This collage shows all but my first painting, which was pretty awful. Happy to have completed this challenge! :)
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Collage--30 Paintings in 30 Days, January 2015
This collage shows all but my first painting, which was pretty awful. Happy to have completed this challenge! :)
Friday, January 30, 2015
Flower Garden (Day 7--out of order!)
Day 7 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Watercolor, 6"x6". I was behind in the challenge in the first week, and somehow totally missed #7! So I'm adding it now. I love the summer garden--hollyhocks, sunflowers, roses, clematis, and lots of annuals. But I'm getting less and less interested in planting it all, and the upkeep! So each year my garden gets a little less colorful. Now my husband is eyeing all the garden space for veggies. I did that for a while--I'm glad he's taking a turn at it. ;)
This painting is SOLD!
Wisteria Again
Day 30 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge! Watercolor, 4"x4". Another try at wisteria. I have a long way to go to get the look I want. I have enjoyed experimenting with watercolors, and look forward to doing more and improving.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Color Riot
Day 29 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Watercolor, 4"x4". Colorful bouquet of flowers--trying to do more color blending and stay loose. Tiny steps.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Think Spring!
Day 28 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Watercolor, 6"x6". Spring here is so amazingly beautiful with the flowering cherry trees, the azaleas, and the daffodils and tulips. Seems far away right now. Still some winter to go. The Northeast just got hit with a bad blizzard. Hope there aren't a lot more of those coming this year.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Icicles
Day 27 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Watercolor, 6"x6". Icicles! They're pretty, especially with the sun shining on and through them. Brings back fun memories of my Michigan childhood, but I'm happy to be in Georgia now where we don't see too many icicles. An icicle story--in Michigan, in the 60's and before, rhubarb was grown in the winter in hothouses. These were low structures that were kept warm partly with an insulation layer on the roof--which was usually manure. So the icicles on these hothouses were not clear, they were kind of brown! My husband's family called these "root beer icicles". :)
Monday, January 26, 2015
Pinwheel Palm Tree
Day 26 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Watercolor, 6"x6". My friend and pastel teacher, Karen Margulis, told us don't let your palm trees be too symmetrical, looking like pinwheels. I can't seem to get away from this habit, and will have to work on it!
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Weeping Willow Tree
Day 25 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Watercolor, 6"x6". I love weeping willows--we had four in our yard where I grew up. The branches are so pretty swaying in the breeze. The leaves are such a beautiful yellow-green in the spring. Brings back memories of lazy days by the river. We had a swing in one of our trees--my favorite getaway spot.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Motown Blues
Day 24 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Watercolor, 6"x6". I love Detroit! I was born there and lived there until I was six, when my family moved a little north and east on the St. Clair River. I have wonderful memories of Detroit, especially the Thanksgiving Day parade downtown, hosted by J.L. Hudson, the large department store. It was at Hudson's that we would go through "Toyland" on our way to see Santa. I remember outings to beautiful Belle Isle Park, where the conservatory was my favorite. Detroit has four sports teams, all with loyal fans. It was heartbreaking to see Detroit, and a lot of Michigan, go downhill with the downfall of the big automakers, all of which, thankfully, have recovered. It was sad to see the hits and artists of Motown fall out of popularity, with the Beatles and Rolling Stones and other British bands. Then on to hard rock, heavy metal, Disco, etc. Late 50's and early 60's is still my favorite music period. The good news is that Detroit is making a comeback--it will be different, but I hope it will be as beautiful and vibrant a city as it once was.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Purple Onion
Day 23 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Watercolor, 6"x6". Yikes, I really need practice on watercolor shadows. They're so much easier to do in oil. This poor onion is past its prime, but the green sprouts look so nice on it!
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Another Wildflower Riot
Day 22 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. 6"x6" Watercolor. Had to try being a little wild and crazy again, for more fun.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Wildflower Riot
Day 21 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days. 6"x6" Watercolor. I was ready for something loose and simple today--fun painting!
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Parrot
Day 20 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Watercolor, 6"x6". This guy was fun to paint--lots of fun colors!
Monday, January 19, 2015
Winter Sunset
Day 19 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days. Watercolor, 6"x6". This was a scene out our front door, over the housetops. Once again I used the American Journey Iridescent Watercolors--love the shimmer, which isn't very noticeable on the computer screen.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Ice Prisms in the Moonlight 6"x6" watercolor
Day 18 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. This is the other half of the paper I used on Day 14. This time a full moon and some color added to the "ice"--I used American Journey Iridescent watercolors for a little sparkle.
