Lilacs

It is that time of year - the promise of summer, but what's with all this RAIN!!!??? I am SICK of it.
I picked these lilacs for my Wednesday and Thursday classes to paint. They did a wonderful job. Some started out with wet paper, some with dry. Some of them did one of each to compare the two techniques. This was my demo, done on dry paper - it is done on Fabriano paper - something different for me. I always use Arches and I'm not sure where the Fabriano came from, and I'm not sure if I like it. It is okay to paint on, but I don't really like the look of the texture. It's just different.

These lilacs grow beside our house along the curb, and the neighbors say they see lots of drive-by-pickings. They are irresistible, and as long as they leave the blossoms alone on our side, I won't complain too much.

When I was a kid daisies and sweet peas were in such abundance at the cottage, that I still have trouble realizing that all of the sweet peas and daisies in the world aren't mine for the picking.

More Yupo

Yes, I know - I say how much I dislike Yupo "paper", and here I am posting more little paintings done on it. It's plastic, for heaven's sake - we aren't supposed to like it. How tacky. But is it ever fun to push the paint (watercolor) around on it! It lifts, it pushes, it smears . . .

On the one hand it is too easy, with the way you can just wipe it off and start over. On the other hand, it is really not that easy to work on - subsequent layers lift previous layers, and then what do you have? Well, I don't have much, but I have seen some nice things painted on yupo. Just like everything else, it has a learning curve.

Right now I am working on a commissioned painting and I am laying it out on yupo - trying out colors and shapes and moving them around as I work out the composition. Anything for a little distraction, huh.

Trillium

I am playing around with some trillium sketches and paintings.

I'm just doing some very small experiments. The one on the left is done with watercolor on Yupo. Yupo is a plastic "paper" - it's not really paper at all. I don't do well with it - it looks as if I am painting on PLASTIC. The middle one is prismacolor pencils on Bogus rough sketch paper. I like the look, but I don't think Bogus is acid free, so it isn't what I would consider a "keeper". However it is in a sketchbook and I will keep it as long as it will keep. The third one is done with gouache on coffee stained Indian Village paper. Of course, this is also acidic with the addition of the coffee.
So what have I accomplished? To be continued - I have groceries melting on the kitchen counter.

Strawberries

This is the last of the toned paper paintings. I think it is a good exercise in negative painting, layering, and wet into wet mixing. However, I just don't like painting on an underpainting instead of sparkling white paper. I know some people like to paint the background first, but then there is no way to retrieve the sparkle that only white paper gives you.

The mat around the painting is an old mat cut into two pieces that I use for cropping. For some reason it is easier to tell if a painting is finished when there is a mat around it. It also helps us see what else the painting might need at the edges - and where the edges should actually be. And sometimes, it just plain helps us get rid of the crummy parts of the painting. There is often some area in an "unsuccessful" painting that could really be a nice little painting. So make yourself some "croppers", pull out some of those old not-so-great paintings, and see if you can find some good little paintings.

Something New

Here are a couple of paintings I just finished up - I think. I always have to live with them for awhile to see how I really feel about them.
The smaller one is a little different for me. This week's classes are going to be working on toned paper, so I thought I would have a finished product to show them, and then I will demonstrate also. I did, more or less, random bands of primary colors, and then did the painting over the colors. The reason (ONE of the reasons) I like watercolor is because of the sparkling white paper, and there is no sparkling white paper in this painting. I could have masked out some white areas before I started with the under painting, but masking looks so . . . masked. Stencil-like.

These where done from some sketches that I posted awhile ago.

California Poppy

This California Poppy greeted me at the back door yesterday when I came home from running errands. My friend, Karen, had left it there "because it is your color". I LOVE California Poppies - the colors are so varied and the texture so papery, and the leaves and stems are so wispy.

I did this in my Moleskine with colored pencils, in my jammies, in bed.

Tomorrow I am holding a Tree Workshop from 10:00 to 4:00, so today I'm getting things ready - like running off some handouts and cleaning the bathroom! I have a good group lined up - it's going to be fun!

My first trip of the season to Willsons Greenhouse.

They don't have a lot of color yet, but, boy, did it smell good! Heliotrope, primrose, heat, and dirt. Wonderful!!!

