Mary had a little lamb or two

Lambs make an interesting subject.  I have used the same composition for 2 pictures which turned out with there own look.  This photo was taken from a sheep farm nearby, one of many reference photos taken.  I have used them for cards and now this painting.

The blue painting is on a full sheet of Arches #140 watercolor paper.  No matter what I do the paint didn't seem to reach as vibrant as I would have liked. I was told it's because the pigment is absorbed into the fibers of the paper. It still makes me smile when I look at it.
The second one is Acrylic on an 8.5x14 cut piece of Yupo.  Using the fluid acrylics on Yupo sparked an attachment that I would not have predicted.  The colors do not attach themselves to the paper like watercolors and the paints' vibrancy shows through.  It was fun to do!!!

I. C. Spot

  I love it when art goes together.  This picture was one that only took a short time. It was created on yupo with acrylic, at least the first layer was acrylic.   It was one of those painted and set out in the cold to develop crystals-like patterns as it dries.  The next step was to find a picture that would go over the random colors.    I sat before it staring until it hit me...one of the giraff photos from the trip to the zoo would be perfect.  I drew the outline, removed the white spaces with rubbing alcohol and a scrubber brush then painted the rest with watercolor. Wala! It was done in a short time. 

For some reason, I like the artwork that requires erasing areas to expose the white.  Maybe because I have a hard time leaving the white paper alone and this gives me a way to get it back.  I am very fond of him.  The name took longer to come up with then the painting itself.  I called him, "I.C. Spot".  I love the name and so did some one at the show at the barn.  He is now living somewhere in Ohio. Glad someone liked him as much as I do.

HOT CHICK

I just smile everytime I look at this painting.  I just like it!

The title was a statement made when I was describing the thought process to a group of painters during critique and it stuck. It sort of says it all.
The picture was taken by Sandy who shared it with me.  It was started last summer when I was as hot as the weather.  The bird seemed to say to me turn on the fan to cool me off too....and it developed from there.  Nothing new as far as technique used. 

I did combine several images to make this one painting.  The fan was an old one that I use, a photo of bird and the view from my window to the trees nearby.  I don't take the time to incorporate different ideas into one painting very often. That is something that would be good practice.  It would stretch my composition and interest in my paintings. That would involve more time in the planning stage, now wouldn't it!  A good half of the year left resolution.

Pike Street Market Revisited

When on location, I tend to walk and take pictures. Of course many of them turn out blurry, so it made the perfect choice for a wet-on-wet painting.
 
This painting flowed together rather easily...no pun intended. 
Really it was not as difficult as I thought which I attribute to 2 things.  The photo was so helpful.  The blurred lines made it easy to follow...in a way that I would not have been able to do if I tried to make the painting something the photo was not. 


Secondly, I have started this new year using fresh paint... not paint that have been in my palette and have dried.  This is actually one of my new years resolutions, to make colors in my paintings more intense and vibrant.    The only way for me to do this seems to be to use paint freshly squeezed.    


I like the effect of the wet-on-wet, I am enjoying painting so far this year.  Some of the group that I paint along with have asked to compare the first Pike Street Market painting that I did to see the differences.  The following painting is one that I like as well mainly because it reminds me of walking in the market early in the morning...the flowers there are beautiful and so many.

This painting was done about 3 years ago.  I don't think my style has changed that much.  I do like this one for the details even though they are not that defined.   

OH DEER

A friend and I went photo crazy. The deer have all but taken over her neighborhood so finding them to photograph was not hard at all. I am not hurting for reference photos to choose my paintings. Here is the first of four planned images of deer.






The top painting was on gessoed Arches #140 watercolor paper using watercolor but the effect is too stiff not at all showing the innocence of the deer. Maybe its the effect of the background that makes it not as appealing to me. The difference more noticeable in the originals than on the screen.









This painting was done quickly once the values were determined, almost in one wash. I do need the paper to dry a bit before adding the dark values. My darkest value is usually an 8 on the value scale...this lends to the softness. That is the way most of my paintings come out. I have to force the darkest values, deliberately making them what to me is too dark for them to be a 10 on the scale. The young age of the deer shows here but that maybe due to the forehead and proportion of the head to the body.




This is my fav.

Rainy Day Effect

It been about a month since I attended a workshop by Nicholas Simmons. He made four days full of techniques and painting time go quickly.

Here is one of my paintings that was started during the last day. I was able to finish it with what I think is success. At least I like it.

