Monday, February 29, 2016

Kalamata.

The not so ordinary olive. These pretty little dickens look so handsome in the little white - dare I say it, "olive bowl." Like I would have bowls just for olives. I'm still laughing. I like the different colors between the olives and the way the bowl turned out too. I did not feel like painting today-- hey, it happens, but I dug deep grabbed my olives and came up with this. And then I ate them.


Friday, February 26, 2016

Sunny Side Up.

I had big hopes and dreams for this fried egg. It fell short on most of them except that it does look like an egg. Pencils can not be rushed: Note to self. I took the photo of this egg while it was in the frying pan... perhaps saying that will help. "Oh, for Pete's sake diana, it's just an egg," I say. Just an egg. 


Thursday, February 25, 2016

Waterlilies.

This was a painting challenge on the dailypaintworks.com website. I started it in oils, then moved to pastels and finished with colored pencils. Sometimes it's hard to stick to a decision once you make it.


Wednesday, February 24, 2016

More Than Red.

Using this simple subject I wanted to use as many colors as possible without just grabbing the obvious red pencil. Good lesson. The richness and depth that came from doing it that way looks good. Cherries are chosen for artwork a lot. Maybe because they are more attractive than say, a rutabaga. 


Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Bright Idea.

Another pencil exercise full of minutia. Looking at what I might have changed, I wonder if having the bulb on it's side would have made the composition more interesting. Wait, I just noticed the filament in the center looks like a tiny hand holding a whip. "There's a lion tamer in my bulb." Now that's a sentence you don't hear everyday. : )


Monday, February 22, 2016

A Jar.

A blue canning jar. So glad they are making a comeback. This colored pencil drawing was done with my new pencils. A birthday gift from my Anna. Love them. And her. The pencils were made in France. She is all Minnesota.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Sky's The Limit.

Talking to my sister yesterday, she asked me what I was painting for today and I told her I didn't know yet. "Well", she said, "The sky's the limit."  Yes indeed it is and here's your unlimited sky Roni! : ) This was done in acrylics which dry so fast the blending of colors becomes a real challenge. Next time I will try it in oil so I can blend and blur to my heart's content. 

Thursday, February 18, 2016

The Hill.

So not over it. I don't know what age you are when you are officially over the hill, but, today I consider myself to be climbing up it and not yet over it. This pen drawing on watercolor paper was a zen-full joy to do. It is our driveway covered in snow. I am hoping to sled down it this weekend. Just to show the hill who's boss.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Schareeet!

A whistle. Can't see one and not think of gym class. Gym was not my forte. Maybe because I saw my class schedule in the 7th grade and I thought I was going to "gum" class. I was so totally disappointed after that. I like this painting, especially the small piece of rope in the bottom left and it's reflection in the whistle. I think I may chew some gum and then blow the whistle - just for old times.


Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Perishable.

A gift-box full of lemons in the mail from my Dad and Sandy in Arizona. I wasn't home when they were delivered so the mailman brought them up to the house and set them inside the door. That's country kindness. Do I like this one? Enough to call it done enough.

Monday, February 15, 2016

got it?

Milk. I tried many different mediums and backgrounds to get this glass of milk right. Nothing was working. Then I decided to photograph the glass of milk sitting on the same paper I was going to do the drawing on and, yes! -- that worked. I had to get a straw and blow bubbles into it and then grab the camera and click. Bubbles flit and disappear. Done in colored pencils and white charcoal on tinted paper with more patience than I thought I had. 


Friday, February 12, 2016

Heads-Up.

Just in case you need reminding. You still have two days. : )  Such big hopes I had for this one. I was hoping to capture the reflection of red heart on the silver ones and to make each one look foil-like. I did not, however, notice the multitude of edges I would need to render in this collection of hearts until I had committed too much time to give up. Good lesson for me though. When it comes to hearts, it may be best that I see the just the heart and not all the edges.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Second Snow Shadow.

My wondering got the best of me and I decided to try the same painting, but this time focus less on the beautiful blue of the snow shadows and paint the other colors I could see too. Interesting idea. But that's where it ends. I like the first one better. But, I do have that "snow shadow" thing. 



Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Snow Shadows.

I tried something new on this painting by using layers of acrylic paint (10 - 12) and then many more layers of pastels. I think the many layers added a richness to the colors of the shadows. I do love me some snow shadows, yes I do. 


Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Winter Walk.

A little abstract of what I see when I walk in the woods in the winter. This is a watercolor under oil and the vibrant watercolors add a lot to it. All in all a good walk.


Monday, February 8, 2016

Chickadee.

Lovely little bird this chickadee is. I am happy, finally, with the result on this one - even though it took me three tries to get here. I learned something painting this one: When that little voice inside your head is jabbering away about how it wants to paint a chickadee, just do it that way. You will save yourself hours of failed tries. 


Friday, February 5, 2016

Cover Judging.

Nice little solid stack of good reads. I do wonder if they take up too much room on the canvas... should I have moved them back? Made them smaller? Too small and maybe they would have looked like a Kindle. Fun one to paint, this was.


Thursday, February 4, 2016

Out On A Limb.

Free style. Except for a few spots, I used only a palette knife. I like it, in a smeary sort of way. I also suddenly have the urge to bake and frost a cake. 


Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Paper Thin Layers

The onion. Ordinary. Everyday. But they can be so very pretty and enticing. Nothing says,  "You're cooking now." than a pan of fried onions. This started out as a charcoal drawing but before I knew it, I had the pastels out and had finished it in color. This end result turned out as colorful as my subject but the dried stem/stalk thing gave me fits. At least I didn't cry. 


Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Blink.

When you need a great photo of an eye to draw from, just ask your friend the Eye Doctor. I regret only that I didn't use colored pencils on this one because her eyes are the most beautiful colors. Think Paul Newman. Overall this turned out as I hoped, but the lines in the iris should have been blended more. I would add charcoal then take it off... add it again and erase it. Sort of like, "Does this look better? Or This? This ... or this?" : )




Monday, February 1, 2016

A Weekend With My Dad.

Well, kind of. This is my dad. I spent the weekend scratching pencils on paper to render his likeness. He is a handsome man with a wonderful smile and I only hope I did him justice. This is a small piece 6" x 6" so each tiny mark made a big difference. I am happy with the end result, but truth? Spending the weekend in person with him would have been oh so much better.