If any of my students are reading this - this is our lesson this week. We'll be painting it with triads. I know at least one of you will hate these colors, and I think it will be fun to see this painted using your favorite triad.

I painted this in my Moleskine using watercolor, a little gouache, and a very little colored pencil.
I sat in the sun on the porch, but the girl at the greenhouse warned me to keep the flowers out of the sun ( I did). In fact when she saw my list of errands, she said, "You'd better take those home before you do those errands. They should not be in the hot car. And when you plant them, be sure they are on the north east side." Hmmmm, so that's what has happened to all my other primrose.

Sketching Outside

Is it Spring yet?
Yesterday was a wonderful day to sit outside sketching with friends . At last the grass is green! It happened, literally, over-night. That green grass, a few little blue flowers, and the sunshine get us all excited to get out there. I am not quite as excited to get out there and clean up all the winter debris in the garden, but it'll be okay. We were sketching in a friend's garden, and she had done a MUCH better job with her Fall clean-up than I had. I somehow feel more ambitious about cleaning up the garden when there is promise in the air - not when there is snow in the air.

We had a great time comparing sketchbooks, pens, brushes, all kinds of colored pencils . . . cookies.

This is a quick little sketch in my Moleskine, done in watercolor with my water brush. I'm getting used to it - I am determined to like it - it is SO convenient.

Crocus

This is the first crocus I have seen in our yard this spring.
What a beautiful day here today - very warm for April - a little over 70 degrees! It felt soooo good to be out there.

This is done in my Moleskine sketchbook with watercolor, gouache, and a Pitt pen. The pen was really too fat for this little drawing, so I washed over it with white gouache to tone it down a bit.

Ice on the Bay

"Release your ego's desire for perfection" Danny Gregory

I am even releasing my pride by posting this for the whole world to see (don't I wish). It was a sunny day, and I could see from my windows that the ice had broken up on the Bay and the water was very blue. I painted this in the car, with my water brush, my little tiny tin of watercolors, some white gouache, in my Moleskine, and my feet were wet (that's another story - you won't have to hear it) . I am not real comfortable painting in the car. I don't like my water brush. Maybe I'm just not used to it. My tiny tin of watercolors is a little awkward - I can't tell what I'm mixing because I don't have a white mixing area. I am not at all used to working with gouache, and I'm still getting used to the Moleskine paper. But all in all, I really had a good time! I didn't come away with a great sketch, but I did come away with the satisfaction of being able to go down there by the water and spend some time doing what I love to do in the wonderful place we live in and just be a part of nature that is bigger than life. How fortunate I was to be able to record that in my way.

Sketches

I've been working on sketches - getting some compositions ready for painting. I am going through my watercolor journals, trying to refine the compositions ("refine", meaning make them OK, half-way decent) and do larger paintings of them.

I can't seem to get the lower right sketch to work out. The path leads us straight into the center of the page, to the center of the house that's in the center of the page, that's . . . .

I'm still working on it.

Looking for color?!

These little sketches were done as an experiment using markers and colored pencils. I read somewhere about someone using markers for the base colors and colored pencils for the shading. Bright, huh! The colors, I mean - not the idea. Well, the idea isn't bad either.

I was using the kids' Crayola markers, which are, of course, very basic, bright colors. Someday I'll get some Prismacolor markers and give it a try. Someday.

I didn't do these recently, but I was looking through my sketchbooks for COLOR - it is gray and icy and snowy here and I'm sick of it! Well - this is Michigan - tomorrow could be 70 degrees.

Three Little Paintings

These are three little paintings for a friend. I thought I could talk myself into posting them as my "painting of the week" - Yes - OF THE WEEK. How do those people do a painting a day, you know the ones listed when you search for "a painting a day"!?!? Anyway I must admit that I only painted the upper one recently. The others I had done quite awhile ago for a friend and she wanted a third to go with them.

The reason I wanted to post them was so I could see that I had done something! I have been feeling bogged down and unproductive lately because I came across an old journal in which I had kept track of finished paintings, and I was SOOOOO productive. But now I am painting less, teaching more, sketching, planning, and experimenting more, and I like this better. I think my paintings are better, and the journey is a lot more enjoyable.

So, okay. I guess I'm alright. It's the Sunday night blahs - you know, I-Didn't accomplish-anything-but-I-didn't-enjoy-relaxing syndrome.

