Country Cups

Here is the finished painting of the cute veggie mugs...I think. Although I do like the blue tomato cup, there seems to be something about the painting that is not setting exactly right with me. I'm thinking it is the composition itself so I'll have to figure out what (if anything other than just putting it aside..ha) I can do. My feel is that it is too heavy on the left corner and maybe to light on the right side. I did ask some of my artist friends on Painting Friends for their takes, and I think they were just being kind with their critiques... One suggested that the red semi-circle on the left possibly didn't read quite right (that's a red pepper handle from another cup laying on it's side) and the other suggested that I might need a cast shadow from the carrot cup, but I'm thinking that it may be more systemic...so...I'll just live with it a few more days. I do enjoy the blue cup though and, as usual, just had to paint that dark handle reflection first...just love to fool with the darks.

WIP Country Cups

Thought I'd post a WIP that a friend from our art retreat, Susan Chesley, and I worked on at her house today. We had taken some setup pictures when we painted Friday, and I thought a whole handful of them were especially interesting...so...I printed several out and we both decided on this one. It's really fun to be painting the same thing 'cause with our different techniques, the same thing usually turns out to be quite different...sorta confusing??? Anyway, this is quarter sheet, painted dark to light to get my values down, and I do have another day's work to finish this. And, since this is a holiday weekend and I don't have company coming, I can declare tomorrow a painting day. Of course, there's the fooling with all the chickens, gathering eggs, feed and watering (I moved my dozen baby chicks down to the big pen Wednesday) so I now made twice the work on myself (ghezzz). This is in addition to watering all my flowers and plants and trying to get a truckload of bark mulch put out...oh, well...let's now say "I hope" to finish tomorrow.

Hydrangeas...First Bloom

After a really awful four days with no phone and, hence, no computer...I found myself really painting tight at our ArtRetreat today. Oh well, gotta take the frustration out somewhere and in painting, I'm in complete control. I found that I really wanted all this structure and not much in decision making with such a limited palette...just sorta fill in the blanks in the petals. Although I usually prefer a looser painting, this one fit the ticket and when I finished painting, my brain was completely over the "out in lala land" and "lost in the woods of East Texas with no human connections" feeling. It's really a shame that we are so dependent on our phones and computers, but that's the way it is.

My Nikko Blue hydrangeas are really putting on a show this year. Such shocking colors are showing up so that means I must have really hit the fertilizer earlier just right. These bushes are about 15 years old now and I keep thinking that they'll die back, but they come back for me every spring in all their glory...they're still my favorites of all the hydrangeas I've planted. This painting is 11x15 on Arches 140# and a very limited palette of AJ cobalt, sap, and aurolein yellow in various consistencys.

Windowseal Veggies from Kay Smith

Here is my painting started in our recent workshop with Kay Smith. It's half sheet (15x22), used just about every color I had on my palette, and was lots of fun to paint. I had a few "bumps in the road" with this one and had to draw it 3 different times...long story that I won't relate here. But, needless to say, I ran behind for the whole workshop and am just now getting this finished. I like this one very much with it's happy colors and subject, but I am going to deepen the cast shadows under the veggies to seat them better. It's funny how you see these little things once you post on a computer.

My next project will be to start the gorgeous floral Kay painted and I really do need to work on it before I forget what all I saw Kay do to achieve her success. She painted hers in less than 2 hours...no way that I'll be able to do that. But, I do need to at least start it! I'm telling myself that until I can give it at least 2 or 3 hours of painting time, I don't even want to start as that wet-in-wet technique is really trickey for me. Stay tuned!

Birthday Present from Kay

Here is the demo painting that Kay Smith gave me for my birthday last week. I just love it!! Kay is so good at collage and this one is done on the BACK of some acid free matboard, torn newspaper applied and also her favorite tissue...toilet seat cover papers (makes a wonderful texture in the background...heehee). She did a very simple basic drawing and then started to work her magic, and it all came together beautifully. It's going to frame up around 18x24 and going up in my soon to be cleaned out and remodeled painting room.

It's named "The Rat Pack" 'cause the middle kitty is a spitting image of my long gone cat "Frankie" (names for Mr.Sinatra, of course) and I have a black/white guy and my oldest cat, Baby, is an orange lady just like this one. Thanks so much, Kay....I just love it.

Famous Kay

Here is Kay Smith signing our wall of famous artists who visit our ArtRetreat. I've told everybody about painting with my artist friends on Tuesdays and Fridays at the ArtRetreat and when we have workshops, we always try to have our instructors come out to the retreat and see where we work and sign our wall. We had a little "meet and greet" before the workshop so those who didn't know Kay could meet her in a more casual atmosphere. She didn't fall off the ladder while signing the wall...and that was a good thing. And, a good time was had by all.

Kay Smith Workshop

Here are the 3 Texas chicks...minus Nita Bridges who couldn't make it due to a bad sinus infection. The workshop was wonderful and Kay worked her magic on two fabulous demos. Each only took her about 2 hours to paint and her technique is amazing...such clean colors make any watercolorist's mouth water. Needless to say, we'll have her back real soon (if we can talk her into another 7 hour drive from West Texas). Debbie Cannatella, our other artist friend had a long drive from Corpus, but she is also in town to teach a workshop this coming week.

Kay painted the veggies the first day and we were so proud of the paintings we produced. Both the demos were half sheet paintings. The Saturday demo of the hollyhocks was sold to our artist friend Greta Faulkinberry and she only got it because she asked first..ha! The colors on both are amazing and so clean and all watercolorists strive for that quality that Kay presents in her paintings.