Monday's watercolor sketch

Today I decided on the second photo that Karin Jurick offered on her Different Strokes blog. I really liked this photo, the relaxed feel of the beach and the sand... the sky... all of it, but even with doing this sketch, I wish I would have slowed down some and given more thought to what I was painting ..... maybe next time.

A Sunday Sketch: Jack

Today was a good day to look through some reference material for something that might motivate me to sketch or paint. I found a photo that Karin Jurick offered to artists as her week #1 challenge. I haven't been able to keep up with these weekly, or bi-weekly challenges lately, but thought I'd try sketching her dog Jack today. Can't say that I think this looks anything like the photo, but I like that I was able to retain the looseness I was after.

Plein Air with a twist

These two works are really from one original plein air painting I did some time ago. I was never happy with the painting but for some reason I didn't throw it out like I should have. I had seen a painting in a gallery that had a similar treatment done to it where with every tonal change on the painting a gold line was drawn around it. (I wonder if the artist was as unhappy with her painting as I was with mine?) It was really quite attractive so I thought I'd see if I couldn't save this painting by trying the same method. I didn't like the original composition so first I divided the painting in two and found I liked them each better apart than one painting, then used a gold gel pen to show the tonal changes. I don't think it helped the painting much but I did enjoy the process. Click on the bottom photo to enlarge, for some reason the other photo doesn't ... not sure why.

Sketch: Another House

Another House - using aquabee

6" x 9" sketchbook

I'm still enjoying the 'no pressure' sketching. I decided I'd once again to use my sketchbook for some watercolor sketches, but each time I'm sorry because the paper isn't made for a lot of washes. I think I need to write this in the sketchbook in large letters because I always forget that.

Sketch - Sailboat on Buoy

Sketch - Sailboat on Buoy, 4 1/2" x 5"

Going through my reference photo's this one caught my eye. I was still using my 'no pressure' talk to myself, but found I was starting to get a little nit-picky. This was actually sketched on Sunday but didn't have time to post it.

Again yesterday afternoon we were hit with at least an inch of snow. This caught most of us off guard, but I was already thinking I should take some more photo's of the snow. Fortunately when I awoke this morning it was just about all melted.

Sketch: Near Chesapeake and Lagoon

Near Chesapeake and Lagoon, 4" x 4 "

watercolor sketch on Arches scrap

This house looked cozy with a light dusting of snow covering the roof and ground. I seldom draw buildings but sketching and telling myself 'no pressure' made this fun to get on paper. After, looking at it on-line I'm not sure now if I was able to properly indicate snow. Also, the odd shaped roof and the angle I took the reference photograph made the perspective a challenge ... but, I really had fun painting this.

This is another scrap of paper I had taped to the same piece of foam-core as the last sketch. After painting these two sketches I'm finding these small scraps of paper are fun paint on and allow me to lighten up and paint more loosely. I'm now looking through my paper pile to find more.

Winter Snowfall

Winter Snowfall 3" x 4" Arches Watercolor Paper

After receiving snow the night before we were happy to see sun shining on the newly fallen snow as we took our daily two mile walk.

I'm trying to get into the habit of sketching with my watercolors. This was done on some Arches 140 lb. coldpress watercolor paper I had taped to a piece of foam-core earlier last year. I'm pretty stingy with my paper, never wanting to waste even a small piece.

December Bear Sketch

Holiday Bear on cardstock

Today as I go through the house picking up a few of the holiday decoration's to put back in stroage boxes, I gathered up this bear and his female counterpart that I had sitting on the couch. He's been with me a number of years and I've often thought of painting him but never took the time. Today was a great opportunity. Darn, why didn't I paint it on some nice watercolor paper? Freedom comes easier when there isn't the pressure to make it perfect, don't you agree?

Are you thinking of some artist goals you'd like to accomplish this next year?

Are you taking stock of all your accomplishments this year?

December 21st, Winter Solstice

This first photo is from the very north end of the island, looking toward the main land and a couple of other islands.

The second photo is from about he same spot yesterdays photo was taken from.

And the last photo is looking out our front door and you can see the snow that accumulated on the red chairs and the top of our fence. When I measured our snow accumulation I found aprox. 6 inches on my deck.

This is Winter Solstice!

Almost winter solstice ...

I thought you might like to see this photo I took yesterday about 10:30 a.m., on my daily 2 mile walk. Today on our walk we saw less sun, and we are seeing more accumulation of snow ... but it is still beautiful. How appropriate having snow so close to Christmas.

.....walking in a winter wonderland.

Bad timing ...

This photo shows the center of the room, while the bookcase is being painted.

As you may remember, in my post earlier this year on (August 16th), I did a lot of cleaning and eliminating of unused items in my studio. I still feel as though I'm pretty crowded and want to get rid of even more stuff from the studio. I've emptied my book case and painted it white. I've left this book case unfinished for years - and now, during the holiday's, I feel the need to paint it,...bad timing. This gives the bookcase an illusion of looking like there is more space and not stopping the eye with a darker look of unfinished wood. I've also taken out my artists type drafting table to give me more room and I will try to get by with the storage table you see here to paint at. Also, I'm thinking of adding a little more color in this room with a valance over the window, leaving the walls white ... but why the urge to do this now.? All of this is really bad timing don't you think?

