Golden Girl

I have been testing and experimenting with the Golden watercolors again. Something I love to do is to create a shaded pencil portrait on watercolor paper and then watercolor over it, so I tried it with the new Golden watercolors.  

This painting is 6"x9" and is on 140 lb. cold-pressed Fabriano Artistico watercolor paper.  I used a #2 graphite pencil for the drawing and the new watercolors for color.  I was happy with the way it turned out.

Twisted and Tangled

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This painting will be the lesson for my class at Riverside Art Center this coming Monday night.  It is loosely based on a photo of an abandoned house somewhere in rural Ohio.  I like the shapes of the trees -  very eerie and lifelike.  I always wonder what it would be like if the walls and spaces in the home could talk.  Was this a happy home?  Were there children playing in the yard?  So many questions!!!

The painting is 9" x 12" and is painted on 140 lb. Strathmore cold-pressed watercolor paper.  I used a limited palette in this - Indian Red, Sepia, Burnt Sienna  and Yellow Ochre.  Although it looks like blue in the sky, it is actually not - the camera picked up color that isn't really there. The lower sky is really a light wash of a mixture of yellow ochre and burnt sienna.

Crystal Bowl with Apples

Golden Paints have developed a line of watercolor paints which they call Qor (Core.)  They have contacted watercolor artists and asked them to experiment and paint with these new watercolors.  I was one of the lucky ones who gets to try them out.  

This painting was painted only with their new paints...I finished it today.  For your information, I like the paints very much.  This painting is 9" x 12" and is painted on 140 lb. Strathmore Windpower cold-pressed watercolor paper.  

A friend, fellow artist and photographer, Deb Holmes, sent me this photo of apples which she photographed.  I thought it was beautiful. Thank you so much, Deb!

As far as Golden Paints is concerned, they will get a thumbs up from me for their new watercolor line.  I plan to continue experimenting with the new paints and see how they work with other papers and mixed media.  A big "Thank You" to them for the honor of being able to work with the paints.  I think I was in Heaven when I received them in the mail!!!

Ryan and his Thomas Edison Bio-Bottle Sculpture

This is Ryan, my 4th grader grandson, who completed his papier mache sculpture of Thomas Edison this afternoon - these are called bio-bottle sculptures because they use a water bottle and styrofoam balls for the body and head. They are allowed to use any materials to finish this project so I introduced him to papier mache.  He did the papier mache last Monday - he cut the newspaper strips and dipped the paper into the glue. I helped him with the first layer since that actually takes two people if one of you is a 4th grader.  He then took over and formed the features, arms and hands with paper towel pieces dipper in wheat paste He worked very hard on this, with minimal help from his grandmother ( I did do the bow tie and the light bulb he is holding.)  Today, he painted it with acrylics.  

I am very proud of him and all the effort he put into this project and it was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon...quality time with my grandson!!!

Peace Rose

This is the latest painting for my intermediate watercolor class at Riverside Art Center in Wapakoneta, Ohio.  It is 11" x 7" and is painted in transparent watercolor on 140 lb. cold-pressed watercolor paper.  This painting photographed a little more intense  than it really is and the background is not pink and blue - just white and blue.  Wish I could figure out this camera of mine!!!