Glorious Color

Painting #1 Imagined landscape on Arches 140#

I have been enjoying more warmth in my paintings lately. I am a lover of blue but want to reach out towards a little heat. This particular scene is in Colusa County on a day trip with my big brother Doug. I am working more and more from my imagination and memory rather than photos. Easy for me now that I am willing to let loose and not rely on relentless detail.

Painting #2 Remembered Landscape on Arches 140#

I don’t think that I’ll ever tire of this scene. I am intrigued by the light and the overall feeling.

Painting #3 Sand Pond on Lanaquarelle 140#

One of my favorite scenes on my favorite paper. I didn’t plan on that golden pyramid shape in the background, it “snuck” in but I would like to think that it is a sunlit mountain, let the imagination work.

Painting #4 Imagined Landscape on Arches 140#

Basically the technique with these imagined landscapes is working wet on wet and building a scene intuitively.

Painting #5 Abstract

I love abstracts and when I paint them I work entirely by intuition.

Painting #6 Imagined Landscape Arches 140#

I had the most difficult time getting the colors to match up with my painting. I do believe that my photo on Instagram is much better.

I don’t have as much time this week to paint because I will be running into town twice this week. I have to pick up a painting from my framer that I won via ArtistNetwork. It is an original painting by Thomas Schaller, one of my favorite watercolorists. Talk about exciting to have won something, a first time for me.  Happy painting folks!

 

 

Go Paint Go!

Painting #1 Semi-abstract imagined landscape

I lost some blues in this which made this painting richer and the sky/sun is not as acid yellow, keep that in mind. I am rather happy using my computer lately for uploading photos and writing these posts.

This week has been pretty busy with painting, the above painting started out as intuitive though I had a directional left pull and I had to take a little time to resolve it. It might still have that pull but I do believe that the rays of light streaming down counteracts that.

Painting #2 semi-abstract imagined landscape

The purple lavender on the bottom is more of a grayed purple, keep that in mind. This one reminds me of a sand storm. I love granulating colors and it was perfect for this scene.

painting #3 semi-abstract imagined landscape

I was very pleased that I was able to get the photo to marry up with the actual painting, I lost some of the rich color when I posted it to Instagram. It reminds me of something out in space. I am really enjoying minimalism. I start with swiping on color, wet on wet use my sprayer, letting the colors mingle and blend. I turn it around and around and look for a scene. Most times it makes itself evident from the get go, I have been pretty lucky so far in that I find it so quickly. I only paint what I intuitively know what to do. If I don’t feel moved or am unsure of what to do next, I set it aside.

painting #4 Yuba river

I prefer to paint loosely and nowadays imaginary scenes but I do like to return to a more realistic scene to hone my skills. I had gone up to the North Yuba river about two weeks ago to plein air paint. This painting was from one of my photos. I use the photo as a jumping off point, I use artistic license, which is more fun.

Painting #5 North Yuba river

I was feeling a bit off the day I started this, I basically threw myself in a fury of painting hoping that I get out of my perfectionist funk. If anything, this is a creativity killer for me, being picky about how my paintings look.

Painting #6 semi-abstract imagined landscape

Woah, hold onto your socks! I love painting imaginary scenes but this one I am loving it but also scratching my head. I wanted to paint outside the box and really up my colors but boy, did I go wild!

Painting #7 semi-abstract imagined landscape

The sky/sun in this photo is not as acidic in reality and the blues are more of a Prussian blue which leans towards a blue/green. I wanted to go wild and minimalistic. More of an exercise, I think that Debi Riley’s last couple of posts inspired me.

Painting #8 imagined scene but inspired by Bullards Bar Resevoir

I wanted to add one more painting, sorry for the length of this post. The blues pop out more than they should, it was difficult to marry up the photo to the painting, the painting is very rich and deep with contrasting color.

Well, that’s in for now, keep painting happy!

 

More Fall Paintings

 

 

Painting #1 Imaginary landscape

I tried my best to match up the photo but at least the pixels aren’t messed up, too much, I think, yay! I think that I got the photo to marry up well with my painting except that the “sun” is way better than what it shows in the photo.

While my grandson entertained himself with drawing dinosaurs, I took the opportunity to get some painting done and this is what I came up with. No idea what I was going to paint other than the chosen colors. I love painting this way, no preconceived idea, and no expectation, just going with the flow of the paint and picking out an imaginary scene.

Painting #2 Lake Francis

This is an semi-abstract of a scene of Lake Francis that I have painted several times.

Painting #3 Imaginary scene

I started out the typical way and that is usually throwing on some colors and looking for a scene. This was painted saturated wet on wet. If you haven’t tried this technique I suggest that you give it a chance. It might seem different and out of control but that is the whole point, right? At least that is the way I like to paint with watercolor.

