Maine Trip and Pumpkin Festival

I recently took a trip to Maine with my sister Joan. We sketched at some of our favorite spots, like the Curtis Island lighthouse and a park near Boothbay Harbor. We visited the Colonial Pemaquid Historic site, and sketched in the cemetery. We discovered the Oven's Mouth Preserve, and did some hiking along with sketching. We enjoyed the Damariscotta Pumpkin Festival, and stopped at Marginal Way on our way home. It was a quick and fun trip and I got to add several pages to my Maine journal. I also did a few sketches of the Pumpkin Festival from photos after I got home.

I did these last four sketches from photos after I got home. The chef pumpkin and the lobster pumpkin were huge, and two of many decorated pumpkins outside the businesses in downtown Damariscotta. The regatta sketch was done from several photos taken quickly while the race was going on.

A New/Old Collage

I started this stained paper collage a couple of years ago during a Gerald Brommer workshop. It was on the last day, and I didn't get to finish it, and never got around to working on it again after I got home. Recently one of my painting buddies saw some stained paper collages in a magazine and suggested that we try them at our weekly painting sessions. I told her that I had one that was already started, but didn't know whether I could get anything good out of it. I ended up finishing this one successfully and starting another one. This collage is based on a photo I took of the Junipero Serra Museum in San Diego. 11x15

Two Florals With Fun Backgrounds

I worked on these two at my Thursday painting group for two weeks. They are based on a book called "Watercolor Without Boundaries" by Karlyn Holman. I liked her backgrounds, and tried to incorporate them in my work. The rose (from my garden) is 15 x 15 and has a white border all around. The rose of sharon (courtesy of my friend Anna) in a vase is 11 x 11, also with a white border all around. These were really fun to design and I like the effect, so I will probably be doing more of these in the future.

Painting With the Grandkids

I spent the month of July with four of my grandchildren. They each had a week with me, and we had fun swimming, painting, taking photos of animals, mini-golfing, movies, and playing ball. In addition, my granddaughter and I made some beaded jewelry. Here are some of our paintings. Justin did a painting in primary and secondary colors (after making a color wheel) as a requirement for his Cub Scout art belt loop. Ethan did a watercolor of a red tailed hawk, and Joe did a painting of a bald eagle. The boys were very into photographing and painting animals on our trips to the zoo and nature center. Jadyn did a painting of the turquoise and shell necklace that she made. And since that week, the WetCanvas journalling forum was doing gems and minerals, I did a journal page of some of my own specimens.

Two New Paintings on Masa Paper

Both paintings watercolor on masa paper approx. 11 x 15

Latest From My Flower Journal

I've been keeping a flower journal during the month of May, but even though May is over, I still see new flowers in my backyard just begging to be painted. This is my latest page. I have a shrub rose that looks like it might be very prolific this year. The flowers are a lovely dark red, but they have really short stems and are not suitable for cutting unless I want to cut several buds along with the flower. I really enjoyed painting these today.

Going Digital

This is a digital painting that I did as homework for an online class called "Layering in Photoshop Elements" that I've been taking on WetCanvas. It will never replace watercolors, but it can be fun (and frustrating) in it's own right.

Lots of Yellow Tulips

I've worked on this one on and off for several months while I was more focused on sketchbooks and journals, but I finally completed it yesterday. Originally I had planned on a dark background, but I really like the way the tulips look on the light background too much. I think it has a delicacy that I would not be able to keep with a dark background. This was done from a photo I took at the Philadelphia Flower Show two years ago. 15x22

Two More May Journal Florals

Continuing with the May journal. I received a beautiful Mother's Day bouquet from my daughter Karen, which was the subject for both of these sketches, and hopefully more to come.

May Sketchbook Page

I have been working more in sketchbooks recently than on larger paintings. After painting a lot of red rocks in my fake journal, I had the desire to see color, so the theme of my May sketchbook is flowers and plants. These are done in my 9 x 12 Aquabee sketchbook.

