KALEIDOSCOPE

Today marks my 400th post on this blog. Yeah! Thanks to Rhonda's encouragement, this blog was begun in October, 2007, over 784 days ago ..... intended to be a record of my art journey to share with grand kids and family. When it was started, little did I know of all the wonderful connections we bloggers would make together.

Posted today is a kaleidoscope of some of my own favorite paintings which have already been seen here over the past two years, not in any particular order at all. This journey is so much fun. Thank you all for visiting here, for the positive feedback and helpful suggestions. What an extraordinary journey we share!

BRUSH ONLY

This portrait was the my quick demo for the portrait workshop - done without any drawing on the paper. You HAVE to be in your right mind to do this well, since it's all about seeing shapes accurately, capturing their values and creating the kind of edges each shape has.

Of course, the purpose wasn't to make a masterpiece or even a presentable work of art. The purpose was to SEE better so we can paint better.

My hope was to have a somewhat human form when I was done, and I was happy that it turned out as good as it did, looking a whole lot like young Paige. That doesn't always happen, especially in a quick demo.

Try it. It's a great warm up exercise - less than 15 minutes time - about 14 x 19" with only Quinacridone Burnt Orange Watercolor (or whatever single color you like,) water, and a large synthetic round brush.

MINOR CHANGES

Making changes in a painting when it's nearly completed must be done slowly and carefully. One or two strokes of the brush can make a BIG difference - or ruin the freshness of a watercolor. Stepping away from the painting frequently helps me see how much more needs to be adjusted. In fact, when a painting is nearly finished, it's common for me to paint only two or three strokes before stepping back to check the progress.

These little Tufted Tit Mice visit our feeder often and are delightful creatures. The earlier unfinished painting, below, has now been lightened in some areas, and more twigs and a bit more foliage have been added to help move the eye through the painting. The top inch of the painting was cropped, too, to 'set' the birds higher on the painting.

The colors are very high key for me - especially for a painting on YUPO. Normally I paint with stronger colors, so I'm battling with myself not to add darker values. The textures add an effective and subtle touch to the home of these feathered friends.

Time to head to the studio and paint .... after I feed the birds. Let me know if you have suggestions for further changes.

"VISITORS" Transparent Watercolor with Graphite and Charcoal on YUPO 18 x 14" COLLECTED

FLOCKING TOGETHER

Today we give special thanks for our many blessings as families across America enjoy this special day commemorating the fledgling days in our nation's history. Many will be feasting on turkey, dressing, and the works as well as watching a lot of football on TV.

These turkeys are part of the flock of ten that will grace our dinner table as our whole family gathers together again. Jillian, Paige, and Ty created them so well. Aren't they delightfully fun - just a 'little' glue, some feathers, felt, googly eyes, and 2" clay pots with wooden balls glued on top. The idea came from our REMC electric consumer magazine - many thanks.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to each of you!

TALKIN' TURKEY

Grandkids are such a blessing, and we have a nine year old and three six year olds who love to make art in the studio. This weekend, Ty decided he had to make a really BIG turkey and wanted a big piece of paper. The first masterpiece shown here is his, and it's 18 x 24". Isn't that huge bird just gorgeous with all those exquisite feathers!?! Awesome.

Paige's turkey shows her natural talent at making a fashion statement - on a turkey! She is very creative, especially with the way she made those incredible feathers float so gracefully around the turkey. She told me that I get to keep the painting, and I'll treasure it forever.

Jillian's turkey has the bluest eyes, just like hers, and the colors on each feather are so intense and striking. I love that smile, too. Notice the clever way she wrote her name. What a marvelous painting!

Brant gave me his art paper sculpture of a Native American Indian that he made at school. It will be part of our Thanksgiving decorations, too, and is already hanging above the table for everyone to enjoy.

Before these turkeys were created, the six year olds also made our place setting decorations for the holiday table. They'll be posted tomorrow. I just love children's art!

SOARING

This weekend, hawks seemed to be on every fence post and telephone wires. I saw several Red Tail Hawks soaring on the wind currents, too. It's always a thrill each time I see one.

Here's an updated version of the Red Tailed Hawk that I painted earlier this year on YUPO. The tree was brought more into focus to anchor the foreground of the bird, and a few lights and darks were adjusted, too. The hawk's shoulder was emphasized to show that he had his back to us, and the extra branches and twigs added the needed detail to the painting.

Below is the earlier painting before these changes, and you can see that the final one has been cropped a little. YUPO is incredibly fun to paint on because anything goes - including being able to easily adjust and change areas. I do love its versatility and the way that it continues to challenge me creatively. It's like it has a life of its own!

"SEARCHING" Transparent Watercolor on YUPO 14 x 18"

ARTIST TRADING CARDS SET #5

These are the final nine cards of my five sets of cards from my weekly classes this past year. I smile each time I pass them in the studio. Every card is unique, some done by professional artists, some by people who haven't been painting that long. Each is a small but glorious treasure. Thank you for painting them and sharing them.

ATC SHOWCASE #4

Teaching others about making art is one of the very best 'jobs' in the world as far as I'm concerned. Yesterday the Queen City Artists Club held a mini morning workshop to learn more about YUPO. The group worked, no, actually played, with watercolor on YUPO with great results. Watching what each unique artist created was exciting for me.


These ATC cards from some of the artists in my weekly classes show great variety of subject matter, style, and technique. Each artist approaches a bigger painting with that same uniqueness. Can't wait for class to get here this morning!

SHOWCASE TRADING CARDS

Here is the third set of five of the artists' trading cards in the studio. The unique style of each artist is evident even in a painting so small. This photo does not do them justice at all...my apologies to the artists.

SHOWCASE #2

This group of trading cards again shows the diversity of styles and techniques each artist used. The cards are small - a little over 2x3." Each artist who gave me a card received one of mine, too, and I did some of them on YUPO with fluid acrylics:-) Painting small is not my style at all, so this was challenging.

There will be more to see in the next post, but now it's time to finish up the details before the portrait workshop here on Saturday and Sunday. Have a good weekend.

SHOWCASE #1

Over the past year, each of my weekly classes decided to create Artists Trading Cards, sharing them with the other artists in their class. The posts over the next several days will showcase the cards, although they are not necessarily arranged according to which class made them.

The mats came precut from Art Supply Warehouse in North Carolina. These make a great addition to my studio walls and are inspiring. I love the diversity of style and techniques used. Each artist trading card is unique, just like the artist who made it.

I will treasure these forever! More to come tomorrow.