Dogs for Christmas!

Dog Paintings, painted for my daughter-in-laws sister.

Sorry about the really poor photos lately. I need to work on my photography skills. It seems that all of my photos lately have had a blue cast. My new year's resolution will be to work on that!

Paint, Wrap, Paint,Wrap #2

Paint, Wrap,Paint,Wrap.....

Christmas vacation is just fine with me. Plenty of time to indulge in all of the things I enjoy.

This is a painting of Columbine, and early spring flower that happily has self seeded and lines my walkway.

I am working on loosening up, and negative painting. Not an easy task but quite enjoyable.

Tis the season # 2

I continue on with my Poinsettia paintings,mainly because i have a good reference. I used a bit of pastel on this one and tried to develop the darks a bit more. At first some of the darks were to much so i lifted some color and added a wash of magenta,which seems to be my favorite lately.

I remember the day when Aliz. and perm pink were my favorites. I suppose i need to broaden my palette and use different colors~ not yet!

Tis the season WIP

Snow day here in Michigan with sub-zero temps and ice. Beautiful really, but terrible to drive in. The icy blues are stunning.



I am going to add more greens and definition to some of the leaves. The trick is to keep it loose and not to dark. Very tricky business~ for me.
The veining on the one leaf is really wrong so i will need to try to fix it. I used a bamboo tipped stick to make the indentation so i may not be able to fix it. Watching colors do mix and blend is pure magic.

Santa sort of and looking for a miracle?

Sorry for the bad photo of Santa. I'm certainly not a portrait artist.
In fact i think i need a few more colors in this or maybe just some darks to set it off.

The flower painting is a simple 4x6 that is looking for a miracle. It will take a little more time to develop. I'm thinking of yellow orange and turquoise with a few polka dots for added spice:)

Intuition

As i continue on exploring yesterdays painting i find myself using my intuition to explore and satisfy my creative instinct and desire. There is really nothing more satisfying than having the time to explore and play with color and paint.

After adding more color i turned the painting on it's side and took photos of it cropping one and leaving the other. Looking at them now I don't know which is which and where is the original painting..... ?

Now and Then

I'm working on an interpretation of one of my older paintings.

Much to do for sure,but a good beginning and starting point.

Stamens have, and and are still, my nemesis. It's always such a challenge for me to place them in some believable fashion.

I think i see potential in my latest painting. If not i plan on cutting it up for a different project? We shall see how it all turns out?

Actually, I am fine however my painting or projects turn out given the fact that i have so little time to devote to art. I am looking forward to the Christmas break. That is when i will have time to explore and play...

Happy Holidays!

Tulips and Blood

In lieu of flowers



Painted for Julianne. In loving memory of Pfc.Shane Reifert,Alpha Company Nov.14,2010

Afghanistan.



How many more must die?

Simple is as simple does...

This is really a different style of painting for me. Very simple with large areas of colors. I am really enjoying it. Gives the eye a break. My eye is not dancing all over the page wondering what line or squiggle to latch on to.(actually i usually don't mind that ) A departure to simplicity for the moment.

I see a few back washes that need to be lifted but other than that it's complete.

Callas WIP

I'm not sure where this is going. I have already lifted some colors, since this photo was taken, from the not fully opened flowers. It appears rather dark in the upper right. The photo is darker than the actual painting, but i still have a lot of negotiating to do. I have to find my way.

I will for sure paint another study of Callas.

Completed Iris

I completed my iris painting this morning. This pinks began to take control so i tried to make them more subtle with some orange.
I also began a painting of Calla Lilies inspired by the bouquets at my son's wedding.
Happy times.

painting 013

Purples have always been a challenge. More than any other color they get dull and lose their intensity. I need to work on this a bit more, just not over work it.

>.)(*&^%$##@!

Painting with friends at our newly formed art class, i was able to work with some new paint. Intoxicating and inviting my minds eye was taken over by the colors irresistible merging.

I am thankful for the distraction.

