Lorrie #98 - Dainty Tea Cup

Dainty Tea Cup, watercolor 8 x 10 inches

This is currently one of my favorite cups. It's old and dainty, and when filled with a homemade cappuccino (not tea ;), has helped me enjoy many sessions of painting during these last several months. So it seemed apropos to include it in the 100 collection. Thanks, cup!

Two More Paintings - Dora Sislian Themelis

#18 Pillow on Chair ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis
Artrage digital oil painting on iPad with Sensu stylus brush

#19 Sunburst  ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis
14x20 Watercolor on Arches 140lb cold press paper

My time at the easel has been limited by different events happening lately, but with the new iPad app called Artrage I've been keeping myself in the process, however virtual it might be. And in the meanwhile the latter painting was waiting to be finished.

"Buddy" - Terry - #14

This is my first attempt at a dog or animal of any kind.  We had a beloved golden retriever who I might try to do now.  This is from a ceramic statue in a neighbor's yard.  It's so hard to capture their special loving spirit.  I'd welcome any comments or suggestions.  Thanks.

Lorrie #97 Palm Studies

Palm Studies, watercolor 6 x 9 inches

Finally I did something I have wanted to do for a while: depict some specific types of palms that grow around here. I had no water in the car (this was a spontaneous decision to paint at this particular moment), so the liquid to mix paints and rinse the brush was a precious small sample of a cafe latte I had just gotten from a drive-through stand. Why not, right? LOL by the time I got to doing the last tree (on the right), the brush-"rinsing" liquid was all I needed to get most of the trunk color! I should have next moved on to the river's edge and done a study of mud.

Lorrie #96 - Cream Puff

Cream Puff, watercolor 8 x 10 inches

Yes, a cream puff topped with chocolate and a strawberry. What I hoped would be a simple half hour of painting got much more complicated. I will not lament the problems I had with the painting process, but will confess another, escalating problem: the temptation to eat this thing, especially as the sunlight in which it was sitting began to melt the chocolate. That's why the portion from the front is missing. This was actually a vegan cream puff, with an oddly firm but yummy tofu-based filling.

Lorrie # 95 - After Work in Beach Chairs

After Work in Beach Chairs, watercolor 5 x 7 inches

Lately I've been taking a break from things I must do indoors by heading for the beach to quickly paint something -- anything!! -- from the driver's seat of my trusty vehicle. These folks were a ways away from where I was, but it was tempting to at least sketch the basic scene.

Fiddle Ferns - Terry #13

This arrangement was done by a friend and I loved it and wanted to preserve its memory.

repost of #12

Maybe this whole photo will post?  I was doing it before on my iPad but now have resorted to my Mac.

Matthaei Botanical Gardens - Terry #12

I only had an hour visit here but love to see their latest blooms.

Terry #11 - Stratford Inn

Our lodging in Stratford. We could w
All to the theaters and everywhere. Such a lovely town where they cherish and preserve their old buildings and heritage.

Stratford Swan - Terry # 10

This lovely swan meandered down the Thames River through Stratford, Ontario.

#38 At the lakes!

This is a very quick sketch...about 15 mins! It hasn't come out at all as I wanted it to...but one posts everything that one does in this challenge...so here it is!

Lorrie #94 - Sea Lion Waterworld

Sea Lion Waterworld, watercolor 9 x 12 inches

Wow I just discovered how fun underwater textures are! This was done plein aire (just kidding; and I guess that would be plein eau).

CathyO #23 Oregon Cliffs from Catherine Creek

Another PleinAire painting:  This is the view of the Oregon Cliffs from Catherine Creek Park on the Washington side.  I was experimenting with using Aquaboard simplicity for painting outside.  I think I like it.  The firm substrate is a definite plus but I am going to have to work out how the color grabs and stays, I kept washing the previous wash away!  This picture is dark compared to the original.

CathyO #21 and #22

It is spring in the Hood River Valley and that means apple, pear and cherry blossoms!  #21 is a gnarled apple tree that I see on my daily walk.  #22 depicts the picking bins waiting for the blossoms to turn to fruit.

