My Big Spring Break Project

Here is the other painting I'm working on.  Actually, Jim and I are working on this one together.  It's my mom's backyard fence, playhouse and the back of her house.  Pretty big canvas, isn't it?  We think we'll finish tomorrow, so I'll post the final outcome then.


 

Playhouse and Fence Before

Playhouse and Fence with Primer



 

A Little More Progress

I am the queen of scrubbing out watercolor mistakes.  I had to scrub out part of this and then added a little more.  Because this seemed complex to me, I thought I would try painting it in sections, but now I don't think that was a very good idea.  It's hard to tie it all together.  I'm going to finish this floral because I'm learning.  I'm posting what I've done so far.  I've got another painting on deck - a desert mountain scene.

 

WIP

This is going very slooooooooowly.  This is the bottom 1/4 of the painting.  I started it last weekend.

 

WIP - Not Yet Identifiable

I'm doing another lesson from the Birgit O'Connor book.  This one is 22"x20".  I was just going to take a photo for you, but Jim's camera didn't turn on when I opened it and I don't know anything about it, so I have to wait.  I was so proud of myself last weekend because I finally mastered getting the photos off the camera and onto the computer.  Jim used to do that for me, but I finally felt guilty enough to ask him to teach me how to do it myself.  I am a scanning queen, but  the painting is too big to scan.  I just wanted to let you know that I'm sticking with my lessons even if I don't have photographic proof.  At this point, you can't really tell what it is anyway:) 

I hope you had a fabulous weekend.  The weather here is perfect today.  The mockingbirds were singing all day.  The trees are budding, flowers are blooming and my mom brought over a freshly baked loaf of banana nut bread.  Does it get any better than that?

A Pansy!

I just completed my second painting with an imaginary Birgit O'Connor.  This is on 1/4 sheet 140 lb. Arches cold pressed paper.  It was a lot of fun.  I'm going to look through some of my books to see what lesson to do next weekend. 

 

I Have a Plan!

I really need to get back in the swing of watercolor and the best way to do that is to take a class.  The problem is that I don't have time to take a class right now.  Sooooo...what's the next best thing?  I'm going to use my watercolor books and start my own personal, private class in my studio (which I like to call my art room - it makes me feel like a kid).  Yesterday and today were my first days in class.  It's not quite as much fun as being in class with a bunch of other students, but it's still fun.  This lesson was from Watercolor in Motion by Birgit O'Connor.  I painted a half sheet on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper.  Next weekend, I'll paint flowers, maybe with Birgit or maybe with Philip Jamison:)  I wrote to Philip Jamison years ago to see if he was teaching workshops.  He wasn't, but he sent me a lovely postcard with one of his paintings on it when he replied.  I love his work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Would Like to Be...

I would like to be the kind of person who would inspire a quote like this, "You didn’t have to be in a room with John to feel his kindness and his wild self. He’d often check in with family and friends on the phone, and unless it was sad news, the occasion of his call always brought a great blast of joy."  This is a quote from Noel Hanlon about his friend John O'Donohue.  Imagine bringing a great blast of joy to someone...  Today is the first time I read a poem by John O'Donohue.  I will read more.  Do you read poetry?  Whose writing do you enjoy?  I love Mary Oliver's poetry and I believe I'm going to love the poetry of John O'Donohue.