Wip

I have been playing with this picture for the last week. I headed back to work this week and wow am i exhausted. Every time i pass the picture i just sort of swipe it with some color until the weekend when it completely drew me in.

I'm going to add some more purples and yellows before i call it quits. Oh and maybe some more squiggles too.

Unfortunately my study fell into my bowl of water so I'm just letting the painting speak to me,which is usually the case anyway.

The gift

Old friends came over for dinner and gave us the most beautiful orchids. Honestly, the way they were packaged was even more thrilling to me, a color lover,yellow,lime green,pink,and orange tissue what could be better.

The photo appears much more blue then it actually is... too lazy to redo.

On second thought seeee the difference the actual paintings colors are somewhat in between the two photos. I rather like the added blue wash?

Actually the post was going to be titled random thoughts on nothing part 2... parties and clowns kept creeping in my head while i painted this... it must have been the colors. WHAT !?

It's hot outside!

Outside my window. This painting was dropped,stopped and cropped... really struggling with my creative process.

Ranunculus

Looks like a napkin!

Feast or Famine... a birds eye view

Mini narratives go through my head as i paint. Something like this... the bird is thinking,how can i save these berries,without them how will i survive the winter? I must remember my favorite bush,and tell my children so they can eat too.

Then it occurred to me that i could use some of my paintings as a writing prompt for my afternoon students? I think it sounds like fun,all kinds of good things could happen:)

Just added bird with yellow, gives it some lift I think:)

Electric Confusion~July Madness

This is actually one painting 11x4. I had difficulty getting it all in one shot,so it is represented in three pictures.

My husband commented on the garden today,which he rarely does, saying,"do you think it's getting a little over grown out there?"

I must garden like I paint!:)

Finished

I took a second look at my Poppies this morning, added some more watercolor and pastel. Now it feels more finished to me.

The gardens in Michigan are really lovely this summer. Everything is so green from all of the rain. Our warm spring has many of our flowers blooming early. Does that mean the ugliest August ever.... scary

Pictures of my gardens.

Please...

Boring really, something must change, background i think. I'm off work for the summer so i do have time to play. The home projects are always there,garden, home chores( which i love), but i like to paint so there shall be time. Life begins... hooray. Breath deep.

Room with a view...or not?

More like what are you thinking painting the back of a chair and then putting it smack dab in the middle of a painting?? Actually a bit,well more than a bit, over worked. I must admit it was my inner child that whispered in my ear,Play, Play,and then there was that new tube of pthalo turquoise,hmmm.

Now that I think of it an appropriate title would be heaven or hell, with the crosses on the mantle and the fire below.

painting 174

Bold and bright flower. The reference was a flower catalog.

I think I will put a few more washes perm rose on the tips of the flowers,maybe a few more lines too.

The fix...

Not.

painters challenge

Well sort of.... chopped and cropped not that pleased with the green line on the top tulip oops crooked. It's the thought that counts right? Off to another painting.

Random thoughts of nothing....

Thoughts keep popping up in my head while I paint. It's really quite amusing, well to me anyway. Thoughts like,
big men shouldn't ride in tiny cars,unless they are clowns.
Or do you think that size 8 sweater makes you look thin?
How about, really Martha if my vacuum isn't picking up do i have to change the bag???? Here's a good one, congratulations you've just won queen for a day,oh sorry it was just a dream. Not that I'd want to win anyway ,the queens were usually the women who cleaned the most or had dozens of kids.

So I guess I should just start thinking about serious matters like paint and mixing and composition. On that note, last year I planted some Jane Magnolia's ( love the name) and my oh my are they beautiful. Magnolia's and the cover of House Beautiful were my inspiration for this.

I need to go back into it and get rid of some hard edges and darken here and there and play some more.

There wasn't much to say without ice cream the party was over

WHAT? I thought of the title as I was painting! When I was a little girl I would sneak into the kitchen,ever so quietly to get a bowl of ice cream. I was certain that nobody heard me,then my mother would calmly say caaaaathy? She was my chubby checker.