SOLD.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Goldenrod 6"x6" watercolor
Day 17 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. I love goldenrod in the fall--the beautiful bright golden yellow against the brilliant blue autumn sky. Some people think that goldenrod is the culprit in fall allergies--it's not! Ragweed is the thing that people are allergic to, but it's flower is small and insignificant and not easily seen, blooming at the same time as goldenrod. I had allergies for years, and there was always a poster in the different doctors' offices showing the difference between the two. So enjoy the beauty of goldenrod!
Friday, January 16, 2015
Chicory 6"x6" watercolor
Day 16 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Chicory is my favorite wildflower. It grows prolifically all up and down I-75 from Michigan to north Georgia. I've seen it in Virginia and North Carolina, visiting family, and in May I even saw it in Italy. In the midwest it literally grows like the weed it is. You see it along roadsides, where sometimes it is mowed down to a few inches high and it still blooms! Occasionally you'll see a white or pink variety, but the most common is blue, the prettiest blue I know. And it's where chicory coffee comes from. It's at its prettiest along the roadside and in fields, mixed with the white of Queen Anne's Lace. The blue is a real attention-getter, whether it's sunny or not.
This is the first time I've attempted to paint it. I'll have to work on finding the right blue. This one needs more contrast, I know. Both in the flower petals and in the negative space around it. I'll be trying again, in watercolors and oil and pastel.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Grapes 4"x4" watercolor
Day 15 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Halfway through! :) I did a wet-in-wet wash, let it dry, then painted the grapes and leaves. I like the overall effect, but need to work on grapes. These are too small. Next time!
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Good Night Ice, Good Night Moon 6"x6" watercolor
Day 14 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. I painted a blue wash on this watercolor paper, and put it wet into the freezer on a cookie sheet. Let it thaw, and the frost left a nice pattern. The colors are better than this shows--a lighter blue, and whiter windows.
SOLD
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Hay Barn 6"x6" watercolor
Day 13 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days. This barn is on Hwy. 127 in Tennessee, my favorite drive and place to get reference photos. It's not a busy road, and there are lots of cows, horses, donkeys, farms, mountains, pastures, wildflowers, etc! The only challenge is there are not many places to pull over to the side of the road, making it difficult to get pictures.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Wisteria 4"x4" watercolor
Day 12 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. I love wisteria but don't want it in my own yard--too hard to keep under control! Beautiful shades of purple, and sometimes you see a white variety. I tried to make this looser by putting color wet into wet, and letting it dry. Then I went back to my usual bad habit of tight controlled painting. Back to the easel!
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Under the Sea 6"x6" watercolor
Day 11 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. I used a paper that I had experimented on a while back. I brushed color on wet paper, then scrunched up plastic wrap on top, and let it dry. The many shapes reminded me of turtles and fish, so I went with that theme. Fun!Saturday, January 10, 2015
Waterlily Pond 4"x4". Watercolor
Day 10 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. This is not what I hoped for! Will try it again wet-in-wet and see how that turns out. Any suggestions?
SOLD.
Fall Road Trip 4"x4" watercolor
Day 9 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days. We took a trip in the fall through North Carolina and Virginia on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Beautiful scenery! We stopped at two Bed & Breakfasts along the way, and at the end of the Parkway we drove for a short distance in the Shenandoah National Park--more gorgeous views. We're enjoying exploring Virginia and North Carolina since our kids moved there. Both beautiful states.
SOLD.
Friday, January 9, 2015
Mr. Handsome 4"x4" watercolor
Day 8 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. I love colorful roosters, and it's fun to exaggerate the colors. Liking watercolor a little bit more each day.
This painting is SOLD!
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Vegetable Soup 4"x4" watercolor
Day 6 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. I've had this idea for Vegetable Soup for quite a while--think it will be better as a bigger painting in oil.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Three Poppies 4"x4" watercolor
Day 5 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge
Poppies drawn by hand--I feel I need the structure of the pen lines. Plan to try some looser paintings. I'm at home now and have more supplies--hope that will help!
SOLD.
Poppies drawn by hand--I feel I need the structure of the pen lines. Plan to try some looser paintings. I'm at home now and have more supplies--hope that will help!
SOLD.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Slate-Colored Junco. 4"x4". Watercolor
Day 4 in Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.
This is one of my favorite birds only seen in Georgia in the winter at our feeder--he shows up really
well in the snow.
I've been traveling, and look forward to getting back home in my studio, where I hope I'll have better results with more supplies, especially better watercolor paper.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Nurture. 4"x4" Watercolor
Day 3 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. This is in honor of our daughter-in-law's business, The Nurturing Turtle. It is a family healing center. We're so proud of her.
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