Sunday, August 12, 2007 - Spoons Sketch Again

I traced the small 4 x 6 photo of the spoons, then enlarged that and printed it out and worked to get the shapes right, using a larger photo. And then traced the larger sketch onto the watercolor paper. So all ready for a larger (1/4 sheet) painting. Here's just a few of the works I've done to get ready...some good, some not so good:

Saturday, August 11, 2007 - Watercolor Study of Spoons

Did this little study of some spoons from a photo Jerry took at the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine, Florida 2 year's ago.

I need to get those curved bits right on the handles or it's not going to look good at all. Jerry says the bowls aren't curved right, either.

I'm thinking I'll change the fabric from red to blue and pick up more blue highlights in the spoons (which are carved from shells). This is about 6.5" x 9" and I'm going to do a larger painting of it and change some things and be careful of the curves.

So will be working on a detailed drawing today before painting another larger painting of the spoons.

Friday, August 10, 2007 - Reading Art Magazines

My American Artist magazine and Watercolor Magic magazine came yesterday. And I've been reading the Drawing magazine, too. Check out this woman who sketches with graphite on black paper:


http://www.sherrycamhy.com


Interesting in that she uses the soft graphites as the highlighted areas on the black paper.

Thursday, August 9, 2007 - Pastel Practice

I've been going through the pastel book and trying some techniques to get the feel of the pastels and paper, just doing something simple to practice the strokes. There are so many choices in pastels and so many choices in papers, too! Right now I'm just using the Mi-Teintes pastel paper I bought recently in various colors (ochre, eggshell, pale blues - all fairly pale colors).

I'm not sure I like the dust and mess of pastels but maybe I can work around that. Or it's back to the graphite for me (and I even get that all over my hands and forearms when drawing :) And the author says a beginner problem is blending too much so everything is soft looking (which I'm tending to do!) so you have to go back in and heighten things with strong lines after you've softened everything you need to soften or blend.

You really need to know your color theory well to work on colored paper - how does this warm ochre change my blues or greens? How does that cool paper work with any warms in my painting? Lots of things to learn, of course! And the color is never completely covering the paper so some of that base color will show through, changing colors - like the simple landscape below - it's on a warm ochre paper and the sky color sits on top of that warm color, which shows through unless you put on fixative and add more and more layers. I'm using Rembrant soft half pastels and I like their creamy texture - not too hard like the NuPastels I used once in a drawing class. Isn't this small box like looking at delicious candies of all flavors?

Wednesday, August 8, 2007 - 0

No watercolor class Tuesday morning - Sandy off to a workshop!! That must have been her birthday present to herself :) She'll come back with lots of new info for us all...

And the model cancelled at 6:30 for the 7:00 figure drawing session Tuesday night so I drove over there and then was told it was cancelled :( Just me and one other lady showed up because we get there early.

So here's what I did for the landscape group - a painting to show "unity." It's from a photo Jerry took in the Smokey Mts of a stream with lots of mossy rocks and running water. It's on Arches hotpress 140# paper.

The latest American Artist Drawing magazine has an article about The Manifest Creative Research Gallery and Drawing Center (that's a mouthfull!) and showcases a couple of Emil Robinson's drawings and drawings by 2 other students I never met. Nothing of mine was included, but wait till next year! Check it out at your local bookstore:

Tuesday, August 7, 2007 - Pastel School

Got a new book from NorthLight Book Club on pastels and am trying to work with them and learn some techniques. Can't seem to find a teacher anywhere for just drawing or, specifically, figure drawing, so will have to learn myself from books, I guess. I like the Hazel Harrison books - I have one for watercolor painting which is excellent. She has one on painting in acrylics, too. Very detailed, lots of exercises, and good instruction if you can't get it in person.