Color in my Moleskine

I am playing around with color again in my Moleskine sketchbook.

The page with the lamp and geranium was done using Pitt Brush Pens, colored pencils, and watercolor pencils, with just a damp brush to smush a little of the color around.
The fruit was done with watercolor, and as suggested in the comments on another Moleskine page, I used less water than usual and more pigment. Another suggestion in the "comments" was to use just a little soap on the brush. I am going to try that next.

I had intended to put in some shadows under the fruit, but the light changed, and we ate the fruit. Yes, I know - I am not above faking the shadows.

On The Back Porch

On The Back Porch

I am going to have to live with this for a few days to see if it is finished. I have been playing with it too long, and I am having trouble being objective. I posted the sketch awhile ago, and have been trying to get a lot of other things accomplished in the meantime.

This is a painting of the geraniums that I brought in when the first freeze of the Fall threatened. I sat out there on the porch this afternoon with a cup of coffee in the sunshine - first time this year. The storm windows are still closed and I didn't open the doors, but the sun felt wonderful. We will probably still get some snow, but everyday is a little sunnier.

The painting is a watercolor, about 16 X 22, on 300 lb. Arches paper.

Spools

I wanted to post this sketch because . . . well, because I have yet to finish a painting this week. Still working on last week's painting. But that's okay. I've been busy and it isn't all about the finished product anyway - it's the journey.

It has been a busy week. I have taught three classes, one all-day private lesson, shipped out some promo things, have worked on setting up the next session of classes and have committed to some summer workshops and I need to narrow down those details for publicity etc. I had to digitally send a picture of a painting for a post card for a solo gallery show I will be doing this summer. I'm not sure how to do that, and I was a little worried about how it looked at the other end of cyber space, but the graphics designer for the gallery emailed and asked for the dimensions and title of the painting. She didn't ask for the dimensions and title of my crummy, fuzzy, huge-pixeled painting, so I guess it was okay. I spent some time painting with a couple of friends, and was a spur of the moment babysitter one day. . . . I made a pass through the second hand shops, but I have found my bargain of the year - a fabulous lamp for TEN BUCKS. Maybe I should have been working on that painting instead of looking for a bargain.

Oh, this sketch of wooden spools - it is done with number 6 and 9 drawing pencils and white Prismacolor pencil on Aquabee Bogus Rough sketch paper. I had my drawing class doing this subject this week, and they really hung in there (for two hours) and did a beautiful job! After they left, I worked on it a bit, but I just couldn't do it for two hours. That paper is fun. It is a different experience to think of the paper as the middle value - still working on that concept. As rough as the paper looks, it takes pencil or ink surprisingly well.

Backporch Sketch

I AM WORKING ON IT. I had hoped to have a new painting to post today, but I am still working on it. In the meantime I will post the sketch I am using as reference.
For some reason the painting is going slowly. Yes, that's right, it's the painting's fault.
I just can't seem to get as gutsy (spell checker says "okay" to gutsy!) as I need to with the values - lights and darks, contrasts. The door frames need to be pretty dark because of the light behind them, and the shadows on the floor need to be very dark.
Tomorrow I'll get gutsy.

Drawing Class. This afternoon my drawing class did contour drawings of bookcases and all the STUFF in them. They all did a beautiful job, and I wish I had their drawings to post here. This is one that I did. It is on Bogus Rough Sketch Paper.
It looks and feels very rough, but a fine Pitt Pen feels pretty good on it - not scratchy and it doesn't feather. I had it spiral bound with some very smooth, creamy drawing paper.
The class ended a few minutes early, they were all pretty tired after two hours of contour drawing. I figure if my drawing class doesn't go home exhausted, I haven't done my job. I'm pretty tired too.

This painting is watercolor on clayboard. I have done this scene previously as a sketch and as a small study. This isn't very large either - 8 X 10 on cradled textured clayboard. I took a picture of it at this angle so it would show the side of the "cradle". It is just a piece of flat "masonite" or hard-board with a textured coating, and is "boxed in" on the back. The advantage, to me, is that when the painting is finished, it's finished, ready to go. It doesn't need a mat, glass, or frame. AND it's fun to paint on.

