Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Dancing Shoes

This painting would have delivered better if it would have been in oils or acrylics. I wanted a loose free watercolor look, but my control freak side grabbed ahold of the brush, took over and the result is this pair of red worn out dancing shoes. Cha cha!

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Wicker Chair

I thought the reference photo for this painting was great and was excited about the result - until the result happened and then - not so much. I can't pinpoint what I would have done differently. Some photos are meant to be just that. Photos. ; )



Monday, September 28, 2015

Bella

We picked Bella up at a garage sale about 9 years ago. She is sweet, funny, kind and always there. A true best friend. She is also very black which makes painting her boring if you just grab the tube of black. I like the colors I ended up using; rose madder, prussian blue, burnt umber and a dash of black. I think it looks like her in a watercolor sort of way. 

Friday, September 25, 2015

Happy Family

This family of birch trees was painted so loosely I almost wasn't looking at it as I painted. The result is a lot of happy accidents here and there that give it a fresh look. Birch and watercolor: an excellent pairing.


Thursday, September 24, 2015

Mother Goose

I imagine one of these three as the mother and the other two as youngsters. Lessons are being taught. I was able to get some form and shape on the geese that I thought would be hard to do... I am happy with that! Next? Probably birches?

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Birches

A favorite tree, so white and black, so full of color. Birches. I like the darker trees against the lighter sky background. This is the way I see them so busy catching the colors from anything around them.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Apple 2

More watercolor. More apples. I used more control on this painting and I must say I prefer the more colorful more freely painted apples from yesterday.


Monday, September 21, 2015

One A Day

It is apple harvest time and I thought I would dip into my watercolors and paint a few apples. The vivid colors that you can create with watercolors are so striking compared to oil or acrylics. That was the goal here. Vivid. I think this one turned out  pretty vivid but I may have lost a sense of depth with the apple on the right. But, I have more apples on the trees to give it another try.

Friday, September 18, 2015

Rough Sketch

I have sketched this face more than any other. Mainly, because on long car rides, if I am sketching, it is the face I see. No complaints. This photo was taken outside and had good light and dark values that I think conveyed fairly well in the sketch. Looking at it now as I post, all I can think is - I think he needs a haircut.


Thursday, September 17, 2015

Overachiever

While most acorns wear berets, the burr oak acorn wears a fancy knitted stocking cap. This painting was much harder than the regular acorn painting because of the fuzzy texture. Tough for me anyway. I picked this acorn because this stocking cap even has a tassel on top. Rare in the acorn world, but once in a while you find an overachiever - even if it is a nut.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

The Best Medicine

This little guy is so loved and he earns it every day by being the best medicine for my sister Dar. Painting him was a Joy for that reason alone. I like the colors of the background and the shadow colors too. He looks like he is just waiting to be hugged ... or maybe he is watching CSI. : )

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Pretty Paisly

A long time friend of mine posted a photo of her grandaughter on FB the other day and I fell in love with it. I had to paint it even though portraits are tricky business. One little line in the wrong place and you have a totally different person. Put a wrong line on a tree and you have the tree next to the tree you are painting, but not true with people. Children's faces are so soft - no wrinkles, God Bless 'em so they pose another challenge. I believe I may have captured an essence of this sweet beautiful girl.. but she is much more full of life in the original photo. Thank you my friend, Penny, for letting me post this!

Monday, September 14, 2015

That Look

The look this deer was giving me would be perfect if there were just headlights. I like the dusky feel of the woods in the background. It was late evening and the sun was setting just as I saw this little fella in the ditch. Glad I shot him... with the camera, I mean.


Friday, September 11, 2015

Pickle's Packed by Anna

Made these pickles with my daughter Anna this weekend and she did the packing of the pickles. She has an eye for the balance of things and pickles are no exception. Painting glass can be a challenge, but the lid gave me more fits.  I like the overall colors and glass-ness. Pickle pucker.



Thursday, September 10, 2015

High Bush Cranberries

Where to start... Best place may be to just state,  I am planning to do this same subject over again soon. Hopefully there will be improvement. I am going to blame the composition-- berries could have been bigger, leaves at the bottom less of them...  It feels like a big fight going on and no one is winning. They were so pretty hanging in the woods - those little berries. OK. Sally Forth, diana... Sally Forth.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Summer Bales

On this painting I did something called, "pushing the color" which entails using colors different from the original in order to make the final work more interesting. I believe the new colors are brighter and prettier... but I may need more practice at this style.  Surprising because I should be good at "pushing"--- I have years of experience being rather "pushy."

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

It's That Time

When tomatoes and peppers come together beautiful things can happen. This tomato had a lot of green color even though it was more than ripe and I struggled a bit getting it to show. I like the final shape of the pepper and both very red items in the same painting. Some would say too much red... but I like it.


Friday, September 4, 2015

Duck Duck

This duck and I have had many conversations. None of them good. But the end result is palatable and I didn't quit at a point where I really disliked it. The final painting is not the one that was in my head, but that will have to be OK for today. Duck duck. 



Thursday, September 3, 2015

Into The Pine

The light shining through this pine forest was catching just bits and pieces of the trees and needle covered ground-- so pretty. The background in the photo was dark and it would have been better had I put a few suggestions of pine trees back there, but all in all, I think I captured the essence of the forest. The smell of a pine needle forest is heavenly to me and I wish I would have painted it right there! Next time.




Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Water Lilies

Well, I like water lilies. I like painting them. So, I will keep at it, just like Monet (He painted 250 paintings of them over 30 years time!) until .. well, until I no longer like them! Where to start-- the dark is too dark, the light is too light and my lilies look like they have seen better days. On I go... 249 left to paint. : )

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Rock in Water

Water reflections are enticing and frustrating. This rock in water had so much more depth and color and life in the water, but I could not "get it" to work. I realize that even a painting that I am not happy with gives me a lesson or two so in the end, that probably makes it "good painting."