color pop

Acrylic painting on canvas

-it was an experiment-

Let me tell you the process

This began as a photo transfer - which failed.

I was rushing it and rubbed most of the image completely off.

My next step was to attack it with paint.

I painted the grass and shadow background in the aboriginal style of Australia which I LOVE so much.

For the dog, I very carefully painted over the image (which was mostly intact) in a paint by numbers style. By that I mean that I limited myself to 4-5 colors and worked dark to light in distinct sections without blending. I left the eyes alone because they were a good transfer and I knew I'd really mess it up there.

Then for the ball, I just gave it the Pop Art treatment. I chose orange because of the strong color contrast and painted it as flat orange circle with no shading.

My goal was to mix realism with primitivism and end up with something playful.

Now to you who are sitting under a blanket of snow today - may you dream of warmer, more colorful, more playful times. They aren't so far away as it feels.

yesterday's harvest

yesterday's heart pebbles

moments of peace

from the gathering of them

to dropping them into my pocket

to putting them to paint and paper

gifts of the sea

well that took forever

my little prim and proper project from last week

has evolved

or should I say

invovled

I had an idea that involved shopping

ugh!

... it was a simple idea ...

but this is what it took to execute it:

Home Depot tool department to buy a soldering iron

Online Shopping for copper foil tape (which took nearly a week to arrive)

Local  Craft Store for copper jump rings

Lowe's for plate glass and glass cutting tool

Home Depot again for solder and flux

will I do this again?

I have all the supplies to do it

but I have to first get over my exhaustion

prim and proper

I brightened up my workspace with this lovely little primula from the grocery store today

I thought she needed to have her portrait done

sometimes I think I have to always be near water

... even if it's only an inch wide and a millimeter deep

happy Thursday

it's been fun to join you on another wintery day

 - I hope yours has a spot of color in it too!

moleskine notebooks

mohl-a-skeen-a

I guess that's how you say it

but in my mind it will always be

mole-skin

and I imagine a cute little mole just gotten out of the bathtub

wish out loud

I love the colors they come in .... I turned this little green one into a wish list keeper

dream in the daytime

and this little pink one is for keeping a bucket list ... but hey, a shopping list works too

... these are mini ...

only 2.5 X 4 inches

I painted the cover designs with white acrylic paint

and then added a protective acrylic coat

the sleeve I made out of watercolor paper and used paint for the title

the designs I had already noodled out on rocks ages ago

I just transferred the designs onto something flat and colorful

(and perhaps more useful than a rock)

Cyndee Starr at Eloise's Collage has been doodling on notebooks

I think she got the wheels turning in my own head for this idea

thanks Cyndee!

river in spring

I haven't been out to capture the morning in watercolors for a few weeks

... and I have missed so much!

today's is from my favorite vantage point

a bend in the river where the water is very expansive

almost like a lake

I painted in the background washes roughly

and then came home to add in the trees and ridge

it's not much like reality - but hey - it's my impression of it today

clear and reflective

:)

completion

I made this paper bag collage in February and set it aside for completion later

you know how it is - it just wasn't speaking to me yet

it started as a humble trader joe's bag

- layers of collage -

- layers of paint -

- layers of texture -

a little watercolor sketch of the trees out my window

*

but it needed completion

I trimmed it down to fit this beautiful blue linen book cover

added more tea bag papers

a piece of nova scotia beach pottery

children's book text

assembled into a snatch of an idea

thread

(I love thread)

it feels completed now

I think it's breathing a sigh of relief too

future WalMart

up til now my town and the towns nearby have been spared the WalMart intrusion

... up til now ...

yesterday's watercolor sketch is from a vacant lot in Monroe WA

the site of 

The New WalMart To Be

it's a typical vacant lot

gravel, weeds, unnaturally flat, curbs installed, driveway entrances to nowhere

waiting to become 

Something Big

but it is bordered by the loveliest forest of lodgepole pines

it is heartbreaking to know there will be an enormous concrete box here

my first painting is in a more realistic, impressionistic style

for some reason I became increasingly depressed as I painted

knowing the site is slated to become concealed in concrete

*

the second painting, I recalled the aboriginal style of australia

as I painted in dots and dashes I felt a rebellious sort of happiness

... knowing the power of roots to break concrete to rubble ...

the almost daily

my daily watercolor sketches are

"almost daily"

... but it's not the rain that stops me ...

