Kelly - Painting #15 - A Happy St. Valentine's Day Sandhill Crane...

A Sandhill Crane walks around with a Valentine's heart on his face every day! He's the perfect bird to wish you a Happy St. Valentine's Day!

#007 Smiling Tiger

I have been unusually busy for the past several days. I no longer try to sell my art, but I do donate some. Here I was asked to design a logo for a wildlife veterinary clinic in India. We met a young vet when he came to Roseburg to train at Wildlife Safari, a large non-profit drive through animal park near here. Now Satya is back in India and working hard to see to it that there is some treatment available for wild animals. He wanted a logo of an injured tiger and for the tiger to be smiling … big challenge!

Dale and I are docents for Wildlife Safari. During the past several days I also drew thumbnails for Wildlife Safari of white-nosed coatis, waterbuck, white-cheeked gibbons, alligator, blue and gold macaw, bobcat, cougar, maned wolf, and Indian crested porcupine. I still need to do a cheetah and a walking stick! Give me a good eraser and good reference material and I’ll tackle most any animal. Since we do a lot of Wildlife Safari’s photography, I had all the reference material …. Except for the walking stick. I’ll get that Monday.

Painting #23 Landscape

This painting would be the reason why I want to learn to do good landscapes!

Next!!!!!!!!!

Painting #22 Frog

When my daughter was in Germany she took this photo and I have been saving it to paint someday.  Someday is here.  The shadows in the photo were great and good practice for me.  Plus I have never painted water on a lily pad and I love how wet it looks.  It really amazes me that I did it.

#006 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

I did this technique once before and I rather like it …. But I doubt it meets archival standards. No matter, I painted it for my enjoyment and as a learning tool.

I photographed the kinglet last Friday, and then drew it in my journal, using the photo as reference. It turned out better than I expected so then I was in a fuss because it was on my crappy journal paper. I then scanned the drawing out of the journal and printed it on 80# Aquarius (Strathmore) watercolor paper using my black and white laser printer. I even put miskit on the bird and on a few pine needles. The miskit lifts some of the printer’s ink …. But I rather like how it softened the pen and ink lines. You can always go back and touch up an ink line that gets too weak. ….. then paint.

Kelly - Painting #14 - Brown Pelicans Resting by the Bay

Painting #14, Brown Pelicans Resting by the Bay

Painting #14 is from an online class I'm taking by Laure Ferlita called "An Imaginary Trip to the Beach." Laure's Imaginary Trips are designed to help you learn how to sketch on site and create illustrated journals. What a nice break today's assignment was. It snowed all day and is still snowing. While inch after inch of snow piled up outside, in my studio I was at the beach. I love this class. Brown Pelicans are among my favorite water birds, so I was happy they were part of today's assignment.

#005 Yellowstone Dogs – Wolves no. 12, 20, 21

Wolves are big, long legged and blocky compared to foxes. It helps me a lot to go back and forth between the three ‘Yellowstone Dogs.’ Years ago I realized if a drawing kept looking too much like an animal that was a similar species, but different, I could learn a lot by drawing both species. It helps me focus on the differences.

Kelly - Painting #13 - February, the Month of Backyard Birding

Painting #13 - February, the Month of Backyard Birding

Painting #13 is a journal entry. Since February is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Great Backyard Bird Count, I decided it was the perfect subject for a journal entry. This is a small tree in our side yard, just outside the kitchen window.

Painting #21 - Singer

I have had this image from Wet Canvas for at least a year and finally felt I could tackle it.  He is such an interesting-looking character and my haiku challenge made him perfect for 'hymn'.

I am putting my first session below because it shows me how important a background is.  After I put the background in I darkened everything else up and like it much better.

I saw Krista do this 'before and after' on her house and found it so interesting that I had to do it also.

Here is the haiku I wrote for the image:

Look at him singing

Putting heart and soul in it

A hymn of beauty

#004 Sapsucker Holes in Birch

We went to the Coast yesterday. I sketched this birch on location, and added color after I got home. The small holes were drilled by a sapsucker (a type of woodpecker). I don’t know what caused the large bruise on the right side.

My goal is to experiment … and this experiment reminds me why I basically quit painting in my journal – note klutzy brush strokes and wrinkled paper. All my journals are hardbound, 8 ½ x 11”. Even if I just go to the dump, I throw the journal in the van. My old journals had grey backs and a much better quality of paper. They took watercolor reasonably well. But several years ago I couldn’t find them and switched to a black one – 90# paper. I even think the old ones of those are better than my new ones. The last few years I’ve been writing and sketching in them so it really didn’t matter. They take a ‘dry’ watercolor reasonably well.

But now that I’m painting again, I thought I’d try something with some loose paint in my current journal. Big disappointment. The paper just soaks paint and wrinkles. I’ll have to remember to do my field sketching on better paper. I’ve read there are Moleskeine watercolor books, but I really don’t want to spend that much money when I fill 75% of my paper with mad scribbling (writing). I’ll just have to remember to keep decent paper in the car – unless someone knows of a wonderful 8 ½ x 12 hardbound sketchbook. Spiral bound never survive the abuse I give them.

#004-Twilight at the Sink-Kathy

This painting is from a series of sketches I did while still living in my Belgian house. I spent many hours prepping food and washing dishes at this very sink ; ). I was trying to go for a dream-like effect with this---I wanted it to convey a memory and a feeling more than an actual scene. After I painted the scene, I went over the whole picture with a glaze of raw sienna. Lots of fun! More on my blog.....