Be aware that while the paper is saturated, the whites are very easy to pick out but once the paper is dry, it is near to impossible to regain white without scraping the paper with a blade. As long as the paper is wet, wipe out to your hearts’ content.

Painting #4 Shenanigan Flat

This is a scene that I have painted the most so far in the past year. In fact I wonder if I have already posted this one but I am pretty sure I haven’t. I had a difficult time to get the light yellow to show up as light as it appears here, keep that in mind.

Painting #5 a river scene

Another painting that I had a difficult time getting the photo just right but you get the idea. This started out as a plein air and I finished it up in the studio. I am finding out that what worked for me in the past in regards to painting en plein air isn’t working for me any longer. I just can’t sit and paint, I need to stand, I do this at home and I often step away to take a “look see”. I am considering getting an easel but it has to be very light weight because my neck and back can’t take lugging in heavy equipment any longer.

So, while I painted this, I used a big flat rock as my table and I also painted wet on wet and very loose, just like I would at home. I am trying to carry my attitude and painting style to the field.

Paintings #6

These were painted on small square pieces of leftover paper and purely from my imagination/memory. I think that I had Lake Francis on my mind when I painted these.

Painting #7 Shenanigan Flat (of course!)

I wasn’t too sure if this was successful or not, I haven’t shared it on my Instagram just because of the uncertainty. I love the feeling of it but for some reason I don’t like at the photo of it, there is something lost in translation. No idea.

That is it for now. I have a few more paintings to share but until next time, count your blessings!

One last photo from my plein air painting trip the other day, enjoy!

Intuitive Paintings

Painting #1 of Bullards Bar Resevoir

I have been painting up a storm lately and enjoying every bit of it. The weather has changed drastically in the last few days, my husband had gone up to the Sierra Buttes and there was about 4 inches of snow! I hope to get up there soon to paint.

 

 

Painting #2 of the North Yuba river

Painted saturated wet on wet. If you haven’t tried this technique you have to give it a try, it is absolutely thrilling. There is approximately a two hour window of painting time without having to wait for any layers to dry. It takes a bit to get used to the mushy appearance as you work it but to me it is like sculpting rather than painting. Once it is dry, you go back in to punch up your darks.

Painting #3 imagined river landscape

What a joy to paint this, I had no idea how it would turn out and I loved that fact, I prefer working this way.

Painting #4

Again another intuitive painting, I loved playing with the light.

Painting #5 of Bullards Bar Resevoir

The glow in the middle section is not quite as bright in reality in this photo, keep that in mind. I loved painting this, imagine that!

Painting #6 a semi-abstract

This painting wasn’t turning out as I imagined so I decided to abstract it to play around with shapes and values, nothing lost in an exercise of this nature. I have three more paintings to share, until next time!

Sorting Through Old Pastels

I should be working on outdoor activities but nope I had to make that decision to go through my pastel paintings to organize and to throw out paintings that aren’t working.

*for some reason these paintings look fuzzy when I use my Kindle to upload these, go to my Instagram account to see my paintings more clearly. I haven’t uploaded two of them on this post but you can follow me on there and see my art more clearly. I’ll be working at finding out why this happens.

This painting surprised me because I thought it wasn’t good enough and now I am very happy with it.

Another “disappointment” ha!!!! I love it now! I am telling you, gold on to paintings, give them time and you’ll either love them or if not move it along.

Another painting that I had a hard time liking, it was too rough in my assessment. Now that I am looser in painting, it warms my heart to see this one.

All these paintings are plein air and it sure gets me hankering to get out there to paint, that is for certain. Going through these paintings has made me acknowledge that I have been on a long journey of creative acceptance.

I want to encourage those of you who often feel discouraged or who feel that you’ll never get anywhere in your art making. It takes time, patience and a personal vision. Goals are fine but vision is more important, it is the heart of the matter, a focus, trusting that you your inner creative will come into full freedom of expression. Don’t stifle your inner creative! By golly!

Painting Happiness

I have truly enjoying my painting sessions lately. I will be posting from my Kindle Fire and if you want to see the clearer version, drop by and visit me on Instagram. 

Painting #1

The painting above is of Bullard’s Bar Reservoir at evening. I went very dark with it perhaps a bit too dark but I like it anyway.

Painting #2

This one I almost abandoned because I thought I had jumped  little ahead with the layering but I stayed with it to the very end. The trees on the right are a bit static and I will vary the height of one of more trees, an easy fix. This is a view of the Sierra Buttes from the other side.

Painting #3

I wanted to redo the Bullards evening painting a second time. I went a bit abstract with the sky. I used a sprayer to simulate light on the water.

Painting #4

This is on blue tinted Bockingford paper. I went wild and carefree with it, wet on wet and pushed the paper to its limit and boy did I have fun! I love this paper!

Painting #5

Eh so so for me, I lost the dimension and feeling of my rocks but wanted to include it. Not enough value range in the rocks.

