SNOW!!!! The Blizzard of '08

Well, we haven't had this much snow since 1978, I think. I remember that one because it hit on my birthday that year. I'm sure this mess ruined someone's birthday this year.

Mother Nature was having a real tantrum Friday-Saturday and we are digging out from about 12 inches of snow. The road has been plowed but Jerry's car was plowed in so we were in drifts up to our knees digging him out.

Here are some photos of the day - the deck and how piled up it was all around (we shoveled it off so it wouldn't be too much weight) - the planters, the table, the deck, the tons of snow all around - whew! It wasn't just the snow but the blowing snow in drifts that made interesting swoops and swirls all around.

We didn't even get mail delivery Saturday because only emergency vehicles were supposed to be on the roads.

Lorikeet Lovebirds + Framed Pots Started

This painting is for the WatercolorWorkshop yahoo group project for March. We have one project where we all paint from the same photo and the photo is by Crias at WetCanvas. This is my take on it. I think I need to shape the branches a bit more. What do you think?

Here is the photo. We are thinking spring at WatercolorWorkshop but it sure doesn't look like spring outside today! Snowing all day and blowing snow all around - expected total = 8 to 12 inches by Saturday evening!!! YUCK!

Since I'll be snowed in all weekend, I'll be working on the pots again. Drew the other elements for this one = 1) Line and 2) Frame in Frame and 3) Undersea Green (which I may hate because it's a dark almost black green from Daniel Smith that, according to the label, is made from a mix of French Ultramarine Blue + Quinacridone Gold Dark. I sketched it out to start on but was having fun with the colors in the lorikeets so haven't started painting yet.

And I have more painting to do on the magnolia, too. I'm hoping to finish both the Framed Pots and the Magnolia this weekend.

GCWS Meeting Highlights

I've been working, off and on, all day on the minutes for the Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society. My neck is tense and I have to be careful not to stay on the computer too long so...just wanted to share the photos of Sandy receiving her plaque and with her cake. We gave her a grand "send-off" as our president for the past 3 years and welcomed our new president in. Sandy will remain a member, of course, and will always be around to encourage and help us out.




(Once I get the minutes done, reviewed for typos and such, and sent to Sandy, she'll put the whole thing on her blog.) Several of the members have been, or are, students of Sandy and many stood and shared their words about her. I know she was surprised and beaming!

If it weren't for Sandy, I wouldn't even be a member of the watercolor society and wouldn't have benefited from all that membership has brought me. She kept asking, "Are you coming to the next meeting? We're meeting Wednesday, are you going to attend?" and finally I just had to give in. Glad I did!

(The cake was delicious!!! Thanks, Bonnie, for getting that done and thanks to Bonnie's daughter who decorated it for us.)

In Class - Another Pot in the Series + a Bonus

I had this one drawn out and painted it in class today. I like the freshness of it (in other words, I didn't overwork any of the colors! yay!!!). Number 4 in the series of pots, I'm calling this Pyramidal Pots (I know, not a good title but what can you do - I could just call them Pots No. 1 - 4, I guess?). Thanks, Sandy, for helping me keep the pyramidal shape as a strong design and not getting carried away with the background blocks.

Then I started on this one - a magnolia.

When I went to the TSP show at Sharon Woods Sunday, I was admiring this photograph by Mark Kahles (the current TSP President). It just looked so elegant. And Mark said he'd give it to me to use as a model to paint it - gulp! I told him if it didn't turn out well, I wouldn't show it but so far so good....

Here is Mark's photo. Isn't it gorgeous?

TriState Photographic Society Show at Sharon Woods

Jerry and I went to the show today - were there from 12:30 - 4:00! A long day for me but he loved it, talking to the people, answering questions, etc. They had a good turnout (it was a warm, almost sunny day), and some sales but mostly cards and small matted things. We'll see what the week brings.

Here are some photos of Jerry's photos in the show (he has a lot of cards, too, but not 1/2 as many as some of the photographers have).

Can you tell he likes nature and critters?

Pyramidal Pots Started + Figure Drawing

I started the 4th painting of the Shaker kitchen stuff. Since it has to have a pyramidal composition, I'm calling it pyramidal pots - pretty clever, eh? Well, what do you want from a tired brain??

