Ron's Goats (5 1/2" x 8")

Goats are so inquisitive and comical. This was a fun watercolor to do.  I drew the photo (from Ron Geib) on a small piece of watercolor paper while on break at work. Then, at home, I added watercolor to the drawing. I'm trying to learn to use less layers of paint because it looks 'fresher' the less 'worked' it is. I need to learn to make the darks dark enough the first time.

Old Truck 5 1/2" x 8" (I used Ron Geib's photo)

A small watercolor painting of a cool truck.

lily pad gazing (7 1/2 " x 11")
After painting this, I wanted some highlights so I took a squeeze bottle with white gesso and lined the umbrella and inside of the lily pads. It kind of looks like I used elmer's glue.  

feeding time (5 1/2" x 8")

 (I copied a photo by Ron Geib) I think this will make a great large painting someday.  I'm starting to see the value in the early, dark winter evenings;  I get a lot of painting done because I'm not outside like any other time of the year.

Farm Lane (5 1/2 "x 8") -SOLD-

(I copied a photo by Ron Geib)

Blue daisies (5 1/2" x 7")

(I copied a photo by Ron Geib)

Barn with fall trees (5 x 7)

Here are some small watercolor paintings of some farm scenes. (Photos used were taken by Ron Geib)

Horse in doorway (5 x 7)

Watercolor class card project

I'm taking a watercolor class with my daughter, Lauren, at the York Art Association. This week we made a Christmas card. The teacher, Debi Watson, gave us two photos: one of pine cones and snow, and the other was a Chickadee.

Mud Sale 4 1/2" x 6 1/2"
A quick pen sketch and then add watercolor. Of course it wouldn't be half as interesting without the dog because he is the center of interest.

begonias  6 "x 10 3/4"

I worked on the leaves and different shades of color in the begonias. I need to put it aside and look at it later to see if I need to add or subtract anything.

photo from York Art Assoc. watercolor class

Sm practice sketch 

Lauren (my daughter) and I are taking watercolor classes together at the York Art Association this fall. Our first class was last week. I was bored with my photos, so I chose this one from the teacher's pile.  I like the blues and oranges (opposites). I wanted to do a small color sketch to practice with the color choices.  This is the first layer of paint which I need to add detail to.

IN PROGRESS (begonias)

I tried these begonias on gessoed paper and the reds bled all over the greens and blues. I washed it all off and then tried the same painting on regular watercolor paper (Arches 140 ld) I put chinese white on the lightest areas and soaked the paper for 3 minutes. After it lost it's shininess, I could paint without the colors bleeding too much. I lifted out the light areas after it was mostly dry. I haven't done the background yet.

sunflowers in watering can  6" x 9"

I put gesso on a bad painting, let it dry, then painted these sunflowers on the gesso. I like the texture of the paint on gessoed paper. Gesso keeps the paint from soaking in, so it lays on top and can  easily be lifted off the paper to show the white again.  (I lifted off some of the yellow on the flower petals.) There is also a certain glow to certain colors on gesso. I think the yellows have a glow that wouldn't have happened on regular paper.

adirondack chairs

orange day lilies

lilies

I'm posting these three paintings to show that I do not paint a sellable image every time I put paint on paper. I consistently tell myself that there is a lot to learn from failures. (Mostly how NOT to do something) I will press on and try, try again.
The colors in the chair painting are like mush.
I couldn't decide which background color for the day lilies, and the other lilies have fun colors but the composition isn't good. These are all small 5 x 7s which helps in encouraging risk taking. I can cover these with white gesso and do another painting on top.

Clematis flowers  (5 1/2" x 8")

I like when I give a boring photo a 2nd glance and paint it anyway.  That's when surprises happen.

Water Lilies 2

I soaked the paper for a few minutes in water, drained it and it dried just enough to start painting. The paper was the perfect combination of damp enough to look like a wet-in-wet painting, yet dry enough that the paint stayed where I put it. I like the understated fish. I used to feel I needed to fill everything in, leaving nothing to the imagination. I'm learning, in more than just painting, that less is more.

