArt #Painting #BlueSkyArt #OilOnPanel
A small painting of a woman turning her face up to the sky and throwing her arms out behind her as if about to take flight. The painting is on a small framed panel and extends onto the frame so that the whole piece is cohesive. It is painted in a boxy impressionistic style with many vibrant greens and yellows
June 13, 2025 at 2:01 AM
brittlebird.bsky.social
My friend Kat and the great blue heron. Inspired by an afternoon picnic on the beach

#OilPainting #BirdArt #WomenInArt #PaintingsOfWomen #FineArt #TraditionalArt #EmergingArtist
Image of a painting of a woman standing with her hands on her hips looking up at the sky against an abstract background. A great blue heron is in the corner of the painting above her. The background and woman are painted with a sepia tone wash and the blue heron is painted in color. The feather of the heron are dripping down over the background and there are blue and grey splashes all over the painting
June 10, 2025 at 11:16 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
Wet painting, bad picture, but added some awesome decorative tattoos to this lady. Credits for tattoo design go to @froggie.tattoos on instagram. Check out their work if you like this style!
Image of an oil painting resting on an easel of a nude woman’s back. She is reclining on fabric with her arm raised. She has bold ornamental tattoos over her entire back, arms, and legs. Image is reminiscent of vintage photographs of tattooed women at freak shows.
May 5, 2025 at 7:33 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
Framed and dropped off my first piece for an art show in over 10 years

#FineArt #EmergingArtist #WhitePencil #ColoredPencil #ArtShow #Drawing #TraditionalArt
A drawing framed in an ornate black frame with silver filigree. The drawing is a copy of artemisia Gentileschi’s Susanna and the Elders with Susanna as a deer and wolves as the elders drawn in white pencil on black paper
April 22, 2025 at 9:58 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
Another close up of my rendition of Whistler’s “symphony in white no. 1” 1862 the wolf’s face in this one is so interesting to me because of the look of shock. Highly recommend seeing the original in DC if you’re able to

#CloseUp #FineArt #TraditionalArt #WhitePencil #BlackPaper #ArtHistory
Image of a black and white rendition of whistlers “symphony in white no 1” done in white pencil on black paper. The image is zoomed in to focus on the bottom of the woman’s dress standing on top of the wolf skin rug
March 28, 2025 at 5:24 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
Nudity in art is not inherently sexual despite what censorship on other platforms insists.
Sharing her here since I can’t share her anywhere else

#OilPainting #FineArt #NSFWart #FigurativeArt #StopCensoringArt #nsfw #NudeArt #TastefulNudes #Artist #Realism #VintageNudes #Imprimatura #EmergingArtist
Painting of a nude woman facing away from the viewer seated on a chair draped in cloth. There painting is done with solely a sepia toned layer and has a solid black background Image of a sepia toned oil painting on an easel of a nude woman’s back. She is seated on a chair draped in cloths and is turned away from the viewer, holding her head in her hands. The background is solid black and forms an archway over her
March 18, 2025 at 9:54 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
Drawing the fur and texture in these guys made me never want to draw another wolf again. So of course I’m working on drawings with more wolves

#Drawing #FineArt #BlueskyArt #WolfArt #ColoredPencil #WhitePencil #BlackPaper #Surrealism #Realism #DarkArt
Close up picture of a drawing of two snarling wolf faces next to each other. Your can see the ear of a deer in the bottom left corner as well as a hand signaling stop and a hand pulling at one wolf’s bottom lip. The drawing is done with white pencil on black paper
March 17, 2025 at 3:25 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
Close up of my personal favorite of my drawings. I don’t think she gets enough appreciation. I think it’s the texture on the nose and in the ear that gets me. Easily the most beautiful deer I’ve done.

#FineArt #DarkArt #WhitePencil #ColoredPencil #CloseUp #Drawing #BlueskyArt #Artist #BlackPaper
Close up image of a drawing of an antlered deer’s head on the shoulders of an ornately dressed persons shoulders. It’s drawn in white pencil on black paper and intricately rendered
March 15, 2025 at 4:10 AM
brittlebird.bsky.social
Did some touchups and minor changes to my friend here and I love him so much more.

“Deny, Defend, Depose” 9x12in white pencil on black paper inspired by Guido Reni’s “Salome with the Head of John the Baptist”

#Luigi #LM #LuigiMangione #DenyDefendDepose #UnitedHealthcare #DarkArt #ActivistArt
White pencil on black paper drawing inspired by Guido Reni’s “Salome with the Head of John the Baptist” where the figure of Salome has been replaced by Luigi Mangione and the head of John the Baptist has been replaced by his alleged victim. The main figure is dressed in elaborate robes and holds the head on a plain but shiny platter out towards the viewer. There is a ring of light around the main figure’s head
March 13, 2025 at 3:50 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
Quick 45min painting of a dead bird I found while hiking. This painting actually got my Instagram account restricted so thanks Bluesky for being the only place I can share it

