Last Gleam is the title of his painting. Ca. 1910. It is shown in American Artist Review. Dec 2004 page 46. So much subtle color blending made it interesting. I punched it up a bit and then when ink lines were added it helped define spaces and planes.
Usually after I finish my watercolor sketch - I will go back with my ultra fine Sharpie pen and add lines. I dont feel like they are finished until this last step is done. You can look back at the photos that were shared pn this blog previously - before the ink was added.
Carianis painting "Overlooking the Valley" is the inspiration for this mornings breakfast sketch. I spotted it in American Art Review Dec. 2004 p. 32. It is a composition I had not done before. Far away horizon with distance between foreground and horizon showing no details in that mid range. The colors also attracted me. i hope you like it.
Id like to take a hike there after breakfast. Painted as my breakfast sketch based on familiar post card.
This is a little needle felted landscape I did awhile back. It is not based on any particular sketch. It was created rather organically.
This post card of Double Arch in the Arches National Park is my inspiration this am. My sketch needs tweaking but its a decent start. Might be something to explore as abstract shapes. Hmmmm
The air is thin in the high country. . I tried to convey that by using thin muted colors. Based on oil study of Taggert Lake by Milo Whitcomb. From American Artist magazine. July 1996.
This where I start every day with the radio on, a bowl of cereal, my dogs and my paints. Its my favorite room.
Some time ago I purchased the painting on the left. Richard was still painting in oils ar the time. I think its brilliant - a masterpiece! I never framed it. It sits where I see it several times a day. I thought Id try to paint the scene in watercolors. I have no idea how to paint eucalyptus trees. But I gave it a shot.
I based this on one of the acrylic rose paintings I did earlier. Quite a change from the palette knife. I wanted this to be very loose and fresh. Its going to be over 100 degrees today. I wanted to paint with beachy cool colors.
I have been viewing a John Salimen dvd workshop I purchased online. I think it was from Northlight. Im about halfway through. He starts us out with a very complex exercise to find abstract shapes. A Technical Approach to Watercolor Abstract? Not this one but am definitely using many of his ideas shortcutted. I have no idea where to go from here but will soon watch more and then work it out.
Breakfast sketches buildings. Loved her colors and of course the shapes are quite wonderful.
Buildings on this landscape are a new challenge. This is yesterdays breakfast sketch. Im starting to lay out the buildings using a single felting needle and some fine yarn. Next I will be laying in colors.
I had not consideted what color to use for tabletop so held my paint sample sheet near painting I auditioned colors mentally and selected this one.
I always like paintings at this point. Waiting for paints to dry and letting them mingle and migrate in the process.
Beautiful Sunday morning. Temp dropped from 100 degree days to high 80s today. I work at the gallery this afternoon. quick little still life during breakfast today. Picture on left inspired layout. It's too colorful a day to stick to that artist's (Joe Anna Arnett) palette.
Have a great Sunday.
It has been said that we should carry pictures in our minds of happy peaceful places. So if you are at the dentists office or waiting at dmv for your number to come up - you can take yourself to this private happy place. It helps settle the nerves. For my dad it was Alaska. He often slipped away to his happy place when things got noisy and hectic.
The Carmel Mission grounds are one of my happy places. Its sheltered and feels sacred. If I lived close by Id be one of the volunteers to tend the gardens.
The photo on the left us one I just found as I was sorting through studio things. I thought I'd take myself to this happy place by painting it for my breakfast sketch. Its still wet and I have done no details yet. its a start.
This simple little landscape sketch is inspired by Milo Whitcomb's "Moonrise" a study he did in oil in 1994 before translating it into pastels the following year. It appears in American Artist magazine. July 1996. 10 years later I came across it and thought it would be a good subject for my breakfast watercolor exercise.
This morning instead of my usual watercolor sketch, im recycling an old canvas that I have primered and will use as a base for a landscape done in fabric scraps. Here I'm blocking in the mountains over the strips of sky colored fabric.
Working from the distance to the foreground I'm about ready to start tackling the river water which will be the hardest part of this piece. My stash of blues is minimal so not sure what. to do. Its a make it work moment.
I was shaken yesterday by an accident that almost occured. I was driving along a major city street past a large strip mall. Suddenly a car waiting to enter the street from parking lot darted into the road right in front of me. Driver had obviously not seen me although my SUV is good size and lights were on. They just did not look.
