Painting ... Making Mistakes ... Hopefully Learning ...

I played with the background of the chickadees, using "sludge" colors. That's what I call sedimentary pigments, as they are heavy and cover almost everything else. But I must admit, they give a decent look here. I'll probably try these two again, after touching up the drawings and doing a proper value study.

And this cutie will be done, too.

I started this in class last Saturday. I like the mountains, and the sweep of the hills ...

... but somewhere I lost it. I don't think the green was a good idea.
 

I did a quick finish at home. I think oranges and yellows throughout the work, with some violet shadow would be a better plan. The class wanted to do a landscape, so I thought I'd try to paint something along the lines of the big painting I have to do with all the animals. The person who commissioned the work lives in a part of the States with dry, rolling hills, with tall and rough-looking mountains in the distance, so I tried a practice run on the background. 

This is what I am playing with right now. Again, it was something I started in class; this one is preparation for a larger painting. I need the bright colors, and  the  accommodation of flowers - they don't mind too much what you do with their shapes and colors in a painting.

Thank you for dropping by!!

The Contented Cow and Other Stories ... Works Finished, Works in Progress

I added a bit more shadowing to Missy, and gave her a spot on which to lie.  I took this photo in late morning bright sun, so it is somewhat washed out, even after increasing the overall saturation. But here she is ... finsk!

I finished the trio of goslings. 

I did this a few weeks ago, and liked the texturing, but not the overall composition so ...

... I am giving it another whirl.

I am still slogging away on the tugboats. I didn't like it, and couldn't decide why, and almost gave up to start again.  Then I tried playing with the format  - mostly the size [the tugs were lost].  If you look closely, you can see the pencil marks I made at the perimeter. I think it will be fine in a smaller format, and perhaps with a bit more saturation of color here and there.

And Batman was finally picked up but the purchasers, and taken to the framer.  My riding instructor and some of her students commissioned it for another [horse] trainer.

As for life in general, I am thrilled! One of my sister's friends manages a car dealership, and he found another car for me. I fell in love with it! It is a lovely graphite-colored Golf, and I am picking it up tomorrow.

Classes are going well - at least the watercolor class. I will also be teaching a drawing class, starting tomorrow. I have a rough outline, loosely based on the book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain". It's always something of a challenge teaching these classes, as I don't know what, if any, experience the students have had with art, and it is a bit demanding teaching something which comes to me quite easily. So I always plan for the absolute basics, and take it from there. Drawing tomorrow will be upside down, to dissociate the analytical/ verbal half from the holistic/creative side.

That's it for now. Thank you for dropping by!

Odds and Ends and Works-in-progress ...

I was asked to do a skateboard-themed painting for a local charity. So I came up with this work [and in record time for me!]. The colors are new gamboge, quin. sienna with a slash of phthalo blue.  It was a large piece - about 18 x 24 inches.

I've also been playing with these fungi this past week. I started with the "shrooms", using aureolin, new gamboge and quin. burnt orange. For the tree bark texture, I carefully sponged on water to give random texture, and then, onto the sponged spots, applied mixtures of quin. burnt orange, quin. violet and indanthrone.

More work on the mushrooms, using burnt orange.

I extended the tree shapes to create a vignette, and have been working on intensifying the tree bark in spots, as well as building up the depth in the fungi. This is a much smaller work - 12 x 8 1/2 inches.

I started teaching regular classes again this last Saturday. So again, my emphasis was on playing with the pigments in a wet-in-wet manner. I have found most people, when painting, want to stroke and stroke with their brushes on damp or dry paper, which essentially ruins the effect of watercolor. So my primary theme in every class is to encourage "playing" with the pigments on very wet paper. We had a very successful class in that respect. I had two of the students absolutely mesmerized, almost lost, touching their brushes to the paper and watching what happened as the paint moved on its own. It always rekindles my passion for this medium when I see people so blissfully lost in the beauty of the process, and then so happy with the results.
The above work is my demo start, and I think it's caught my eye - I'd like to see where this goes.

I've also started a large painting [18 x 25 inches] for my aunt. A friend of hers decided to move back to Toronto. So auntie wanted something reminiscent of British Columbia to send as a gift, and felt some tugboats lost in the coastal fog would be good. So here we go again ...

Thank you so much for dropping by! Hope you are all having a lovely end to your summer!

A "YES" for Voodoo ... Not Sure about the Farrier Scene

Voodoo is looking very Voodoo-ish, which is good. It's time to start a background - something darker at the edges and on the left side of the painting, mostly blues I think.

I painted a quick study for the background of the farrier painting ...

... then cut it out, and taped it over the open doorway.