And the Art Wolfe dvds and books came in Saturday for Jerry. We've both been enjoying them very much. Excellent photography on the dvds and good comments and the books are well done, too. My only negative comment was they never emailed me when the stuff was posted but that could have been a computer glitch that let me end the transaction without putting in my email addy (and then I guess it couldn't be added after the fact although someone at his shop said she would do it). If you can catch the shows on your local PBS station, do - they are great! (Art Wolfe: Travels to the Edge).

Sunday, August 5, 2007 - Sandy's Birthday!!!

Today is my watercolor teacher's birthday! Happy Birthday, Sandy :) May you have all the art materials you ever wished for and all the time to create beautiful things.

Saturday, August 4, 2007 - More Drawing

Worked some more on the beach tree (I don't have a clue what kind of tree it is). Added some color with conte sticks and pastel pencils (only had 2 blues so the sky looks a bit wonky). I love drawing and painting trees - mostly the trunks with twisted limbs and roots curving around on top of the ground.

Hey, check out this site of local Northern Kentucky artist and muscian,

Robyn Roth (http://www.nomadical.net/gallery1.htm. Don't you just love her artwork? I do! Especially her indigenous people's portraits.

Friday, August 3, 2007 - Sketch of Beach Tree

Working on a sketch of a tree standing on Base Beach on San Sal. We will be working on drybrush techniques in class on the 14th and I may work on this in watercolor then - but having fun picking out the shapes on this one in my 9" x 12" sketchbook.

This still has work to go on it for a good sketch and I think I will finish it in graphite and maybe add a bit of color, too. (The original photo is below and you can see the ruddy color vs the bleached out look of it).

Thursday, August 2, 2007 - My Sweetie's Birthday!

Today is Jerry's birthday!!! Since my order for him (the dvd set of Art Wolfe's "Travels to the Edge" and a couple of his photography books) won't be in today :( we'll have to do something to celebrate - maybe a meal out and some cake. We will have a better celebration Sunday with family with a meal, cake and ice cream and presents.

We had a new model Tuesday night. This is the graphite sketch I did (on 14" x 17" Aquabee sketch paper).

I talked to Emil Robinson about drawing lessons/tutoring but he doesn't have time as he's teaching a class at UC and also planning a long trip away to London in the fall. Until I find a good class that is recommended by someone or someone who is willing to do tutoring, I'm just struggling on my own but Jerry said my drawings are getting better. Of course, you don't know if they are correct or not since you don't see the model's position but I think this was pretty close. In the second one, I just focused more on her face after her break (so she was turned a bit more than the first one). And in this one I may have not gotten the foreshortening right because I think her legs were actually larger because they were the closest elements to me when she was lying in that position.
A couple of the guys were talking about liking to draw the female models but not the male models. I wonder why that is? I, too, prefer the female forms unless the male is in good shape and has good muscle structure. Maybe the female forms are more flowing and less intimidating (especially to the males in the group who greatly outnumber the females in the group). This model was new and she had really developed calve muscles and was fit without being muscled and had gorgeous red hair which made me want to add color but I think I should stick to the black and white in the session. I may add a touch of red here at home to give her some color.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007 - Dog Days of Summer

Finished the Royal Poinciana painting in class yesterday morning. Done done done!! It's a 1/4 sheet size (the bottom looks odd but it's because it was curved under a bit when I took the pic just now.



Our meeting of the Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society was really good today with Ken Bowman of Bowman's Framing, Inc. (103 North Fort Thomas Avenue, Fort Thomas, KY) giving us lots of pointers about how to mat and frame our paintings to show them off and/or put them in shows. Thanks to Ken and Julie Williams, his able assistant, for their presentation today! Ken told us something that I think was news to many: he hosts the Kentucky Watercolor Society travelling show when it's in northern KY! But today was the last day so I didn't get to see it :( I'll put it on the calendar for next year since he does this every year during the summer.

Tuesday, July 31st - The Last Day of July

Watercolor class in the AM and Figure Studies in the PM - won't be showing work today.