I am posing here in black and white with my colored pencils - I was probably about five years old. They were wonderful - the nice, rich colored, waxy kind. I wouldn't use crayons, in fact I actually felt sorry for the kids that didn't know the pleasure of owning a big set of beautiful pencils. I have never been a colored pencil artist, but those "sticks" of wonderful colors are nice to have in my life. You can still buy these (and I do) in sets or individually.
My bike, my doll house, and my colored pencils were the outstanding possessions of my childhood. I don't care for bike riding anymore (we live up a hill!), my doll house is in the attic, but my colored pencils are still with me! I just bought a couple sets of Pitt Brush Pens - very colorful - and like the pencils, they are just nice to look at whether I am using them or not. Of course, using them is what it's all about.
Look at those bangs!

Just finished this watercolor. It is an 11 X 15 of another Mackinac Island Street. Can you tell I am thinking summer? Other paintings of Mackinac Island are here and here. The thought of going to Mackinac Island right now is chilling - literally. You wouldn't catch me driving a snow mobile across the straits on the ice. Well, I don't own a snowmobile, but. . .
Today I am starting an 8 X 10 watercolor on clayboard. It is a larger version of a scene I posted previously.

And Speaking of Color . . .
(Which I was in the previous post)

This is another sketchbook page with some drawings of the little Altoids Chewing Gum Tin paint palette that I made. I just fastened in some empty half-pans and filled them with tube paints. Don't ask me why it has to be this small - just 'cause. This isn't original, I saw it someplace on the web, and now I am seeing all kinds of small containers being used. The half-pans aren't that easy to find - I found these at Daniel Smith, but in a larger city they might be available at art supply stores.

Okay. I need to post something. I want the whole world to know I have been working. Yes, I want the whole world to know, but I will settle for the few people that visit here daily.
This is my first sketch in my new Moleskine (mole-a-SKEEN-a) sketchbook. I am still trying to find the best way to get color on the pages. They are pretty slick and watercolor beads up. Colored pencil and watercolor pencil work pretty well, but . . .

A Summer Still Life. This was actually a summer set up for a class. I started the painting as a demo, but I rarely finish demos in class because I don't want to cut in on the participants' painting time. I will get things started and then do demonstrations as needed and requested. So - I lived with this for a few months, concentrating on it every now and then, trying to determine what to do with the background. I have a little streptocarpella (!!!) plant blooming and it seemed like the perfect thing to just kind of fill in that middle space. I set up the pots, bowls, etc. again and finished it up with some stronger shadows and the little purple plant. Even though it is a still life very much like I would do in the winter, it brought back the bright feeling of summer and the wonderful group of talented women in the Thursday morning summer class. This was actually set up "in the round" on a table outside.

My mind is going a hundred miles an hour. Think how much one misses at that speed! Some people consider winter in Northern Michigan "down time", but I think of it more as breathing room. However, I am beginning to hyperventilate. There are so many things I want to do - such as update my bio, keep up with my financial database, get a new batch of notecards printed up, finish a decent sized painting per week, do a couple of small paintings per week, draw every day, get things lined up for summer so there are no surprises or missed opportunities (heaven forbid), do two workshops this winter, etc. . . I'm sure you get the picture. I'm sure you are all going through the same thing in one way or another - or several ways.

With all this, there is still a calm and peaceful feeling about this time of year. I have always liked winter in this area because of the low expectations. In the summer you are expected to do whatever it takes to get things done in the very short season, and it gets crazy ( I LOVE that craziness). In the winter everything moves at a slower pace and you never know when you might be snowed in.

What's my point? There is none. But I am working on the paintings, I am drawing every day, I am teaching three classes a week. Having said that, I guess I had better show you a painting per week, and I will post a drawing now and then. I have a stack of some pretty bad drawings, but I do have a stack. I have been giving myself permission to do bad drawings with a fat pen. I just want to keep that pen moving. I want to get that drawing information into my brain, and it slows things down for awhile so I can breath normally again.

Mackinac Island

We have some new, fresh snow, very cold. A good day to be working on this painting from a sketch I did on Mackinac Island in the summer. Sometimes when I have spent the night - or several - on the Island, I can still hear the clomp of the horses hooves and hear the buoy bells at night in my own bed after I return. So . . . okay, don't tell anybody that.

