Triple Report

Things have been busy since I wrote last. I have done some work on my painting 'Poppies by the Fence', I received another postcard from the LYA swap, and I had a lesson with Jeannie.

A few of my blogging friends made suggestions to improve my 'poppies' painting. I wasn't able to implement all of them on this piece but will be doing a second version where I can make more adjustments. Meanwhile, here are photos of the original and the improved painting.

original

improved?

 It is amazing how differently the paintings and the photos of them look. When I compare the second photo with its painting I wonder if I need to darken the shadows even more than I have done already. I am going to put this away for a while and let it gel.

Now for the treasure in the mail! Today's LYA postcard was from Jane Martin of Roanoke, Virginia. It is a charming sketch of a gardener's bench and fits in perfectly with my bedding plants.

Jane Martin's postcard

Jane included a super quote from Picasso on the back of the card:
               
             "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."

You can see more of Jane's art at Mary Jane's Studio

And behind door number three... I finally remembered to take a photo of my student's painting!!!

Jeannie's painting

This was based on one of Jeannie's photos from their trip to Hawaii. The colours are a bit more vibrant in the original. We have done very few landscapes together and nothing with such a dramatic sky so this just thrilled me when I saw it at Art Club where she continued to work on the painting. I hope her husband is pleased with it too as it was his suggestion of a subject for this week's class.

#1021 - Storm over the Island - 7 x 10 watercolour

And this is my painting of the same scene. I demonstrate each step of the painting, often going over the same area more than once to help my students understand the process better and to demonstrate that watercolour is more flexible than many think.


It has been a good week!

Another Busy Week

My husband and I are always saying that it is a good thing we are retired because we don't have time for a job. We also don't have time for that other problem - boredom. There is always something to do!

I currently have three private students and, although the snow two weeks ago cancelled classes, we are back on schedule. Most of the time I don't get a completed painting when I am teaching because I am demonstrating the techniques. But, last week I was able to do a painting that I really liked.

#1009 - Sunset Memories - 7 x 10 watercolour

We worked from a photo my student found on the internet. I made some changes to my painting while Ed stuck with what he saw in the photo. BTW - Most of my students don't like me taking photos of their work - especially a WIP.

Something else that has kept me busy for the last while is adding labels to my blog posts and putting hashtags on my Facebook and Google+ posts. Using hashtags is new to me and I have trouble remembering to use them, but I think they could be a good tool. When someone clicks on a hashtag a number of posts from different people, who also use them, will be accessed. This potentially gives me a wider range of people who will see my paintings, not just my friends and followers. The labels are a bit different; they only refer to my blog. However, this can be useful too. For instance, when I briefly mentioned starting my bedding plants this year a couple of people asked me about that. Now, the labels will take them to a previous post all about that subject.

I have also been doing a bit of quilling lately. Using some photos from the internet as reference, I made some new Christmas ornament designs and some new cards.

Quilled Dragonfly with Poppy Card

Quilled Dragonfly with Primrose Card

And finally, I have signed up for Kat Sloma's Liberate Your Art postcard exchange. If you haven't heard about this you can find out about it here - Kat's page  Luckily I have lots of cards on hand that I was able to modify to fit the postcard guidelines and they will be in the mail later this week.

That is just a few of the things that have been keeping me hopping. I keep wondering when life is going to slow down but I figure that busy is better than bored - lol.

Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment.

30/30 January Challenge #17

Yesterday I managed to get two paintings done which is great because today seems busier than ever.

#994 - Getting Ready to Fly! - 5 x 7 watercolour

I really liked this image from my miscellaneous file; the sun shining through the transparent kite and glistening on the ocean while the boy waits in anticipation for the wind to grab his kite and take it flying. Of course, he is dreaming that he is will be up there flying too.

There are some really great pieces being shared on Leslie's 30/30 page today, so go and check them out!

On another topic - does anyone using Blogger use hashtags and if so how do you do it? - thanks I appreciate any help.

More Quilling

I have been spending the last few days making some cards combining quilling with watercolour.

Red Sails in the Sunset

Calliope with Fuchsia

Calliope with Delphinium

I really can't price these high enough to make up for the time I spend making them which is why I am glad my art is more hobby than profession - lol. However, because I enjoy the making I will be doing more I am sure.

The cards are 5 x 7 and come with an envelope and are packaged in a clear bag.

2016 Day 18

I worked on three pieces today and none of them turned out very well. The first two got washed off but I continued with the third until I figured it was finished.

Lightening Strikes

More work might have improved this piece but I was all out of umpf so I left well enough alone!

Lightening Strikes is acrylic on one of my home-made 5 x 7 x 3/4" canvas boards. It may get painted over in the future but for now it is what it is.

I hope tomorow will be better!

2016 Day15

Today is the halfway point of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge and I can only hope that I manage to finish the rest of the month.

A friend asked me yesterday how I manage to come up with enough ideas for my paintings and I really didn't have an answer. I find that each day brings what it brings: today I was inspired by a frame!

Boat Race

I was looking in my stash for a frame for the Quilled Seahorse I did the other day and came across a little 5 x 10. It is too shallow for the glass and mat that a watercolor needs and has been stacked away for some time. It immediately gave me an idea for today's painting - something tall and skinny.

"Boat Race" is a 5 x 10 acrylic on mat board and is based on a painting I did a few years ago at a workshop with local artist Richard Mitton. It was painted with a palette knife.

September Challenge Day 26

This piece was a bit more complicated than most of the cards I have done this month. The small size made it even more difficult but I think it turned out okay.

A Working Wharf

The distant trees and bushes are all done with parallel lines which I think helps to give depth to the picture. My hand got pretty tired doing all those small lines so I ended up jumping around instead of just working from top to bottom.

Sometimes I work free hand but this card was drawn in pencil first. It is very hard to correct a mistake in pen & ink so one needs to plan ahead.

Four more day to go!

September Challenge Day 12

Although I have spent most of the day sick in bed, I find I am well enough now to share my piece for day 12.

Along the Bay

Another 5 x 7 pen & ink card based on a couple of sketches in my reference folders.

September Challenge Day 10

Another busy day ahead for me so I have no time to write more. I hope you enjoy this one!

At Anchor card

Another 5 x 7 pen & ink card. I will have most of the cards I have made available at this weekend's Creston Art Club Show & Sale, as well as a selection of my paintings.