It's funny what you think about when you paint.

Orchids from a photo. I guess I got a little carried away.Maybe I should crop it.

Tea Time-rookie painter challenge

Rookie painter has a challenge every 3 weeks.

This painting is my entry.

A bit of a change from m usual subject matter although the palette seems similar. I'll need to change that up in my next painting. One thing for sure is the color will be bold!

http://www.rookiepainter.blogspot.com/

Did you hear the music...I think it was rain!

Ink,watercolor,pastel,mask.

Inspiration;a napkin

not a great photo,too lazy to fix it

Play time is over sister, now knock it off!

And that about sums it up. Squiggle and dot, dash and dab= fun!

Beautiful cloudy spring day in Michigan. I am just really, really, really, enjoying time at home.

Watercolor and pastel, inspiration a Design Sponge Photo.White masked dots...hmmmmm?

http://www.designspongeonline.com/

Get your lily on....

For some reason this painting photographed giant, I have no clue why and well, I'm not going to change it. I haven't painted in a week or so I have been so preoccupied with life's problems so it was nice to sit and play. I got a little carried away scratching the lilies and I think I will add a little more of a dark color to center of the big lily,or not.

Fun news my future daughter-in-law actually wants to use one of my watercolors as a shower invitation. Now we just have to decide which one:)

For the doing...

Well Sunday, also known as fun day, was that indeed. I visited a bookstore and bought 2 new books; The Women, a novel about the women in Frank Lloyd Wright's life and Endurance Shackleton's incredible Voyage to Antarctica in 1914. I also visited an art store and bought a few pastels and some ink pens. I manged to use all of the new supplies on this painting. Like a kid in a toy store I couldn't wait to try them out. Who cares if the Lillie's centers are overworked!

"You do the work for the doing not for the fruit"

( David Lynch )

Or in my case to greedily use your new stuff!

I can see the future

Sunday morning painting. Off to the book store.

All things considered

Call me crazy, today I went outside in the wind and rain and cut pussy willow and forsythia branches,a spring time ritual. Unfortunately the good pussy willow branches were at the top of the bush. I noticed them while chatting to a friend and decided that they were just too beautiful to pass up. So I attempted to cut them while hanging out of an upstairs bedroom window. Amusing to anyone who would have witnessed it,but totally unsuccessful. Needless to say I fetched the ladder and loppers and away I went.Success.



As for the painting I painted this today. I am not loving the buds at the top, what was I thinking. I thought I would post this since it is the closest thing to a successful painting that I've had all week.

Bizarro world

There is a time ,when you confuse gouache for acrylic and your dog sleeps in the closet because she is too old to find her bed, and that you continue to work on a painting that screams STOP that one must know that they have entered BIZARRO world. A dangerous but fascinating place where caution is thrown to the wind and you wander until you are quite frankly done.


*Warning,bizarro world is not for babies.

Purple Haze

Purples Haze and a wish for spring

Below is a beginning painting of Iris. The last painting I did of Iris the paint was way too thick using mainly diox. purple. Now I seem am using a combination of magenta and Windsor blue or pink opera and cobalt violet in different combos. and it seems to be more lush and transparent.

Waiting for the next snow storm in Michigan to begin this evening,not too bad only 2-6 ":)

Saturday afternoon

Color seems to be my main focus and lack of discipline causes me to do the line thingy.Oh well,life is short might as well paint as I wish,one never knows what one may discover.

The Groove

The reference for this painting was a picture of a single vintage rose.As I began to draw it impulse took over and I decided to just splash on paint. Pink opera, perm rose, DS lemon yellow, Antwerp blue. When everything dried the painting developed.As I look at it now I realize the orange pastel,added at the end is too opaque and and that I need to adjust it. Initially, I was in the negative painting flow, always a challenge, since you have to see what isn't there, when I left the painting and came back to it ,I had a different perspective? The moral of the painting is stick with it or lose the groove.