No direction known

Soooo of course I couldn't wait. I thought about cropping but then I remembered my brand new oil pastels,a christmas present from my husband ,and I thought why not????? So I began to recklessy go forward, no direction known,except to get rid of the muddle on the left. A little pastel here a little watercolor pencil shavings there and well... it's been fun I think I will play with this painting a little more and try again.

Finding my way

I began this painting yesterday. I told myself that I would plan out this painting,none of this,oh let's try this color here that looks like a great color I think I'll try it. NO I planned my palette! No impulsive color crazed behavior. Things went well for a while so I decided to stop painting. When I returned to paint my mood had changed.Impulsive behaviors took over and well wrong wash here lost flower there.... ugh. Now I need to either quit or find a new direction. Possibly some magical under painting,cropping or scrubbing until a giant hole appears and the inevitable happens.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas blog buds thanks for all of support. Peace in the new year.

chandelier thing

First of what I hope will be many . I have this chandelier thing.

virtual sketch date Dec.

Well here it is. I am not a landscape painter, at least I haven't painted that many. The drippy painting at the top was my feeble attempt to loosen up my painting. I also added a bit of ink. I was a little frustrated at the lack of color and couldn't come up with an interesting pallete. Sort of zzzz paintings. Happy holidays to all.

Holiday Season

This weekend has been all about decorating for the holidays. My favorite. The garden is still working for me, the holly is beautiful and the red twig dogwoods are as appealing in the winter as any other season. They all look great stuffed into window boxes and urns,add a few lights and the season begins. Today I hope to paint. I painted the Poinsettia last year. It was a challenge to say the least.

Holiday tradition

Ever since I can remember my sister and I have planted paperwhite bulbs at Thanksgiving. Our hopes are that they will bloom in time for Christmas.This year Thanksgiving is late and I forgot to plant them a week or so ago . This is a Thanksgiving gift for my sister ,she is the Thanksgiving hostess this year. (for that I am thankful!)

zzzzzzz

This urn sits on my kitchen table and well, it's a great urn filled with ivy, but the painting is just so.... green. I had to sit on my hands just to stop myself from adding some bizzaro color. I contemplated doing all kinds of things to jazz it up. Collage, stamping... off to bed I went. Then the idea came to me how about a red Christmas bulb,maybe crop it,yes that's it,or into closet never to be completed just too green:0)

virtual sketch date

Wow what a challenge. This is it. I have to admit I really struggled with the composition and color. It appears that the full tree needs more dark colors . I don't know if I will attempt to alter it again. I hear jingle bells ringing! On to a new theme:0) Well I did decide to add some more value after all. I used just a touch of prussian blue.(painting at the top)I think it works .

saturday morning

Looking out my bedroom window on a Saturday morning. What will this day bring? What will this season bring? Hope,sorrow,grief, joy,laughter?When I look out my window I can view the seasons,{I know I should forgo the puffy curtains,they take away from my view,but I can't resist!}Now that the leaves are turning i know that they will fall and that it will snow, and that the leaves will return.{It's the things I don't know that frighten me. Goodbye control.} The circle of life . Here's to a long fall ,filled with hope.

Before we knew

Hope is itself a species of happiness, and perhaps the chief happiness this world affords.-Samuel Johnson_( click on picture enlarge)

The diagnosis came fast and furious,who would have thought that bloating and gas were symptoms of Ovarian Cancer. Pathetic actually ,that there is no early detection for this dreadful disease. Could this be a women thing....hmmmm. Surely there is more that can be done.
http://www.ovariancancer.org/ This is a great site. It is full of information about Ovarian Cancer and how we can help.







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-NziGE6DVY

My friend is a fighter, aren't you Sharon. She is that one in a million type of person who puts the needs of people she loves before her own. Selfless and strong. Not much of a complainer. I have to think I would be a total wreck going through all that she has.Not her, she is working through this ,a day at a time, with intelligence,grace ,humor,and strength. Chemo is every three weeks, for now, and a tribute to her and her family, they are wonderful, we actually laugh our way through it. It's not unusual for the nurses to come in and want to join in on the fun. Isn't that incredible? I think so , but that's just how wonderful my friend is. This fall I plan on selling Cards for a Cure. All of the money will go to Ovarian Cancer research. I am hoping to complete this in a few weeks.



