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".

Bouquet

I received this bouquet for my birthday this past March. I thought it would make a great painting, so I painted it twice - once as a birthday card for my granddaughter, and just recently as a 5x7 for my SWAP partner (Sharing With Artist Partners). It went all the way to Ursula in Brazil. The mail was a little slow, so I was on pins and needles hoping that it hadn't gone astray. The SWAP is a secret, but now that my partner has received it I can post it here.

"Birthday Bouquet" 5x7

Rhododendrons

This spring, I bought several new rhododendron plants for my front and back yards. I took a lot of photos of them when they were in bloom, and painted this one recently.

"Rhododendrons" 11x15

Natalie's Sunflowers

Yes, I've been painting, but I haven't posted any new ones in a while. This one is from July, when my painting buddy, Natalie, brought her sunflower plant in for us to paint.

"Natalie's Sunflowers" 11x15