International Fake Journal Month

This is the first page of my "fake" journal. To see an explanation of what it's all about, and to see more of the journal, see http://flatmickeyIFJM.blogspot.com

After the Workshop - Pawley's Island

After the workshop, Joan and I took a side trip to Pawley's Island to do some plein air sketching. Here is one of the beach houses I painted there. I loved this little island community.

Done in Arches Travel Sketchbook with tiny watercolor palette and a waterbrush.

Jean Grastorf Workshop 4

(Couldn't get this one uploaded correctly either.)

This is a half sheet - should be turned counter-clockwise for correct viewing. While everyone's poured paintings were in the process of drying, Jean showed us a new technique. We used a special clear wash-out tape to cover a half sheet. Then we used a quilter's rotary cutter to cut out shapes. We did the darkest shapes first, which made me have to think a little backwards. I had a little bit of trouble with the rotary cutter, and switched to a razor blade for the circle and the rectangles. I added some stamping at the end.

Jean Grastorf Workshop 3

Since so much waiting is involved in this process, I started another painting. This time I tried to simplify. I did it smaller, simplified the design, and only used two pours. I masked the entire background. This one is 10 x 10.

Jean Grastorf Workshop 2

(Blogger insists on uploading this one sideways. You will have to turn it counter-clockwise in your imagination).

This is a half sheet of a Ti-Plant. I think it had three pours, but it could have used at least two more to get more values in. However, I didn't have enough time. It takes a whole day to dry the painting enough for the next pour, and then we had to wait for an available tub to do the pour. I removed the masking so that I would have something to show for "Gallery Night" on Friday, and so that the masking wouldn't "cook" in the trunk of the hot car on the trip home. I could remask it and finish, but I think I would rather do a new one now that I have the hang of it.

Jean Grastorf Workshop 1

Last week my sister and I took a "pouring" workshop with Jean Grastorf. This was our "starter pour" to get our feet wet (some of us actually did). We traced our hands and some letter and number stencils and then masked out shapes, starting with the lightest. I think this had 3 pours. Afterward I added some stamps.

Sketchcrawl 30, January 22, 2011

It's cold and snowy so it must be time for a January Sketchcrawl. My sister Joan and I spent the day at the James McFaul Environmental Center. I did one sketch from her car, and two from the observatory windows in the visitor center.

It's Almost Christmas Day

Wishing you a Very Merry and Blessed Christmas!

Tidepool Reflections

If you have ever visited Pemaquid Lighthouse in southern Maine, you may have noticed the tidepools that form between those famous striped granite rocks. And you would have seen people searching for reflections of the lighthouse in those tidepools. I have always wanted to paint one of those tidepool reflections. This painting is 5x7 and was done for my SWAP partner who lives in Australia. I like the way this came out so much that I'm thinking of doing a larger one.

Sketchcrawl October 16, 2010

Saturday was the latest Worldwide Sketchcrawl (www.sketchcrawl.com), and after some discussion about where to crawl, my sister Joan and I decided on a couple of Paterson, NJ landmarks. The first one was Lambert Castle, which sits on the top of a hill overlooking the city of Paterson. After painting the castle, I did a very quick pencil lay-in sketch of the fountain that was behind us. No time to refine it, as we were on our way to the Great Falls of Paterson a short distance away. This beautiful waterfall is right in the middle of the city. On our way home we stopped at a local farm stand to sketch some of their produce. It was chilly and windy, but a good sketchcrawl.

A Field Trip With Crayons

I haven't posted here for a while, since I've taken a slight detour from watercolor to play around with sketchbooking, which led to the WetCanvas Weekend Drawing Event. I'm working my way through Suzette Morrow's "Make Sketchbook a Habit" and today is Day 12 - "be a kid again". I decided to combine both events, doing my WDE sketch in good old Crayolas.

