A Feast for the Eyes [and Some Inspiration, Too]

   Like all artists, I am constantly seeking to improve my art. As a result, I frequently [as time permits] search the internet for "how-to's",  and other artists' sites. Very recently, upon googling "Asian watercolors", I discovered the work of Myoe Win Aung. He is an artist from Myanmar, born in 1972, and shows his work mostly in Rangoon and Singapore. [The Singapore Watercolor Society is also an interesting site] Unfortunately, I found no web site, so I have collected some of his work here to show you. Pleas let me know what you all think of his art.

A Brief Update

The BrunZ

At a suggestion from a "follower"

I had originally thought to do a study on white only. At the suggestion of a "follower", Nil Catalano, I added a soft and natural-looking background for a horse. I think it improves the overall appearance. I must admit to being a quite impatient person, and as a result, I do not take a painting to anywhere near its conclusion. I thank you, Nil, for your advice. And for my readers, a visit to Nil's blog is definitely time well spent. He creates the most wonderful sketches and beautiful, fluid watercolors! His site is www.nilcatalano.blogspot.com

I think this is as far as I will go with this.
Bruno: a study    7 x 7 inches

Great Weather ... GREAT Day!

Japonica in bloom, in front of the pond

The two willows at far side of pond

Bruno, enjoying a munch of fresh grass

My home-made covered kitty-litter box

Daffodils in full bloom

My dear land-lady, Pat, trying to get Buddy to "smile" for a photo

Bruno, on the lower back lawn, in front of riding ring and barn

Wild violets in bloom

I didn't even know I had "paper-whites" in my garden.
They have such a beautiful perfume.

Very odd-looking photo of Bruno reaching, mouth agape, to scratch himself. 

Fruit trees in blossom. As I was taking this, Bruno
was taste-testing lower branches 

Grande Finale - burning off the old, inedible hay

Fire Marshall Bruno

     FINALLY ... we are getting some spring-like weather here on the "Wet" coast. It wasn't a particularly cold winter, but SOOOOO long.

   With the bright, almost-warm weather, I got a lot done the last two days. From the top of the page downwards ... I made a covered litter box for Miss Pumpkin, who is most zealous when she uses the facilities. I took one of the plastic storage bins from the barn, cleaned it up, and, after measuring Pumpkin, cut an opening in one of the narrow ends. She loves it, and I don't have litter and other bits all over the bathroom.

   I took some photos of Buddy, in an attempt to get some references for a portrait. Pat [owner] adores him, and he worships her, so I'd very much like to do a painting that reflects that love.

   I rode the lad. It had been over three months, what between wet, soggy conditions, and me getting over a few infirmities. But yesterday, my trainer/friend, Rhonda,  came over to help. She suggested I use my old dressage saddle with a fleece half-pad underneath. It seemed to fit and work well, [Bruno will let us know if he finds it uncomfortable over time] and I was very happy to be using that saddle. I've been riding him with an equitation saddle, and when one is used to a dressage saddle, it's like riding with no saddle. The dressage one is like a big, comfy easy-chair. And Bruno went very well, much more attentive and willing to communicate. I think he's liking his role as a saddle horse.

   At the end of the day, I decided to finish off burning the old inedible hay. Here in the country, one is allowed to purchase a burning permit, valid for a month. This is done in April and September, when it is still quite wet, and there is no chance of a fire spreading out of control. So at 8 PM, I started cleaning out one of the hay storage areas, and hauling the old hay out to burn. I finally finished around 11 PM, and under the watchful eye of Fire Marshall Bruno, I made sure the fire was out.

      

Welcome to Venus - Ray Bradbury style

The BrunZ

Placed shadows 1st, then my fave animal colors - quin. burnt orange, and quin. violet

Keep building up with same pigments

Almost looking like a horse

More modelling

I just added the mane/forelock.
Looks like it needs more depth

Some quick sketches I did from photos on a friend's site
Peter, these are your birds. I tried for over an hour to find out what that big-footed bird is - I still don't know.

   I have only done a bit of playing around with pencil and brush today. The study of Bruno is on a 9 x 10.5 inch piece of Arches 140 lb. CP. I wanted to try putting down the dark cast shadows first, and then work the painting from there. It seemed to do well, but I felt very constricted working on something that small. I don't think I would make a very good "daily painter".
   The birds are based on photos from a friend's blog. He was out in "his" park the other day, where there is actually spring weather happening, and took some great photos.
   That brings me to Ray Bradbury and Venus. He wrote a superb book, "The Illustrated Man" [which was also made into a credible movie] The book was comprised of several short stories based on the tattoos on a man's body. One of the tales was about three  astronauts  trapped on Venus. This Venus had a breathable atmosphere, but it was CONSTANTLY raining so heavily that if you were outside without protective gear, you would more than likely go mad. OK, weird and extreme. [I loved it; I lived on science fiction when I was younger] To make a long story even longer, our weather here on the "Wet Coast"  definitely reminds me of that story.
   Cheers! And I hope you are having better weather wherever you are. Thank you for dropping by!!!

