WIP #2: Rusting Through Retirement

Well - this is the second installment of the WIP of the truck.  As you can see, I have many hours of painting ahead of me.  This painting verges on the illustrative...I like to push this type of painting  to the point of illustration, but periodically redeem it through passages of expressionistic watercolor.  Time will tell on this one.  I am challenging myself to use only mixed color in this one - no color is directly from the tube!

Rusting Through Retirement

Due to some health issues, my art has taken a hit lately!  But -I  started this one and am back painting.  This is 15" x 22" and is on 140 lb. Fabriano/Artistico cold-pressed watercolor paper.  I enlarged the photo in the drawing phase by using the grid method.  I plan to paint it one area at a time and then go back in and add darks/shadows, details where they are needed.  This is from a photograph by my friend Pamela Baker.

Collagraph: "Evil Woman"

"Evil Woman" - Collagraph

"Evil Woman" - Collagraph Plate

The Muses worked on a collagraph project this afternoon.  I got the idea from the blog of artist, Belinda Del Pesco, who has been experimenting in different printmaking methods.  This particular project  is done by creating a glue print, hand coloring and printing it with various colors of printmaking ink, and then by inking the glue print with black ink.  After it is dry, we embellished the print with colored pencils.  I often taught glue printing when I was teaching jr. high and high school art, but never with the added hand coloring which is printed in stages like a monoprint.  The Muses took theirs home today to finish and will bring back next week so I can photograph them.

After The Morning Rain

I finished this experimental painting today.  This is my stylized version of a peony after a morning rain.  It is 9" x 12" and is painted in watercolor on 140 lb. cold-pressed watercolor paper.

Abandoned on Logan County Road 13

Michelle and I painted this afternoon en Plein Air!  I love this old, rickety house and it was so much fun painting this today -also fun painting with Michelle!  This is watercolor on 9" x 12" Canson 140 lb. cold-pressed watercolor paper.

WIP: After the Rain

This is a poured experimental piece I started during the weekend.  I introduced this technique to my intermediate watercolor class last evening...I think they enjoyed it but it was also difficult to embrace the concept of masking edges and highlights before pouring.  We poured with acrylic inks.  This painting is about  9 " x 12" and is on Fabriano Artistico 140 lb. cold-pressed watercolor paper.  Hopefully it will be finished tonight or tomorrow.

Some New Photos for Painting

The Muses didn't meet yesterday so my friend Pamela Baker and I decided to make it a "Photo Op" day.  We spent the afternoon in Logan County, Ohio, a beautiful place.  Pamela is a professional photographer, so I didn't take near as many pictures as she, but what I did get, I like very much and I can see some paintings in my future!!!   These are 3 that I downloaded today.

Being with Pamela is so much fun - she gets so excited over old abandoned houses, tractors, trucks, etc.,  and of course that is right up my alley because as you all know, I love old trucks!!! (and old barns, old houses, old windows, etc. etc. etc.)

Cool Maine

This afternoon, I painted this scene for the August Watercolor Workshop project where everyone paints from the same photo.  This photo was provided by a member, Jane James, who named the theme for August to be "Cool!"

This painting is 9" x 12" and is painted on 140 lb. Canson cold-pressed watercolor paper.

The Old Shed Truck

This was the painting I prepared for this week's lesson at Riverside Arts Center.  The painting is 9" x 12" and is painted on 140 lb. Canson cold-pressed watercolor paper.  The painters did very well with it tonight  - still have to finish - all different - all very nicely painted.  I will post them next week after they are finished.

St. Mary's Art Fest 2011

Outstanding Watercolor Award

"Pretty in Pink"

Third Place- Overall

Honorable Mention

Close Friend, Cindy Staples a talented potter, photographer and watercolorist...

Our Mutual Admiration Society

This afternoon was the reception and awards ceremony for the St. Mary's Friends of the Library Art Fest.  I was honored to receive the Watercolor Award, Third Place and an Honorable Mention.  How blessed I am to be able to be recognized for doing something I love so much.  The awards are great, but they are the frosting on the cake - a delicious cake that tastes wonderful even without the frosting.  Many thanks to the Friends of the Library for a wonderful day.

"Carpe Diem" - Photomontage

Yesterday's project with the Muses was to create a photomontage.   My montage is 11" x 14" and it was created on a blue mat board with magazine photos.  I went out to dinner last evening, so was unable to finish and post this yesterday!

I have titled this "Carpe Diem" - Sieze the Day!  One of my favorite philosophies.

Wetlands Sunset

This is another project from Joe Garcia's book "Mastering the Watercolor Wash."    I used it as a class demonstration last night to demo wet-in-wet painting by saturating the paper first with water. I also demonstrated how to create the rushes by incising the wet paper with lines created by using the handle end of a small paintbrush, allowing the pigment to fill in.  I finished it tonight.  This painting is 8" x 10" and is painted on 140 lb. cold-pressed watercolor paper.

Watercolor Class At Riverside Arts Center

Back: Paula, Ann and Brenda

Front: Dave, Cindy and Patricia

The intermediate watercolor class at Riverside Arts Center painted the badlands picture along with me this evening and they all did a wonderful job.  They all drew their own compositions.  This was a lesson in gradated  and wet in wet washes... the gradated which we did on the mountain and the wet-in-wet in the sky...these are all beautiful!