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.

Tree Second Stage

So, stage two is going ok.  Am hoping my water value is not too strong.  The tree will be dominant so I am hoping it will have equal or slightly stronger values to over ride that.  This has been a rather loose begining and I am saving the large tree for last and glazing it to get the maximum of form.

Tree, first layer....the sky

Here is the first layer going on the tree picture....hope it is clear enough to see here.  Is very dreary here today again.  Just waiting and waiting for it to dry so I can remove the masking. 

Penelope Cruz looking Sassy

I never put good old Penelope up for the blog. Did this about a year and a half ago.  Is from the 2007 Vogue Magazine.  Loved the dress and this window and could not resist trying it in watercolour. Is on Arches 156 lb HP and I will never again do another portrait this small  LOL......was like painting a Barbie head.   Is approx. 

11" x 14" and was a booger (pun not intended? ) to get her nose to stop looking witchy!  She is now hanging in my sister's diningroom.

I Won a Painting by Vicki!

Here is a lovely butterfly watercolour (this is a  print) done by Vicki Greene, website "Garden of Weeden" http://vickigreene.blogspot.com/

Vicki has a monthly giveaway and it is so much fun to watch folks win :)   She's a great blogger friend and I really love her watercolours.  She also does beautiful colour pencil pieces, this is one patient woman.  Please visit her blog and enjoy!

The Bird is Finally Finished :)

It is finally done ...I will do a million things different on the next painting!  This one was a good workout for me.  Lots of things to bend my brain  lol  I still do not know what to title it.......I look at it and it says "Here's Looking At You"   


SOLD

Not a true watercolour...but I've been FINALLY painting again :)

Here is a plagerized rock....original by Don Gray who has one of the best blogs ( Daily Art West) to follow for daily paintings and commentary. Don does beautiful work and is on the top 3 of my favorite daily readings. Did this with a student (this one is mine), we each did our own using Da Vinci acrylics with a few Liquitex in there because some of my new tubes are on backorder.  I am REALLY liking these Da Vinci acrylics, nice and creamy, and lovely blending.  Sorry the lighting for this isn't the best, is dreary here today.

Some progress and a new sketch.....no posts to two in one day!

A tiny bit more done on the bird.  Will likely lighten up the branch, looks too heavy in value.  A new sketch I call "Treebeard in Repose".  Is on 200lb Cp Saunders, thought I'd try a new kind of paper for the heck of it.

Some student works

Here are some sketches done by my youngest student Jon R.( 11 YO), and even one by his younger brother Dan R.(8 YO) Am particularly liking the way Jon handled the teeth in his subject....nice touch! One sketch is in vine charcoal and the other what looks like a #2 H. 

Dan has a nice thing going with his bird and branch......keep it up Dan!  REALLY love that branch.

WIP for Lady Linden (B&B here in York, PA)

Been trying to get this done after being sick for a few days.....got me off my deadline slot.  The leaves are nowhere near to my liking but I can "force" them to fit the harmony     Will post the bird and branches after they are done tomorrow......unless I get sidetracked by people who live with me :)   Am really, really looking forward to empty nest LOL  P.S>  please excuse the walls of my studio.....we are ripping off wallpaper and prepping to paint.

While Madame X is a WIP....

So....while she (Madame X ) is getting her outfit ready I have been doing smaller paintings to keep from being nervous about her.  Also, some floral designing on the side.  Just a couple of pictures for fun.

Madame X had to take a small sabbatical while new 140lb CP arrived....she complained bitterly that the hotpress was abusive :)

So, here is what has been transpiring in the wings.....This has a background of about 7 layers of Holbein cobalt, marine, burnt sienna, and raw sienna. Using water drops, kosher salt, and spritzing with a toothbrush for effects. Lifting out with magic eraser, of which I am not so sure I am fond of yet. Please do not report me to the transparent watercolour society for thinking about using white on one of the shells for a special effect. Decided to give Nick Simmons approach a try and did not tape down my paper and turned it round and round each time and sometimes drying with a dryer or, letting it dry to the bone on its own. Took a while! The very last layer was a thin one of just raw sienna and then spots of water, waiting and then some salt again.

New WIP

Here is Madame X The beginning sketches and study, with a texture thought for the background. John Singer Sargent is one of my favorite portraiture artists. Her sketch needs more work, arm is too long, hand needs moved up.......shadow and skintone will bring out stature and posture.

Bird studies.........

Some common sparrows from our bird feeder.
Have been working really hard to understand
feathers and their structure, how they are used in flight and rest. Sure hope I get more hawk pictures soon! A good piece of advice:
learn birds in groups. I went from hawks to common sparrows and it took me a day or two to stop making these poor little birds from looking like vicious hawks LOL

Bluebird study a WIP

Here is my bluebird study in progress. Have been bringing in samples of brush from the fields. I used a patio brick and glued a Sahara floral foam to it for supports. Works pretty well, as two of the pieces are 5' tall. Have decided on my colours and am almost ready to do it in full size. Probably about 22"x 15". As you can see, many different photos were taken and I used my photo editor to get value studies and lighting decisions. Am hoping soon to have some better photos of some hawks. Maybe if it snows there will be better opportunities for me!