Water Lilies #1

Dean and I went to Longwood Gardens last week and had a great time taking photos.  I always hope for at least one shot (out of hundreds) that I'm excited to paint. This is a small watercolor of pink blushed waterlilies that I think would make a wonderful large horizontal painting.
As a side note, thanks to all who came out to see me at the Lititz Art Show on July 25th. What a great day we had. God is good.

Cyclamen (try #1)

I drew the outline of a blue agate tea pot with cyclamen on plastic yupo paper. Then I painted watercolors on the paper and let it dry overnight. The colors spread on their own and made interesting patterns. I took a paint brush and removed the paint around the objects. These shapes are called Negative Shapes. It was fun to watch as the picture appeared out of the patterned paint but I'll probably try it again by washing off the colors and redoing it. This one got a little wild and might be hard to decipher the subject. Notice how the Cadmium yellow pushed the other colors around - this color does not play well with others.

Tulips

I covered a piece of illustration board with gesso and let it dry. I took a thick sharpie (this means I'm feeling bold) and drew a photo of tulips. This is after the first application of paint dried. I sometimes like the affect of partially painted drawings. I'll add some darks and see what happens.

I try to put some paint on paper at least once a day after reading: 'doing SOMETHING is better than NOTHING' in "Show Your Work" by Austin Kleon.
(Painting on Right) I put these colors on an illustration board covered with white gesso. I will chalk this up to practice and wash it off and try again. Sometimes you learn how NOT to do something when you try. I look  for at least one area that I like instead of seeing everything I don't like.

This painting (left) is done on plastic yupo paper. The purples around the tulips is used as a complimentary color and makes the yellows brighter. The purples were thicker paint which stays put better on wet paper. I'll wash this one off and start anew.

Colorful drinks 5 1/2 "x  7 1/2 "

As an artist, it surprises me sometimes where I notice colors. (Once I noticed some lovely contrasting colored garbage in the trash can at work) I also liked the bright colorful drinks in the cooler at a convenience store. I bet I'm the only person taking pictures of drinks in the cooler. Drawing the shapes was a bit boring though since they're identical. It was fun using bright colors and was mostly a study in something new that I've not painted before. It's good practice changing the subjects so I don't get in a rut.

Rose Study 5 1/2" x 7 1/2"

I put bright colors (yellow and peach) on the roses first, then added darker colors on top after the first colors dried. I made up the dark background to contrast with the lights on the flowers. I like how the blue I added on the shadowed petals contrast cool (blue/purple) against warm (yellow/red/oranges) in the flowers. That usually works if you layer watercolors (called glazing) instead of adding the blue in the initial layer of color. Too much mixing of colors on your paintbrush usually makes mud.

Dean and Kipper on the porch

I removed some paint (negative spaces) between the background leaves which gives a feeling of a sunny day. After reworking Kipper's face, I think she came out ok. I've left Dean and the swing in simple shapes which makes the eyes go to the detail in the dog as the focal point. I'll live with the painting for awhile and see if I need to add or subtract anything. Time to move on to the next painting.

Photo of Dean and Kipper on our porch.

Watercolor on Yupo paper. I covered the whole sheet with mostly greens. When that was dry, I lifted off the paint in the shape of the porch post first. As I traveled across the paper, I lifted off the color in the shapes of the dog, then the flower box, relating each shape to the last one, trying to get the correct sizes. I like the shapes of the newspaper and legs. I like the look of untouched painted areas, so I left the porch swing as the original colors. Next, I need to lift off the paint where the bright siding shines through the plants. I think the shapes relate well with each other considering: I did no drawing on the paper before or during the process. 

This is the journal that Lauren gave me for Christmas. I think that I finally understand it. It has lots of ways to get past your creative blocks and inhibitions, because every ounce of reason tells you NOT to tear the page out and chew it and NOT to take the book in the shower with you. (just two examples) Therefore, it helps you get past that reasoning voice when you go to paint/create.

One of the pages I did recently

learning to paint watercolor on Yupo (plastic paper) I painted the whole chair, lifted out the chair's light areas and put in brighter colors just to see how I can manipulate the paint: to see if the colors would stay separate or run together. It all depends how wet the paint is.