A Lovely Day on the Farm

SE corner of Bruno's field, showing small berm on other side of electric fence

THIS is what was catching his eye

Three young bucks, out for a late lunch

Really shedding out

One would watch me, & the other two would graze

Very calm & quiet

   I had just finished untacking the lad, and had let him loose in his paddock. He was VERY interested in one spot just outside his field. I looked, and there were three "somethings" out there. So I opened the gate to let Bruno out on the field, and then quietly wandered out myself. I got part way to the other end, and thought I saw deer. So I quietly turned around and went back to the house to get my camera. 

   I slowly meandered again across the field, pretending not to look at the deer. Even so, they started to leave their grazing spot, and move away from me. I carefully kept on, then crawled through he electric fencing, and climbed the low berm. The deer were unsure. I sat down, and hoped they would take me as a "friendly"; they did!  I was up there, quietly taking photos, and just watching them for about half an hour. At one point, two of the bucks reared up, and had a bit of a fisty-cuffs .. all in play. [I've seen kangaroos do so, but never deer.]

   It was a glorious day, made all the more so by being permitted to enjoy the presence of the deer.

Old Stomping Grounds ... or ... This One Is Not Going Any Further

The Old Stomping Grounds
10 x 15.5 inches

    The painting above, I did about eight years ago. It is loosely based on a painting done even further back in time, by a woman artist from Vancouver. I never "copy", but the scene was SO well-known to me; I grew up very near here, and spent over thirty tears in the area.
   The scene is of an old store, a combination corner store and meat market. The convenience store [that term was not even in use in those days] was right across the street from the local high school, Magee H.S., and was usually packed with kids on school days. The butcher shop next door was small but well-supplied. The wooden floors were sprinkled with fresh cedar shavings. Most of the men who worked there were fond of dogs, and the neighborhood dogs were certainly LOVED of the store.  At least once a week, a pack of the local hounds would descend on the meat store and wait outside. Then came the treats, and you would see dogs heading for home with their goodies. I remember watching our family dog, Heathcliff [the name was from Wuthering Heights - I was very dramatic as a teenager] struggling for home, with a bone the size of his head.WOW ... he scored!!!
   When I did my interpretation, I placed all our family dogs in the foreground - from left to right, it's Ben [a rescued Bernese mountain dog] Heathcliff [or St. Heathcliff as he is remembered, a whippet/cocker spaniel cross] Ripley [another saint of a dog] and the boxer sisters [Lucy and Desi] Lucy and Desi are the only ones still with us, and they are doing very well, and are quite pampered.
  

Starting re-do - 14 x 21 inches
Painting simply, back to front.

I got this far before I saw my mistake; as usual, it's a drawing error.
The small diamond-shaped window is off center.

In 2 stages, I used masking tape, and then gently scrubbed with Magic Eraser.
I thank John Salminen for his video on removing unwanted color.

Cleaned up, and thin glaze of aureolin applied.

Phthalo green [yellow shade] applied.

Lighting Effects & iPhoto Are Making Me Crazy [ or Crazier than Usual]

I think I left off here - darkened left [in photo] of neck

Same stage, different lighting 

Last three photos are at same stage today, with outdoor light, but different adjustments in editing.

   

No editing, other than cropping

   Miss Carmella is coming along very, very nicely; I am quite pleased with the portrait. But I find myself very frustrated with the editting; the bright colors [tip of collar, and dog tag] seem to appear true to the original image. The "animal" colors just do not do  the painting justice. Ah, well ...

  I e-mailed the painting image to a friend and fellow artist, Deborah Strong, as she also does a lot of animal portraiture, in colored pencil. She is the same woman who held the silk painting class last week. On her recommendation, I darkened the tongue, closest to the upper lip [do dogs have lips?] And I darkened the pinks near her flews and the gums and teeth. I glazed a bit more warmth into the eyes with quin. burnt orange and quin. violet. I'd like to get the chain done today sometime, and then put it aside for a day or two before really critiquing it. But I also would love to spend some time with Bruno today; I left him to his own devices on Wednesday, and Thursday I had to go to work.

   As always, all comments and criticisms are most welcome!!! Thank you all!