Trees in Silhouette

Trees in Silhouette

Watercolor 15 X 20

I saw a painting similar to this in Oregon when we were there visiting our daughter. I thought it was so striking I had to try it myself. I didn't get my background as bright as the one I saw so it looks more like a winter scene than fall. Still the starkness of it looks striking to me. I added a little dog to the figure so it looks less lonely. I may try it again and try to get my colors a little brighter. I wonder how it would look with yellows and greens? Maybe purples and blues for a night scene with stars. I think I may have a series to paint. 

Finished Piece

Souvenir From Paris

8 X 8 Floating Collage

After shopping hardware stores small and large I found turn buttons at Michaels. Who knew? There were no choices as to color or size but at least I found some in a package where I didn't have to buy 50, plus shipping. 

And, yes, the answer to my silly riddle is from the last post is insane, or "in Seine" for the two of you who wrote comments. Thanks, for that. I love getting comments, real ones, not spam. 

Summer is a good time to play around with new ideas and materials. Last week I started making paper for collage in larger format. I'm using paper grocery bags and brown craft paper. They will have many layers on them so they are not finished yet. I'll post pictures after they have as many layers as I want on them. 

I'm thinking about joining the 30 day challenge again in September. Yes, I'm insane, and not in a river! The challenge really gets my creative juices going and I try not to pressure myself but to just have a good time and crank it up a bit. If you're interested look up Leslie Saeta on the internet. I'll try to post the link a little later if I decide to participate.

Before and After

Before

After: Paris Souvenir

Shadow Box Floating Collage 8 X 8

The before you can see had some of the inside paint continuing to the outside, it's harder to tell that the outside paint was a rather dingy tan. I was not happy with my choice so I decided to go with an all off white outside. Four coats of paint later I finally had what I was looking for. It's hard to tell from the photo how the collage floats. It is raised from the back by a foam core base and the top piece has another foam core spacer. It's a nice effect and one I learned from Laura Lein-Svensner.  http://lonecrowart.blogspot.com I still have to put a piece of glass on the front which is held in place by turn buttons. 

Now for the question of the day; What do you call a person who jumps in the river that runs through Paris? Leave your answer in the comments.

Painting outdoors

Sample Palette and painting 1

Sample Palette and painting 2

While visiting our daughter in Oregon we went with her to the stable where she boards her horse. As she rode we sat outside in the shade and enjoyed the setting, read, and I painted. I had picked up two sample palettes from Golden's Qor watercolors at the Florida Watercolor Society trade show last year. They were handy to do a couple of quick watercolor sketches. I used sample colors on each packet for the paintings, then I added some pen and used a watercolor pen for the fences. The paintings are about 4 inches square. I enjoyed the challenge of mixing the colors I needed from the palette that was provided.

A very large bird flew across the sky which I tried to capture in the second painting. I should have painted  in the horse and rider but they just wouldn't stand still!

Is It Collaboration?

Marilyn's Bouquet

Watercolor, 15 X 12

Paris in May

Watercolor, 15 X 10

About a year and a half ago my friend, a fellow artist, passed away suddenly. I probably mentioned it. As a result, I purchased many of her art supplies and was given things that she had left behind. Among them were some half sheet paintings that we used to call, "starts". They were beginnings of paintings that we would start by wetting the paper and letting the pigments flow, then drop in salt or alcohol or water, lay down plastic wrap or wax paper, and just play and leave to chance the outcome. Then the piece would be put aside until we wanted to work on it again. 

These two paintings are from one of Marilyn's starts. I got it out and looked at it one day and it was begging to be finished. As I worked on it I could see that it was two paintings. The larger piece became the bouquet in a vase; to the smaller painting I added some collage elements. The colors she had chosen were so vibrant, it was a lot of fun to work on and made me think fond memories of her and the fun we had painting together with our art friends.

Where to Begin?

Sisters

Collage in a Shadow Box

10 X 10

I'm behind in my blogging so I don't know where to begin. I finished this floating collage last month and was so excited to get it into a shadow box that I didn't sign it or photograph it first. The picture is of my Mom and her sister many years ago when my Aunt visited Mom in Florida. I think they are on one of the beaches around here. They loved music making when they were young and wrote many letters to one another when they lived far apart. 

I hope to get some of my other works into my blog soon, I'm doing both collage and watercolors in between trips around the country to see family.

