Small study

This is a teeny tiny study I did from a photograph testing values, colors and composition prior to committing myself to a larger painting. This piece is about 2"x4"...It's like sketching and journaling, which I'm always striving to do more of. I'll be battling the snow the next few days to teach my "tiptoe thru the tulips" workshop....see you next week, hopefully with less white stuff on the ground!

Navel, navel

Orange and Blue...a nice color combo...Fun with the color wheel. I just refilled my palette with fresh new colors...out of the tube the watercolors are so shiny and juicy looking...then slowly they get contaminated with other pigments as my brush drags across the various squares and without rinsing dips into another color! Oops.

Winter Blue Skies

This is what Vermont looks like right now...well some of the snow has melted in places, but have no fear, more is on the way! I was digging around in my pile 'o paint and tried new to me blues for the sky...Verditer, Compose, Cobalt Turquoise etc..etc..a fun little experiment

Wine & Food Festival

Here is the Wine poster I mentioned last week...I had posted the image, but here is the actual printed poster. The event was 8 years ago! Someone emailed me about the garden tour poster a couple weeks ago and I have some extra posters if anyone is interested in one. They measure 24"x18", but the image is smaller as you can see. They are $15.00 plus $3.00 S/H. Send me an email if you'd like one.

Dark hair

Another week has gone by where our figure session was suspended due to President's day...I knew that Government offices were closed for the day, but didn't know there was anything in the "rules" about not painting the figure for the day! ha ha..oh well...waiting patiently for next week. Then it's off the my "tiptoe thru the tulips" workshop...I have a spot left...if you are interested send me an email!

abstract thinking

Ever feel like breaking out of your rut and doing something completely different? I've been perusing the web and finding some interesting art that just boggles my mind...it involves scratching into the canvas, applying collaged items, different media and just wild abstract abandon. So hard for me to do...I guess I just can't think abstractly and when I do it just turns into a royal mess! Above is my attempt at simplification, semi abstraction and actually painting with my fingers and using acrylics..

Spring fling

"Iris blue and tulips, too" 22"x15"

Forgive me if I'm repeating myself..but I couldn't remember if I had posted this painting before..it's such a spring reminder and just makes me impatient for watching the tulips force their way through the earth...I planted a bunch last fall, so now the waiting game is on. I'm still playing with the Yarka paints...it's been nice rediscovering an old friend. They are lovely colors..

Portrait tribute

This was a highly secret project organized by another Different Strokes participant...she asked many of the artists she could contact to paint/draw/sketch etc.. the end of year portrait of the founder of the Different Strokes blog. All in all there were 118 versions of Karin. They were put together in a book as a gift for her by Jill Polsby. Great idea! Wonderful show of appreciation for starting such a fun project blog. (which I have to admit I'm missing...)

"Menu"

Here's another food and wine image...I forgot to photograph the poster this week...but will post next week. One more thought on color variations... when in doubt...pull out a set of Yarka watercolors...if you haven't used these before, you should. The colors are just slightly different and oh so juicy and rich. They come in these big rectangular cakes in a handy fold out palette. So that's exactly what I did yesterday and will continue with today....

Take two...

Well...I got some comments about bravery with colors and it's not as easy as just talking about it. I really forced myself yesterday to explore some new pigments, but lo and behold...I was dipping my brush right back in the familiar colors... AAARRGGH! Maybe it's time to get a fresh palette and just squeeze out the new colors and put a lid on the old one! The painting above is from a long time ago and was from a "daring color" session and just leaving strokes unfinished and pigments bright and bold. I'll try again today...

"Head of the roost"

I wasn't sure if I had ever posted this protective rooster guarding his flock...This was done several years ago and looking back my colors have changed significantly since then. I'm still striving for more, varied color in my work...I don't know what that is quite yet, but I know I'm not there yet...I still reach for the tried and true eventhough I have many new and exciting pigments available to me...I guess change is slow(and scary), but once you utter the words, the goal is somehow more attainable.

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!