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Friday, August 29, 2008

virtual sketch date



This was really a challenge in terms of composition and color. I really tried to keep it loose. I'm not sure if I should have eliminated the backround, regardless both pictures seem unfinished. Still, I enjoyed the challenge and looked forward it! This is really a lot of fun. Can't wait to see all of the posts! How do I adjust my blog so that the pictures don't magnify so much????


21 comments:

laura said...

The drawing of your cabbages is wonderful--you got the forms just right (I had a problem with the "heart" myself. I found this subject tremendously challenging--and would never have chosen it on my own! The drawing, the colors ... all the little veins ... Oi.Very nice greens you got in both: I'd say frame them together, side by side!

laura said...

I just looked at the paintings in close-up: it's really nice how you painted loose, open washes on top of previous washes to get the texture and color on the leaves!

cathyswatercolors said...

Thanks Laura, Loose is difficult for me,but I have really been trying to challenge myself. Your blog is my inspiration. I have always admired loose painting, Charles Reid etc. Loose for me,just depends on the painting and my mood. I could try to paint loose and as I paint I just get so involved seeing pictures within pictures. I took a class this summer and my techer encouraged me to play. Mixed media is intriquing as well as acrylics. But watercolors are so fluid and the color and paint on paper is intoxicating.

Vivienne said...

I love your dreamy colours and the loose free, fluid painting, with that little edge of paint to make the leaf edge, and no masking fluid!

cathyswatercolors said...

Vivienne,Oh my goodness, I am sooo flattered that you would even comment on my blog your cabbage is so fantastic. wowowowow. I love your paintings. Thanks for your gracious comments, and oh isn't this just too much fun, much thanks to Leslie.

Leslie Hawes said...

Hi Shicat!
I am just one of the participants.
Thanks goes to Rose Welty and Jeanette Jobson as administrators.

I love the way you put the bright colors in the background, and increased the area they covered.

I'm so excited to see what everyone has done. Good stuff!

Cathy Gatland said...

Sensitive drawing and lovely soft summery colours - I like seeing these in close-up but if you want to make them smaller, I think you have to scale them down (or resample) in photopaint or whatever programme you have - or some scanners have options to make smaller images (but I'm no fundi on these matters!)

Stacy said...

Cathy, I am always impressed when people have time to do more than one painting from the reference. And I like both of your versions, although I do have a slight preference for the one on the left because I like the color harmonies there. You did great without masking fluid. I should have skipped it but was seduced once again.

Grangry said...

Lovely! I like both versions. Having seen both your painting and Laura's, I wish I'd also had a go at the brightly coloured foliage instead of cropping it out!! No MASKING FLUID!? Wow!

terricreates said...

Hi Cathy, I really like the first one, horizontal. I think the bright colors make the others stand out. Great job. I have difficulty with being loose too. I think you can control the photo sizes in the section where you upload them, small, large, etc.
http://top5cats.blogspot.com

Rose Welty said...

Cathy, nicely done, and two? Even better. Whatever your file looks like when you upload in blogger, that's how it will appear when clicked on. The small, medium, large you choose on the blogger page is about the size of clickable image in the post. But when someone clicks, it will be the size that you uploaded. (Hope that is clear.)

Kari Gibson said...

Beautiful, jewel-like colours, they are both just gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

These are beautiful! I love the way the washes mix and blend, and the warm glow that orange & red background gives the cabbage in the first one.

Gail Bartel said...

Hi Cathy, I really like your paintings. Your color choices hit the mark for me. There is a loose soft feeling here.
Beautiful work.
gail

Ruth said...

Oh how beautiful! I loved seeing the enlarged images to see the work up close.

You just need to resize your images to maybe 700 or 800 at the largest side, then they won't enlarge so big. I know we've all been saying the same thing in slightly different ways.

It's fun reading this artists' conversation.

BARBARA WEEKS said...

This is lovely. Your loose and sure application of the paint is wonderful.

A Brush with Color said...

Really nice! It's so interesting to me to see how each one came about and how unique they all are.

Grangry said...

Hi Cathy - thanks for the comments - you made my day! I'm not a 'real' artist. I've had no formal training and I just 'muck about' at home.

Dougie said...

Nice job. I like the first one where the left side is red and it blends well to the darker right side. There is a definite feel of a bright area blending to the dark background. The loose watercolors are well done.

"JeanneG" said...

I really like both of these. I think they do look finished. I really like the sunny look on the left side of the first one and the reflection of that on the cabbage leaf. Really nice colors.

Chris said...

love the big pictures!
I think these compositions are really intriguing. Sorry you feel they are unfinished, but I love the mystery.