"Sheep in Field" 7 x 7 approx., Crayona Crayons

Photo by Yorky, provided by WDE host Signchick

Tulip Magnolia

My next door neighbor has this beautiful tulip magnolia tree that sits right at the property line, so to many people it looks like it belongs to me. I take advantage of it's closeness to photograph it and to paint it every spring. This year the blossoms were more prolific than usual. "Tulip Magnolia" is 11x15

Lavender's Blue

I found these Clematis hiding among many much larger plants at the NJ Botanical Gardens at Skylands. The sun was peeking through the shade at just the right angle to light up these blue/purple beauties.

15x11

Miniature Orchid Sketch

I bought this miniature orchid at the flower show. A leap of faith for me, as I somehow manage to kill live flowers/plants almost immediately. I did the sketch from life, as opposed to working from a photo like I usually do. It was nice being able to see how everything worked, and to turn the plant if I needed to see better. And so far I've kept it alive for two weeks. LOL

Small Orchid Painting for SWAP

This is a small 5 x 7 that I did for our SWAP group. It went to Brenda in Texas. I did it from a photo I took at the Phila. Flower Show recently. I have lots of good reference photos from this show, so it should keep me busy for a while.

Monochromatic Snow Scene

I painted this snow scene with just Paynes gray for a project on one of my watercolor forums. It's from a photo I took a week and a half ago when we had almost 2 feet of snow.

Snow Scenes From a Solo Sketchcrawl

Yesterday was the 26th "Worldwide Sketchcrawl" . I usually do the sketchcrawls with my sister Joan, but yesterday I did a solo crawl from the warmth and comfort of my home. I only managed two sketches, one from my front window looking at the house across the street, and one from my back window looking at my backyard and some of the houses behind me. I did these as I would have on location, with my Cotman kit and a waterbrush.

Pa-Rum-Pa-Pum-Pum! Merry Christmas!

My grandson, Brandon, posed for my Christmas card this year. With 10 grandchildren, I always have lots of models to choose from.

And Now the 7 "Things About Me"

1. I am old enough to remember when my siblings and I paid 50 cents for general admission seats at Yankee Stadium on "Ladies Day".
2. I was an "athlete wannabe" when I was a child, and this syndrome has recently reared it's head again. I am now playing over 60 basketball, and participated in this event at the 2009 New Jersey Senior Olympics.
3. I started learning to play piano a year ago. Although my grown children flee to another room when I play, I'm enjoying myself immensely, and my grandchildren don't seem to mind hearing me play.
4. My two favorite places are the coast of Maine, and Hawaii.
5. I taught sunday school (or CCD to us Catholics) for 13 years.
6. I received an award at the very first art show that I participated in - and it was the Grumbacher Silver Medal.
7. I love to paint flowers - possibly because I can't seem to grow them without killing them.

I was recently "tagged" with the "Kreativ Blogger" award by Teresa Palomar Lois, http://www.lostinwonder.blogspot.com/. Thank you Teresa! The purpose of these blogger awards is introduce our favorite artist-bloggers to others. The rules for this one are to tell 7 things about yourself, and to pass the award on to 7 other artists. I have been tagged several times, and have pretty much run out of people to pass the award on to - with one exception, and that would be my sister Joan. So I'm going to cheat a little and just list some of my favorite artists and give you their websites in the hopes that they will become your favorites too.

1. Gerald Brommer - http://www.newmastersgallery.com/ArtistsB/brommer.htm

2. Jean Grastorf - http://www.jeangrastorf.com/

3. Susie Short - http://www.susieshort.com/

4. Ann Pember - http://www.annpember.com/

5. Nicholas Simmons - http://nicholassimmons.com/

6. Karen Knutson - http://karenknutson.com/

and last but not least - and the one I WILL pass this award on to:

7. Joan Tavolott - http://www.watercolorsbyjoan.blogspot.com/ - Joan recently returned from a trip to Paris. You will love her small Paris paintings!

Hangin' at the Y

This month, my friends and I, who call ourselves "Les Belles Artistes" have an exhibit at one of our local YMCA's, in Wyckoff, NJ. We have all been painting together at art classes and workshops on and off for many years. They are all talented artists, and I am proud to be among them. Here is our group, and me in front of "my wall".