Poinsettia

I just want to say Merry Christmas to all before I'm caught in the last minute things to do for the holiday itself.  It has been fun sharing my paintings and my experiences as an artist this past year. 

I have not been as energetic as the previous years and must apologize for not keeping up my blog the way I would have liked too.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and enjoy your family and friends.

Seashells I II & III

Here are some of my recent Seashell paintings.  These were alot of fun to paint.  I used different media to create textures on each of the shells including watercolor pencils, watercolor crayons, acrylic ink, pen and ink, gesso and elegant writer pens. 

I must apologize for not posting for a while.  Unfortunately life sometimes gets in the way.   I have been busy with shows and teaching and things in my personal life.  It has been a struggle to find  my motivation to paint.  I have been painting don't get me wrong, but I have started many paintings and not finished very many of them.  I am now trying to decide on subject matter for some new paintings for some shows in the new year and I have not been able to decide what to paint.  Do I paint subjects that I feel comfortable with or do I work on something that is a little more challenging?   I'm really not sure what direction my art is going in next.  Someone had  said that when you go through a period of time struggling with your art you are about to go in a new direction and make steps forward in your art.  I certainly hope that is what's happening to me!

Turning Leaves

I painted this painting last year and I don't think I ever posted it.  I pulled it out recently to frame for Occasion for the Arts.  I remember when I painted it I really enjoyed the fall colors both bright and muted.  It really was alot of fun.

Recently I lost all my pictures in my computer as well as my documents.  So I've been a little disabled in pulling paintings to blog.  I have been so busy getting ready for shows as well as starting my teaching season.  I have cut back my classes as I want more time to devote to my painting.  Right now I have four or five paintings that I need to get finished after the show is oover.

Next weekend I'm in Occasion for the Arts in Colonial Williamsburg, VA.  I am so looking forward to it.  I just hope that the weather is bright and sunny as it was in my Turning Leaves painting.

Seashells in the Sand

Here is my latest seashell painting.  I really enjoyed painting it from beginning to end.  I gave the sand it's texture by taking watercolor pencils and creating the spatter against a nail file.  I did this while the paint was still wet. I really enjoy the warm colors in the painting and must say that they stand out more in real life.  It was a fun summer painting.  (I still have more seashells to show you in the near future.)

Claws

I did this painting in the class I teach Friday mornings.  The photo does not show how bright it really is.  (It was a cloudy day.)  It was alot of fun and my students did great. 

I must apologize for not posting for a while.  I have been way too busy.  So I started wondering why I'm so busy when I'm only teaching two classes a week.  Then I mentally made a list of everything I'm currently involved in and I began to understand.  I am taking two classes on line and I will tell you all about them on a future post.  I am teaching two classes at the Art Studio which I'm slowly moving in to.  I am busy getting ready for the Seawall Art Festival and being I haven't done an out door show in a while I have a great deal of work to do.  I have to deframe paintings, have prints and notecards made, package and price all of them, frame paintings and go and all sorts of miscellaneous little jobs.  I'm trying to redo my website as well as make a brochure to give out at the upcoming show.  On top of all of that I am on the board of the CBAA as well as the membership chairperson and we have recently developed a new membership procedure that is more time-consuming.  And I have just begun being the recording secretary for the CBW and trying to learn more about the organization.  Whew!

I don't know why I do this to myself.  I just take on a little bit too much and I feel like I cannot get everything done.  I have done it for my entire life and I never learn my lesson.   Well one good thing is I am never bored!

Three Roses

My Three Roses are complete.  They started out so much fun but then they came back and presented quite a challange.  Not that I don't like challanges. I definitely do. 

I think one of the most important things that I learned about watercolors was not to give up.  (I'm not saying I never give up but usually I try to see the painting to it's finish.)  I used to give up on a painting when I wasn't happy with were it was going.  then an instructor of mine said to keep on going.  I didn't learn to do this overnight but eventually I did.  I must say that I have learned more about watercolors by not giving up but working through my frustrations.  Not every painting comes out great but sometimes I'm really surprised.