Sharon and I have been close friends for so many years that we often refer to one another as sisters. (not trans-sisters though)
Antony ,of Antony and the Johnsons ,is a tortured soul but has one hell of a vibrato. He sounds like a cross between Brian Ferry and Tiny Tim. Have a listen and see what you think. ( see the above site) . ************

Please scroll to the bottom of this post to leave a comment thanks.
( I really had a difficult time with this post. The photo of the picture is sloppy and you have to scroll a looooong way to the comment... sorry.)

virtual sketch date 2

I painted these pears and was not satisfied so I ripped them up and went to bed. Today I like them rip and all.

virtual sketch date

When I saw the vsd image I knew I wanted to paint something more abstract and colorful. The pear on the left is overworked, I was trying to adjust color and shadow..... and well,you know how that goes.There are no mistakes in watercolor!

virtual sketch date

I really enjoyed this study.The photo was beautiful.I attempted several paintings but never completed them. This is probably my most complete painting. The photo is somewhat out of focus, I am going to try to photo it again in the morning light. As far as this painting goes, there where just so many ways to crop this photo. I painted some with the vase (never finished them)but I think this was my most successful. I tried again this morning to get this painting more in focus and well, I give up. I'm not sure if it's the painting ,my camera, or the computer. Everytime I download the picture it looks out of focus on the computer. I checked my camera settings and used the auto focus set to default. I also tried different manual settings. oh well,this is my entry the actual painting is quite crisp .

fall

I haven't been painting for about a week. I am just too exhausted from work . Every year I promise myself that I will still have a life and that work will not be the only focus in my life. But after work and household chores I'm wiped out. My creative spirit diminished and I take up residence on the my comfy red couch. In order to grow as an artist I need to practice so I need to commit to a certain number of paintings a week... hmmm....maybe 3 per week .....eek. I painted the fall trees last year.

I have been trying to paint the New Mexico desert where my mom grew up. This is one of several paintings that I have been working on.

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????

Roses

Roses

Rose hips are really beautiful,I am not sure if they can be preserved? I've seen rosehips for sale at flea markets.My attempts to preserve them have been unsuccessful? Any suggestions?

I am working on this .... nothing could ever be quite as beautiful as the real Rosie!

Flower photo is from my trip to the Antique Roadshow. My friend and I took a side trip to Saugatuck, a beautiful Lake Michigan town with wonderful art galleries.

I have a few other photos like this,taken at my dinning room table. I was contemplating painting it. It is probably too difficult of a subject matter.

A day at Greenfield Village

This is probably one of my favaorite places. I love the history. The photo of the door is from a slaves cabin,I love the texture and weathering.

This is the home of the Poet Robert Frost. The home moved from Ann Arbor Michigan,where Frost was a professor.

A Cotswald cottage with spectacular gardens

I have a few more pictures that I am trying to add. I have a lot to learn about blogging!

nests

turkey vultures

I found these feathers on my walk the other day. No doubt they are Turkey vultures. They live in a giant pine tree near a school, where they can be seen playfully swooping and soaring in the summer evenings. They are fantastic to watch. An upclose view of them is not as pleasant.

I am working on this. I need to complete stems ,put afinal wash on the backround and work on the bottom right ... color got away from me.

Can this be saved? My darks,are too dark and the balance is off. Some of my flowers are funny. I guess I am wondering what to do with the center of the big lily. My attempt to shade with ultramarine resulted in an ugly color, not bright or vibrant. Sooo I tried to lift and add mmmmmore aliziren then that became too dark. I really like parts of the picture.. any suggestions?

virtual sketch date

Well,here goes..... I am not pleased with my submission. The watercolors are muddy and overworked.

Excuses;

1. Exhausted from walking and gardening

2. Not enough time

3. Lastly, and most importantly, I kept putting my brush in the Cabernet! YIKES

Better next time.... great fun,love this!

I really wasn't crazy about the colors Ichose for this painting,but I found a swell frame and now I'm rather pleased. Daylily may be history too much aliziran to try to hide a blue shadow that just muddied the color:o(

new brush

I bought a brush this weekend,while visiting the Ann Arbor Art Fair. I LOVE IT! The paint brush is a Artist's WaterColor Sable Windsor Newton . What a difference,I have been using blends and there is just no comparison.

images

I am still working on transfering images from the camera. I seem to forget the steps.... practice, practice, practice. I have also been dreaming of purchasing a Nikon d4o? I am having a grand time converting my sons bedroom into a studio i will post some of conversion soon. What fun this is... I think i will give the virtual sketch a try.... hooray!

This painting is of an architecural remnant. I love to paint these,but the subject matter is difficult to find... any suggestions?