Like a Hawaiian Sunset

Hibiscus 2

Hibiscus 1

Watercolor each 5.5 X 6

I was in the garden department of the local home improvement store when I saw the most gorgeous hibiscus I had ever seen. I had to have them! I needed to try to capture the brightness and blend of the colors in these flowers. It was so much fun. The first one I think captures it the best because I was just being wet and free with just getting the colors in. I used pigment as full strength as I could. Yes, there were that many layers of color; yellow orange, coral, pink, magenta and a deep almost black red. On the second one I used a black ink pen to define the edges and folds in the flower. I'm hoping the bushes survive our nasty soil, wet summers, and my tendency to over tend. 

Still Life, New Product

Orchid 1

Watercolor 5.5 X 6.5

Orchid 2

Watercolor 4.5 X 6.5

I was so excited that my orchids were blooming for a second time that I just had to try painting it. It's quite tiny, white with purple speckles. I could have protected the white areas and tried to splatter paint from my brush to make the speckles but I thought an easier way would be to use a new product that I recently bought. It's Brusho Crystal Colors. It's a powdered watercolor that comes in little plastic jars. You can punch a hole in the top of the container and shake the pigment out like a salt shaker. So, I wet the area where I wanted the purple and shook a little onto it. Voila! I had my speckled orchids. Then I could go in with my brush and make the petals and the centers. Of course you get a little bit of pigment outside of your wet area which you can blow away or make into a light wash. I did both. The purple pigment was a combination of red and blue so it made a nice range of color in the flower. The yellow in the top painting was from a spray bottle with a little powdered yellow pigment and water. Like instant sunshine. 

More From the Workshop

All Hands on Deck

Collage 5 X 6

I started this at the workshop I attended and finished it last week. It's an example of what can be added to a collage for embellishments. On this one I added some stamping, hand, circle and squiggle punch outs, brads, heat set silver foil and finally a heart shaped bead. It's a sampler of embellishments, not meant to be a serious work but mostly play. It's mounted raised on mat board.  Play is good!  

Collage Workshop Week End

Red Roof House of Music

5 X 7 Floating collage

Last week end I was at the Naperville Art League attending a workshop with Laura Lein-Svensner. It was a floating collage workshop. The pieces of collage are mounted on foam core so that they are raised up from the surface of the mat board on which they are mounted. For the first project of the class we all made a little house with a red roof. We were to have earth and sky background, a house with windows and a door and a red roof. The rest of the design was up to us. We had a wonderful variety of red roof houses. Mine has sheet music for the house, a treble clef for the chimney and notes on the red roof with a night sky. 

Ancestors

Floating collage, 12 X 12

The next day we worked on a larger project for which we made our own papers (first day) and included some of our own photos. This collage has a picture of my parents; the map in the background is of South Dakota where they were born. This collage is a keeper for me. 

To see other collages from the week end go to Laura's blog. (Click on this link)

Abstract Collage

Abstract Collage 1

8 X 8

The collage class is going well, the students are learning a lot about making papers, choosing colors and color combinations and putting together their collages. They look simple but abstracts are much more difficult than they appear. It's hard to get that look that you are going for. It takes lots of practice. It's so much easier, in my estimation, to do pieces with objects or subject matter. I like the challenge of abstract or non-objective work even if it is frustrating at times. Even if I start out with a plan I often don't stay with it. I get lured away by a pattern or piece of of paper that I just have to use, then I just go from there. I think this one tied together pretty well. I will use it to show my class how to heat fuse it to a wood panel. Then it will be ready to show or sell. 

Collage Class Demo

America!

Collage, acrylic 6 X 6

I made this little collage as a demonstration piece for a collage class I've been teaching. Where do you start? For this piece it was the paper with the flag that got me started. What would make a good background for it? I searched the paper box for compatible red and blue and some neutral tone as well. Then I began piecing it together, sealing it down with a hot iron while protecting it with a piece of non-stick paper. Then the flag was added and then the paper with the words and, finally, I punched stars out of gold paper to add. The torn edges were sealed with burnt umber acrylic which was carefully wiped away so just the edges were stained. Then it's given a coat of acrylic gloss medium. The last steps will be to adhere it to a gallery wrapped canvas and give it a couple of coats of UV varnish. 

America's prayers go out to the people of Belgium and may God protect traveler's everywhere. 

Getting Ready for Class

 Skinny Collage

3 X 9

Aquarium 

Collage, 3.5 X 10.5

I like the challenge of doing a composition on an irregular shape, in this case long and narrow. I did Skinny with odd pieces of this and that and then added the transfer at the end. 

I thought the painted tissue lent itself to a water like texture so I made the aquarium piece out of scraps of that. I may put this on a long skinny wrapped canvas that I have. 

I don't start out with a design in mind when I start these practice collages, I just pick the colors and papers that I want to use and let it build itself from there. It's very much like play and is very relaxing and freeing way to work. 

My collage class was supposed to start this week but a family emergency put it on hold for a week. Now I'm busy getting ready for the first class on Monday. 