The last day of July. Isn't there an old Carol King song about this?

Monday, July 30, 2007 - More RP Painting + SWAP Painting From Brazil

In between tons of errands today, got a bit more done on the poinciana. Ready to take it to class tomorrow to see what the census is about how to finish it off and what it still needs.

And today in the mail I received my SWAP painting from my secret SWAP partner, Ursula. Arriving all the way from Brazil, this lovely bromeliad flower. Thank you so much, Ursula, it is gorgeous!!!

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - Misket Off

Well, I ignored good advice and removed the misket because I didn't do anything Saturday (fighting a migraine all day) and felt I should make some progress. I can always put it back if I want to. Now the hard part: getting the darks and checking the edges for hard vs soft edges all throughout the painting. Also mixing up some greens with Hansa Yellow Medium + Sap Green + Cobalt Blue for a variety of warm to cool greens for the pods, the leaves, and the bg muted greens.

I sprayed some cobalt blue into the sky areas that weren't misketed using Tom Lynch's way with the little spray bottles so you can see some blue in the upper left corner of the painting right now from that.

Friday, July 27, 2007 - RP and Photo Show

Tonight, we're going to see the opening of a new photo show by Caroline Statkus at Park+Vine (1109 Vine Street at Central Parkway). The photographs were all taken in hutan and should include some wonderous photos of the last Himalayan kingdom. Come and visit if you get a chance. The opening is tonight from 6-10PM and the show runs from tonight through September 22nd. Check it out at http://www.parkandvine.com/


And here is where I am on the poinciana right now...
I have to take the misket off because it's worrying me. I've never had a problem with this Pebeo Drawing Gum but there's always a first time.

Thursday, July 26, 2007 - More Work on the Royal Poinciana

Did a bit more masking in places and then more painting - layers and layers is the way you need to do the glazing but using the yellow under the oranges really makes it glow. These paintings usually take longer than I normally spend on a painting but they are worth it - if I keep a slow and steady pace and LTW (leave the whites!).

Wednesday, July 25, 2007 - More Royal Poinciana + Figure Drawing Tuesday Night

Worked more on the Royal Poinciana during class Tuesday morning. In order to make myself retain some of the whites and make a spattered pattern in the greens of the background, I put down some Pebeo Drawing Gum (liquid friskit) and spattered some, too.

And in figure drawing session, did this one of Lauren. She is very very thin and has a real grace about her in her movements, especially her hands. But very angular. Lots of newbies in the group last night, too, so it felt different.

Monday, July 23, 2007 - No Painting Today

Had to shop for clothes today - which always puts me in a foul mood. And too many errands and running around and then finding I'd gotten home with the wrong thing and have to go back out - but not today - to return things.

Got a new suitcase - it's raspberry and should stand out in the crowd of dark blue, black, and brown suitcases always going around the luggage carousels in the airports. I'm thinking about painting something on it, too, or maybe covering it with stickers :) Coming back from Nassau through Atlanta, Delta put Jerry's bag on the early flight so it got there before we even boarded our flight; my bag got there with my flight; and Jerry's student didn't get her bag at all - it was delivered to her the next day. How they figure these things out, I have no idea!

So, since no updates on painting, here's another couple of pics from San Salvador:

1) the view from the top of Dixon Lighthouse and

2) wind-carved rock on the top of North Point

Sunday, July 22, 2007 - Royal Poinciana Painting Started

The first glazes of Hansa Yellow Medium (1) and then a glaze of Naples Yellow (2) over that to get the pale beigey-yellows in the petals. Thinking maybe I should have put the Hansa Yellow over the more opaque Naples Yellow? Should try a swatch both ways to see but it's too late for this one now - it's done. And I'll layer some reds/oranges over it in some places and then blues over the Hansa Yellow on the pods. Leaving a bit of lights on the upper right corners - well, trying to leave whites there!

Not much progress but not feeling well so...taking it slowly and reading while layers dry.

