Glowing [10”x8” watercolor]

I had a full art day today beginning with painting at Sally’s house for a while.  I just had to paint these sunflowers – I can’t seem to resist them.  I was particularly drawn to the way their stems twist.  I’m not sure why.  Part way through we took a break for a bite to eat in the garden while we watched pine siskins, nuthatches and woodpeckers feasting at the feeders.  It was lovely!

After a nap for my back’s sake, Ron and I got “Connected” and “Counting Sheaves” into their floater frames, labelled, and packed for delivery tomorrow.  I’ll deliver them for the Journey in Art show tomorrow.  Cheers!

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Melted Melvin [8”x10” watercolor]

Melted Melvin just can’t keep swinging.  He’s having a quick nap on the handiest branch.  These are fun to do…  :-)

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Rockin’ Robbie [8”x10” watercolor]

Robbie’s a baby tortoise taking a nap on the sand.  He can pull his chubby baby legs in and rock himself to sleep on his bottom shell.  Enjoy!

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Sleepy Leo [8”x10” watercolor]

This is the first of the 3 pen and ink sketches I’m doing for Parker’s bedroom. I will make some changes to the blue on the bottom – it’s a bit boring right now.  He looks like a peaceful little guy though, and that was the goal.  Cheers!

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Parker’s walls – sketches

I’m having a bit of fun planning some fun, simple baby animal art for Parker’s room.  So far I’ve just sketched some ideas and here they are.  These won’t be paintings just ink and watercolor sketches, at least that is the plan.  Enjoy!

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BallyHamage Shower cont’d [20”x30”, acrylic]

I described my steps in painting the land yesterday.  Today I tackle the sky.  BallyHamage Shower steps cont’d:

4.  I needed to consider the perspective created by the clouds.  I started with the clouds just over the mountains.  I dampened the paper just above the mountains with water and then made several tiny clouds nearest the mountains and a few slightly larger ones just above those.  I let this dry.

5.  Next I worked on the middle distance clouds which were primarily on the left in my value study.   Again, I dampened from the mountains through the middle distance area and dropped in blue/violet, both transparent and opaque, to give the clouds some body.  I also sprayed the paint and allowed it to “rain”.

6.  Finally, I wet the entire sky area and worked on the clouds nearest to me.  I used slightly warmer color to bring them forward in addition to increasing their size.  I let the clouds dip slightly towards the horizon to show their recession.  I let it “rain” again in places by spraying and angling the board while it ran.  

I will live with this painting for a few days and consider any changes.  I’m mulling over the trees in the bottom left – they need to be simplified.  Other than that I’m liking the feel of this one.  Cheers!

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Ballyhamage Shower p.1 [20”x30”, acrylic]

Last Saturday night I was at The Sunset Sale at the Leighton Art Centre volunteering as a “line filler”.  In addition to wandering around enjoying the art and visiting, I made myself useful filling gaps in the line made when art was sold and keeping things wiped off during the rainstorm.  We had quite a downpour but afterwards the weather was gorgeous and there were plenty of people out.  The views from the Leighton property are amazing and that night was no exception!  That evening inspired this painting.   Ballyhamage was the name of the one room schoolhouse on the LAC property when AC Leighton bought it back in 1952.  

Steps:

1. I did a value plan in my sketchbook, taking some pains to get the general shape of the mountains and foothills correct.  I also left out some of the foreground detail because it would detract from the point…  the storm. 
2. I toned the crescent watercolor board with a thin layer of fluid acrylics in warm tones.
3. I transferred the basic outline to the board and painted the foreground, then foothills, and mountains.  The photo [above] covers about 2/3 of the painting. 

Stay tuned…  tomorrow I’ll show the finished product. 

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Autumn Stroll [mixed media on canvas brd, 14x11]

I have lots of “mulligan” paintings – ones that can only be saved by painting over with white gesso and starting again.  When that happens to a collage the result is a surface with a lot of texture.  It was fun to figure out a new subject on this one.  Some loose glazes of paint settling into the texture suggested trees and the imagination took over from there.  Cheers!

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Still Life r2

I’m liking this a bit better now that the red has moved a round on the table it is balancing the jug on the left. I also gave some variety to the table and the wall behind by grading a light red.  It was fun!!!  Enjoy!

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Still LIfe… [mixed media – acrylic & collage on 300lb watercolor paper]

I set up a still life and here’s the first look.  I wasn’t going for such a hard edge look – honest!  I have some issues in this one…  I included the jug on the left in the composition and it is just pulling me off the page left.  The back of the table is tipping forward.  Hopefully I can address these issues…  sometimes setting it aside for a day or two helps…  I hope so!

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Spring Creek sketch

I spent an afternoon in beautiful Canmore today.  After I dropped my hubby off at his medical appointment I visited Avens Gallery [always a treat], and then Sunny Raven Gallery where I found some floater frames and a new [old] Robert Bateman sketchbook.  I discovered that they carry a good selection of art materials [lots of Golden paints], mats and oodles of frames. 

Then I found a picnic table beside Spring Creek and used my Neocolor II crayons by Caran D’Ache to paint this little sketch of Spring Creek in my new Robert Bateman sketchbook.  The fresh air did me a world or good!  Enjoy!

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Puente-el-Progreso w/c sketch

I have 2 goals this week, first clean up my studio, and secondly plan and start a new painting.  Today I did the second thing.  What?  there’s no rule that you have to begin at the top of a list, is there???

This is a prelim sketch [7”x11”] of the countryside around San Sebastian, Jalisco, Mexico…  and the bridge that makes travel there possible.  It was a good exercise but I think I need to simplify some of the foreground before painting it in a larger format.  I’ll clean my office first though. Cheers!

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