Lorrie #93 - Afternoon at the Shore

Afternoon at the Shore, watercolor 6 x 9 inches

The point of this was to practice silhouettes of people at the beach, using a few brushstrokes and not worrying about detail. And I couldn't resist the chance to practice painting water again, and sand, and the wharf, and a distant tree line, and and and ... :)

#37 Nets in Cochin

The reference pictures are from our trip to Cochin where we saw the Chinese fishing nets! They are only called Chinese fishing nets because they were originally brought from China by the Portuguese who first introduced them to this part of India and now they have become indigenous to the fishermen on this coast! This is a small picture 11"x71/2" on 200 gsm water colour paper

#35 and 36 getting ready for an exhibition!

I am planning an exhibition of my paintings at the end of the year...and am beginning to put some pictures together. The first one is of a woman making 'rotis' (Indian bread) in Ladakh.

This next one is of fishing boats at rest, on the banks of the river Hooghly....which runs right through Kolkata!

# 34 Getting out!

I was driving through rural Gujarat! We stopped at a level crossing for a long time as the train took its own time to come. It was mid day, hot and very dusty and I was definitely feeling a little cross, so I got out of the car to walk around. Suddenly I noticed this group of women, sitting together, laughing and chatting, dressed in   brightly coloured clothes, bangles jingling, enjoying a wonderful moment...and my mood lifted as I tried to do a quick sketch...tried to capture a moment that was special. This will definitely lead to a much larger painting!

Claire painting 15: View from my son's window

My oldest son has been sharing some photos of his time in Japan. I was quite taken with this photo as it shows part of his plane (P3) contrasted with a beautiful sunset or sunrise (I can't tell which one). I felt as if the photo was calling me to paint it - and I considered it a challenge. Thinking about my son last night, as he nears the end of this deployment in Japan, got me inspired to take on the challenge and paint this image. As I was painting I was thinking of how this has been a fun way for me to keep in touch with my son despite the many, many miles between us. I can't wait to see him again!!!

P.S. I've included his original photo in case your're interested in the view that inspired this.

Lorrie # 92 - Morning on the Shore

Morning at the Shore - watercolor, 5 x 7 inches

A little plein aire sketch done while in the car (not much time!), looking down on Santa Cruz beach--which really looks nothing like this because I ignored most of the many buildings in view from here. I wanted to simplify and focus on what attracted me most today: the tall palms and a few of the little red-roofed, white-walled buildings.

Still Life Watercolor #17 Dora Sislian Themelis

Believe it or not, another still life watercolor painting has been finished making this one #17. The next work is already planned and waiting to go.

#17 Three Peaches ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis
9x12 Watercolor Arches cold press 140lb

Lorrie #91 - Tiny Cat

Tiny Cat, watersoluble pen and watercolor, 2 x 3 inches

The little guys I've been holding while doing the last couple paintings look quite a lot like this, with teeny bodies and scraggly fur and faces adorned with huge, pleading, infant-blue eyes. There are a couple of paw prints on the paper; they're about the size of a nickle (I had them walk across the paper with wet paws, then touched in some paint to the wet print).

Lorrie #90 - Soft Colors on Hard Lands

Soft Colors and Hard Lands, watercolor 7 x 11 inches

This was another lying-on-the-floor painting (holding a handful of mushy food for a kitten who needs a mom!!), with no plan but to prop up the paper at quite an angle, almost vertical sometimes, to allow the colors to move. I started with a wash at the top and as denser color puddled because of gravity, I escorted it further down the page in some places, with more colors added, and in other places let the edges remain. As the paper dried, I tipped it other other way, so backruns would create textures. Eventually I set the paper down flat (kitten urgently needed litterbox!!) and when I went to pick it up, I saw it upside down, which was sooo different... though I guess it doesn't count as another posting ;)

Soft Colors and Hard Lands, inverted

Camille #11

This was very very fun to paint.  It's very dark and very loose, but my first oil painting since high school.  I just decided to go sideways one night and pulled out the water-based oils.  I had purchased them years ago and was surprised they were still good.  This was about a 15 minute painting and it was quite fun to squeeze all that fun into a 3 x 4 inch painting.  This was painted on rag matboard.

