Hydrangea

I loved the colors of this hydrangea bloom.

Alas, it was not that easy to nail down in watercolor paints. It almost looks like an abstract, and I do love the colors, even if it does not look like the original all that much.

Three Small Still Lives

Three Small Still Lives

This trio of still lives were fun to do and I think they turned out well.

Here the first one, of a flower arrangement in a green tea pot (I put the photo I painted from below it).

I had trouble getting the pot dark enough, and the flowers lack a bit of definition, but it was fun to do. The reflection off of the teapot turned out well.


The second is of red flowers arranged in a tin can, with a toy tractor. I really liked the way this one turned out, especially the tin can and the gerber daisy, at least that's what I think it is, on the left.

Cute, huh? I might do this one again, only larger.




























 The last wee still life is a basic multicolored arrangement in a glass vase.

 It turned out well though I utterly failed to get some of the flowers right, but unless you are looking at the photo I did it from, you cannot see it. But here it is so you can see!

The Orange Tulip

I did this one in class a couple of weeks ago. It was from a photo I had taken. I opted to make a blue/purple background rather than the brown mulch it really was in. I was not completely happy with the leaves, and then the masking fluid I used on the edges when I out in the background color took off some of the color. So I decided to outline it with a black pen to punch it up some. I am not thrilled with it but it is not horrible.

The remake of the Wisteria

I had promised the first Wisteria I had done to my Aunt, but I had a friend who wanted to buy it! A sale! Really? So I decided to paint another, only larger (the original was only 2x3 inches maybe?) I don't think it is as quite as good, the brush strokes are not as loose as with the original. I think making it larger required greater details, so some of the looseness was lost. 

But, all in all, my friend did like it and I did sell it! Yay!
 

Here's another landscape, this one with a barn in the distance. Buildings still kind of scare me still, and I am not very adept at them yet. I guess I need to do more so I can get better. Practice makes perfect.

Here's another landscape I did a few days back. I had fun with all the sunset colors, but I am not sure it was a success.

My tree reflection is not large enough, but I am not sure I care enough to fix it. Maybe if I am bored one day. Or maybe just paint on the back.

I consider myself a landscape artist. At least when I am painting with oils. But my landscapes have not really made me happy in watercolors. What did turn out well, I thought, and someone offered to buy, was one of a wisteria bloom (my wisteria finally bloomed for real this year, and I got a good picture of a bloom with my iphone...I really love the camera on the iphone...)

I think I may have some cards made with this image on them to use personally. I am very pleased with it.

I am not sure because it was so completely different than what I am used to and I made a detailed sketch before starting, something I NEVER do, that made the difference. I just don't feel the need when doing landscapes. So, maybe I need to invest some time in some still-lifes? I have a friend who wants some daffodils, so if I am as pleased with those as this maybe I have a new "niche" to work in? Only time will tell. But I can say that trying to do what I like to do with oils was NOT working.

I also love the colors, purple and green is my favorite color combination.

With this landscape I struggled so much with the darks, I got my black out to just help get those darks darker. Also, our class supply list had no green paint, and I really needed some brighter green than I could mix so I "cheated" some and got the sap green out. As you can tell, I do like to paint a hay bale. They really are very sculptural, and I love them!

If this looks familiar, I did an oil from this same reference photo; I do not recall if I posted that painting, but if I did, this may seem familiar.

Here is a bowl of Granny Smith's I did during class. Of course I need to get my pencil lines lighter, and there is room for improvement, but I was pleased with it, a fast little painting.

Back at it!

Anyone who follows my blog (and I would be surprised there was any one doing THAT) knows it has been some years since I have posted anything new. Well, I recently enrolled in a watercolor class, and that will change.

I stopped oil painting for a variety of reasons, time and space being the two biggest. I wanted my sons to have a dedicated art space, which means I do not have a dedicated art space. Also, I started homeschooling and teaching a class at my parish, so time is limited. But I was really missing painting, I find it very therapeutic. But I have no place to get the oils out, so watercolors seem the logical choice. Only I stink at them, so I have enrolled in a class. I can paint at the dining room table, and clean up is easy.

Hopefully I can find it as therapeutic as oil painting. And since I have had one offer to buy soemthing, MAYBE I can cover costs somewhat (though that block paper is super expensive...ag!)

So, here is the first landscape I did after my first class, which was almost two weeks ago.

I had some trouble with getting the values of the colors right, not dark enough in some places, too dark in others. I have to retrain my brain. With oils you start with the darks and go light, it is opposite with watercolors. The transparency of the paint is also harder to work with, there is no covering mistakes. I also want to work the paint more than I ought. But I was pleased with this first attempt.

I'll post a bowl of apples I did in class that did not turn out too bad either.