Workshop- Day 3

Papa John

Watercolor 15 X 22

Just a quick post about day 3. We did a portrait painting of Papa John. It was very fun to do this man with the bushy beard. The strong light and shadow make it a delightful study. My painting on top, Maggie McClellen's below. Once again I had a heavy hand with the dark, I guess I've had too many teacher's telling me to "get the dark colors in!" 

Papa John by Maggie McClellen

Workshop, Day 2

Old Barn with Truck

Watercolor, 15 X 22

This was the second painting that we did in the Maggie McClellen Workshop. Once again, it was her drawing that we worked from. 

Maggie's Barn and Truck

I'm not sure if this is Maggie's final on this painting but it's the last picture I had. As you can see I had a much heavier hand with the dark colors and also changed the color scheme. I have to do something to make the painting mine, I don't want to just "paint along". There was no masking fluid used on this painting, every thing that was light was painted around. I much prefer this to applying mask then removing it and dealing with all the hard edges. 

  

One of the new things that I learned is the ideal color ratio. According to experts at color, the compliments should be in the following ratios; yellow to purple-10% to 90%; blue to orange-30% to 40% and red to green-50 % to 50%. I'm guessing that this is supposed to be more pleasing to the eye but I'm not at all clear how the ratios were derived. I'm not sure if I achieved a 10 to 90 ratio but it explains why my shadows and sky are to the purple shade. 

A Watercolor Workshop

On February 18, 19 and 20 I took a watercolor workshop with a wonderful watercolorist, Maggie Mc Clellen. Painting someone else's subject in their style and mode of painting is always a learning experience, especially when the style of painting is a little different from your own. I always enjoy it, even if it does stretch me. For a painter you can't complain about 3 days of doing something you love. The first day we watched Maggie's manner of painting as she demonstrated painting an old fishing boat. Then we attempted to do the same. At the end of the day I had my version, and Maggie had hers. And that's why she's the teacher and I'm not! Still, for a first time, it's an acceptable painting. If you are not learning anything, why attend a workshop?

My boat painting

Watercolor 15X22

Maggie Mc Clellen's painting

Watercolor 15 X 22

It's Always Exciting

First Place

It's always exciting to win an award. Today I won First Place in the Small World Category at our local art show.  A Small World painting may not exceed 25 square inches and must be framed no larger than 8 X 10. The subject must be 1/6 or less than actual size. All my little 30 in 30 Days collages paid off, the judges said they had a hard time choosing between the four that I entered. I feel blessed! 

The King

 King Fisher # 1

Watercolor, mixed media 11 X 11

This  was my first attempt at doing one of Karen Knutson's "wire drawings". See her work at www.karenknutson.com. It's supposed to be a combination drawing, zentangle, with added collage and paint. Well, I got the collage and paint part OK but I didn't like the busy background (permanent ink) behind the bird. I tried to tone it down with gouache, then naples yellow, finally I used white acrylic. See the next picture. I also modified the background colors.

 King Fisher #1 modified

I liked this one much better, I like the bird but thought the background could be better and I could do without the messy acrylic behind the bird.

The King 

Watercolor, ink, and collage 11 X 11

I'm happy with the way this one turned out. I left the circle behind the bird just the white of the paper. The viewer can decide if it's a sun or a moon. I used the "old fashioned" method of collage, just cut and paste for these. I used "Yes" paste to start with so whatever I didn't like could be removed. When I was finished I went over the pasted pieces with matte medium so they would be permanent. Other than the drawing done with ink there was no zentangle going on. I like the idea and I will probably do some more and try to incorporate some of the zentangle or wire drawing. 

Day 30 Over the Moon

Over the Moon

Collage 6 X 6

The last day of the Challenge! I made it! There were many who signed up but not everyone made it to the finish. It's not easy and I congratulate everyone who made a commitment to do a piece of art every day. It's huge! Even if you worked everyday but didn't complete a piece that day it's still a commitment to be in the studio and put the effort in. The real challenge now is to keep up the effort, do the work, and get better at what you do. Don't take the next week off, but keep on. (That's me giving myself a pep talk). 

I've done another little valentine for today. It's sort of says what I'm feeling about everyone who has been reading my blog. I'm over the moon for you! Thanks for putting up with my chatter and my collages. I'm blessed.

Day 29 Safari

Safari

Collage 6 X 6

The large patterns in the papers of this collage were made by stamping with a hand made stamp. The small ones were from a store bought stamp. The patterns and colors made me think of African textiles so I found a postage stamp from Zambia in my ephemera collection to add to the collage. That's how I came up with "Safari". The papers are all altered National Geographic pages.