Camille #10

The Fisherman - This is painted from a photo of my son fly-fishing on one of our beautiful rivers.  This was a shadowed dark canyon and there was not much light in the photo except dotting the ripples in the water.  This was fun to paint for me, yet difficult.  Arches 140 lb.  paper. and all transparent watercolor.

Camille #9

This painting is of a little teddy bear that was given to me by an avid teddy bear collector when she moved to another town.   She named all her bears and I received this one as it's name was Camille.

I painted this on Arches 140 lb paper.  The bear actually has a pink bow on pink fur so I changed it to this purple blue color.  I  think next time, I would leave it pink.



Still Life Watercolor #16 - Dora Sislian Themlis

Another watercolor still life of the veggie haul. I keep finding interesting patches of shapes and colors in those photos.

#16 Big Tomato©2012 Dora Sislian Themleis
9x12 Watercolor, Arches cold press 140lb

CathyO, #20

Today was our first beautiful day in weeks, so I headed out for a little plein air practice.  So different from in the studio!!  Looks like I got a couple of angles wrong but I had a good time!

#34 Boats on the Hooghly!

Early morning ion the Hooghly river. Fishing boats !

Fall on the slopes of Mt. Mazama #42

Another fall scene inspired by our trip to Crater Lake, a.k.a. Mt Mazama. The reds and golds come from low lying bushes and forbes that grow high on the slopes of the mountain. Fall is my favorite time of year to go to Crater Lake.

Strathmore 400 Series, 140# cold Press watercolor paper.

Kelly - Paintings 22 & 23

This Yellow-throated Warbler was busy singing high in the tree tops as I walked near the river. He's one of my favorite warblers!

...a quick watercolor and pencil sketch from my sketchbook.

....another sketch from my sketchbook.

Lorrie # 89 - Red Door Manor

Red Door Manor, pen and watercolor 4 x 5 inches

As I approach the last 10 paintings of the challenge (late, but getting there nonetheless!), I was hoping to make each a larger, involved work... but such thinking has only gotten me further behind, because lately I've had less time than usual for painting. I know each of you understands what that's about! So, to the other extreme... this sketch was a late night "just do something!" impulse and done while lying on my stomach on the living room rug, with one hand supporting a teeny kitten who was sleeping on my neck. Perspective anomalies ensued that I could fix, but I haven't the time!! The pen is a super-soluble fine point marker that I used first, then added watercolor, which immediately makes the pen run wherever the brush touches it. It's fun, though more unpredictable than regular wet/wet painting.

Claire Painting 14: Martial Cottle Park

I'm very excited that a new Park, the Martial Cottle Park, is coming to an area near my home. It will focus on preserving a bit of history of the Santa Clara Valley. The valley was once promoted as the  "Valley of the Hearts Delight", after two centuries of an agricultural economy started by the Spanish missionaries. Over time the focus in the valley shifted from agriculture, including many orchards, to technology. We are very fortunate that Mr. Walter Cottle Lester generously gifted some of this special property to the County of Santa Clara in combination with the State of California for the purpose of a community park. The park is named after Mr. Lester's grandfather, and will include about 290 acres! 

  

Window in Rome Terry #9

This is the building across from our window in Rome.  I loved the reflections and sinplicity of it.  I had to photo it in the evening.  We had clouds and rain all day here in Detroit so I didn't want to wait till tomorrow when more rain is predicted.  Also I'm not sure I got the angle right but that's what it looked like in the photo I took.

CathyO, #19, Dogwood

Happy May Day!

Kelly - Paintings 20 & 21

...another oil pastel...this time a little bee...

She looks mean, but she's really not!
She's taking pollen home to the hive. :-)

I almost didn't include this little sketchbook scribble,
but it's fun and I need the paintings for the challenge!