#001 Mortimer

I’m Elva Paulson and I’m excited to be joining Laure Ferlita’s 100 Paintings Challenge. Already I know it will good for me because I got me thinking about just what I would like to accomplish in the coming year--now that I am painting again. Laure’s advice to paint a lot and not worry about quality is just what I need. I need to learn to just go for it and not get hung up on everything turning out right. I have a history of painting carefully, with a goal in mind, rather than exploring. Just letting loose and giving myself permission to paint without judging is a significant challenge for me. I want to try new paper, new pens, new techniques. I already started on that path this past month, but joining this group is making it a commitment.

So maybe you need a little history about me to understand those thoughts. As a child I did a fair amount of drawing and painting. Enough that when I went to college I was excited at the prospect of being able to take an art class. Yech! We ‘expressed’ ourselves by drawing pieces of a junked car. I finished college, but never dared sign up for another college art class. Now, many years later, I have a better appreciation of what the instructor was trying to do … but I sure didn’t then.

When I was a young mother I got serious about my art and even took the Famous Artist’s correspondence course … which taught me a lot more than those junked car pieces. I have always been close to nature and, as a result, focused on wildlife art. I hung in several galleries, and considered myself a serious painter until about 13 years ago. At that time my husband, Dale, retired early and I assumed I would continue at least some gallery painting, but only a year later he developed severe mobility problems and my life become more crowed.

The past ten years have been good to us. … lots of nature photography from the car for Dale, and lots of sketching and photography in and near the car for me. I did tackle one big project, illustrating “The Birds of Oregon: A General Reference” for Oregon State University Press (about 100 black and white illustrations and a full color cover). I believe that cover is the only serious painting I did in the last ten years, that is until last November when I finally started a ‘real’ painting.

Life has taken a good turn for us. Two new hips and Dale is walking again … and I feel free to disappear into my art again. I’m in the process of figuring out just where I want to go. I know I want to enjoy art, not worry about it as a business, and to grow it along a path which expresses my connection with nature. Perhaps I’ll combine it with some writing.

My introductory painting is of ‘Mortimer,’ a barred owl raised by my mother. When Mortimer was old enough he was allowed to fly free and softly become part of the wild. An old screen door is a strange perch for a barred owl, but it is a memory from the heart for me.

#003-Warm Heart-Kathy

I painted this sweet kitty for the "Art Hearts for Haiti" group. The original live model for this one was our cat, Elmer. He is actually a "tuxedo" cat, black and white. He is carrying on without us in Belgium. I had gotten the sketch done, but not his coloring, so I had to improvise with this ginger cat from the neighborhood. There is another picture I did of Elmer, in all his glory, in one of my flickr sets if you'd like to see him : ).

I have never painted an ATC before, but I think I'm a bit hooked ; ). I loved doing the detail and having the limited space to fill. Now, on to #004---I think I'm on a roll : ).

Painting #14 Tree Branch In The Sky

This is one more sky that I did and discovered that it fits well for "Illustration Friday's" theme word of 'focused'.  I have indeed been focused on skies this last week using wet-in-wet watercolors.

I didn't know what I was going to add to the painting after I did it until today when I saw the IF word and realized how focused I have been on painting skies. I just added the tree branch against this Arizona sky and when I was almost finished I thought a nest in the tree would look interesting so I added that also.

Now I feel I can move on to a landscape with an interesting sky.

Things to Know: Expanding Your Visual Vocabulary

Click to enlarge.

Painting #13 Goose On The River

This painting comes from a photo I took two years ago when I took the grands on a nature walk in a nature preserve in autumn.  This goose was just one of lots of wildlife that we saw.

The goose was floating on the river with wonderful reflections and that was my purpose in painting this: reflections.

Actually, today I discovered I could use it for writing haiku to the prompt of 'peace', so it is multi-purposed.

Brambles and tall weeds

Hiding the goose beyond me

Enjoying her peace

and

Peace on the river

A goose floating so serene

Wishing for the same

There is something so appealing to me to write haiku to accompany a painting.

The Alley - Claire 7

<<< Another imaginary trip to Paris >>> After breakfast we enjoyed a walk around the neighborhood and we found an interesting alley to explore.

Good Morning Paris - Claire 6

<< Another imaginary trip to Paris >> I can't believe I slept in so late. But... sooner or later you were all going to find out that I love my sleep! Fortunately it is a sunny day and the light coming through the window woke me up. I'm thrilled to be here in Paris, and I'm so anxious to get to know the other travelers as we go embark on our adventures.

Painting #12 Baby Giraffe

I have sketched giraffes before and they are fun to do so I wanted to another one but with a landscape background.  I found this image of a baby giraffe on Wet Canvas.