Violet Iris



Add caption

 Here's another one of the paintings that I did on our long weekend in Duck, NC.
It was so much fun to paint.  (I say that alot but only to differentiate from the paintings that were not a lot of fun to paint.)  Right now I'm working on a portrait that is challenging me and roses in a garden that are quite challenging.  I'm also putting together some ideas for some still lives that I want to get done before the Seawall show.  None of these are as much fun as it was to paint this simple little iris!

Yellow Irises

This is another one of my recent small paintings.  They have been so much fun to paint, so relaxing and exciting at the same time.  I took this picture and some other irises also from my yard.  And I'm painting a few of them.  It is so much more stressful painting portraits then it is painting flowers so I thought I would take a break. 

Daffodils

I recently went on our annual painting trip to Duck on the Outerbanks of North Carolina with some friends.  It was a wonderful retreat very relaxing and yet stimulating to the creative process.  We truly had a wonderful time. 

I have been painting so many portraits for a while now and it was great to take my mind off them and concentrate on my true love of flowers.  I have been wanting to paint daffodils this spring.  They were blooming everywhere but every time I went out to photo them it was too windy to get a good picture.  So I had to take the pictures I had and use my imagination and I was able to come up with this small little painting.  I can't tell you how much fun it was to paint.

Untitiled

This is a little landscape that I painted as a demo in one of my classes. I started with the sky and that was not fun at all. But I persevered and the rest of the painting came easily.

I don't usually paint landscapes that much any more. I usually prefer painting something close up. Landscapes are often breathtaking in reality. And I feel that it is very difficult to capture the same feeling in a painting. Maybe I should try doing a very large one someday.

I usually like to zero in and capture the nuances of my subject and present it to the world as looking through my eyes.

Recently I read Mary Whytes book "An Artist's Way of Seeing". It is out of print and I couldn't afford to but it for close to $300.00 and I couldn't find it in my local library. So I purchased it on my Kindle for $8.00. At first I was disappointed because with art books I enjoy seeing the colored pictures of the artist's work. But unlike most of my art books I actually read it from beginning to end. In the book she says that learning technique is important but it is not what makes you an artist. It is expressing your feelings and communicating them to the viewer that makes a painting a work of art. I feel that I have worked very hard on getting my technique down pat and that the longer that I paint the more I feel what she is talking about. I see a subject that I want to paint in a way that is more than it is an interesing to look at subject. It kind of tugs at my heart strings in a way that I become almost obsessed with painting the subject. I depend on my technique that I have accumulated to depict my subject but it is flowing from inside of me. Sometimes it even feels like it is painting itself.

Sun Dancer

This is my latest succulent painting. I must apologize for the photo as I finished the painting just in time to frame it and it was a cloudy day. The painting is much brighter than the photo.

I painted a series of succulents and I'm putting them in the Norfolk Collegiate Art Show. It is at the Lower School on 5429 Tidewater Ave., Norfolk from 1/27th to 2/1st. There is an Opening 1/27th but it costs $50.00 and reservations were supposed to be in by 1/24th. If you are interested in going contact the school at 757 625-0471. You can view the art at the following times: 1/28th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, 1/29th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm and 1/30th 1/31st and 2/1st from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. If you get the chance stop by and view the art. It's usually a very good show.

When I first started this painting it was so much fun. Then as I got closer to my deadline I was under so much pressure to get it done that I no longer enjoyed the painting process as much. I must say that I function fairly well under pressure in terms of getting the work done; I perform my technical skills well. But I feel like I have sacrificed some of the magic of feeling the painting flowing from within me as I am on the journey expressing myself. It would be nice to never have these deadlines but that would never be as I create them myself!

Bromeliad

Here's my Bromeliad. It was fun painting in the beginning. I really enjoyed the three dimensionality of the painting. But then there were so many petals. (I'm not even sure if they are called petals.) They all need to be differentiated from each other and have some light and shadows and whew they we alot of work.

I painted this for the Norfolk Collegiate Art Show later this month.