(it's other stuff )

but not today

today I brought my camera, so you could see what I mean

it's rain for sure:

but I'm warm and dry in my car:

an occasional break to wait for paint to dry:

and bring it home for the finishing touches:

all in all it takes about an hour of my time

my artistic aerobics I guess

I'm usually not happy with the finished piece

but sometimes, when I revisit it after about a week

- with fresh eyes -

I like it a little bit better

watercolors are hard because you very quickly reach a point of no return

then what you have is

M  U  D

today feels like one of those days

but I'll just give it a lower case

m  u  d

someone in mind

my favorite way to work is with someone in mind

... like my sister-in-law ...

who is battling breast cancer

she has a great attitude

sure, there's fear

but she finds plenty to laugh at

I made this little picture for her:

and then I realized I ought to share this

... so I put it in my shop too ...

just in case someone out there is needing to laugh in the face of the fear

birth of an idea

... a children's book idea ...

"at night"

(page 1) night surfing & (page 2) night laundry

just getting started

what do you think?

the daily

the daily watercolor sketch

(it's my routine since early january)

and some days

(like today)

it's the only "productive" thing I do all day

(but regular life is productive too - we all know that)

so, I should say: sometimes, it's the only "fun" thing I do all day

I wish I had added that far right tree that is standing aloof from the others (in the photo)

... I think I'll go do that ...

grounded

I made this piece using a trader joe's brown paper bag ...

which I

collaged

inked

tore

and just thoroughly messed with

... then I applied a patch of Watercolor Ground right in the middle of it

I waited the 48 hours or so that is recommended

and then I took it with me for my daily watercolor sketch from the car today

a winter hayfield nestled up against a forested hillside

here's a close-up so you can see the amazing texture of it all:

f u n !

a different sort of frame

I did these little watercolor studies of mosses from our garden

and wasn't sure how to frame them

you see - they are just so - L I T T L E

(only about 2 and half inches)

and I had these little tart pans on my desk

an "aha" moment

born out of not putting things away and just leaving them out

I punched little holes and threaded a wire for a hanger

... framing problem solved!

a dream?

this morning's sky was brilliant and beautiful

it set everything aglow

(above) a painting from the car

and (below) a valentine matchbox

in yesterday's post I said I was "living the dream"

and I'm feeling like that was a braggy thing to say

honestly - it's a day to day thing

most days are actually really very complicated with the stuff of life

like today:

a child with a sore throat

another one with a skinned knee

late to pick up another one after school

the dog dragging me down the street 

(even saying my favorite swear word in combination with my dog's name)

a broken plate that was an heirloom

gross leftovers for dinner

dusty dirty house

unfolded laundry

and on and on

you know what I mean

:)

and the living the dream part is:

hugs

kisses

sweet text messages

being asked "how was your day?"

and replying

"I am living the dream"

studying

with all of this snow I have been rather house bound

(7 and a half inches so far)

a good time to "study"

these are my attempts at a "naturalist study" type of painting

(what I learned in watercolor class from high school is slowly coming back to me)

I had a classical watercolor artist (Ross Shellenberger) as a teacher

... I wish I could call him up with a question or two!

I am finding this to be a good escape right now

(all 5 of us are housebound)

but when I get into a painting I lose track of place and time and find quiet amid the commotion

... exactly what got me through the high school years ...

getting out

I've been getting out and doing some painting from my car

no more excuses

maybe my word for the year is:

justdoit

january 5th

january 6th

january 10th

january 11th

I'm getting into the swing of it

it's about an hour of my time in the morning

and I can feel my brain loosening up

... my eyes opening

it's a difficult time of year up here 

(translate: d e p r e s s i n g)

and if you're not looking for the beauty it's just gloomy and gray

but honestly,

it's amazing how much color there is lurking in the gray

" j u s t d o i t "

2 0 1 2

inspiration

I have been inspired by the "on the go" sketching and painting (plein air) done by

Steph

and

Lynn

I usually comment on their blogs something along these lines,

"wow! thanks for sharing your sketchbook! you have inspired me to get out and paint something!"

but do I?

... no ...

I have the best excuse:

rain

oh, and cold too

today I did it!

from inside the car

hey, it works for me

:)

a good day to

paint

rocks

rockin it