It began by drawing an outline of the subject then pouring or throwing paint over the image trying to get it in just the right place. Some of us are stronger than we thought and threw it over top of the paper and it bearly ran over the edge or we poured it just where we wanted and it ran down in random streaks. Its not as controllable as Nick made it look. We all worked with what we got and some of the results were fascinating. There was nervous anticipation as we planned our colors. It was worth the risk because the results made the finished product very interesting...more interesting than just painting the subject right from a photo.

We used both acrylic and watercolor in the same painting which offered us options. We kept the poured acrlyic layer as the background and added the top layer in, around and through the paint by using watercolor for the main subject painting. It's one of those things that you would say...why didn't I think of that? Guess that's why workshops are so important...time to learn from each other. Thanks Nick for getting the creative juices going.

LION AND LAMB

This painting on gesso 140# Arches watercolor paper was drawn on tracing paper first and then using a light box was transfered to the gesso paper.

The challenge with this painting started with the drawing. It was made up of two photos and some adlibing on my part. Once the planning was complete.. the painting seemed to flow together. This is a close up of the painting in progress.

This process is perfect for the details in the lions mane which didn't change from this first image in process to the finished painting. With the mid tone in place, it was easy to remove color for the white areas and add darks where needed.

The lamb on the other hand looks it just had a bath. It wasn't until removing more of the color, actually almost all the color from the fur before the lamb come to life. The colors that I chose for the middle tone seemed to stain the gesso and didn't go all the way back to white. It is ok because it gives color to the fur. If it were all white it wouldn't be the look I was after.

I like this process of add middle tones to the paper then removing color to get the white areas back and adding dark for the darker values.

Unfortunately not all images work well using this process.

WIPE ON, WIPE OFF

Watercolor on Gesso is a process of painting the middle value all over the paper, wiping off paint for the white or light areas, and adding darker colors for the darkest value.

Gesso over Arches 140# paper is the foundation for my last two paintings. Painting on gesso seems a challenge for me, the paint doesn't want to stick and I have a tendency to add too much water which doesn't help. This example is my second attempt at this background. One thing nice about the whole process is that if it isn't what you want...washing it off proves to be easy. Just start over. I don't hesitate if its not what I want.

After the first layer of color is very dry... you add your drawing. Either draw directly on top of the color layer or trace it over a light table. I have done it both ways, it all depends on the subject and your comfort level. Flowers proved to be easier to draw direct.

This is part of the first attempt. The whole painting seemed to paint itself. Those are the best kind.

It started out when I printed the photo my printer was running out of color and white areas showed which was my inspiration. I enjoyed this process so much, it reminded me of a process done with ebony pencil and a kneaded eraser. Basically the same process just a different medium.

There is a trick to adding color back to areas that you mistakenly took off color. I was getting pretty good at adding medium value by the end of this process.

Crocus is a sign of Spring, Spring is a new beginning

This is the Steve Blackburn technique that Sandy's class is undertaking. It has proven to be a challenge. This is a different way of thinking about the painting process that seems to slow me down. After adding the miskit, then pouring the colors, the process seems to shift to negative painting.


With a little help from my camera and tracing paper, I figured out where to paint. I took a picture of the painting at the point of being stuck. Using tracing paper over a small printout, I added the darks where I thought would work and some areas that would be medium dark and then I could paint again. I am not sure why this stumped me but I could not bring myself to put more paint on the paper until I had a clearer idea. Nothing spontaneous here!!! at least not yet.



The poured paint gives the painting a freshness that doesn't come with the brush touching the paper. I like the blending of color not manipulated by me at all other than tilting the art itself. It may be that I come into the process half way and then need to engage the creative side of adding color.




There is another one that I have been working on but believe I will start it over. There is a spot that I had to remove color and it bothers me the way the paint seems white washed. It has lost the freshness so I will use this one as my practice and do it again. It's only paper!!! and fun learning!!!

Keep on Practicing

I am trying to make 20 minute studies whenever I begin painting on a project. It hasn't been successful so far. I seem to start right in and realize that I didn't make a small painting. I used to think I was a quick study. New habit takes 3 months to become automatic so I have time to learn. Here are my studies so far.

One of the hardest things about the whole process is deciding what to paint. Part of the challenge is to paint from real life soI walk around looking for subjects that have some interesting shapes or texture to them.

The pineapple was still sitting out from my visit to the grocery store which became my first warm-up. I started to put in all the details and quickly changed my mind. I do like the color blending and hint of texture that happened.

As for snow, we have a lot so I picked the pine tree in the front yard. I pulled up the blinds and began at the top painting only the green branch shapes that showed from under the snow. Then I realized that the sky and the snow were slightly different in color then added the color to the tree. I was successful in leaving white areas which is my biggest challenge.

Making 20 minute paintings are going to be the best way for me to improve my seeing and doing the painting process. I highly recommend them.