This is a watercolor, 11 X 15. It is the view of the walk back toward town from Mission Point Resort. I just love the old trees along here.

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If you like watercolor, sketching, keeping a journal, or just escaping from everyday life for awhile, I think you'll enjoy the book. If it doesn't inspire you to paint or journal, I hope it encourages you to relax!

For Illustration Friday
February 10th.

I set this apple out as a very SIMPLE subject for my watercolor students to paint using various triads. When the class left, I sketched it using just pencil. The leaves were brownish green and dry. I think they look like they could twirl and the apple would take off.

I have had the desire lately to use a larger brush (a #38 round) and just splash around in some juicy colors. I had been working on some small things, so when a friend came over to paint yesterday with this still life, I decided to do some watercolor on gessoed paper. Gesso is a canvas primer, and when watercolor paper is painted with it, it resists the water, causing the pigments to float on the surface until it has dried. It is very forgiving - the good news and the bad news. If you aren't happy with some part of the painting, you can just wipe it off and paint it again. However, when you go over an area with subsequent layers, the previous layers of pigment are disturbed or lifted.

It's a good way to use up paper you don't like, or even paint over old paintings you don't ever want to see again.

This is a small painting of our back door that will frame up 8 X 10. I did it from a sketch I had done a couple of years ago. The original sketch (far left) was done in ink and colored pencil.

I'm going to package up the matted painting, a box of my notecards, an autographed copy of my book, and a hand painted bookmark as my donation to The Women's Resource Auction to be held later this month.

I find that I am always much happier with the paintings I do (large or small) from sketches rather than photographs. My sketches have captured only what I want and are already simplified. They are ready and waiting to become paintings.

This is my first time participating in Illustration Friday.
The subject this week is chairs - one of my all-time favorites. This is a small painting that was originally done in my watercolor journal and then used as an illustration in my book, A Petoskey Watercolor Journal.

SPOONS
For some reason I am currently fascinated with the drawing, foreshortening, and shading of spoons.

When we were doing small personal still lifes in my watercolor class, one of my students always brought in a spoon to place with her other objects. She either didn't know how hard they are to render or she was confident of her skills. Whichever the case, she did a beautiful job with them.

So - I guess that's what got me interested in spoons. I plan to study them for awhile, hopefully move up to something fancier!

I am offering a drawing class beginning Feb. 14th, '06.

Finished, I think.
Here is the painting I did from the sketch I posted back on January 5th.

This is a sketch I did with Koh-I-Noor Gioconda Artists' Lead and watercolor.
I set up this simple little still life with a painting friend using the cardboard box idea again. I really don't have that down, and I can't find the website where I read about it. Well, whether we are doing it right or wrong, it does add some extra drama to the lighting.

Another painting friend gave me these leads and the holder - they are big fat leads that go in a big fat holder. Not knowing that it is water soluble, I did the sketch on lightweight sketchbook paper. Being a watercolor painter, I just couldn't keep my hands off those brushes - had to see what a little water would do with the lead. So, of course, then I had to add a little color. It was fun, although I don't feel it is a good finished product. If I were to get serious about the combination of Gioconda Lead and watercolor, I would use Arches 140 hot press (smooth) watercolor paper.

But it isn't all about a finished product. It's about experimentation, planning a little (sometimes a lot), discovery, excitement, satisfaction in the moment. The journey - it's all about the journey.

Happy New Year!
I have been away from the blog awhile. Which also means I haven't painted in awhile, but hey, we all need a break now and then to refuel our creativity, right? If not painting for awhile refuels one's creativity, then why is it so hard to get started again? Trust me - the secret to being productive and creative is to keep the momentum going - not taking a break. But I must say here that the break was FUN - lots of family around, and that was wonderful!

So here I go! The thought of winter still lifes can be rather boring and non-inspiring, but I think we have to realize it is the lighting, colors, and composition that make it fun - not just the objects. Maybe not even the objects at all. We have all done oranges and pears. This white pitcher has been in my paintings previously. For something new - I found the tall skinny bottle at a second hand shop recently, and a friend that knows I love anything with blue and white stripes just brought me the dish towel. What I am finding compelling about doing this painting is the lighting. I set it up in a cardboard box and angled a bright light on it. I did this sketch so I could see just the strong values (lights and darks) - they are harder to spot with a colorful palette in front of you and in the "frenzy" of painting. Besides, I may eat some of the fruit for my lunch.