My other purpose in doing this was to sketch it on paper and use the transfer technique Laure told us about.  It worked great and sure saves a lot of erasing on the watercolor paper.

I realize I am jumping all over with painting subjects but I just let my mood and interest move me.

Mission San Luis Obispo - Claire 5

Last fall I took a mini-vacation to San Luis Obispo to 'recharge' and do some painting.  One day I walked from my hotel into town determined to paint something on the spot. I walked into the Mission Plaza and to my amazement (and pure coincidence) I walked right into an art event -- the San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival. Many artists were just finishing their paintings. It took awhile, but I finally got the courage to sit on a small stone fence and paint the San Luis Obispo Mission. When I finally started painting I began to relax and enjoy the process. I did it!

Painting #11 Another Sky and Mountain

Okay, I am falling in love with doing skies.  They are so pretty.

This is another wet-in-wet painting (hmm, maybe it's the wet-in-wet that I enjoy so much).

I added the Catalina Mountains again but without the snow.  Those mountains are so much a part of our landscape.

Next.

Painting # 10 - Snow On The Mountain

We had stormy weather last week that dropped a few feet of snow on our mountains.   This is a view from the valley and a half block from our house.  The Saguaro cactus grows in front of the house and it did stick up against the mountain view.  And the bit of blue was really there.

Again I used wet-in-wet for the sky.  I'm not really stuck on skies but they are so beautiful in Arizona I keep wanting to paint them and am getting quite comfortable doing it.  

I was very happy with the way this turned out.  It is much more impressionistic than I normally paint but I love the play of light and contrast.

Of course I used this for my Cactus Monday post also.

Painting #11 - Kelly - Mute Swans at the Queen's Hamlet

Mute Swans at the Queen's Hamlet

...an edited down version of "Moulin," the watermill cottage in the simulated rustic village built for Marie Antoinette at Versailles. These "swans" are actually the same swan in different poses. I photographed him last spring swimming in a pond near my house. Since Mute Swans are native to Europe, not North America, he fits perfectly in the French landscape. (I painted this one very quickly, really trying to capture the feel of being on site on a cold and dreary January day.)

Backlit Trees - Krista

Painting #13 of 100 Paintings in a Year
Watercolor, 3.5 x 5”, 140 lb Arches Cold Press paper

Observations:  I’m discovering that I need to have a separate clear water brush with me, as I don’t often have enough time to wash out my brush first.  Seems also like a waste of paint if it was done after the first stroke.

Also, I keep switching papers, going from my sketchbook to Arches.  I want to be proficient in both, and they both react differently.  It’s kind of like an science experiment.

Stone Bridge #12 - Krista

Painting #** of 100 Paintings
Watercolor, **”, 140 lb Arches Cold Press

I worked slowly and carefully to get the colors on the stone bridge and the glow underneath it.  Had to slow down the for the trees and grasses too so that they did not become mush.  Onward!
 

Liberty Park Stream #11 - Krista

Watercolor, 5x8”, hand∗book journal, 90 lb paper

This was a super fast sketch of a stream.  I liked the shadows coming off of the bank.

Standing in the Shadows #10 - Krista

Watercolor, 4.5 x 6”, 140 lb Arches Cold Press

This was from a photograph of my sister when I was visiting her in Florida many years ago.  I played up the pink marble columns and shadows.

A new casual necklace for the year - Claire 4

This is my new little necklace to help keep some focus on my word of the year, Clarity. It is a small leather scroll and it has just a few pages of paper that I can write small quotes or thoughts during the year. 

Kelly - Painting #10 - English Sparrows in a Paris Alley

Three English Sparrows in a Paris Alley

This painting is doing double-duty because it's part of my "Imaginary Trip to Paris" class I'm taking with Laure. I added the little House Sparrows to this scene because they are common city dwellers and could easily be found in an alleyway. In my mind, I saw these little birds eating bread crusts thrown out for them by a soft-hearted baker--their little chips and bird chatter blending with soft music drifting out of the open back window of the bakery.

Kelly - Painting #9 - Art Hearts for Haiti

A Carolina Wren Art Heart

Thank you, Laure, for putting together this

program to help the people of Haiti through art:

Painting number - 9 - Teri

Another sky painting using wet-in-wet watercolor.  When I was done this sea gull flew right in to become my focal point.

#002-Comfortable in His Own Skin-Kathy

Well, I finally completed a second painting--such as it is ; ). I saw this photo, from a 2007 edition of Selvedge magazine, on a super cute blog and just had to try to recreate it. It's not perfect, but I sure had fun! I see early on that I do fairly well with detail, but need lots of practice with big shapes and loosening up with parts that are not the focus.

NEXT!!!