#OilPainting #FineArt #StopCensoringArt #Painting #DarkArt #BlueskyArt #Art #BirdArt #Imprimatura #BurntUmber
Oil painting of a bird laying on its side with its feet tucked in and its eyes half closed. It is done with a very loose and painterly style with large visible brushstrokes. The head of the bird, eye, beak, and chest are fully rendered but the rest of him is left as a rough sketch that blends into the background
March 10, 2025 at 2:52 AM
brittlebird.bsky.social
“In Repose” oil on canvas 2025
A critique on Luis Ricardo Falero’s “Reclining Nude” 1879

#OilPainting #DarkArt #ContemporaryArt #FineArt #FeministArt #ArtHistory #Imprimatura #GothicArt #CreepyArt #FigurativeArt #NudeArt #ButtSky #Wendigo
Painting of a nude woman reclined with her back to the viewer. She is twisted so that she faces the viewer and is pulling back a thick layer of black paint to reveal the light that falls over her body. Like a Wendigo, she has the head of a deer skull
February 23, 2025 at 4:38 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
I’m still here and still making art and working on prints. Been solo parenting the baby the last couple weeks but here is a 1 hour gouache study I got done during nap time yesterday. Haven’t touched gouache since 2013 and I’d forgotten how much I enjoy them.

#FineArt #painting #Gouache #DeerArt
Image of a gouache painting of a deer looking up with its nostrils flared. It’s painted in a painterly style with a cream/subtle orange background with chunkier paint applied with a palette knife
February 17, 2025 at 4:33 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
I’ll be doing my first round of prints for some of my deer ladies very soon!
What would you guys like to see? 24x12? 12x6? Standard frame sizes even though there will be a large border?

#Art #OilPaintings #PrintsForSale #DarkArt #OccultArt #WeirdArt #DemonicArt #FirstEditionPrints #EmergingArtist
Image of a stack of paintings. The top image is of a nude woman seated on a stump with an elk skull for a face Image of a stack of paintings. The top painting is of a headless nude woman holding a platter with a deer skull on it in front of her pelvis
February 1, 2025 at 11:02 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
The world is falling apart and I’m tired so here’s some progress pics of the painting I did yesterday.

#Art #Painting #OilPainting #FigurativeArt #WeirdArt #DarkArt #SelfPortrait
Large oil painting with a solid dark background and an outline of a figure holding a deer skull in front of her face Large oil painting with dark brown background of a female figure holding a deer skull in front of her face. The painting is mostly outline with just the legs finished Image of a large oil painting with dark background of a woman holding a deer skull in front of her face. The figure and skull are realized but the hair and background aren’t yet completed Image of a large oil painting on an easel outdoors of a woman holding a deer skull in front of her face. The woman is painted in a realistic style and the background is dark with abstract textures over it. There’s thick chunks of paint in the corners where the dark sepia tone is mostly black
January 23, 2025 at 10:45 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
Healthcare is a human right

White colored pencil on black paper 9x12in inspired by Guido Reni’s Salome with the Head of John the Baptist 1635

#Januarty #Art #Drawing #PoliticalArt #DenyDefendDepose #LuigiMangione #UnitedHealthcare #HealthInsurance #ColoredPencil #NegativeDrawing
White colored pencil drawing on black paper of Luigi Mangioni dressed in Baroque style clothing holding the head of Brian Thompson on a platter. Drawing is inspired by Guido Reni’s Salome with the Head of John the Baptist.
January 9, 2025 at 6:20 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
Art reveal of the drawing I’ve been working on for the last 3 months! Inspired by Artemisia Gentileschi’s Susanna and the Elders this piece is a reflection on violence against women but I think most of the credit for that goes to Gentileschi’s brilliance.

#Art #Drawing #ColoredPencil #ArtHistory
Image of a white colored pencil drawing on black paper. The drawing is inspired by Artemisia Gentileschi’s Susanna and the Elders. In this drawing the elders have the heads of wolves with one of them snarling and snapping at the female figure while the others mouth hangs open in hunger. The nude female figure in the center has the head of an antlered deer. She is looking down at the ground with her ears pinned back and has her hands raised to protect herself from the wolves. She’s seated on the ledge of a classically built wall
January 7, 2025 at 2:11 PM
brittlebird.bsky.social
#ArtAdventCalendar
After Guido Reni’s “Salome with the Head of John the Baptist”(1635). We’re almost done so here’s my favorite drawing from this year.
White colored pencil on black paper

#Art #Drawing #ColoredPencil #ContemporaryArt #WeirdArt #ArtHistory #BaroqueArt
A white colored pencil drawing on black paper after Guido Reni’s Salome Holding the Head of John the Baptist. The woman’s head is that of an antlered deer and she is holding the head of a wolf on a platter. The lighting is dark and dramatic. The deer has a black halo around her head with soft white light emanating from it
December 24, 2024 at 11:18 AM
brittlebird.bsky.social
#ArtAdventCalendar
Oil on canvas triptych (48x24in each) from my thesis gallery exhibition in art school today. A comment on violence against women and the objectification of the female body. This body of work was the beginning of all of my deer ladies

#OilPainting #NudeArt #FigurativeArt #Art
Image of three large oil paintings all done in a sepia tone. The two paintings on the side are of women bound in ropes with their hands behind their back and feet tied together. The women have the heads of deer and are looking towards the middle painting. The center image is of a headless woman holding a platter with the skull of a deer on it. Each painting has a solid warm black textured background
December 23, 2024 at 4:51 PM