Personal Art Blog

Sharing the lessons I teach at the Artist Guild and the personal discoveries in my art.

Monday, March 3, 2014

Tea and Pears - Watercolor













Tea and Pears

8x6in watercolor on aquabord  $125. SOLD
Protective coating added

I have a new teapot.  I am still having fun
trying to figure out its different viewpoints.

Artist Note.

After FOUR WIPERS trying to paint
a landscape of Georgia O'Keeffe's house
on Ghost Ranch...I took a deep breath, decided
not to ram the palette knife through my heart
and changed my media.
I know...you have all been through it and
surely do understand and sympathize.

This is the second painting done with
watercolor on the Ampersand Aquabord.
I am exploring the different ways to use
the fracturing technique on this surface.
The Aquabord intrigues me as you do not
have to put the watercolor under glass
as long as it has a protective coating.

The surface is different. It has a fine pebbly
tooth.  I like the way you can place
flowing wash or dry brush using the texture
of the surface.
.
I recommend this video tutorial from
Ampersand/Dick Blick

44 comments:

  1. Julie - what a gorgeous painting. Your talent not only lies with oils but with watercolors too...a true artist you are. I have never tried Aquaboard...going to check out the video tutorial - may have to order one of these boards and give it a try. Hope you are having a great week. As always thank you so much for sharing. It is always such a delight to visit.

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    1. You have such a beautiful way with what you paint and it would be interesting to see what you do on Aquabord. Loved your post on Spring but my heart is still thumping for your birds nest in the previous post.

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  2. Very beautiful still life composition with very wonderful colours !!!

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    1. Watercolors have a beauty of their own, I agree. Thanks for visiting. I love your blog.

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  3. So glad you did not ram the palette knife through your heart. We have all been there and thankfully we have each other for venting! My eye grabs that beautiful purple-red on the cherry and travels around the painting hunting for more. Love it.

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  4. julie, holy moly... these watercolors!!!

    xoxo

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  5. Wow! Just gorgeous! Love the colour, and I love how you've really been able to bring your technique to both media so wonderfully!

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    1. Thanks so much. I tried to get on your blog but could not get past that darn Google +.
      I appreciate your generous - very much.

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  6. This is amazing Julie, I actually didn't realize at first that it was watercolor, but thought it was an oil. The set up is beautiful , just love the richness of the objects and the colors. And I love your new teapot , I actually have a collection of them , find them irresistible .

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    1. Neat to know you collect teapots too. I was recently given an art studio one with tubes of paint and brushes, Fun and fabulous.
      love your new landscape...so colorful.

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  7. Love it! Thanks for the info on the watercolor paper. Off to the art store tomorrow.

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    1. Hope you try it. Just remember - no glass. That alone makes it well worth trying it. Hi to Bonnie - your wonderful parrot

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  8. Dear Julie, a wonderful still life ,on a material that is still not easy traded by us ...
    I think now you've found a synthesis between your painting way and the support that perfectly reflects your Art.

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    1. Thank you as always, dear Rita. Lucky you having the grandchildren...cheerful elves. I love that!
      Your primroses made me remember where I am from.

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  9. those are some beauuuitful colors in that painting! I like how you challenge yourself. You never just rest on your laurels!

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    1. I notice you never rest on yours, either, Celeste. Your new abstact is really something. Drawing... painting...whatever you do you have the magic touch.

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  10. Better than amazing and I love the one below too! I love how you are working the objects and colors. The surface sounds great, I appreciate the info!

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    1. Hi Celia - thanks for visiting and I hope you try it. I dont think you can improve though on what you do now. Your technique is wonderful. Love the latest one.

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  11. This is just gorgeous, Julie. I didn't realize this was watercolor until I read your words. The colors are so exquisite! I have some of this material but I can't seem to get the color saturation with it that I like. I am undaunted however, will watch the video, and can hopefully bring some life to the next effort!

