ATC: Barbados Souvenir Shack

Barbados Souvenir Shack

ATC

Acrylic on Canvas Panel

Available for Trade

I've been working on creating a few Artist trading cards on the days I wasn't in the mood to do a larger piece, so you may see them interspersed with my regular work. Funny thing about these tiny pieces. They can actually take up the same time and sometimes the same amount of paint as larger pieces. Go figure! :)

Seaweed

Seaweed

8" x 8" Watercolor & India Ink on 140 lb Arches

Available

I am not very familiar with watercolor, and enjoyed playing with colors and using salt, paper towels, masking fluid, and India Ink to create this piece. It seemed more right somehow to have seaweed made with watercolor and not my usual Acrylics.

(WDE ref photo by Valri Ary)

Confidence

Confidence

8" x 10" Acrylic on Archival Ampersand Claybord

Available

I loved painting this beautiful fellow. Thanks to the donation of his photo to the WDE for the week, I was truly in my element. This was my first time painting a Tiger and my first time using Claybord..both proved to be wonderful experiences.

Photo Shoot: RMNP

Today was our weekly Photo shoot. This was one of the most exciting days ever in over a decade of going to Rocky Mountain National Park. We saw our first bear there in 14 years! We were able to get off quite a few shots with both our cameras. Unfortunately, he kept moving, and the light was just not great for photo shoots. But we got a few reference photos for me to use for painting....and perhaps one or two for my son to sell as photographs.

I glimpsed the bear on our way up the mountains, and wondered what it was...we watched for a while but could only see glimpses, so thought it was a mountain lion. We just weren't able to get a good look. We were so lucky to get to see him again on our way down the mountain...and would have missed him entirely if there weren't already cars stopped. This little guy was wearing camouflage too. I am going to ask a ranger about that. He had some really long hair and some normal short hair. I don't know why it would be so different in the extreme heat of summer. But then the bears have been acting weird this year. One actually went through the local outdoor art shows a few weeks ago. He wanted to see the bear sculptures is what I heard. *grin*

Color Times Square

Color Times Square

4" x 5" Acrylic on Canvas Panel

Available

This was so fun!! I took a really fun picture of Times Square that was another WDE photo for this week and played with it a little to break down the colors. Then I cropped and painted that while watching the closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics. I think the beautiful colors in the closing ceremony kind of inspired me to do this, and it made for a very special night.

The Weir Fisherman

The Weir Fisherman

8" x 10" Acrylic on Archival Unstretched Canvas

Available

This was my first of the fabulous WDE photos provided by Wendy for this week. I opted for this photo for the optional challenge, which was to only use two colors and those made from mixing them. White for tinting only was also allowed. I actually enjoy these complimentary color paintings and this one was ideal. I not only learned about Weir Fisherman but also did my first "moving" water painting. So it was two experiments in one. FUN!! I think I have my mojo back. hehe.

Covered Bridge #1

Covered Bridge #1

16" x 20" Acrylic on Archival Wrapped Canvas

Available

This Painting is based on the 1879 Herns Mill Bridge, in West Virginia. This bridge is built over Milligan Creek. As I was painting this I was thinking about the fact that at the time the covered bridge was built, there were not automobiles. The bridge was for foot and I suppose horse or horse and buggy traffic. The cover I assume was for protection from inclement weather. Rather than portray the bridge as it is now with a concrete road leading to it and a metal guard rail, I opted to portray it a little more romantically. Giving it back it's dirt road. Wild flowers, and hopefully some peace and serenity from times past.

This is a WIP and will be changed slightly from this photograph.

(This Beautiful old bridge was the August Different Strokes Challenge.)

Photo Shoot At CSU Floral Gardens

This week my son, his fiance and I, went to Colorado State University for our photo shoot. They have a garden where they grow annuals throughout the summer to test them for hardiness for the extreme climate in the High Desert. It is a great place to see sneak peeks of new hybrids being produced. This is where the "new" plants are chosen by CSU, and I believe the botanical gardens, along with High Country Gardens in Santa Fe...don't quote me...to to be named "plant select" for the following year. This is a BIG deal. Gets the flowers or plants on the covers of magazines, etc. They are the stars. We are only paparazzi. There to admire and hopefully not get stung by bees. *grin*

Lighthouse #1

Lighthouse #1

10" x 20" Acrylic on Canvas Panel

Available

This painting is based on Hunting Lighthouse, on Hunting Island in South Carolina. The photo for this was one of many fabulous images donated by Li for the Aug 15 WDE. There were so many to choose from I hope to go back and pick up a few later. The Lighthouse is as true to real as I could make it. I did take artistic license with their picket fence and landscaping.