This is 1/4 sheet Fabriano Artistico coldpress 140# paper and Daniel Smith (of course) watercolor paints.

Saturday, July 21, 2007 - More Swatches

Glazed the initial swatches to get closer to the colors and I want but as far as the painting all I've done is put on the initial Hansa Yellow Medium color - and the Naples Yellow will go over that. Beginning to think about the greens in this one, too.

I did flip the photo so I can see it the way I want it in color. But as far as the painting goes, all I've done is put down the Hansa Yellow Medium in places and the Naples Yellow will go over that but feeling punky today so just may sit with my feet up and read a good book instead and hope tomorrow is a better painting day.

Friday, July 20, 2007 - Poinciana Test Swatches and Initial Sketch

Seems like whenever I do oranges, I glaze to get them - so doing a few test swatches to make sure I'm using the colors I want. When glazing, you have to let the first layer dry bone dry before putting the second color over the first - so it will take some time.

Where you see a "+" sign, that means I'll be glazing another color on top of that one to get the color I want for this. Naples Yellow is the only opaque color and I should glaze that over something else to get that whitish yellow color in the photo.

I also decided to flip the photo so the buds are moving towards the upper right corner. I don't know why, but for some reason I like paintings and photos that have the movement from lower left to upper right - it just seems more uplifting to me.

Wating for glazes to dry teaches me patience and makes me think more about the painting as I wait - which is why I don't like to use a hairdryer to speed up the process.

Stay tuned for the start of the painting tomorrow.

Thursday, July 19, 2007 - Royal Poinciana Start

Will work with these 2 to come up with one composition. It begs to be done with glazing the colors so it will go slowly but I've usually had success with glazing (if I make myself take my time and wait for each layer to be bone dry before going back into it).

First, a good sketch and value study and thinking about what to eliminate:

Wednesday, July 18, 2007 - Tuesday Night Figures

We started a new Open Figure Session Tuesday night and we had a little change - seems like we now have many more men than women in the class (only 3 women) and we had another male model. I was pleased to receive compliments on this Long Pose sketch from Jason and Emil (both excellent artists).

It was done with graphite on hotpress watercolor paper in the session. Then added some watercolor to it at home today. I just had to get back into the paints even if it was just for a little while.

Today I'm going to sort through my Bahamas photos and choose some to paint.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - Back to the Routine

We returned from San Salvador Sunday night and then Jerry's sister visited with us a few days. Left this evening to return to Utah. I skipped watercolor class to visit with her but going back to figure drawing session tonight. No artwork to share until tomorrow - so enjoy more pics of the Island :)

North Point on San Salvador - the cut-in cliffs are a pale beige and the sandy beaches at low tide are tinged with pink. And there's Jerry waving and saying, "Come to the islands!"

Monday, July 16, 2007 - More Bahama Pics

Dixon Lighthouse on San Salvador is one of the only lighthouses still using kerosene to light it - and it's done every evening at sunset by the caretaker who lives next door.

Lighthouse at sunset; prisms inside at the top; the shadow of the lighthouse over the landscape (that's our little blue truck down there).

Alone on the beach...not even another footprint before you get there.

Sunday, July 15, 2007 - San Salvador, Bahamas

So you may have wondered where I went? Every year my husband goes on a research trip to San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. Enjoy the pics while I catch up with everything here at home...

The Bahamian flag - black/yellow/turquoise - flies in front of the Gerace Research Center on San Salvador. The beach at the GRC. When you're there, you are the only person walking on the beaches because San Sal is not a tourist destination (other than a Club Med that has their own gated enclave).

Beach on Columbus Landing - supposedly, Columbus first landed here on San Sal (of course, several of the Bahamas islands claim that distinction, too.)

Royal Poinciana in front of one of the buildings - beautiful colors and all these blooms meant they'd had good rains (good for the plants, not good for humans because of the mosquitoes!).