MORE INSPIRED LANDSCAPE STUFF

Using the same palette colors as the first painting.


11" x 15" Fabriano Artistico 140# cold press paper  




The Motherlode

INSPIRATION COMES

While sitting around doing nothing, I started catching up on some of my favorite blogs.  I especially was interested to see what Marc Taro Holmes was up to with this 30 day challenge to himself over on Citizen Sketcher.  And WOW!  I was blown away by his work.  Every painting was stunning.  It got me wanting to do something like it using my granulating colors and letting things slip and slide on the paper (Marc is painting very wet into wet and letting the pigment play - he also is using granulating colors with opaques over the top at times.)  If you haven't been over to his blog, check it out here.  You won't be sorry.  Each painting is such a work of art and only 18 x 18 inches.  

So looking at his work inspired me to try something similar on my own - using my own palette of granulating colors and opaques.  I admit, I am really reluctant to put down opaques but I do see the beauty of it when it just flows over wet pigment so I'll keep trying.  

Anyway.  Here is my first one.  Done on a scrap sheet of paper, it's just 4 1/4 5 x 14 1/2 inches.  


Calling it
Down to the Bedrock of Being  





I liked it so much and felt such energy flowing through me after doing this one, that I did three more.  So thanks so much, Marc, for sharing your challenge, for producing such gorgeous paintings and telling us how you did it (although these types of imaginary things cannot really be reproduced by another).  Inspiration comes and I'm ready for it!

Will share the others in the coming days - but this is not a 30 day challenge (that would just kill it for me to have to produce every day for 30 days so...we'll see what comes, and when I start lagging, I'll just dip my toe into that river of inspiration again and see what happens!)

Happy painting, all!

PALETTE PAINTINGS

Do you feel like painting, or being creative in any way, when you are in pain?  I don't.  And I've thrown out my back somehow...so may be a while before I feel like standing at my table and painting.  Until then, isn't it funny how sometimes your palette looks like a painting?  Saw this used palette (acrylics) on the floor and thought it looked like a big blue dog - or maybe a lion?  









But you don't always get something interesting when you look at your dried palette of paints - like this one doesn't look like much of anything to me.  What about you?  Do you see something here?

SEA GRAPE TRUNKS AND LEAVES

Slowly working each area wet-in-wet except for the leaves and layering them.  Coming along so far.

SEA GRAPES

This photo shows the lemony yellow better than the previous one.  I also made a few changes to the drawing to add some more interest here and there.


My goal is to leave it in one go = wet the area and drop in the colors, letting them mingle and blend without too much fussing to dull the colors.  Want the colors and the texture to show.  Wish me luck!

DO-OVER ON THE SEA GRAPE TRUNKS

Started over on the sea grape painting.  This looks more warm than it is = it's actually a lemony yellow laid down first, leaving open white areas.  I then drew over that with colored watercolor pencils and will begin painting, leaving white and yellow areas behind the trunks.




I put down swatches of color of the granulating colors and "tree trunk" colors I wanted to use in this one.  I have a lot to choose from and some good granulating colors (all from Daniel Smith).

FINISHED THE PALEST ROSE

Wanted to keep it pale and soft.  








Joy's Palest Rose 

THE PALEST ROSE - NEXT STEP

Quinacridone Rose
Sap Green
Green Gold
Shadow Violet


About half-way through.

JOY'S PALEST ROSE

My former watercolor student and friend, Joy Sallee, posts a lot of photos on her Facebook page of her flowers.  Some are just outstanding and I wanted to try to paint this delicately pink rose.  So, at the meeting the TriState Photographic Society last Friday night, I asked her if I could try it and she gave me permission.  So I have two lovely roses to paint from her garden - thanks, Joy!


I started with the background, which is Daniel Smith Shadow Violet with a touch of Sap Green added.  Just a grey-green background, keeping it light because the flower is so pale.  


Before I started this, I was in such a depressive funk it was hard to get inspired by anything.  But if anything can make me want to get up and paint, it's lovely flowers (and birds, of course).  

TONED DOWN THE BACKGROUND AND FOREGROUND

I wasn't pleased with this painting as it stood so toned down the background a bit and then tried to get the foreground to read fallen leaves, bits of stuff, but nothing quite readable.  Needed to fiddle with it for a while.  Still not quite happy with it so...may be a do-over with a different idea for the background and foreground?


There are some artists out there who always seem so pleased with their work.  Does that mean they only share the best stuff - or are they really pleased with everything they paint?  And if the latter, how do they do that?  I'm always finding fault, either in the effort it took to make it or the outcome itself.  Oh, well.  I am going to do this over and play with those textures more and perhaps leave the bg pale light but not yellow.  Or less background sky area?  Or...still in the thinking stages! ha ha

A FEW MORE PHOTOS

A few more photos from Shaker Village.


She's telling us how we'll herd the ducks into their nighttime hutch.

The ducks said it was too early to go to bed!

Two doors, two stairways, two bathhouses, etc.  Men and women were separated by space but were equal when it came to work, education and worship.

In the gift shop (I'm sure it's Blenko glass from West Virginia).  They didn't blow glass at Shaker Village.  

Bye from Sweetie!

Bye from me!

JUST SOME PHOTOS

For our anniversary, Sweetie and I drove down to Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, just south-west of Lexington (close to Harrodsburg).  Love that place and it's peacefulness.


Here are just a few photos we took of the buildings and other things around the 3,000 acres.  Right now, they are still in the process of rehabbing the Family Center so no live demos, but there are still displays out and programs given - usually on weekends.  

The Shakers were known for simple designs in their interiors and their furniture (you may have heard of Shaker chairs/tables/etc.)  Although the colors are muted, they did not begin that way, being painted blue with Prussian Blue and Cochineal for reds.  They became oxidized and muted over the decades by mixing the paint with linseed oil.  

You can feel the serenity and peace as you walk along paths the Shakers walked 150 year's ago (there are still 2 Shakers living in the northeast but they are the last).

  

The Shakers grew mulberry trees to feed and grow their own silkworms, harvesting the silk to weave into beautiful scarves and dresses.  This irridescent silk scarf looks like it was dyed purple but it's really a woven scarf of two colors - indigo and cochineal - woven so tightly that it makes it look purple and there is a shine to it that still holds up to this day.  Beautiful.

There are handlaid stone walls all around the property (a sure sign you are in central Kentucky).  These walls are handlaid with no cementing, just laid for the stones to fit and hold.  This was a wall close to a water house and spring.  

This round feature within a wall is near the barn at the farm.  The Shakers grew their own food and were very self-sufficient.  So much so that they even exported products made (brooms, clothing, baskets, furniture, produce) to New Orleans when they were at their peak.

Everyone lived and worked together.  There was no difference made in the rights of women and men, whites and blacks.  If you were a slave-holder and came to Shaker Village to live, you freed your slave and he or she became a full member of the congregation.  They had 2 male ministers and 2 female ministers who led the congregation but all were equal to stand up and talk as the spirit moved them during worship services.  The worship services had no set time for length - the shortest one recorded being 15 minutes and the longest being 23 hours!

The building that housed the worshippers was built without crosses or pulpits but moveable benches so they could be pushed back and the congregation could get up and move about in rhythmic movements as they sang.  The reverberation in the building was such that they could be heard singing 20 miles away!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

June 3rd my Sweetie and I got married.  It's been a great mingling of lives and I'd do it all over again.

Happy Anniversary, Sweetie!

BACKGROUND AND FOREGROUND AND...

Continuing with the painting, background and foreground.  Much more work to do but it's coming along.