My paintings are going to be in three indoor Art Shows this month. The first is with the Chesapeake Bay Watercolorists and it runs from Tuesday January 11th with an opening from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm at Runnymead at the Towne Bank building in Virginia Beach at the end of the interstate. The show runs there until March 23rd and can be seen from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. The next show is Artist's Alley at the Virginia Beach Coliseum's Home and Garden Show from January 20th to January 22nd. The Arist's Alley exhibit is in the lobby and is free to view. Then the Norfolk Collegiate School's Off the Wall Art Show is from January 27th to February 1st at the lower school with an opening on January 27th from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The show can also be viewed on January 28th from 10:00 am, January 29th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm and January 30th from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Now I understand why I have been so busy painting!

Summer Lovin'

This is my latest painting. I took the photo a couple years ago when Bob and I were on the Outer Banks for a wonderful little retreat. He blew the photo up and framed it for a Christmas present that year and it has been up in our home ever since.

Recently I was having a hard time trying to decide what to paint next. I wanted to use it to send in with my application for the Virginia Watercolor Art Show and I wanted it to be special. That's what made it so difficult to decide what to paint. There are certainly many paintings on my list of things to do but I wanted it to be a little different. So I took photos and put together some still lives and thought up some unusual topics but nothing really motivated me. I was starting taking up too much time and was not any closer to making a decision.

I had always wanted to paint this photo and when I first thought about doing it at this time I was a little hesitant. I was afraid to go out on a limb. Or to step out of the safe little box that I keep myself in where I feel oh so much more comfortable. When I realized this I had to paint this painting. I did not know how it would work out but it needed to be done. So I finally decided what I was painting.

When I first started painting I kept thinking of that day and the time we spent together. I enjoyed the little trip down memory lane and then I moved into feeling so familiar with the subject matter. I visually knew the subject that I was painting and grew to know it better. It was like when I'm painting a portrait and I begin to feel so intimate with the subject. I get to know the person so deeply from seeing so many details in their features and emotions in their demeanor.

This was a wonderful learning experience. I think that being willing to step outside the box motivated me to paint a different subject matter and to enjoy it so much that I hardly worried about the techniques used to produce the finished product. I think that learning your techniques are of great importance but being willing to paint on another level and using your technical skills but not focusing on them brings you closer to experiencing your expressive process. And isn't that why we paint to express ourselves.

Now the only problem I'm having is to decide what to paint next!

Poinsettia III

Here's my 2011 Poinsettia. It is so very red. I don't think the photo does it justice. I can't tell you how much fun it was to paint. I love all the bright colors and I love exaggerating them.

I'm currently working on a new painting and I cannot wait to finish it and share it with you. It is such a wonderful learning experience and I really feel I'm taking a step forward as an artist. Of course I need to be careful what I say as the next thing will probably be a step backward. Afterall what is that saying?

Happy Holidays from the Poinsettia and me!

Kay Kat

Here is my Kitty Kat painting. The title is a little too cutesy but I think the cat is kind of cutesy! (I may decide to change the title though.)

I started painting the cat when I started painting Murphy. I got carried away painting my Jack Russell and put the cat to the side. I finally got back to it and finished it.

What I loved about this painting is the majority is painted in winsor yellow and winsor violet. I just love mixing my complements to get neutral colors. I think the complements are filled with color as opposed to just mixing browns and greys.

I need to get myself organized. When I was younger I was such an organized person. (I was actually a little OCD. ) Now I'm a little all over the place. I feel if I could get myself a little more organized then I could accomplish more with my time. So today I will take the step of making lists of things that I need to do. I will concentrate on the things that I need to complete by the end of the month and then the things that I need to focus on in the New Year. Wish me luck!

I've renamed the painting Kay Kat. I think thats a little less corny!

Untitled

Here are my four peppers that I painted a while ago. This was when I was enjoying going back to basics and painting simple fruits and vegetables. I really enjoyed painting the peppers. While I was painting them I could smell their aroma. It felt as if I could actually smell the peppers on my paper.

I enjoy my senses (at least most of the time). I use them to gather information from the world around me and they become part of my artistic process. Then I try and express the sensations that I have experienced and I try and depict them through painting.

