Blame it on the angle...

How's this for a self portrait? Extremely close and very personal :) Maybe a little uncomfortable...I was trying for something different...I guess I got it..I know my nose isn't that big and that my lips are certainly devoid of collagen :) Blame it on the angle of the shot..

Go Figure

The figure sessions have started again this winter and I'm trying to go every week...I think it has helped me tremendously...just the sheer consistency of going and "doing". Practice, practice and practice some more. I just wish we had a Dr. Sketchy's here in town...there is a place 2 hours south and/or north of here hosting those... maybe sometime in the future.

masking fluid

This is a quick painting I did last fall...I used masking fluid for the white spots on the mushrooms...I don't usually use masking fluid..but here it was fun..I spritzed it on using a tooth brush and flicked some off a regular round brush. After I removed it I added some color to subdue the bright white spots.

record a trip

Aaaaah memories of last year's travels. I try to keep a travel journal whenever I head out the homestead door and make myself fill it up front to back...that way I have a goal and can't return home with empty pages! If towards the end of the trip I have more pages left than days remaining...I ramp up the sketches, notes and record everything furiously...

Four-up

This is a series within a series! I did a little scene with four individual paintings on the same piece of paper. This was fun to do since you can scoot across the different images and use similar pigments..or for another challenge it would be great to do four of the same scene but use totally opposite and unique color combos. Hmmm..might have to try that next time. (did you spot the little cardinal in the tree?)

Series painting

Another winter scene...this one is extremely neutral with a slightly upturned perspective. I was on a birches roll a while back and this week you are seeing the results. Painting in a series can be good practice..it allows you to explore the subject and adjust, explore new color combos, create different textures, use new tools and more in each consecutive painting you create.

Winter Birches

This week I'll post winter birches...the colors are more subdued than the cardinals and really describe a hushed cold outdoor scene. It doesn't look like this here...this winter has been severely lacking in snow. Too bad for the ski areas! and for outdoor winter plein air painters! (which is not me...brrrr!)

Pop your color

This concludes "cardinal week"...it's been a colorful one. I like to use Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson and some form of either purple or even Burnt Sienna or Payne's Gray for the darker tones. You can even float some Orange or Opera on top of your Red washes to make the colors pop!

Cardinal 2

The second of the cardinal series...these paintings are small...only about 7.5"x10". I had taken a full sheet of watercolor paper and folded it in half/half/half/half and ended up with these sizes. My regular 140 lb paper folds well and doesn't need to be cut...it also give a rough edge when you rip it down the seam, which I like.

Cardinal 1

This week is cardinal week...I'll post two more watercolors I did last month. We have a cardinal pair flying around our yard and have had cardinals for several years..they are such a wonderful pop of color in winter. We don't have snow (yet), but I imagined snow on the ground for these pieces and splattered white watercolor over top to simulate falling snow.

Keeping an eye

I've received quite a few comments recently both via email and directly on my blog posts...and I want to thank all of you for taking the time to write such nice things...I read them all and don't really respond individually, but will acknowledge you all right here today! It is a real pleasure to get feedback and know that you are out there keeping an eye on my work! This young lady is titled "Bright curls" (15"x15").

"The Storyteller"

Happy New Year everyone! We are already 3 days in and I wish I could say that I vowed to sketch every day, paint a certain way this year or a number of other artistic resolutions...but that isn't the case. I do however want to do all those things and more, but will take things as they come and strive to improve, expand and absorb new techniques, new materials and new art adventures! (15"x22")