Poinsetta

 Poinsetta

 4 7/8" x 6 7/8"

Watercolor

It was interesting painting all these reds, using Quin. Red, Perm. Red, Rhodenite Genuine, Deep Scarlett, Quin. Burnt Orange, and Pyrolle Orange.  I used an underpainting of Azo Yellow under some of the reds to brighten them.  Some of the reds are more of a blue-red in real life.  One other thing I need to comment on is that the colors look much more saturated in the photo.  We all know how soft watercolors are so the saturation level has been reduced but the photo still has the look of more intense colors. 

The shadows were first painted with Sap Green then glazed with different reds and blues, including Cobalt and Pthalo Blue.  I used a photo by mustcreate from the Wet Canvas Reference Image Library as reference for this painting.

Child of Madagascar

 Here is the cropped version of the painting which was done on an 1/8th sheet of Fabriano Aristico Soft Press watercolor paper.  Below is the full face version.  Many thanks again, to babasteve on Flickr, for the use of his photo. 

Thanksgiving Chatter

Wishing each of you a most Blessed Thanksgiving.  Today is a day of giving thanks for all we have in our life - the land we live in, the people who come and go in our lives, those that remain friends through the years, our families.  I'm thankful for each of you, your interest and comments but especially for the joy we share in painting and viewing art. Thank you for coming in to my life through art and your continued interest.

I've been reading the Robert Genn newsletter this morning entitled "One Precious Day" and there is a beautiful video that is worth watching and most appropriate for today and every day. 

The acrylic painting above was painted a few years ago and hangs in my sister's dining room  It was painted with brush and palette knife.  I love the strokes a knife makes.

Child of Madagascar WIP

This morning's progress is shown in the first photo and have placed a copy of yesterday's photo, for comparison.  The painting still needs more refinement so will let this sit for a few hours while I go paint kitchen walls.  Time away will hopefully help me to see the painting with fresh eyes. 

Child of Madagascar WIP

This painting is for an online portrait study group but thought I would share the progress or regress, as the case may be, with you.  The painting was begun in watercolor laying in a wash of Quin. Burnt Orange  and Cobalt blue to establish some of the dark areas. I want to thank babasteve from flickr.com for allowing me to use his beautiful photo. 

In the next two photos, more quin. burnt orange, French Ultramarine Blue and Raw Sienna were used to help form the shapes within the face.

  

In the photo to the left, you can see that most of the darks were washed out and started working on the eyes. 

 These two photos show where I began using acrylics to form the face as the paper was becoming overworked. 
   

This last photo shows the painting as it stands right now.  Now I have to stop for awhile as I have kitchen walls to paint. 

Fall on the Water - October YOP

Using a reference photo by photographer by Jab, from the Wet Canvas RIL, I finished this month's painting for the year of painting (YOP) project, today.  It is painted on an 1/8th sheet Fabriano Aristico Soft Press watercolor paper using a Royal Majestic synthetic 1/4" flat and an Escoda Kolinsky sable #6 round.   The palette for this painting consisted of ndanthrene Blue, Pthalo Blue, Cobalt Blue, Cobalt Turquoise, Sepia, Quin. Burnt Orange, Gamboge, Azo Yellow, Quin. Violet, and Scarlet Pyyrole. 

Christmas Sketch

I've also been practicing landscapes this morning, using acrylics in a watercolor manner.  This scene is from my imagination and is 7"x8" on Fabriano Aristico watercolor paper.  The blues are showing more intense and are actually a grayed greenish blue.

Using a reference photo by siodafamily from the Wet Canvas Reference Image Library, I used an F graphite pencil to sketch this as a possibility for a small Christmas painting.

Santa Collage-Mixed Media

Santa

Collage

9" x 13"

Fabriano Aristico 

Soft Press Watercolor Paper

 

This is my first collage using watercolors, gesso & acrylics.  It was fun tearing up old paintings that didn't work.  The base for this collage began as the YOP painting that can be seen here.  I used acrylic medium to glue torn paper (from paintings shown here and here), then used acrylic and gesso to help form the tree plus add more texture and light to the white areas.  

 

I may correct some of the branches of the tree adding some lights into the darker areas and forming the branches a bit better.  Also, the presents could be modeled to create a more three dimensional look but I rather like them as is. 

Pickup Truck

I'm calling this painting finished even though I may go back and straighten some of the lines on the side vent and tone down the light lines a bit.  I also didn't put on the emblem that goes on that side vent.  This was a fun painting to do and have another car in mind to paint.  Hope you enjoy this painting. 

Pickup Truck Update

Today's progress on the pickup - still a lot out of whack but it is slowly coming together. 

Pickup Truck - Still Blocking In

 

This morning I decided to continue blocking in with a brush using diluted paint, loosely correcting shapes, angles and proportions.  Can you see how the angles and proportions have changed from the sketch photo previously posted?   

So far I've used French Ultramarine Blue, Pthalo Blue, Pyrrole Orange, Cadmium Red Medium, Quinacridone Red, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Burnt Sienna.  Again, the reds are showing more of an orange-red where areas like the top of the hood are more of a bluish red. 

Again, the reference photo used for the sketch is by SteveMac from the Wet Canvas RIL. This photo was selected for use as the October choice for the YOP at paintingfriends.com, which was due October 20th.  As you can see, I've gotten a late start.  

Pickup Truck - Just the Bare Bones

Yesterday I only had time to try a sketch of a pickup truck.  This time I used yellow watercolor and a brush. My goal was to see how well I could sketch this and get some accuracy as far as dimensions and form. I was definitely off in a lot of areas such as the length of the bonnet/hood.  This morning I have begun a pencil sketch with an eye toward more accurate measurements.  The reference photo used for the sketch is by SteveMac from the Wet Canvas RIL. 

Apple A Day

Apple A Day
5 1/4" x 7 1/2"
Acrylic on Paper

Trying to get myself out of a painting slump so painted apples using my imagination.  The reds are a bit bluer in tone especially in the shaded areas. 

Waterfall

Waterfall

Mixed Media

6 3/4" x 9"

On Watercolor Paper

This is a busy, busy painting but I had a fun time painting it.  The reference photo used was by wsrea from the Wet Canvas Reference Image Library.  The base began as watercolor then switched to acrylics.  A lot of the top layers were applied with a palette knife.  Hope you enjoy it. 

Changing Subject, Changing Medium

Last Week's flower/leaf study
watercolor painting

Flipped and changed to
landscape using acrylics

The beginning of the flower/leaf study I posted last week in watercolor was flipped on its side and painted over with acrylics this morning.  There are still areas of watercolor peeking through this unfinished painting and hope I can retain them.  I used a reference photo by wsrea from the Wet Canvas Reference Image Library to start the waterfall which was actually the flower area painted last week.