Digging deep

I am digging down deep in my glass jar full of tubes of paints...I am forcing myself to try some of those colors I wouldn't normally use, but have had the tubes in my collection for ages...It's another way to challenge yourself. The basic concept is the same..primaries...a yellow, blue and red and then temperatures...cool vs. warm and then a balance of lights and darks...The above painting was done during a workshop where we had to use a triad to mix all our colors. I believe this was aureolin, prussian and alizarin.

bigger is better?

This is the image that made it onto the festival poster. I'll take a picture this week and show you the actual finished poster. Both images are on a full sheet of wc paper...22"x30". I'm currently in the studio working on some pieces and I'm finding that a half sheet of paper is looking a little small to me...huh? Am I ready to work bigger? I did just get a 2" wash brush...so maybe...

Super Sunday

This painting was done for our local theatre with their annual Fine Wine and Food festival in mind as I was soliciting to create the image for their poster. This isn't the one they picked, but I'll post that one some other time. With the Superbowl this Sunday some food and drink will come in handy. Don't eat too much and get a little creative in the kitchen! Have fun.

Midtones

Here is a still life from a former life...well not exactly, but sometimes it feels like that when you think your art has grown over the years. This painting is just filled with mid-tones. Yes there are some lights, but over all it's fairly close in value. If you squint at it everything seems to blend. Now I don't necessarily try to develop a "focal point" in my work, but I do strive to get some strong contrasts in value, color and temperatures.

Groundhog critter?

"Struttin' his stuff" 15"x17"

On this Groundhog Day we've all heard the news...it's going to be another 6 weeks of winter...boo hoo! So I thought I'd post a critter of my own. This guy casts a shadow, but there isn't anyone around to wonder about the future of the weather! My splatters and splashes work well with roosters to indicate dappled feathers. White feathers actually need a little color to make them "read" as white. I think if they were left completely as unpainted paper it wouldn't look right. Therefore a bit of cerulean and some yellow ochre.

figure study

Figure class again tonight..this was done last week. I am now noticing that the arm and elbow are a little messed up. Oh well. I do like the face alot and the colors and shadows and her pointy shoulder against the dark teal green background. All they provide at the figure session is this blue body pillow and I'm contemplating bringing a striped piece of cloth or something else colorful!

Cherry pickin'

Three Cherries...the three musketeers...tres amigos...ole. I've seen some cherries on the store shelves, but don't associate them with this time of year...well nowadays you get everything, anytime and anywhere. I saw cherry tree upon cherry tree last summer while visiting Montana! Wouldn't put those two together, but alas...learned something new.

More bulbs

I thought I'd keep the tulip theme working for me for a couple days...this was done eons ago (or so it seems) and actually adorned my business cards a couple generations of biz cards ago. Now I have a "floral" card and a "rooster" card. I guess it gives people a choice as to which one they'd like to have. Next week I have a board meeting for the VT WC Society..we have lots of exciting things happening with that as well. Time to clean my palette and squeeze out fresh paint!

Tiptoe thru the Tulips

Workshop announcements! Here goes: "Tiptoe thru the Tulips" two day workshop in Woodstock, VT at the Thompson Senior Center February 26 & 27 from 10-4 $150.00 pp. Third annual Peony painting workshop at the First Congregational Church in Burlington,VT. Tuesday June 8th 10-4 $75.00 pp. (contact me for registration for both workshops) Two day weekend workshop at the Helen Day Arts Center in Stowe, VT Saturday and Sunday May 15 & 16 (contact Helen Day for more info) and finally (but maybe not last...) a three day floral workshop at the Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester, VT Thursday-Saturday August 26-28. (contact SVAC for more info) Hope to see you sometime this year so we can paint together!

"Dutch Tulips from their beds

Flaunted their stately heads."

-James Montgomery

Bond vs. Bond

A painting that is probably well over 12 years old....maybe more. It was a commissioned piece. The purchaser liked a particular painting they had seen of mine, but unfortunately it had already sold...(or should I say fortunately for me :) So they asked if I could create something similar. If you've ever tried...you well know it's pretty close to impossible...unless you are a master forger. Which reminds me of one of my favorite movies...The Thomas Crown Affair. If you haven't seen it..well worth the rental! Plus it's Pierce Brosnan..one of my favorite Bonds. (first being Sean Connery, ofcourse, but feel free to debate this point!)

Red hot pepper

An early attempt at striped fabric...always difficult to do. It really takes a lot of concentration and really looking...no faking it or making it up here. The stripes need to line up and continue underneath and beyond the still life objects. I have some workshop announcements coming up next week...I've got 4 different workshops happening right now, top of the state to the bottom...stay tuned...

Mix and Match

I'm back...doing a lot of miscellaneous stuff lately...organizing the studio, taxes(!), updating files, cleaning out old stuff etc..etc.. so the blogging has taken a backseat...but saw "Julie and Julia" last night and it certainly pushed blogging back to the forefront! I'm not about to cook every recipe out of a book within a year's time, but I do have some other studio goals I'd like to achieve. I was looking back through some old sketchbooks yesterday and that is one thing I have been doing more of...just plain sketching. It's great practice for both your eye and hand.

Loose daffodils

Sometimes the hardest thing about painting with watercolors is leaving white space and "unfinished" brushstrokes. Being loose and "messy" is actually really hard to do. The only advice I have is to just do it...sounds like a commercial, but there really isn't anything you can do short of someone forcing the brush out of your hand or just walking away from you painting. Try it sometime, walk away and see how those strokes dry and remember don't overwork...(mud anyone?) I'll see you all towards the end of next week...a short blogging break...

Drooling over paper

This is a teeny tiny watercolor..might be why it's not really in focus. It was hard to photograph (I didn't have a scanner). It is maybe 2"x2". That's pretty small and is not easy to do. Which might be why I don't paint that small very often. The smallest now is about 7"x7". I'd like to go in the other direction and paint super HUGE, but that is intimidating as well. I always drool over the rolls of watercolor paper and have this secret desire to order one...maybe some day....

VT WC Society workshop

This is a painting I did during a Mel Stabin workshop well over ten years ago. Speaking of Mel...he's coming to Vermont this fall and teaching a 5 day plein air workshop in Landgrove. I'm super excited! It is being sponsored by the VT Watercolor Society and anyone out there who might be interested...let me know. The location is the Landgrove Inn and they are offering a special on your stay..it is quite the complete package. Click their name to go to their website and scroll to the bottom to check out their Learning Vacations. They built a beautiful studio and host many other workshops.

Acrylic landscape

Some random early work that I did with acrylics. Fantasy landscapes painted with brushes and fingers...pushed around pigments, trying to come up with a horizon line and atmosphere. It's nice to paint something from your head. We spend all day looking at things, consciously or subconsciously, it's a real stretch to then put it down on paper without an actual visual in front of you!

Poster #2

And another poster in the series...I like this one in particular, because it features four different flowers. On the day of the Garden Tour I would be in one of the gardens painting. I would meet all the people that were touring around and some would even have me sign their posters. It was always a great event. As payment for doing the artwork I would get a stack of posters to give away to family and friends! Good deal. Plus another notch on the artistic resume...

Poster artwork

Here is another Garden Tour poster that I mentioned yesterday. I received alot of comments that indicated some of us are ready for spring (already!). When the snow is blowing and the wind chills are off the charts, aren't we all ready? Unless of course you live in a more manageable climate...but variety is the spice of life and seasons make a year interesting.