Just created a pyramid with the Quin Violet color and then drew the elements on there, arranging them into a pyramid shape. The onions have morphed into green onions with the long sheaths still attached but I don't know what the square thing is - it just showed up there so it may just disappear later.

After today's struggle with the figure drawing (we had a great model but I just couldn't get her figure right), I need a rest. She stood the whole time, leaning on a wooden easel and it was a good pose but I had trouble even though I measured and remeasured and remeasured again. Sometimes you just have to let it go...I think the hardest part was getting the shape of her breasts. She was young and yet her breasts were low on her body and they were not very rounded. Enough excuses - here it is, the only one I got today that looked half-way decent. My Life Drawing teacher said Wednesday that watercolorists are masochists. I disagreed, of course. I think life drawing students are masochists!

A Series of Torturous Paintings

In my watercolor class, Sandy Maudlin is torturing us!

She is having us do a series of 7 paintings - yes, 7 of them! - from the same photograph. We must choose

1) a major design element

2) a compositional element and

3) a unifying color.

And we must choose these three things seven different times for 7 different paintings. So....

Week One (Chocolate Pots).

Not too difficult because I chose

1) Shape

2) Cruciform

and

3) Cerulean Blue

Week Two (Checkerboard Pots).

Not as fun and breezy because I chose:

1) Size

2) Checkerboard

and

3) Viridian

Week Three (Pointillistic Pots).

What? Yep. Crazy! Because I chose:

1) Direction

2) Horizontal

and

3) Lunar Red Rock + Sap Green (got tired of just choosing one color)

And this is just number 3!!!! We have 4 more to go!!! Help!!!! My next elements are chosen and they are

1) Color

2) Pyramidal

and

3) Quinacridone Violet. I'm a dead woman....I don't think I can do this 4 more times so I'm just going to focus on this one - just this one - hey, I can do color! I can do a pyramid shape! I can put in Quin Violet. One painting at a time, right?

Figure Drawing/Life Drawing Class Work

Well, I made it in to class - we weren't closed and I wasn't frozen to the driveway and I didn't have a meeting!!! I did get into a gridlock of traffic on 1-471 but it wasn't too bad by the time I got off the highway and ordered my Starbucks so kept going, slowly, but got there. Actually, I arrived earlier than I ever have - because I left the house earlier than I ever have! There were about 1/2 dozen stalwart students there and the group is so friendly and open and sharing - very cool. We had a new model, a young man with a strong face and lean muscles.

I did 2 versions, the 2nd one working longer on the face and upper body after Carin helped me thin him down a bit (I'd made him too thick).

Pointillistic Pots

Started - from the drawing - and finished - to the finished painting - today in class. This is on 1/4 sheet of Arches 300# coldpress paper and mostly drybrushed the horizontal "dots"on. The required elements were: 1) Directional 2) Horizontal and 3) Lunar Red Rock + Sap Green.

Trying for optical blending. What do you think?

TriState Photography Show Coming Up

We took down our paintings at the Sharon Centre in Sharon Woods on Sunday evening.

And Jerry and the TriState Photography Society will be putting photos up for their show on Friday.

The show runs from Saturday, March 1 - Sunday, March 9 with the reception on Sunday, March 2nd from 1-4 pm. Stop by to see the work of these photographers - they are good!!! Lots of variety, too, with nature, architecture, portraits, and various travels documented with the camera.

Frozen Days + Ruined Pots

Well, didn't got to figure drawing Saturday - too cold and frozen and yucky out and just didn't leave the house at all. In fact, I haven't left the house for days - ut oh! I feel cabin fever coming on!!!

And I also ruined the 3rd in the series of Shaker Kitchen "pots" paintings. I did this on a very small (1/8 sheet) of hotpress (UGH!) paper and if that wasn't bad enough to start - I just didn't think it through and kept working the paper and working the paper!!!

Oh, well, I will do this one over - on coldpress or rough (I think I have some of that) and a larger sheet (at least 1/4 sheet) and will plan it better - consider this mess practice! haha

The only thing I like is the covers on the pots and the basket - I'm going to work on doing this next one with drybrush technique to get all the textures. It may take a while...so stay tuned!

Next in the Series + CAndace Portrait Finished

I pulled the design/composition/color elements for the third painting of the Shaker Village kitchen things. 1) Directional and 2) Horizontal and 3) Lunar Red Rock + Sap Green (I pulled 2 colors just because).