Painting #20 - Daisy In Gouache

As in my usual MO, I started painting this daisy in watercolor on hot press paper and discovered I do not like hot press paper at all.  Watercolor just doesn't blend the way I want it to.  (The more I learn the fussier I am getting. lol)

Then I decided to try it with gouache on black paper.  I have discovered Larry Seiler who does a lot of painting in watercolor and gouache.  He recently used gouache  on black paper so after the hot press disaster I decided to try gouache on black paper also.

I keep trying new things and this exercise was great for illustrating tones and is really helping me achieve that with watercolor.

Having a great time in Paris..... - Claire 10

My House - Krista

 

 Painting #15 of 100 Paintings in a Year
Watercolor, 8½  x 11”, 140 lb Arches Hot Press paper

Working on hot press paper was a lot different.  It was harder to do a wash as it sets very quickly.  However, I could get really fine detail when painting.  That’s the main reason I went for the hot press – I wanted my underlying drawing to be pretty accurate and not draw on bumpy cold press paper.

I did not change much from the reference photo other than to edit out the cars in the driveway.

You can see my first draft below.  I actually thought at this stage that I was done.  However, after coming back with fresh eyes, I decided that the shadows needed to be darkened further, and the trees needed to be lightened up and faded in detail.  I also put a sunny glaze on the house and snow to reflect the photograph.

 

Draft WIP

Also blogged about on my personal blog, describing a more personal point of view.  Click on my blog link at left, then my 100 Paintings Gallery. 

Lauren and Jami - Krista

 

 Painting #14 of 100 Paintings
Watercolor, 5 x 7”, 140 lb Arches Cold Press

A gift for a friend.
 

Painting #19 Koi - Mixed Media

While I was looking through my Maui photos for the Angel Trumpet Bloom I saw one of these Koi at the same park so I decided to paint them.

I did the first one in the sketchbook I took with me to Maui (a Moleskine!) and really kind of ruined it so I did it again on 140# WC paper.

This time I did the fish in colored pencil and washed watercolor over the top and love the washy look about it.

I have been looking through my photos and other pictures that I have saved to paint 'someday' and 'someday' has finally come with this challenge.  Now I need to live to be 100 to paint all that I have saved!  lol

#003 Yellowstone Dogs: Running Fox -- no. 4 and 5

“Yellowstone dogs’ will probably hit you as an odd term, but for regular wildlife watchers in Yellowstone, it is shorthand for ‘wolves, coyotes and foxes.’ A three dog day is a great day, a fairly rare day.

For the past several years Dale and I have spent several weeks in Yellowstone during the off season. Sometimes one of my ‘Yellowstone dog’ sketches meets my expectations, but all too often I’m busy photographing and when I sketch I’m disappointed. Each year I tell myself I am going to practice, practice, practice so that some of their anatomy is stored in my head. I always get a few drawn, but just a few. By making a commitment here, I hope to do better. Nudge me if I fail.

Now is the time to start practicing. I have almost ten weeks before we arrive in Yellowstone. Laure’s guidelines include the possibility of some sketches. …. So my immediate goal is sketch at least ten ‘dogs’ each week until we go (100 sketches) , but I’ll only count one in ten towards my overall challenge. I’ll post ‘dogs’ every so often so you’ll know where I’m at. I’ll be drawing from a variety of sources, but will only post those drawn from my own photographs so that I won’t be infringing on anyone’s copyright. (We can practice draw from anything. We just can’t sell or publish someone else’s work).

My first ‘Yellowstone Dogs’ post is of a red fox running for his dear life – a little bit the way I feel right now about telling you about this commitment. I’ve scanned the original (fuzzy) photo, a sketch I noodled over for at least 20 minutes, and then one I did the next day as a very rapid sketch. I see some good things happening in that rapid sketch.

Kelly - Painting #12 - American Goldfinches on a Thistle Feeder

American Goldfinches eating thistle seeds

on the feeder outside our kitchen window.

Even in their dull winter plumage enough yellow remains in our goldfinches' feathers to brighten the greyest of Cincinnati days. This small flock of goldfinches didn't mind the snowflakes as they meticulously pulled one tiny seed after another from the mesh screening of the thistle feeder.

Painting #17 and 18 - Angel Trumpet

Two years ago we went to Maui and discovered Angel Trumpet Blooms with their wonderful fragrance and huge size.  Perhaps because we are all from Wisconsin we were totally amazed at the size of these flowers, nothing grows that big there.

I used a photo reference of my grand smelling this huge bloom.

I thought I knew how to paint hair.

The peachy color of this flower was so difficult for me to get.

Since I wasn't thrilled with this painting I decided to try just a flower (below).

I have discovered when I am disappointed in a painting I need to do it again from a different viewpoint and that's what I did here.

Gosh, I even used that rigger again.  It's so great for those small areas.

Next!

Painting #16 Baby Barrel Cactus

I painted this for Cactus Monday because it lives in front of our house and is just a baby barrel cactus about 1.5 inches in diameter.  When I almost stepped on it I decided small is good for close observation and a painting.

The surrounding stones are also very small and I decided to de-emphasize them in the painting leaving just a hint so the cactus was the main focus.

Next year this baby will be twice the size.

*** Updated *** Along the River Seine - Claire 9

*** Updated image ***

*** Original image ***

GoogleMaps photo image reference: