My Favorite Pencil has been changed.

I have been struggling with a drawing for the Mystery Box competition.  I used to buy Design HB pencils from National Art. The  pencil's look changed.  No big deal.  Wrong.  The pencil has changed!  It won't sharpen and it is softer.

I thought I found the old pencil online with the old look.  I ordered a box.  Turns out they were not the old pencils.  The numbers are the same but the online photo must not have been updated. 


Thought maybe I could adjust.  Finally after creating an graphite mess I dug up an old stub of my favorite pencil.  I am ready to let Maxwell have his way with the whole box.  He quickly make toothpicks out of pencils.  Finding a new favorite pencil would be a goal for this year. 

As I was putting away a few of my dads things I spied his drafting pencil.  I expected hard lead, but I was surprised by what I think is H2.  The lines are clean.  I will purchase HB lead tomorrow.

I am once again a happy artist.

My father passed away last April.  It has been hard to recover from the after effect.  I do finally feel more sane.  I is very nice to happen in to my father's drafting pencil.  It is like keeping a piece of him close to me.  I am sure he is looking and down on me and glad that I have adopted his pencil as my own.

After a few details this painting will be ready to frame. I painted the fish, then covered much of it with masking fluid. When painting the background, I wanted the red to flow off of the page in three places. Ultramarine Blue was used for the darkest passages. I wish to add some more striping to the body. My husband says the fish looks like it wearing sunglasses. The eyes area will need more work. The color is a little off. I took the photo with the painting taped down to dry. Maxell, my puppy, is sitting on my lap trying to warm his paws after being out in the wet grass. Who would know it would be so cool in August. He is watching me type, contemplating what would happen it he used his paws to help me type.

Painting Spree

This year has been really tough with a several sad events taking place. My painting has suffered. Now I have a puppy and life has opened up to a new chapter. The puppy is Maxwell Huggins III. He is our third bulldog. Being our first boy and first French Bulldog, he has managed to bring a lot of happiness into my life. In this photo he is wondering if my painting session is over so we can go outside. He got his wish and now he is bedded down on the dog cushion by my computer chair. I am in the middle of a painting spree. In about a week this has to stop so I can focus on my daughter's wedding. Life is always pulling me away from my brushes, but this is a very happy event. The painting shown here is a lion fish. I have photographed these fish at several aquariums and finally started a painting. After a simple layout, I am proceeding with drawing as I go. The paint has to flow and mingle. There are many soft edges. The background has to make the fish pop, at the shame time create the illusion of the fish being in the water. More and more water attracts me as a subject. The lion fish is perfect to satisfy my desire for a challenge. In the next painting session I will strive to complete the detailing around the fishes eye. So for so good.

Valentine's CD Painting

My good friend Jean Gottas got me going this morning when I saw her painting of hearts on Facebook. A CD painting is a good exercise. Put on a CD. Paint until the CD is over. Just experiment with water, and pigment. No worries...except with sleeping grandchild in the house, will this be the only time I get to paint today? Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

The Parade

I painted this painting last year. Recently I worked on it turning the shadows into shapes and concentrating on the faces more. The painting has the same feel. I am not sure it is not coming out of the frame again. It is hanging at North Pard Villiage. I will make sure I will take time to study it when I visit my father. It is so differt seeing a painting hanging on a wall than viewing it on the art table. Painting is a process with me. Some of it is planning and drawing. Then the paint goes on mingling and flowing. With watercolor there is no way the painter wants to control everything. Real pleasant surpises happen on their own. Then there is the time when that painting talks. Things have to be done to made it work. Sometimes need time to really observe.

New Journel

Frog Outlook
10"x14"
Sold

I took this painting to Waverly House to be in the gallery for Meet the Artist Night. It sold before it hit the wall.  This painting started with a quick drawing of the frog and then wet -into-wet painting for the background. The bubbles were made with dropping alcohol from a tipped bottle into the wet paint. 

The challenges in this painting was establishing the top of the water and the and the water below.  I kept the colors cool on top because of the reflection of light and sky.  The waterline is not straight across here.  This seems to add interest and movement.  I had to work to make the uneven line believable.

 Several of Daniel Smith's pigments are made with minerals from the earth.  They have often have an interesting granulation.  Some of them have a natural sparkle which add more interest.  I have enjoyed playing with these new pigment.

I find this kind of painting difficult.  Much of it is controlled happy accident.  I have to push, pull, add, and subtract to fabricate the background.  There is no reference material, accept for the frog.  I have gotten good at painting from life.  Painting from ideas in my head are more challenging.  The painting has to lead me more with less planning.