So now I'm working up a study before putting it on the wc paper to see what I should do...shouldn't be hard to make a strong horizontal thrust in the painting and if that's accomplished, then you have your directional thrust, also - and the lunar red rock and sap green might just make a neat combo. I need to change some of the elements, maybe...

And in the meantime, I finished the portrait of CAndace that the WcW group is doing as a monthly challenge for February. Got her done just in time :)

Iced in - won't be going out today and maybe not tomorrow either. Cold and icy everywhere. Days like this, I'm glad I don't have to be anywhere.

Without Power...

Apparently our electrical grid is strange. We had power out for an hour yesterday, then on for an hour, then off for 3 hours, then on in time for us to get into bed to stay warm - the house cools quickly when the temperature outside is 20F. So why is that strange? Because no one had power from the top of the street down to us and across. But from there on down the street, they all had power.

The crew worked all night (I know they were out there at 3:45 AM when I peeked out) and it was a perfect time to see the total eclipse of the moon - a big, old, bright, full moon - without lights on in the houses on our street. It went off again this morning. Now it seems stable BUT we are getting a strong winter storm that will cover everything with ice. But we're ready with flashlights, candles and matches and hooded sweatshirts and a good book to read - just in case!

So no painting or drawing. Here are some photos from the last ice storm we had (not a big one but enough to coat everything).

Checkerboard in Class + Portrait Start

With a lot of comments, critiques and help in class from the other students and Sandy, I think this is finished. I sure don't want to work on it any more! haha What do you think? Remember it was all about 1) Size and 2) Checkerboard, and 3) Viridian.

And I started the portrait challenge/project at WatercolorWorkshop - painting from the same photo. I hope I can put in some darks now without overpowering it and ruining it - we'll see.

The photo was taken by a WetCanvas member called devymarie and this is called CAndace Posing. CAndace is a lovely redhead with deep, dark brown eyes and beautiful freckles (which she probably hates).

Show Redux + Donations

Sandy took a photo of my work that isn't so tilted so I'll share it here. She also got some candid shots of people talking art and whatever else they were talking about :) That's my sister and Mom looking through the art bin by the flag :) And my Jerry - the blonde in the cobalt blue shirt.

And Saturday evening Jerry and I each donated one art piece to help Redwood Rehabilitation Center in Edgewood, KY. We dropped off the pieces at the "open house" of friends, George and Louise, and were able to turn in our pieces and have them documented for the auction in March at the Redwood Express event (they have this every year but this is the first year we've done this). I worked with autistic children (all under age 6) for 3 years back when I was more able to do it and Redwood has many autistic children and adults they help.

My piece is "Dancing Jellyfish," and is watercolor on gold gessoed paper.

Jerry's photo is "Party Animal" and is of his favorite model, our red-eyed tree frog, George :)

Sandy's Students - Show at Sharon Woods

The reception for Sandy's Student show was today from 1-4 pm at the Sharon Center in Sharon Woods. Here are the only pics I got - it was CROWDED with people (that's good but hard to get photos of the artists with their paintings). We had 30 visitors yesterday (the first day of the show). No sales yet - but it's not about selling as much as it is about Sandy and what she's done for us, as students, along the way. I think she was bustin' her buttons with pride, too :)
<---- Sandy with 2 of her paintings (she loves giraffes).

This is Kathy. She is in my Tuesday morning class and her work is really lovely. The favorite of mine she had in the show was the sunflowers - you can't tell here, but you could just walk into that painting, there was so much depth. I called these sunflowers but I think maybe they are something else (can you tell I know NOTHING about flowers?).

And then this photo was of me standing beside my 4 paintings. Jerry took this and he had a hard time with my little point-and-shoot camera! Guess the pros can't work with cheap stuff :) Granted, the angle (I was across from a solid wall) wasn't the greatest because you couldn't get far enough away to get a shot of the paintings and me without making them catecornered - which this is. But there it is, for what it's worth. My sister and mother came to see the work (they come to all my shows and Jerry's shows! great supporters of us!), and my sister said I should have matted and wrapped a lot of small things to sell because these 4 paintings don't show off my versitility :) In other words, I think she means I have better stuff that I didn't mat and frame! haha

And the Cincinnati Art Museum had sketching at the museum from 1-5 pm today! But by the time we got back home, dressed in casual clothes and Jerry headed out the door to play table tennis with a friend, it was 3:30 and I figured it wasn't worth the time. Ok, the truth is, I was feeling lazy and enjoyed the time alone without a lot of talk and noise and the usual stuff (especially after a gallery opening yesterday evening + a party and a gift-giving event for Redwood - a rehabilitation center in NKY for children and adults). So many next time the 3rd Sunday rolls around - they have it every Third Sunday and call it Studio Sunday.

