Small Canvas, Big Step
Painting the Remington 870
I’m not a still life guy. I can appreciate beautiful paintings of copper pots and flowers, and I respect the artists who find beauty in otherwise mundane objects. But they’re never something I’d display in my home. I had a feeling I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
I’ve been an outdoorsman since I could walk. The only fragrance I love more than a pine forest is burnt gunpowder. I know I’m not alone. So where are the still life paintings for folks like us? That’s where the idea for firearm still lifes was born. I’m certainly not the originator, but it’s an ever-shrinking genre, and I plan to do my part in reviving it.
Enter the Remington 870. Easily the most popular pump-action shotgun of all time—the outdoorsman’s choice that’s put food on the table for decades.
There are far fancier shotguns out there with ornate engraving and premium wood, or, more likely today, plastic with printed camo. But the 870 has always had a quiet beauty to it. The gentle curve of the receiver that seamlessly flows into the wooden diamond-etched handgrip. When you see one, you can’t help but wonder how many generations of hands excitedly rested there, hearts racing, as a monster longbeard approached. There’s simple beauty there for those who know. I had to make it the subject of my first firearm still life.
Lacking confidence in my ability, I started on a small hardboard just six by eight inches. Something about working small makes the whole job feel less intimidating. I had never rendered brass or gunmetal before. Hell, I’d never even drawn a gun. So I began with studies before I ever touched the hardboard.
Once the studies were done, I had a good enough understanding of my subject to start the painting. Since it was so small, I kept it simple and readable: a bird’s-eye close-up of the 870 receiver with a few shoulder-busting turkey shells.
There was a lot of on-the-job learning with this piece—experience I’ll build on in the next firearm still life. Overall, I’m happy with how it turned out. The confidence I gained has me looking forward to pushing my abilities on a much larger canvas.
The final framed and varnished painting is available for purchase on my website. The site will launch soon with my original paintings and drawings of firearms and wildlife. Visit Big Bear Wild Art for more information.
If this kind of painting speaks to you, I’d love to hear what you think. What was the first project that made you feel like you could actually finish something big? Drop it in the comments.
Thanks for reading.
Victor “Big Bear” Ellison