Tall Drinks, Key West.

I am trying to be a good blogger. Christmas...need i say anymore. I am toying with doing an art show in February. I have been working on several paintings. They are all in the stage were nothing spectacular is happening to any of them. This one has a long way to go. Looks like I still need to push and pull at the sizes and the tops of the glasses. How can something so simple be so hard. The green in the upper right hand corner does not thrill me. That can change.

I am making cookies today, but if all goes well I will post and update on this painting by evening.

November, a Dr. Sketchy's Session

Dr. Sketchy's is like a life drawing session, with the models wearing more clothing, Drawing starts with 1 minute poses, progressing to 15 minute poses. This is excellent practice for artists, because you are force to work very fast blocking out spaces and color.

The models are burlesque dancers. They are very good at developing the visual. Hair makeup and costuming is part of their focus. Sometimes the model/dancer is not very experienced at holding a pose. They will use a pose that is too ambitious for the time period. By the end of the pose she is struggling not to move, or must move and recover as best as possible. I have been working on a face to have the face turned away before the end of the pose. This can create more of a challenge, leaving me to work from memory or just make it up.

All these paintings are from 10 to 15 minute poses. I start with a quick pencil sketch, to make sure all the parts are in the right place. Then I start putting on paint, establishing color and value. Since there is no time for paint to dry I use colored pencil to help with detail, line and texture.

Sometimes, during the break I can go back and add details with paint. Watercolor painters like to work with wet paint that flows and mingles. The painter develops a sixth sense when to take more control as the paint dries. I always tell my students that water is your friend, but it can also be your enemy.

The night is fun with music, drinks and food. It is sort of a party atmosphere, but there are 50 plus artist there putting in some serious work.

KOI 3

11"x 15"

Watercolor

not done but close

This on is getting close. I must develop the rock on the left. I want more light in the upper left corner, as an entrance to the painting. The yellow green is confusing in the upper right corner. Do I want to deepen the darks a bit? Can I?

I don't know why is seems hard for me to finish koi paintings. Maybe I just don't have a clear direction I want them to go. They are a result of several layers and moods as I work.

The next koi painting I start, I should vow to finish in a week. They sell fast enough. I do have to get creative with names too. I may have to keep a cheat sheet on which painting is which. It is nice to name paintings so I know which on is which in the database

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Never Done

Reflection Pool (D.C)

This painting has not quite been there. Recently I pull this out of the frame to work on. I have put it back in the frame and will probably pull it again. It does not go far enough.

There is a mood I am after. A private morning stroll, in front of the Lincoln Memorial, at sunrise, is the goal.

Laying on the couch, sick, I decided this painting is to mid-tonal. I want more light. I started scratching out light behind the trees and darkened the upper sky. Liking this, I photographed the painting with new changes and put it back in the frame. The light hitting it on the wall is poor, but I want my paintings to look good in the dark. I need more light in the painting. Perhaps light on the ground behind the front hill is essential. I am also toying with adding the hint of yellow to warm the light. Orange? Dangerous. Hmmmmm

I know that I have not posted anything lately. Back to blogging. This painting has missed several deadlines. The main deadline is Watercolor USA. That date is sometime in March. I think that it will be ready by then.
Much of the painting is finished. Now to make the different parts work together. I still have a lot of honing to do on the lens to the right. I want more green in that lens also.

I just read Tom Lynch stating that you can always tighten up a loose painting, but you cannot move the other way around. Unfortunately that is exaction the way I operate. If a painting is too tight. I start subtracting paint and adding fresher passages. Often that is the last hour I work on a painting. I call the process, "Pulling it together."

Taking a break with this one until mid November. Tomorrow. I will post what is going on with the k0i painting.

The Signs on Winslow Street

Watercolor

13 1/2" x 17"

I just posted this painting to Virtual Paint Out. If I crossed all my 't's and dotted all my 'i's. It will show up on the website soon.

About a week ago Carolyn Summer, facebook friend, recommended that I check this sight out. I commented that I probably will not be able to do a painting this month. I could not figure out how to use the sight and the month was almost over. She whined and shortly posted her painting. The challenge was on.

You go to the google earth sight from the web page. Then you end up walking the streets of the given city. Find something to paint. Save the picture or sight to your computer, print and paint.

I did get a painting done. The signs stretching across the street, is what attracted me. I was cursing myself for picking such a detailed view. But I did get into painting the signs. I began to recognize the repetition of some of the characters. In the end I had to really simplify the buildings, but that makes the signs all the more important in the composition. I did a quick wash of gold ochre over much of the painting to tie it together.

The real accomplishment for me is being able to use the sight. I was painting a scene from Hong Kong by going there via internet. How cool is that?

This piece was a very quick study of a photo I took of my husband. We picked up a brush to doodle out how I was going to instruct my water class on painting portraits.

They say they want to paint like me so I had to analyze how I would go about painting a face. One thing is to work slowly and start building with light washes. If a piece is over-w0rked in the beginning it is hard or impossible to get the highlights back.

This painting is done on the paper I use to do glicee prints. It is acid free but not watercolor paper. The sizing is replace with a coating to make the paper printable. This paper is softer and some paint can be removed with just an electric erasure. The paper tares instead of scratching when a knife is used. Paint does not move on the paper but it can be lifted with a light tough of a scrubber.

The hair is unique. I painted the color under the hair and scratched the actual hair into the paper. Although the paper was not cooperating I think the result is still believable.

Well this has also been a lesson on how this paper differs from watercolor paper or knowing what are the qualities of a good water color paper. I keep encouraging my students to us good paper. I give them pieces. They still resist, thinking that their work is not worthy of a piece of paper that may cost a few dollars. I even offer them a package price for a single sheet, because that is how I order my paper.

I started by just painting the lip an chin. I did not start with a drawing. I told my class to practice. Work on specific areas at a time. Expect failures, but experiment and don't be scared. I was proud of them. They ended up with finished works. One student was sculpting the angles and bones of a man's face, stating she could not draw. Another student painted a believable portrait of her mother from a black and white photo.

This painting will be matted and framed an put by my computer.:)