I'll keep you updated on the progress of the painting. It isn't going to be very large - a quarter sheet (11 X 15).

Finished and shipped!
I started this in the Fall, but since it wasn't the only thing I was trying to finish or prepare for, it didn't get done for quite awhile. Since the clients need it for Christmas, it has been the current thing on my agenda. In a couple of previous posts I showed the beginning stages of this painting.

It is almost my last painting commitment before Christmas. All I have left is to pack up some cards that someone is picking up tomorrow. That, of course, isn't a painting commitment - it's just a little chore.

My two watercolor classes are doing great! We have been working on "personal still lifes" (or is it lives). Everyone brings in a few objects (or goes around my house and studio picking up a few things) and sets them up in a pleasing arrangement in front of them. They've been working on composition and working in a comparatively large scale on a small piece of paper - filling the paper and running off the edges. They are all coming up with some great shapes and textures - nice little paintings!

Now I will begin to relax and get started on family Christmas preparations. Well - I don't know about the "relax" part - it is December 15th after all and we haven't done the tree and my shopping is barely started and. . . . It is all fun stuff. It'll be fine.

This is the view from my studio window this morning,
Tuesday, Dec. 6th.

I had a nice surprise in my in-box this morning - a student informed me that she had forwarded my blog to http://www.jmgartblog.com/ and there in the Nov. 14th entry was one of my paintings and a nice review of my blog! It even mentioned my book. Thanks!!!

I am still working on small paintings. I read on someone's blog a day or so ago that quantity can lead to quality. Makes sense - practice makes perfect. Keep those pencils and/or brushes moving!!!


Last Friday I met with some friends to paint, critique, look at art books, and just see what we have all been working on. Of course we ate some muffins, lunch, chocolate . . .

There are two things that I just can't stress enough: one - have a space of YOUR OWN for doing your art - a place where you can leave it out. If you have to put it away every time you eat or someone is coming over, you will not get it out again! If you can leave it out, it will "call" to you, and you will be ten times more creative. Even if it is on a little cart that you can push out of the way, have it ready and waiting. The other thing is find yourself a support group - or a "support friend" Someone you can paint with. Someone who validates what you do!!! I think this is true in all aspects of life, but ART is what I do, so that is where I want my support and validation.

Okay - that's my lecture for the day. I am starting a new watercolor class in the morning. I have a full class signed up and I'm rarin' to go. Hope they are too. Sometimes I have a little stage fright when I am doing a new class, but think how the new students must feel when it is their first watercolor class! I'll be nice to them. Some of the students aren't new, but I'll be nice to them too.

I have been working on some very small paintings for the past couple of days. These are about 4 X 6 watercolors, matted 8 X 10. They are fun to do and go very fast. Makes me feel like I am really accomplishing something - especially if the mats are already cut. AND the fact that I need some small things for Christmas sales. . . .

Now back to unfinished work.
Awhile ago I showed you the sketch for a commission I am working on. I put it aside to work on a few other things, but I thought you might be interested in seeing the progress - slow but sure.
Besides, whether you are interested or not - it makes me feel accountable to think someone MIGHT be watching.

The owners of the cottage think it feels a little menacing, hovering up on that hill, so I have changed the horizon line a little to bring our viewpoint up. I wanted to keep the hill - just not quite as steep.

Another Finished Painting!
This is a View of The Straits from Mackinac Island. It's a half sheet (15 X 22) watercolor.

Finally - I have something to post! I have just finished this half sheet watercolor.




I worked from photographs, a watercolor journal sketch, and then a pencil sketch to work out the values (lights and darks) and the composition.

I thought you might be interested in seeing these, so I posted them also. As you may be able to see from the photograph, I made quite a departure from the original scene. Well, maybe not so much from the scene as the overall mood. I took the photo and did the journal painting in the evening because I was very attracted to the lighting and the "feel" of the place at that time of day. However when I began to work on the sketch for the final painting, I really started thinking summer - just really didn't want to let it go yet, I guess, and I wanted to show more water. Maybe someday I will do it again and try to capture the evening mood of it, but for now I am very happy with the sunshine and blue-green water of a summer afternoon.