Hopefully soon I'll be finished with this project and it will inspire me to use my watercolors once again.

Happy Holidays

Another Sandpiper

Here's another bird for my small 5" x 5" bird series.

Harstine Island Holiday House

This is a photo I took 5 minutes after the doors opened at the local Community Club for the annual Harstine Island Holiday House Bazaar. People were packed into this old building that is on the National Register of Historical Places in Mason Count Washington. A wonderful old building that is still used for many of social gatherings.

This was the second year I have participated in this local bazaar and can't believe the amount of people it draws from all around the area ... not just the islander's. I really don't think a bazaar's is the best place to show 'fine art', yet it seems to be a great place to sell note cards and that's mostly what I sell.

I had a great time visiting old friends and making new ones ... A great way to start the holiday season, don't you think?

Tag ... you're it!

Celeste, who does beautiful oils has tagged me. When you've been tagged you are supposed to mention who tagged you, (that would be you Celeste) then tell 7 things about yourself. Then you're supposed to tag 7 others . I was tagged some time ago, but that was to tell some "weird things about myself" ... who me, weird???

1. I use to read a lot of novels. Now the only time I seem to be able to finish a novel is when we are out on our boat ... where I've been known to finish about a 5 books in 7 days. Now I seem to read only how-to books, art books, art marketing, art promotion, self help books.

2. I'd rather be in the Pacific Northwest than anywhere.

3. Although I usually paint in watercolor I love oil paintings.

4. I love learning about building anything. I don't build anything, but I love learning how others do. I think I may have been a carpenter in my last life the way I am intrigued with power tools. Well, I guess I like learning anything that I know nothing about. I think I drive people nuts by asking "why?", "now when do you do that?", "do you have to do it that way?"..... I want to know everything from the ground up.

5. Of all household chores, I dislike emptying the dishwasher the most. It always seems to need to be emptied in the most inopportune time.

6. I became a Master Gardener - in Oregon, about 12 years ago. Also I was a professional cake decorator. I must have really grown tired of them both because I'm not interested in either now.

7. I am a procrastinator. I am trying to overcome this but it's amazing how it keeps creeping into my life.

Now you know a little bit more about me.

Some of the people I want to tag I've frequented their blogs for awhile, some of the others I've recently found. Lets find out some more about: Manjiree, Nancy, Helen, Andy, Laura, Toni and Steve

Some smaller works

Three small 5" x 5" Blue Heron paintings

SOLD

In preperation for a couple of holiday bazaar's I'm going to be involved in, I've been working on some small bird paintings. One show is on the 29th of November here on the Island, and the other is a larger two day event starting with First Friday the following week on both the 5th and 6th.

Catching up on a few things

I'm too late to post this one on Karin Jurick's "Different Strokes blog, but I am trying to catch up and paint the ones I've missed anyway - just to give them a try. I find I tend to get bogged down with the detail of some of the photo's she uses, so trying to simplify is a challenge for me. A good challenge none the less.

Also, I recently sent out my first newsletter. I thought I might send my newsletters out via snail mail but with the price of stamps I now think e-mail is the best way. This is a photo of my newsletter I printed out. I have notes all over so I won't forget how I did certain things I felt worked.

Week 10 challenge ....

I am enjoying painting these Karin Jurick challenges. I find since I am not attached to the photo's I can loosen up and paint them more or less as I would a sketch and not fuss with detail like I usually do. These photos will show you my process this week. I did the first sketch last Thursday and the drawing yesterday, waiting until today to do my painting.

Trying not let the other doodles interfere with my thoughts I decided to sketch this out on some scratch paper before attempting it in watercolor. hmmmm, ok, this may be fun.

Next I decided to get my drawing down on paper.

I told myself NOT to obsess with this one. Make it sketchy, get your thoughts down and don't look back. Its not a masterpiece, but I am pretty happy with it and feel I accomplished the looseness I had wanted.

Moooooooo

Karin's Cow, watercolor 6" x 6"

Once again I almost let the week go by without attempting to paint Karin Jurick's Challenge. I had to hurry and do a fast sketch to make sure it was posted before the deadline tomorrow. It's so fun to see everyones paintings - all from the same photograph.

Another challenge ...

Karin Jurick's Week 5 Challenge - watercolor on paper

As if my own art references aren't enough to challenge me, I seem to want to barrow a challenge from others. I didn't have much hope for this project when I first saw this weeks challenge. I had trouble understanding what this was and spent most of the week thinking about it and how I wanted to attempt it. Finally today I picked up some paper and did this fast sketch. Wow, to my surprise it really was fun, adding layers of pigment and creating depth to the skyline in the sculpture. Now I'm thinking I should have given it more respect - using better paper and concentrating on what all was in Karin's photo reference more.

Three white pumpkins...???

Three White Pumpkins - Aprox. 6" x 6"

Although white pumpkins are not really white, but a little creamy looking, here is my attempt at rendering white pumpkin's. Once again I used this weeks Karin Jurick image as my reference.

I must admit it was a little more of a challenge than I had expected. I started out with many layers of a mix of Raw Sienna and Burnt Sienna, then on the opposite corner using a dark mixture of Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna. Once I was happy with the amount of layers to convey my light and dark I used the same mixtures to give shape to the pumpkins.