I think If I were to be a Lighthouse keeper, I would spend all of my time helping out ships when needed or gardening so I could still keep an eye on the water. So this painting is my ideal I guess.

I have to be honest and admit my first painting for the WDE failed miserably this week, and was in fact, the first piece I have actually thrown away since I started painting. After a lot of great advice from my fellow artists in the Different Strokes group, I got back to work...and this gem turned out. What a truly pleasant surprise. I never would have thought I could paint a Lighthouse. I am kind of surprised I tried. And thrilled at how it turned out. :)

The moral of this story is...a little painters block might be a great thing.

Daisy Crazy

Daisy Crazy

10" x 14" Acrylic on 140 pound Watercolor paper

Sold

I took this week off from Painting, following a back injury Saturday. I was having trouble getting myself back to paint, and needed something light hearted before the Weekend's WDE. While reading through artist's pages, I came across Jean Haines' Website and a demo on how to use masking fluid to make daisies. It sounded like it would be just the ticket. So I got out my supplies...substituting Acrylics for Watercolor and went to work. As tends to be the case with me...I was having so much fun I made LOTS of daisies. So I guess I went a little Daisy Crazy. :)

A Photo Shoot in Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park

The green in the picture is the wind blowing what smelled like Jasmine, so I couldn't get a clear shot of my "Instructor". :)

I went on another photo shoot with my son today. I think we are going to make this a weekly occurrence whenever we can. I bought his old camera with a telephoto lens. Now I should be able to get some nice landscape and wildlife shots for painting. Or at least once I learn how to use it. lol. My little point and shoot is fun, and works for flowers and such...but just doesn't cut it for other things.

Today we went to Rocky Mountain National Park. We came across a huge herd of Big Horn Sheep on this trip, and spent most of the time shooting them. Then we went over to one of the rapids areas, where my son was just a little more brave than me. I stood on the road and let him make his way down to the water for that "perfect" shot.

I really enjoy these outing and they let me get away from the easels and get a chance to enjoy what I am painting.

Summer Sunset

Summer Sunset
9" x 12" Acrylic on Archival Unstretched Canvas

Available

I just had to try this second reference from the August 8 WDE. The colors were so stunning in the photograph I couldn't resist. Blending colors for the reflections and sunset was truly pure joy. I decided to utilize the white border I had been "framing" the painting with, to make it larger... as I was enjoying it so much...so it grew from an 8" x 10" to a 9" x 12 ".

Raspberry Lilies

Raspberry Lilies
8" x 10" Acrylic on Archival Unstretched Canvas

Available

These were based on a reference photo from the August 8 WDE. I was still in experiment mode and had a palette left from the Osteospermum the weekend before, so decided to use it rather than follow the colors in the photo. I cropped out a few of the blooms for my reference, and then had a blast using the greens in my palette along with a few others to make the lily leaves for the background. Again this week the photos for the WDE were just wonderful. Very hard to select which to use.

Doin' The Watusi

Doin' The Watusi
22" x 28" Acrylic on Archival Wrapped Canvas

Available

I actually pulled a third reference photo from the August 1 WDE. I just couldn't resist! Life kind of interfered and slowed down the finish, but I had so much fun with this painting of Watusi Cattle. I experimented with multiple textures and techniques. Using everything from Palette Knives, to brushes, to finger painting...and in some places the paint was so thick that even the acrylic wouldn't dry fast enough for me, so I sped it up with a high powered doggie blow-dryer. *grin* (no heat, just air.)

Red Is The New Purple

Red Is The New Purple
5" x 5" Acrylic on Archival Wrapped Canvas

Available

I was on a roll this weekend with the fabulous reference photos that were posted to the August 1st WDE. For my second fun experiment I chose a lovely purple Osteospermum and cropped it down for what I think is more interest. Then I played with overlapping transparent and translucent colors..and finally a few opaques. The results are a really pretty little thing that turns color slightly depending on the amount of light hitting it! In full light it is quite brilliant and in less light it is a little deeper in shade. It did however seem to go towards red rather than the purple it was supposed to be. They tell me Osteospermum don't come in red. So I guess Red is the new Purple. LOL.

Andalusian Stallion

Andalusian Stallion
Diluted Acrylic Ink on Drawing Paper

I was really in the mood to experiment and play this weekend after spending so much intense time last week finishing up the Irises painting. So my first Reference Photo I chose from the August 1 2008 WDE was the head of a beautiful Andalusian Stallion. I had just viewed a video showing how to do layers of washes using India ink, and gradually building the amount of ink in each wash. Well I didn't have India ink...only Acrylic Ink. And I had no watercolor paper with me...but decided to give this a whirl. It was quite fun, and is definitely something I will try again with the correct materials.