THREE TO THE HIVE

A bit more work but not finished yet.


Have to choose the words I want around the outside of the hive.

WHAT'S THAT SOUND?

I think it might be bees! 


You know painting the magnolia with the honeybee led me right back to bees.  There are three here in this newly started painting and I'm thinking about adding words around the outside.

Three to the Hive

on half sheet (15 x 22 inches) on Arches 140# coldpress paper

HAPPY

Bought this great little pencil bag at the Blick Art Supply Store in Savannah last month.  

And wet a 1/4 sheet of watercolor paper and then dropped in alcohol inks.  Just for fun.

A FEW THINGS

Finished this one.  I "cheated" by using some gouache in the center to pop the stamen and the bee.  I don't really consider it cheating - at this point in my painting, I want to use whatever works best.

Honey Bee Magnolia

15 x 18.5 inches
on Arches 140# coldpress paper

And I returned to this to work it a bit more.  Not happy with the pop of the petals on this so tried to make it more so.  Still not 100% happy but...whatever.



Virginia Bluebells

15 x 22 inches
on Arches 140# coldpress paper

BEE MY MAGNOLIA

Continuing to work on the magnolia with the honeybee inside.  Slowly slowly.  I want some shape but not too much value change in the shadows so I can keep the white petals.  

Happy First Day of Summer/Summer Solstice!

HONEY BEE MAGNOLIA

Using a photo reference from our trip to Savannah, Sweetie captured a honeybee inside the magnolia flower and I had to try it.  First wash - using only Lapis Lazuli blue pigment for the shadows so far.  That center will need to be slowly worked to bring out the curving pieces and the red in the bottom of the stamen(?) and then the little honeybee full of pollen.

The background dark is Shadow Green and it is a bit varied in real life but looks almost black here.

This one is a half sheet (15 x 22 inches).

FINALLY BACK TO WATERCOLOR!

A Delicate Balance

22 x 30 inches 
on Arches 140# coldpress
watercolor paper



Time has ticked right by since June began.  We worked on painting the deck, I cleaned in prep for Sweetie's sister to come and stay a while, we took a long weekend trip to the Chicago area and back (to see Sweetie's brother and sister and kin), and we had more visiting with Sweetie's sister as she saw people she wanted to see here in our area after returning back from the Chicago trip.  And, for some reason, I was in horrible back pain by Wednesday evening.  Why?  Oh, could be from painting the deck, cleaning the house, doing laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, entertaining, sleeping on an air mattress for 2 nights during Chicago area visit.  Whatever caused it (or accumulated to it), it was painful to sit in the hard bottomed chair and listen to the program at Newport Aquarium Wednesday evening (although it was a good program, I was getting fidgety but it hurt to move and hurt not to move).  

This was as bad as it's been for a while - so took it easy, reading, feet propped up and ice on my back for 2 days but I was getting so antsy to get to my little art room and paint.  It's been so long!

So today - Saturday - I finally made it back to the magnolia painting I started earlier this month - and it's finished (or very close = may soften some edges).

Hope it was worth the wait!

And what have you been doing this June??

TIRED

I don't know when we began painting the deck.  But it seems to be going on - forever.  

So tired, we didn't even do anything (didn't go out, didn't see Summerfair, didn't get a meal, etc.) on our Anniversary (Saturday).  Just stayed around the house trying to rest for Sunday's major cleaning of the inside of the house.  

I really hope this stuff lasts for years and years because I can't imagine having to do this again next year or even in 2-3 years.  What a job!  

I have to say, it's looking really good, though.  And the birds like it (the red-bellied woodpecker came back to the suet feeder today so he/she is either tired of cicadas or says, "Thanks for making the place look nice for me!" ha ha).  We have the suet feeder, the birdseed (on the table) and the finch feeder back out and we have a male - who chirps and cheeps and pips when he arrives - and female hummingbird - who is silent except for the whirring of her wings - coming to the feeder now.  I don't mind the mess - although it did cause a twinge when I first went out and saw all the seed and stuff on that pristine deck floor (knocked there from the feeders and 2 little chipmunks, squirrels and several birds).

But - there is still more to do...how can that be?  


Sweetie's sister coming for a week's visit Wednesday so housecleaning is the job of the day (or two).







Sorry no artwork...and you may have to wait a while (maybe I should just take the whole month of June off from the blog