I'm going to frame the four of them together but I haven't come up with a name for them yet. Any ideas?

Murphy

Here's my Murphy. She a Jack Russell that just walked into our lives a few years ago. She's a great dog and was alot of fun to paint. I really enjoyed the different textures of her fur. As I was painting her I thought how it was painting a dog as opposed to painting a person. You have so much more freedom in painting a dog. Especially in the beginning layers when you are just laying in colors wet in wet. When painting a person I feel like I need more control than that. Now I'm thinking that maybe I don't. It's still the same
process of laying in the colors loosely, then a little more defined and then adding the details. Why is fur so much different than skin? Is it because it is so much more textured? Is it because I don't worry about it so much? I guess I need to try and change my need to control a portrait so much and see where that brings me.

My daughter Kim and her boyfriend Bryant were here visiting from California. It was wonderful seeing her and getting to know Bryant a little better. I miss her now that she is gone and am looking forward to the next time I get to see her.

Now I'm in the beginning of my fall teaching season. I'm going to be teaching six classes a week on six days of the week. Why did I think that was such a good idea? It is because I really enjoy teaching. I really find it a challenge to come up with better ways to present material in ways that my students will understand it. And it is a joy when they grow in their painting process. I really find that I learn right along with them and enjoy sharing their accomplishments.

Two Trees

I painted these two trees a couple years ago on gessoed paper. I recently taught a class on the use of gessoed paper and gesso mixed with watercolor. The scarf in the recent portrait of mine was done with the use of gesso and watercolor.

When painting on gessoed paper you can put down very dark colors and then lift the paint to get your shapes and values. This is how I did the two trees. It is alot of fun to do and I get a little more abstract look than I usually do. This I like. I don't know why but I am drawn to realism. When I am painting I am compelled to get things looking the way that they do. But I love when I'm able to do a background or a pattern that is a little more abstract. Or a little more loose in style.

When painting with gesso and watercolor I put the gesso down first then let it dry. It can be very textured or flat. It can be put down with a brush, a painting knife or any type of instrument you choose to use. Then I let it totally dry and when I apply my wtercolors over it they are almost repelled by the gesso and move into shapes around it.

As I'm moving back into teaching mode I have been thinking alot about planning my classes for this year. Teaching and painting can be very different. For me when I'm planning on painting a subject I look at it and then decide which techniques to use. When I'm teaching I often choose to teach a specific technique and then need to find something that would demonstrate the use of the technique. It's almost the opposite way of starting a project. I'm thinking of having my Ongoing Watercolor class approach subjects in this manner. They have done so many techniques that it should be very interesting!

Lemonade?

Here's my recent painting of a pitcher of lemonade. It sure looks refreshing! The painting is a touch brighter than the picture on the post. I have been spending alot of my time painting still lives lately. I don't really know why but I feel that if I'm motivated to paint something then I need to put forth the effort to pursue it. When I first studied watercolors I used to set up still lives and paint them. I need to pull some of them out and compare them for the fun of it!

This weekend, Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm I'm in Artisans in the Park at Great Neck Park. It is a lovely park with paths through the trees providing shade. It is a large arts and crafts show with music, food and activities for children. If your in the neighborhood check it out. It's a nice way to spend a Saturday or Sunday.

After Artisans in the Park this weekend I'm going to paint another Koi painting. It will be the fifth in a series. All previous four paintings have sold!

Then in the fall I will be teaching many classes and I will reorganize all my teaching supplies and class outlines. Then in my spare time I will start working on developing my portraits again.

Not that I have any specific plans. But if I'm motivated to paint something then I will paint it!

Succulents

Here are my three Succulents.
I framed them together. I really enjoyed painting them. They went so smoothly from beginning to end. And you know I love the colors!

I need to find other subjects to paint that give me as much pleasure as these did. I have been trying to paint subjects for the coming up art shows without much success. I have been dealing with some personal health issues that will become problematic in the future. It has taken so much out of me. I just want to paint for the fun of it right now!