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    1. The video was helpful. I liked the way you could build up layers and the broken brush marks with the pepple surface. NO GLASS is the biggest attraction.

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  12. It is a nice surface isn't it? And that is a beautiful teapot. I have a series of teacups with saucers made in what used to be the USSR. They have beautiful cobalt blue designs on them. One in particular (which I think is the Catherine The Great pattern) reminds me of your lovely new teapot:)

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    1. thanks Libby - you had some good points on your nteresting blog today

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  13. Oh, and I am glad there was no stabbing with the palette knife!:)

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  14. Hats off to you Julie! You are always forging ahead, trying new things and best of all...sharing the process! This is a beautiful painting!

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    1. thanks dear Kaethe and I return the complement with your boat painting. It is fabulous. Oh MY- that amazing water!

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  15. Wonderful! If you hadn't said, I would never thought this was a watercolor! Thanks for the info, I have been curious to try these boards for some time now.

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    1. I didnt know your hubby was an artist too, Kim. How fortunate. I enjoyed your post.

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  16. Great work, Julie! This WC really bears a strong appearance to your oils!
    The Aquaboard sounds very interesting. Have you ever tried watercolor over gesso? It may have similar workability.

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    1. Thanks and YES, Dean, I have tried watercolor on gesso. Trouble with that is the gesso had a bit of a porous effect and seemed to suck the life out of the watercolor. Maybe the slight pebble surface on thr AB allows for denser colors? I have not worked with it enough yet.
      Your parrot is glorious!

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  17. Selfishly, I'm thrilled that you did this glorious painting in watercolor. If you ever create lessons on how to do fracturing in WC, I'd be even more thrilled since I follow your Blog daily and have always wished I could try your methods.

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    1. Thanks for following my blog, Dana. I am working on a fracturing video of the landscape but have to brush up on my watercolor technique before I dare do a video.

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  18. What a gem of a teapot, Julie! And, it's found its way into an amazing painting. The textures and water patterns of the medium itself adds much interest!

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    1. And you are a gem of a blogging friend. Thanks Carol. Still loving your marbles.

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  19. LOL<<literally. I'm just really glad you didn't stab yourself with a palette knife. I didn't know such a product existed for watercolor paintings. The painting is simply spectacular. The rich color harmony and the way the eye lingers on all --but not too busy. Thanks for the laugh (more of a howl really) and the inspiration.

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    1. No wonder you have a lovely smile - you obviously have a great sense of humor. All that talent and humopr too. - lucky hubby!
      I have really enjoyed your owl paintings.

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  20. It's so hard to believe this is watercolor, Julie! It's a beautiful piece and I really love it! I did my first watercolor a few days ago and already it found its way to the trash. I'm amazed with artists who paint with watercolors...Such a difficult medium which you aced...Congratulations ...!!!

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    1. All paintng is hard. No matter what the media. I could never do the portraits like you do, but I bet in watercolor you still would do better than me because you do them all the time. A lot of pastel artists do an underpainting of watercolor. Do you?

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  21. Wow I love these watercolors, was very surprised to see that is what I was looking at. Beautiful work.

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    1. Thanks Barbara. You work in acrylics so you are very familiar with waterbased media. I like what you do very much and love the way you handled red in your geisha painting.

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  22. WOW- just WOW!!!! The color on this piece is sooo rich and pure, I was surprised to find that it was indeed watercolor! I am in awe! (and inspired to join in on the fun!). Thanks for sharing the link, too! I brought a few little aquabords with me on my trip back to moms...I'm gonna grab a moment & try one out!!

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  23. No no no stabbing with the palette knife or we would have to be without your posts ! :( This is yet another gem and now of course, I am going to rush right over to that video...thanks in advance!

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  24. A really lovely work, colours are vibrant and for watercolour appears to have so much texture, wonderful

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I love that you are taking the time to comment and thank you for it. I am sure other readers will enjoy them too. If you cannot comment through this format then email me at juliefordoliver@gmail.com
Cheers,
Julie