I masked the edges [don't think I had to do that] and did some wet-in-wet washes to imply a field with trees in the distance. I really do not like how it looks. This morning, I wet the area, and lifted as much as I could. Whether it will improve with finishing the horse, and darkening the farrier, I don't know. I very much like the pose, with the two bums facing the viewer, but I don't think this does it for me. Maybe a smaller format, focussing more on the two figures??? What do you think?

Thank you all for dropping by!

IMPATIENCE - My Middle Name

Fairly detailed drawing to start ...

First thin, loose washes - quin. burnt orange, quin. violet and indanthrone. I had considered masking out the horse and farrier, but it's such a pain, and quite often leaves the paper roughened and discolored. 

More washes, a ground and a pair of jeans ...
It looks so dark when I am applying the paint, but then ... presto ... dries to almost nothing. I keep hearing the voice of a painting instructor years ago, commenting on my work  ... darker ... DARKER.   

Reference photo - Bruno and Scott, my farrier - two cute bums :)

I started this one at the same time [being somewhat bored and impatient with Voodoo's "progress"]

Not overly impressed with this either.
Once upon a time, I painted some attractive chickens. What happened? Am I too impatient?

Gave this to my sweet vet.

This was a commission for a neighbor. I ran into her yesterday - we were both out dog-walking. She told me she gets so many compliments on her painting.

And this one I love - bought for a song by my uncle's friend.

Feeling very antsy - impatient and frustrated with my painting lately.  I think I'll head out to the barn, and do some grooming and riding with the Big Guy.
My blog and gmail may disappear for a few days. I cancelled my Visa card. Someone helped themselves twice to my Visa account over the past two months. I wasn't going to re-instate the account, then realized my google accounts were not being paid. So I have re-applied for another account, but not sure when it will become active.

Thank you so much for dropping by!

A Tale of Two Dogs ... Drake and Miss P. Continued ...

I am still happy with how Drake is coming along.  I've darkened his chest a bit, and tied it in with the dark of the background. He looked a bit odd to my eye, being so narrow below, but he does have a narrow chest and long, lean legs.  I'll probably do that with the left side of the dog to imply a bit more shadow on his ruff and face. I also did a w/w wash of the top dark area of his face, first with a dilute black, and then while wet, with a more concentrated black to give a soft look to his fur. Not sure - is his nose is dark enough?

I am working on  the 6th or 7th version of Miss P. The background is pure and mixed washes of permanent rose, quin. burnt orange and indanthrone.

It was time to get some color on the scarf, so I could better judge how dark to go with the background. Seeing it now, I think a bit more indanthrone is in order. And I gave her  a personalized scarf with her initial on it.

Outside of painting, I have started teaching again. Still LOVING it!!! I spoke to the program director about setting up a drawing class, and she was agreeable to the idea - just have to write up a proposal.
And I still have a house full of hairballs inside, and a huge under-exercised hairball outside in the barn. The weather is a bit better, and the riding ring somewhat drier, so I get one or two rides a week. I can hardly wait till Spring!!!

Thank you so much for your visit!

Well ... It Seemed Like a Good Idea in Theory ...

looking cute ...

glazed with permanent rose ... still all right ...

glazed with indanthrone ... not bad ...

WHAT possessed me to try this, I don't know! I wanted to get more violet in the background, and also imply the look of confetti - a party atmosphere. I got very heavy-handed with the violet. And now I have to start this again. Chalk this one up to "live and learn"!!!

Started scrumbling with some dark browns and blacks for the background on Drake.

Finished scrumbling ...

... and then glazed with black. I am not thrilled with the effect the glazing created, and may have to do some lifting and scrumbling to get that rough look again.  Another start???
Well, I buggered one painting, and it is close with the second one, too. The problem with these two was that I didn't have a clear idea of what I wanted in the background, especially with Miss P. Drake isn't too bad, and may be salvageable, but I have to start the Westie again, with a much clearer mental image of what I want for a background.

Thank you so much for dropping by!

I Haven't Been This HAPPY Working/Playing with a Painting in Months!!!

I have started my second try at Miss P. I painted the background doing a w/w wash with permanent rose and quin. burnt orange, and then scrumbled with those colors and cobalt blue. Then I did another rough application with a violet made of indanthrone and pink. 

... quick bit of shadowing ...

... and now she is starting to look like the adorable dog she is!

I love expressing emotions in animals' faces. I painted this one, called "The Laughing Labrador",  several years ago for a good friend.

I love the expression she has here - another face full of happiness! Just began last night, with two washes of phthalo blue for the background, and am working on her face this morning. I have no idea what color to paint her scarf - I need it bright and sunny, but not overwhelming. Any ideas???

I really haven't been this excited and pleased with painting in months. But working on these two portraits is such a joy!Thank you so much for dropping by!