What are you working on this week??????

 A fun warm up to get "back in shape".  Watercolour on 300 lb CP Arches. Using Daniel Smith.

Long time since my last post!  This new piece is an acrylic and I am thinking the blog may have to evolve and morph to add another medium.  Name changes can be good at times!  This piece is called "Ancient of Days",  24" X 16" on hardboard.

 

New watercolour landscape.  Started this one once before and was not happy the direction it was going.   Am liking it so far this time round!  On Arches 300 lb CP half sheet.

Today it is an acrylic. Am taking a summer class with Cathy Mabius and using my acrylics. Still learning to use them and get used to the values as they dry. This 15"x7" study is for a future watercolour I have planned for a friend.  Was painted completely with a palette knife and I love it.  It is going on my living room wall  very soon!         Title - "Moody Bleus"

Robin WIP continues.....

Robin's perch completed.  Had a wonderful trip to Wyoming and am now fully recovered from jet lag!

Robin background dropped in today.

Background is on.  The watercolour board is curled from all the water. Will relax as it dries. Can't wait to get the masking off and finish this cute robin!

Robin has left the building!

The baby robin is coming along nicely. Have a lot of paintings in line to complete over the summer months.  This guy is first before I get the other ideas fully drawn out on paper. Am incorporating some of Peggi Habets style in this and will attempt to do my background soon. A little more work on his beak before that though. He is on 16" X 20" Arches 140 lb watercolour board. This is new to me also, am kind of liking it. Has a somewhat "silky" fabric feel to it. Am using Holbein: Ultramarine, Turquoise, Alizarin Crimson-- Daniel Smith: Payne's Gray-- Winsor-Newton: Quinacridone Gold.

Took a great one day Workshop with Peggi Habets on Saturday.  I loved working in a new way and will be incorporating it into my work for sure. This is a study of son #2 who was climbing at Devil's Den in Gettysburg, PA.  A big thanks to Peggi for her instruction!  Her work on display was wonderful to see in person.  So very beautiful.

This is "Tanna"......she was a wonderful dog who belonged to friends of ours.  Thoroughly enjoyed painting her memory for our dear friends. Watercolour on 300lb Arches.

Here is "Magellan". He is a juvenile fox who was raised under a  deck with two siblings.  He was a fun commission to do, although I had a lot of hard lessons to learn about fur.  The owners love him!

Have gotten dear Madame X out again......is hard to believe, but after putting her on the back burner I misplaced her!  Found her stored up against the wall behind my housecoats to protect her from passersby in the hall. Got a few more layers on the background and threw some salt in there for fun. After I finish up a few things that need to be done by next week I must try to get back to her.

 9" x 12" Arches 140 lb CP

Here is a sweet little girl. She will soon be 2 and she was frustrated by all the rain  keeping her from playing in the yard.  Her momma has this little portrait study hanging in her office.

I have always had a lot of trouble getting good results with salt and decided it was time to tame that monster.  Have got to work on getting better photos on the blog...can see the kitchen counter/wall on the edge here...sorry!

Third Self Portrait for the group study.

Almost finished this "Created Me" portrait.....will be working on the fabric folds and my face needs some work lol  :)  Haven't finished the second portrait "The Hidden Me" but think I will wrap them both up by this Wednesday.  Am loving this one so far.  May have to create a new blog for acrylics!  Think I am getting addicted for real.

Playing With Mixed Media

This week I played with acrylics and ink, along with some acrylic mediums like glass beads and sand. This self portrait was for the first installment of 3 we will be completing at a church art group I belong to.  This one is the "Obvious Me"...what people see or think of me when they meet me or life on a daily basis.  I am green and brown because my youngest son says these are the two colours he thinks of me as.  The orange is because one of my best friends told me to put it in because I am so incredibly determined ( I had already planned on orange anyway LOLOL...uh...scary huh?).  This is the first *original* acrylic I have ever completed so I am happy with my first personal project in this medium.  In fact, I may be getting addicted.  Da Vinci acrylics were used and I am liking them very much.

Has been a LONG HARD winter...maybe things can get moving again??? :)

Did not paint all winter due to illness and it was tough.  Am thinking of painting after I finish up all the sewing projects .......was a long dry spell!!

Wyoming trip!

Well....this photo is actually Scott's Bluff in NE  lol  :)

 But hey, it is BIG SKY  country and I LOVED it!  The lower picture is Fort Laramie which IS in Wyoming.  Fort Laramie also has the best little gift shop/museum I've seen in a long time.  Lots and lots of great books to buy about the local history.  Will be breaking in my new cowboy boots in the coming weeks as I try to catch up on my paintings!

More on the Squirrel

Needed a break from my acrylic commission. Got this little fella out again. Seems to be going well so far.  Am actually enjoying saving my whites as apposed to "masking".  Looks neater and cleaner this way...THNX Pablo!  :)

Am Still Alive ....and here is a squirrel to prove it!

Here is a little squirrel I've decided to do a study with.  Was REALLY, REALLY missing my watercolours.   Sure hope this lil fella turns out because he is pretty darned cute. Right now he is in his "ugly" stage and should be remedied soon :)

A little Fun...

It was time for a little fun this week and relax with the watercolours.  This little bunny was done for a dear friend who just had a little girl a tad too early.  Is approx 10 1/2" x 13 1/2" on 300 lb Arches CP.  I am on "Artist Daily" and someone pointed out it is in the Japanese style.  So, I suppose all the pouring over of Japanese art lately has rubbed off on me LOL

Was fun to feel like a kid again and press the leaves on this.