Personal Art Blog

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

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Watercolor Pleasure


Trio
6in x6in gouache on Aquabord 
Painted just for me!

Artist Note.
From my nest collection... 
a little jewel 
with a turquoise strand 
woven through it
 adds a touch of color
against the neutral 
grasses and twigs.

I added Chinese White  
to my watercolors to add 
the body I like.
Aquabord is perfect for 
this, and takes a protective
wax finish beautifully.

My daughter and a friend 
are in to help celebrate
my birthday so I will be
having too much fun
to reply to any comments!
I know you understand.


Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Yellowstone - Waterfall Near Sylvan Pass.




Yellowstone
Near Sylvan Pass.
8"x 6" oil on canvas panel  $135. SOLD

Artist Note
Another one of the
many waterfalls
at Yellowstone.
I can see where the name
YellowStone
came from. Some of the rocks
have a definite yellow
color in the sunlight.
I find them very interesting
and am fascinated by the
different colors in the water.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Bouquet


Bouquet.  
8x6 oil on canvas panel $135. SOLD

Artist Note.

A bit of color on a gloomy day.

Things sure are changing 
in the world.
I wish us all Peace.


Friday, November 13, 2015

Life Force.


Life Force
6x6 oil on canvas panel $110. SOLD


Artist Note.

I know...
I know...
 I thought my 
water paintings
were finished,
 but there is still 
a compulsion inside me
 to do more.
Loved painting it!

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Roses From A Friend


Roses From A Friend
8x6 in oil on canvas panel  SOLD

Artist Note
A friend from the Guild grows these 
Peppermint Candy Roses. 
This has to be the fourth time she has 
brought them in for me to paint.
Not easy...
I have had the hardest time 
painting them.
Imagine - multiple petals and 
stripes on some and not others.
I finally got one that I liked
and fortunately she did too.
Thanks for your patience, Joann.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Floating Dahlias.


Floating Dahlias
Work in Progress

Artist Note
(yup...still painting water!!!)

I saw these wonderful floating 
dahlia flower heads 
in September when I was 
 visiting the 
Nedra Matteucci Gallery
in Santa Fe.

 I fell in love.

I tried painting them in 
watercolor first, and found it 
waaay too busy to include 
the bird bath. Easy decision
to paint only the 
flowers, but it presented
a whole new set of problems.
In our culture we are only 
used to seeing the waterlily
floating on water, and 
they have many petals too.

How to make sense of 
floating flowers? 
How to make them 
appear to be in water.
Finally arriving at...
does it matter if they look 
like  another flower 
or in water?
Nope. What matters is 
painting something
close in my heart.

I went a little larger than my 
usual blogging size... 
because 10"x8"
 is a far easier size 
to work out 
problems.

Start.
Transparent washes of colors

 then fracture or disturb
the surface
The stage below is 
my personal favorite
basic and very abstract.
I am going to be exploring this
theme further
in several different ways.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Rain Puddles And Red Chili.


Rain Puddles
6x8in oil on canvas panel $135. SOLD


Artist Note.
A sight not often seen
here in early November.
This was during the two days 
of rain we got. 

This view of the chili fields
looks totally different 
than in the full sun. 
Far more muted.

Red chili is harvested 
later than the green chili. 
Left on the vine to turn red,
 it is picked and spread on
roofs and similar surfaces
to dry in the sun -
the traditional way.
I LOVE chili
green or red.

This may conclude my water series.
Notice the "may."
I have enjoyed it.


Monday, November 2, 2015

Stormy Day



Stormy Day
6x8in oil on canvas $135.
Purchase HERE

Artist Note.
We really need rain due to 
the severe drought we have been 
having in New Mexico, so
it is hard to complain about 
a couple of days of really
hard rains.

I had been hoping to paint a
special spot
on the way home
after visiting our son,
 but when we got there
this is all I saw
out of the window.
I did a small sketch
(below) in watercolor
 to get the basic values 
and shapes.
(courtesy of the 
windshield wipers
helping out and 
hubby softly snoring 
as he took a nap, sweet guy!)

The only light areas were
in the sky and water.
The vertical sides of the bushes
and hills were very
dark by comparison.


The sketch came in handy
when I was
back in the studio today.
It helped me recall the
actual structure of the dam.
Using artistic license
I made the falls less wide,
and eliminated a building
that was there.


The sky was still magnificent 
as we got closer to home.

Today is sunny and bright.
Not a cloud in the sky.

Am grateful our ground has
collected some 
much needed moisture.
BUT I am only too aware
of the devastation caused by
too much rain in other
 parts of the country.
I am truly sympathetic,
and cannot imagine the 
strength needed to 
restore and carry on.
Blessings to all.