If you're interested, come on by next month. I may be there.

1–5 p.m.
Studio Sunday
Sketch a work in the collection on the third Sunday of each month. We provide the drawing materials and instructor, just drop in and look for the Studio Sunday Cart in a different gallery each month!

Free: no reservations required.

SWAP 19 - Painting for Susan R + Figure Sketches

My artist friend, Susan Roper (see sidebar for her blog), really wanted this painting when I did it and suggested it would make a great SWAP painting. So...when I drew her name as my SWAP partner this time, I knew this was the one I had to send to her.

Saving whites is not easy for me even after 4 year's of being told to do so by my wc teacher!! So this one worked - glazing something slows me down and makes me think more and paint less so I think I do better paintings sometimes when I just take my time and glaze each layer. If you remember, this was a challenge using just 3 colors and it made me put Rhodonite Genuine on my palette at home because it's such a lovely pink (and lightfast and permanent, unlike Opera Pink).

And here is what I did in the open figure session today. I was tired and sore (shoulders, neck, upper back) from hanging the large paintings with Bob Nowicki yesterday (I am getting sooooo old!!! MORE CHOCOLATE!!! I need MORE CHOCOLATE - and STARBUCKS LATTES!!!), so sat and sketched and took my time. I wasn't crazy about the pose (I prefer models who don't want to lie down and doze while posing - I want them to put some effort into it) but Rob lit it in a very interesting way so there were some good lights and darks and in-betweens :)

The first one is done with graphite pencils and the second one is done with charcoal pencils (and I used my artistic license to make it more interesting).

AND Rob Anderson (our moderator for Saturday morning open figure sessions) is having a show with a couple of other artists at the Dicere Gallery - opening reception tonight 6 - 9 pm. Rob knows his stuff, drawing and painting the human figure and portrait. Check it out if you get a chance! (http://www.Diceregallery.com for directions, info)

Hanging the Show Today

Sandy Maudlin, Robert Nowicki, and I will be hanging Sandy's Student Show today. If you're in the area, come by Sharon Woods - the Sharon Center at 11450 Lebanon Road in Sharonville, OH - and see the show. There will be several classes represented and over 150 paintings! The show starts tomorrow with an artist reception Sunday 1:00 - 4:00 pm.

I am putting in these 4:

The show only hangs until Sunday, February 24 so come by and see it before it's gone, baby, gone!!!

And don't think because it's a "student show" that it won't be worth seeing because a LOT of the members of the Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society are in the show because they are still taking lessons from Sandy Maudlin. However, you can pick up my 4 paintings for a steal because I'm sick of looking at them and need more money for matting and framing newer stuff.

Back to the Checkerboard

Remember the painting I did of the Chocolate Pots? And then I was supposed to draw another design element, color and compositional aspect and do it again using the same photo. Got this far:

Then I just quit on it and went to the portraits.

Well, I finally got back to it.

Here's what I have so far. I don't know where it's going and I can't say I'm thrilled about it but I did work on it a bit more.

Closing Blogs?

I just went over to one of my favorite blogs - Ces and Her Dishes (see sidebar for URL) and she has closed it! Why? She says it's boring! Boring??? Ces?? Never!!!
Now, I know how she feels if she's tired and needs a break. I feel the same - hence, no drawing or painting for me for a while - I NEED a break.

However, don't comment here about my break - go over to Ces' blog and ask her very nicely to return to us. Her work is of such quality that it makes the other blogs look like daily doodles, including mine. I would dearly miss it if she just shut her blog down.
Go over there now - leave a comment - ask her if she'll come back to us - and when - and if she needs a shipment of chocolate and coffee to cheer her up! I think that's what I'll do right now - have some coffee and chocolate - it can't hurt, right?

Maybe it's just winter getting us all down, tired, anxious, frustrated, emotional, whatever...winter doldrums and frozen roads and shoveling snow and bundling up in layers and...just winter. But spring will come - soon - it will, I know it will...