I could see no way to avoid the collision. It was dead on in front and seemed only inches away. Yet, suddenly divine intervention or instinct took over and i turned wheel sharply to left swerving into next lane. I did not have time to look to see if there was another car there. Fortunately no cars to my left in either lane. The other driver must have slammed on his brakes at the same moment.
The culprit sped away and I continued on my way thanking God for saving me and anyone else that could have been involved - which logically would have been a minimum of a three car pile up.
This is the closest I have come to a collision. Too close. Having right of way does not protect you from careless drivers.
My inspiration today is from The Complete Water color Artist book. Page 199. I spiced up the colors by layering in watercolor glazes. I only use student grade paper so i cant always remove colors well. My friend Jean uses really good paper so she can go back to white. She keeps insisting I would love the better pricier paper but Im stubbornly working my way through all the old pads I have on hand. Some of them are several decades old. Im looking forward to finishing the stack. I actually have good paper. Im saving it. Lol.
Before I added these to my stack of breakfast quick studies I added more color and penwork. When I photographed them yesterday the paints were still wet. When they dry the colors fade back. Now they are ready.
What was I thinking? Well actually I decided last evening what I would paint for breakfast today. Painting at bottom was done by Lillian Smith. i used it to inspire a felted puece but thought Id see how it would look in watercolors.
Here i have it blocked in before adding details.
This image was in the watercolor book I mentioned a couple bosts back. I never thought of painting a crab. But love the colors. So here it is.
Its another beautiful day with sunshine and a little delta breeze. The sheer curtains in my studio are dancing and billowing with each breeze. Dogs want to. Sit outside on the porch rather than come back in. The door is open so they can choose.
This morning I selected an image from "the complete watercolor artist" by Jenny Rodwell. I did this one but it seems so careful and boring. So i sketched it roughly in pen to try it again.
Is it harder to start a painting? Or knowing when to stop? Hmm....
When I first started painting it was harder to face the blank canvas or paper. Fear of failure or just not knowing what I wanted to do. My cure to overcome this was to just barge ahead. Nothing is sacred or meant to survive for centuries to come. Its paint. And paper or canvas. What we contribute with our hands is art. Good or bad. The process is the part I enjoy most. Selecting the brush. Misting the paper. Dipping the brush in water and then the paint. I seldom mix colors on the palette, preferring to blend them on the paper.
The painting Helen did used a very different palette than she usually uses. Shes more of a green and blue painter. The soft ochre tones and soft violet in the background prompted me to buy it. Now that I am translating it into watercolor - it is those colors I wanted to bring out. I will show it to her Monday.
Now it us hard to know when to stop. I dont like overworked paintings. This still feels fresh so I had better call it done.
The small painting on the left was done by Helen Pauwels. One of my senior painting pals. She paints mainly landscapes. I am just starting to block in some shapes and colors. Her work is my inspiration for my breakfast sketch.
I painted these little buildings from an earlier painting i did many years ago. But now they have moved from the shore to the hills. Breakfast yesterday and today.
Some bad paintings are not worth rescuing. This is better now. It served to remind me that some inks do not hide behind acrylic paints. Now there are at least 5 layers of paint over those lines in background - yet they still bleed through. Maybe its something that can be useful in the future.
I painted this years ago. In the 90s I'd guess. I forgot all about it until it was found at the bottom of a drawer of old works. Painted on the back of another painting.
Mockingbird. Quail. All kinds of chirpings and cooing can be heard from my open windows in studio while I have breakfast and do my little sketch. I havent much time today as I volunteered to take care of a horse race game for 4th of July picnic.
I grabbed up another copy of the little birds Roberta photographed and disguised them as love birds.
Thats it for this am. Id better go check in and see what I'm supposed to do. Have a wonderful holiday.
The artcle on left was clipped from 1996 Watercolor Magic. Thus first illustration was my inspiration for breakfast sketch. She uses acrylics and guache. Mine is transparent watercolors. i did not do a preliminary sketch w pencil but just picked up brush and brazened it through. its going to b a busy day. I have company coming so i will call it a day. Have a good one.
I thought I'd do a quick sketch while layering more paints over another used unloved piece. I like it better now. Ill call this my breakfast painting. Now I had better get my breakfast. Its a perfect morning in the studio. Once I walked in I just didnt want to leave. Windows are wide open with a slight breeze. This following some 100+ degree days. Its only 9 am and studio temp now up to 80 degrees. have a good holiday weekend.
This is another unloved earlier piece. W. It turned into an abstract. Some of the ink on lower layer is bleeding through.
