Great Day in the Studio

I seem to be making good progress in all my endeavors.  After I get through cleaning up all the framed artwork in my studio, I must finish work on a price raise for May.  I have switched to a per inch regime.  This takes away pricing with emotional attachments and is more consistent for customers and galleries. 

This new system means a higher price point for many of my paintings, but some paintings are a little lower.    I am hoping this puts me in the mid range with my competition but I haven't finished my research in that area yet.  I can always adjust again in six months before the season  in Florida begins. 

'Bullfrog Gaze' did sell at the old price.  Yippee!

 

 

I am so pleased with progress of this painting.  It is now sitting where I can observe it from across the room.  The bird was pretty simple.  Now I want the water to work just right.  I am cutting the mat for framing, and laying the mat on this will help me hone the composition.

 

 



I am probably finished working on this one for today.  The changes on this was much easier than I had imagined.  Using a flat scrubber brush I lifted most of the paint of my husband's face. Trying not to use too much water, would insure I do not have to stretch the paper again.  I painted the area. Maybe you can detect an eye under the paint but you, would have to know to look for it.

Do I want to remove the camera and hand below?  Do I want to carry the glass shelf on across in that area?  Painting on this will resume tomorrow morning when I have had time to think about this.

Lighthouse View Makeover 2

I have a body of work in my studio that I am cleaning up and getting ready to distribute to galleries again. This painting has been an obsession and as you can see many hours has been poured into it. 

I took this out of the frame last November to make some adjustments.  Now that it is back in my studio, I see more things I want to do.  When a painting is away and not in my sight for awhile, I see it with fresh eyes.

There is a stark, ragged, white reflective highlight, that now looks like a torn piece of paper that is stuck on the painting.  This is the wrong shape and needs to be softened.

I am serious of about deleting My husband's face.  This could be a case where the artist is saying too much.  With my daughters face remaining a mood of  mystery will still remain.

The goal is to make this work a stronger painting.  I am hoping that I still have the lighthouse lens photos in my file here.  It will be best to look for them before I take the painting out of the frame.  If they are in Missouri I will leave the painting here and my pile of 'what to bring on my return to Florida, will be started.

Note to self:  Create a file for reference material of finished work, but not sold.  This I should carry back and forth between my two studios. Then there should a separate file for finished and sold paintings.

Water Lilies at Night

 

This is what is on my painting table today.  The Starbucks iced coffee is a new find from Sam's, but that is not what I am here to talk about.  I am trying to finish two paintings by next Thursday.  Then I am off to seek out a few new galleries.  Updating my bio, artist statement and résumé is keeping me busy.  I am also cataloguing stock and working over a price increase.

 This image of water lilies comes from photos taken at night.  The light provided is from lights under the water.  This creates the glow of the lily pads and moodiness of the piece.  Of course I am fusing several photos together to get what I want.  The question is, can I use this unique light situation and not confuse the viewer.

The bottom half of this painting is developed enough for now.  It is time to flip the painting to work on the top half.  I like having what I am working on closer to me.  Rotating work always helps with a new perspective.  I must remember to also get this up on an easel and look at it from afar.  What looks good on my painting table may completely fall apart when it is upright and 12 feet away.  I am never happy until the painting looks great close up and the same from the across the room.

today I finished laying in the fish.  I chose to cover these in Misket to save them as I am doing the background.  The little red Dr. Pepper cap holds the masking fluid needed so I am not painting out of the jar.

The rest of the painting session was spent feeling my way into a new lily pad.  Undersea green is just the right temperature for this leaf.  This color is one of the 7 new colors I ordered from Daniel Smith.  I am very please with this one. 

To be honest I love them all.  I do a lot of color mixing on the paper, but in watercolor it is great to be able to start with just the right base pigment.  Green can be tough.  The trick is to start with one that is the right temperature.  Should it be warmer or cooler, muted, clear or grainy.  I love all these different pigments.  How they suspend in the water and then dry on the different papers, is all the fun.



I am not sure this is done yet.  It is done on a half sheet of watercolor.  (15"x22")  I will cut the mat and mull this over this one for now.  Looking at this photo the yellow of the horizontal fish on the left edge may be too commanding.  To lift, dull or change color, are my options. 

Off to the art desk.  More later.