BIRDS

 This lovely bird was painted using a photo taken by Sweetie at a trip to the Cincinnati Zoo.  It is called Lady Ross’ Turaco and that’s all I know about it…

I’m sure it’s not something I’ll see at my feeders!

This info from Wikipedia says…

BIRDS ARE JUST TOO MUCH FUN

 In the new watercolor book, Painting Birds by Sarah Stokes, she reminded me in one lesson, that starting a watercolor painting with watercolor pencils can give a painting a different look.  So I found a few photos Sweetie took in Costa Rica and began with laying down color in watercolor pencil…then blending with clean water.  Two times watercolor pencil and two times water = this.  

BEHIND BUT STILL HERE

 Just a few of the things I’ve been doing since September began…

Bought a new watercolor book by an artists who gives lessons on Domestika.com (I took a few of her classes and she’s good so thought her book would be interesting.). It’s mostly for beginners but…you always learn something every time you go through a book about watercolor.  

And a few of the birds inspired by her work in the book - the white egret is a photo Sweetie took (first version in muted greys, second with egret masked out and bg done first) - but the peacock is from her photo in the book and done my way (she only used 4 colors on her version = Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black).  

A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT IN MY SKETCHBOOK

 

THE BEST ONES FROM THE WEEK DOING THE MINDFUL ART COURSE

 

A FEW MORE BEFORE THE MINDFUL ART CREATING

 

PREPARATION FOR A COURSE ON MINDFUL CREATING LATER THIS MONTH

 

  Just a few more littles as a preparation for a MindfulArt course later this month.  Have not been doing much else but watching the Olympics and dealing with family stuff (not all bad = Sweetie had a birthday on the 2nd of this month and we went to the horse races for his birthday present from Jenny, his oldest daughter.  We both won some money on 2 races.  Nothing big, only $2 bets but came out ahead, which is fun.)

MEDITATIVE DRAWING AND PAINTING

 I am going to take an online course from Amy at Mindful Art Studio  (I started seeing her work on Facebook and she has YouTube videos, too.). If you’re interested, she has a lot of little freebies on her site.  

So doing small bits and pieces of drawing with inks and markers and watercolor and stuff…may get out my Gelli Plates, too…no pressure here to prepare…just playing with shapes and colors.

COLOR OR NOT?

 Obviously, I cannot choose between playing with bold color or just going a monochromatic theme! Ha ha

Started this one in watercolor and didn’t like it as a finished piece so went in with gouache, adding some flowers and greenery here and there and amping the color in the face.  

ANOTHER ALMOST MONOCHROME

 

ALMOST MONOCHROMES

 Our local Campbell County Extention Center has a wonderful garden kept current and blooming by volunteers and workers from the University of Kentucky group of gardeners.  There is usually something interesting to photograph and paint there.  But, lately, it’s been so hot and sticky, we haven’t gone out there much…and when we do, there is nothing much blooming to inspire.  So I chose to photograph some of the garden statues scattered around.  All are small and concrete but I wanted them to have a touch of color so using one single color on each statue…

PUSHING COLOR JUST FOR FUN

 

JUST PLAYING

 Had a scrap piece of paper - Fluid watercolor paper 140# cold press.  Just put some color on without drawing and then had to go back in with white gouache to bring out the lights.  Oh, well, you win some, you lose some.

IRIS

 This year, the iris at the Extention Center here in our area did not bloom much at all - pretty lax effort due to heat, drought, whatever.  So only a few worth taking photos of and painting.

This one gave me fits so this is actually the second version - first version was awful due to bad drawing to start it.

STRAWBERRY MOON

 This one is on the Stonehenge Aqua hot press paper and just getting the brushes wet again after a while off.

  

Strawberry Moon

LAST ONE IN CARNET DE VOYAGE SKETCHBOOK

 Finished this sketchbook with this painting…just trying to get back to painting after a while (seems like a long time but it’s not that long, really).

Was inspired by Randall David Tipton’s work but this looks nothing like his latest round yupo paintings.  Oh, well.  

Hope your July is not too sweltering or stormy, wherever you are.

PLAYING CATCH-UP

 Have been off the painting pony - too many medical things with my mother (she turned 86 on Monday) and trying to keep her on track with her health.  Then had a funeral to attend in the Chicago area (a 5.5 hour drive which we did Monday and returned Wednesday).  So…not much creative stuff going on around here lately and I will catch up with your posts soon to see what you all have been sharing.

SKETCHBOOK STUFF - ANOTHER IN THE ARCHES SKETCHBOOK

 Another in the Carnet de Voyage book by Arches - very nice paper.  Not sure they still make these as this is, as I said, one of the first sketchbooks I ever bought and I’m sure that was over 10 years ago.

SKETCHBOOK STUFF: CARNET DE VOYAGE BY ARCHES

 Just pulling out sketchbooks that have 2-3 pages left in them and using them…interesting to rediscover the paper types and textures.

I think this is one of the first watercolor sketchbooks I ever purchased - and I seem to have 2-3 others that are still wrapped in their original wrapping so…good to take on a trip or out sketching sometime.  

Just a little plant in a jar of water with a glass ball next to it.  I was intrigued by the roots but didn’t do them justice…you could spend hours on just that!

FADED FLOWER

 I joined a Facebook group called Free Reference Photos for Artists.  The photos shared there are all free to use, paint, draw, whatever…and even sell.  It is just nice to share the artwork you created and name the photographer, which I did…Ilona E. Stefan took the photo and I painted it on Stonehenge Aqua hotpress paper.  

Since I don’t ever intend to sell anything of mine, I won’t mind painting from another’s photo when something really catches my eye.  

MAGNOLIA REDO

 

Looking more carefully this time.

MY SISTER

 Tried to do a portrait of my sister and asked her what she’d want me to change if I did another one - she said the collar because she never wears tee-shirt collars, always open collars so…after putting whit gesso on the shirt area and then putting in color and then wiping it off and then deciding to go with black for a textured look over the gesso…I finished with black Posca pen (acrylic) around the neck and I think it’s done.  

STRANGE DAYS INDEED

 Sweetie has been ill for over a week now.  Started as a dry cough he couldn’t get rid of.  Then turned to cold symptoms but no fever or achy feeling.  Then total laryngitis - it was very quiet around here for a while.  Went to the doctor, got meds (antibiotics even though it’s probably a virus to keep him from getting bronchitis), taking them.  Then he got pink eye!  Doctor sent him eye drops to put in every 4 hours and, apparently, pink eye is very contagious so…separate hand towels, washing pillowcases, trying not to share kitchen things, etc.  And me sleeping in another bed.  

I think I am more tired than he is but I hope this ends soon.  He’s had to cancel everything the whole week and stay home and looks like he’ll need to cancel his Tuesday again…we’ll see about midweek and how things are going.  

So I am trying to keep my mind busy with little art projects…

And wanted to try a portrait of my sister…but there is inner pressure to not mess it up so tighter painting than I’d like…will keep trying.