Painting #6

On Fabriano hotpress. A pure joy to let the paint flow. I didn’t want a lot of detail I am again going for feeling. I am painting for me.

Painting 7

Last but not least. I almost abandoned this one because of a defect in the paper at the top section. There were two long scrapes and the paint settled right into them. It was a letdown and I was going to flip it over to paint on the other side when I decided at the last minute to crop the painting. It was a good decision because I ended up with a better composition anyway. The trees actually are a deeper green than my photo shows.

There you go, I am alive and well and painting up a storm! Until next time, happy trails!

North Yuba at Indian Outpost

 

On Schut Noblesse 140# cp quarter sheet

 

I started this painting yesterday and finished it today. I didn’t bother with photos showing my progression. This paper is fairly new to me, not sure if I care for it or not. I like a paper to push back at me, it seems too “mushy”, it doesn’t have a response that I like. Corrections are difficult and you have to be careful because very wet washes will congeal in some spots and try to lift up in places you don’t necessarily want it to. I don’t mind a paper that puts me on the edge of my seat but I like a little teamwork.

I’ll might soften up some edges of that bush that leans over the rocks.

colors used: Prussian Blue, Cobalt Blue, Cerulean Blue, Quin. Gold, Aureolin, Indigo

*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.

Morning on the North Yuba

 

on 200# Saunders quarter sheet

Oh my I am so picky today! I am thinking that I need to stretch my creative muscles and go for a really loose painting. I keep picking the above painting to bits. I have a problem with all those rocks, maybe it is my picky mood. So I started another Yuba river painting but more loose and carefree.

 

layer number 1

I always love starting out a new painting, so exciting! I started out with wet on semi-wet here.

 

layer #2

I often will bring the background to a certain stage than move onto the middle or foreground. I don’t like to complete a background because often it takes a back and forth work to bring a painting to the correct feeling or value.

 

layer #3 or more

I started to move on those rocks and the back trees on the left and gradually brought the water up slowly. I used a wax crayon to protect the whites.

I do believe that those rocks were my enemy and yet I loved how a lot of them  presented that special glow that I saw that morning. In the final stage I did lump some sections of the rocks into a more concrete mass. All in all, not bad but I am missing my wild and loose and fancy free approach. I need to go bareback on that wild pony!

colors  used: Aureolin, Quin. Gold, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Tiger’s Eye Genuine, Prussian Blue, Cereluen Blue

 

This is the reference photo of that morning on the North Yuba….beautiful, don’t you think?

*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.

 

 

 

 

 

A Peaceful Day at Little Bear Lake

 

my first photo of my sequence of layers

I was asked to take photos of my process of painting. This is a painting of an area that I love up near the Sierra Buttes in Sierra County.  Here is a post from one of my plein air trips up to this area:  Bear Lakes Loop- World Watercolor Month #2

I planned this out carefully with a value sketch (yay me!) color swatches (yay me, again!) and then proceeded to get the job done.

When I started taking photos, at this point I believe that this was my second or third layer. I painted the background wet on dry though I did use my sprayer to help feather the paint to help create some branches, to loosen things up a bit.

Here I started on bringing up the depth of the water, etching out those falling trees in the water, working on the foliage in back of the rocks. Another layer on the rocks I believe.

 

completed painting on a quarter sheet 140# watercolor paper

 

This is basically finished. I do believe that I lost some vividness of the color on my last photo, it matches more with the second photo. I soften two of the rocks on the far right, scratched in some sparkles on the water, soften the edge of the water on both the background and far right. As I look at this painting. I feel that I need to clean up the top of one of those rocks where the foliage is, it looks lumpy.

I decided to go tighter this time around because now and then I like to go slow and detailed just to teach myself some order and especially to take my time. I can’t always go like a bat out of hell working through my watercolors. I do believe that I managed to make that far rock on the top left my focal point but wonder if I made all those rocks too closely related, a big lump of rocks. Next time I think that I will bring my designated rock to completion and leave the rest a little uncompleted.

colors used: Quin. gold, Aureolin, Prussian Blue, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Raw Sienna

*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.

 

 

Early Morning on the North Yuba

 

on Arches 300# cp quarter sheet

Sorry about the paragraphs not having any space between them but WP is acting up for me and I can’t seem to correct it.

     This painting is from a photo from last year when the temperatures were dropping. The morning that I arrived, the sun was just creeping around the corner and the mist was so beautiful. Here is the same scene but in pastel and on en plein air:  Frosty November Morning

     I have painted this scene at least 5 times. Those bushes across the river is so darn difficult to capture correctly. I didn’t worry about trying to get it to look like the photo, what is the creative fun in that? None! I did the tree section in the background wet on wet and had to go back at least three times to darken and bring up what features I felt would give the scene the correct nuance.

Colors used:  Aureolin, Cobalt Blue, Prussian Blue, Quin. Gold, Ultramarine Blue

*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.