Wednesday, February 18, 2009

What I Did in Class...

Doesn't that title make you think of your kid (or you) bringing home those drawings you had to put on the refrigerator for months? Or those macaroni pictures (glued bits and different shapes of pastas on paper) you were presented with from vacation camp or bible school?

Well, this isn't that but it is what I worked on in watercolor class yesterday. And I'm quite proud of myself because I kept working and stepping away and working - even though my lower back was killing me :( Must return to the chiropractor...



My Valentine Gators turned into Swampy Gators and Sandy helped me get the hard edges away from the whites so they weren't so annoying. (When I wasn't liking where they were going, I took some watered down white gesso and, misketing over the gator bodies, I poured the gesso over everything else, letting it run and do it's thing.)




And I went back to work on the Pitcher Plants - this is on that beautiful piece of Twinrocker paper Sandy gave me as part of a Christmas present (it has the failed painting on the other side and this one is much better already - more rhythm, variety, and better composition).



9 comments:

Claudia said...

Hello Rhonda, I hope you feel better with your back now...I like your gator painting. Very interesting background structure and nice colours.

carol said...

Pitcher plants looking really good but, the gators just do not do it for me. That seems a bit harsh when you have made your back ache working on them.

Sandy Maudlin said...

Hi rhonda,
On my computer monitor, the gators come out with very very brilliant turquoise rather than the more muted look it had IRL. Maybe my monitor needs an adjustment or maybe the photo came out too pretty??? The pntg is way better than it looks here. Great job Tuesday on class!

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Claudia. Carol, sorry the gators aren't for you :) - they aren't for everyone. Glad you are liking the pitcher plants, though.
Sandy, sometimes I just can't get the camera to pick up the colors true to IRL - maybe I should make a change in my photo program - I'll see if I can get the same color green and try again...thanks!

Nava said...

Ahhhhh Twinrocker - I am yet to try this gem!

I love the paper ratio of the plants painting. And you've got great rhythm in it with these wonderful textures.

And your gators are so cool - brings me back to my one week in New Orleans.

Angela said...

I absolutely love the gator painting! It doesn't look particularly bright on my monitor - but maybe I'm not the best judge since I love super bright. This looks like beautiful soft pinks and turquoise.
Anyway, I really love the colors and everything about it.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Nava and Angela. Ah, Nava, I had always wanted to go to New Orleans and finally got to visit the year before Katrina hit. I loved riding the streetcars but am not into partying too hardy so Bourbon Street didn't do much for me. I remember a few art galleries, the garden district and the beautiful old homes, the streetcars and the freaking heat and humidity!!! WHEW!
Angela, Sandy was right about the color - my camera just is not taking correct color at times (other times it's right on and I can't figure it - blues and greens seem to cause problems as well as reds so this one just caused it to say - whatever!). I'm posting a better shot...but I appreciate that you like it.

Deb Léger said...

I love those pitcher plants!!! Is that the texture of the twinrocker or did you add that beautiful texture that looks almost like strands of fibre as in unryu rice paper?

The gators look good to me. I really like the way you dripped watered down and coloured gesso - I am going to have to try that!

Sometimes, in photoshop, if you do an auto colour or an auto level, you can get more to the natural look. Or photograph it in muted daylight - near a window, laying on the floor. (The painting that is, not you. LOL)

RH Carpenter said...

Deb, glad you clarified that laying on the floor thing! ha ha The texture is from putting on the color and then pressing plastic wrap into it, covering that with paper towels and putting books on top of that - letting it sit for a day or two until it's dried - and voila!!