Small Watercolor Paintings - Dora Sislian Themelis

#54 Three Friends ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis
7x10 Watercolor on Arches

#55 Shells with Peach ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis
7x10 Watercolor on Arches

#56 Four Shells with Rock ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis
7x10 Watercolor on Arches

I photographed these small watercolors at different times during the day. What a difference in daylight colors! I might have to re-do the first two, just too much blue from the morning light.

Closing in on my year and still trying to push on.

#49-#53 Affirmations Plus

#49 Abundance ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis

#50 Be Positive ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis

#51 Finish Things ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis

#52 Studio Time ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis

#53 Free Outside ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis

I'm taking an online class with Alyson B. Standfield called Blast Off! to help push the art making and art business. The first four small paintings are affirmation cards with things I want to work on. The painting ideas popped out of my head and are things I like to paint.

The last is a small self portrait from a recent visit to a museum nearby on the hiking trail. I liked the photo and just used it to keep painting something.

Watercolor Still Life #40 Dora Sislian Themelis

Watercolor Still Life #35 Dora Sislian Themelis

#35 Two Sunflowers 9c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
14x20 Watercolor on Lanaquarelle paper

Another still life using my own photographs of the sunflowers from the vegetable share makes this watercolor painting #35 in the challenge. I finished this work in three twenty minute intervals, allowing me to step away and keep details to a minimum.

#34 Watercolor Still Life

 # 34 Peppers on a Platter (c)2011 DST 11x16 Watercolor

I know it looks undone, but that's how it's going to stay. Color and shape heavy on the upper right corner, open, white and empty on this lower left. I am done. I had a small window of time and I used it to my advantage. No pencil drawing, just going in with paint, sketching the details with as little water as possible to keep going. Not a twenty minute work, but close enough. Some areas needed drying time. It is done.

Peach at the Beach-#32

Peach at the Beach #32 (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
7x10 Watercolor

Beating resistance has been my toughest job ever. Taking on this 100 paintings challenge, and the idea of painting for only twenty minutes has kept me responsible and accountable. Rather than let too much time pass without painting (resistance mode) I know I must post here and I can stay in the game in a short time frame. I don't have to work on one painting all day long.

Moving away from painting from life every session has also helped. I wanted to paint these items at the beach last week, but without clean water (didn't want to use ocean water, or my iced coffee) I took photos and painted when I returned home. And for only twenty minutes. The piece here was finished at another short session, maybe ten minutes more. Done.

Peach Pebble Pepper- #31 Dora Sislian Themelis

Peach Pebble Pepper #31 Watercolor 9x12 

I'm back to it after another round of resistance, but here is #31 in my challenge sketched out without pencil, just watercolor, in twenty minutes. These small twenty minute paintings are such a helpful tool. I don't know what I would've done without knowing I could paint a finished work in such a short time frame.

Summer Harvest #23 Dora Sislian Themelis

#23 Summer Harvest 11x14 Watercolor on Arches

I'm still in the game, all! After picking up my farm share last week I arranged the items and took some photos for my blog. I know I've been whining about painting badly from photos so I decided my direction might be pushing the photo envelope. A challenge to myself to try to see and paint the way I do from life. A throw down so to speak. Have at it fellow challengers.

#57, #58 Baseball Watercolors -Sheryl Hawkins

I painted these baseball themed watercolors last week as a baby gift, and the baseball idea was a request.  Not exactly my usual painting subjects, but fun anyway. I painted the baby's name on the baseball in the style of an autographed souvenir.

9X12 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper

Three Shells - #10

Three Shells 8x12 Watercolor (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis

Moving on to #10 in the challenge with Three Shells. At this rate, will I get 100 paintings done in one year? I'm not so sure, but I keep going. I am trying to decide whether to look over some of my photos for ideas or keep painting from life. I've been doing well painting what I see and not so sure I want to go back to photos. I will have to think about it.

Still Life #9

Shells with Pebble 

Okay, so I ditched the apple and painted #9 with The Paints That Annoy. At least I didn't have to deal with red colors and get angry. Next week I will be shopping at the nearest art supply store. I have had it!

The Dark Apple Hides Shells - #8

Dora Sislian Themelis,The Dark Apple Hides Shells- #8
8x12 Watercolor on Arches 140lb cold press paper
(c)2011 The Artist

I just finished #8 of my 100 Paintings Challenge, The Dark Apple Hides Shells. I am trying so hard to use up these paints so I keep painting this apple. Finding the time to paint has been rough this week as my granddaughter isn't a kid who sleeps for hours. Not that I need hours, just time to think. I like quiet time where I think of what I want the painting to look like, and I don't have alot of that right now. It's okay though, because painting does get done, eventually. Slowly, but surely I'm working through the challenge, keeping my head in it as I go.

#39, 40, 41 ACEO watercolors- Sheryl Hawkins

I have had these packets of ACEO papers for a while and finally started using them.  I couldn't resist them when I saw them at the art supply.  They are so small and cute and perfect for doing small watercolors.  I like them for practice since the small size means you can finish a painting without working for too long.  They even make tiny envelopes for them!  

#5 and #6 Paintings- Dora Sislian Themelis

 Dark Apple, 8x12 Watercolor

 Dark Apple in the Afternoon, 8x12 Watercolor

This week I'm offering two watercolor paintings to the challenge. I switched paint companies and used MamieriBlu watercolor paints for these pieces of work. Previously, I was painting with a small travel watercolor set of Windsor&Newton paints, which I was very happy using. However, I'm running out of paint! In my large palette I have plenty of new paints, but the colors are different and not what I'm used to. I did my best though. After finishing the first painting I decided to keep the same objects except to change their direction and turn the apple to the more pleasing side! Playing with the paints, the water load, and difference in color tones kept me going. Once I finish up these paints it's back to W&N for me.

#34 Garden Time- Sheryl Hawkins

Can you tell I am so ready for Spring?  I want to get out in the garden and do the Spring clean up so I can kick off gardening season!  I painted this from a photo in my vegetable garden area taken last summer.  I love to use my sons' old toy tractors in the garden for fun.  They had quite a collection of these Ford tractors (just like their Grandpa's real one).  This watercolor is painted on Arches cold press paper (9X12").

Apples and Shell Bits #4

Apples and Shell Bits (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis

At my blog I showed a little of how I came to this finished work. Working slowly, I tried my best not to screw this up. I worked just a little larger this time and sketched my subjects in pencil before throwing down color to begin defining the shapes and shadows.  Twenty minutes to begin to see something happening and another twenty minutes to clean it up. I'm still learning about my medium, the brush, and the paper. Like all of us, it's a process.

#27, #28, #29- Sheryl Hawkins

Now that we have seen the sun for a few days, it is making me look forward to summer and what better way than to paint summery feeling watercolors!

All three of these watercolors are painted from reference photos of places on Long Island.  Long Island is a beautiful place to live, and there are many painting subjects.  I enjoyed painting the reflections of the boats and the top painting was just fun.  The people I added to the bottom one added a level of difficulty for me since painting people isn't in my comfort zone.  I tried to keep them loose this time until I get more comfortable with them and not as afraid to get into more detail.  I would love to stop letting people painting freak me out since they really can add life to a painting!

Watercolor on 140 lb cold press with  rough surface 

Shell Apple Pebble - #3

Shell Apple Pebble (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
8x10 Watercolor Arches 140lb cold press paper

Frustrated over spending too much time on this latest watercolor painting caused me to leave it aside for the time being. Anyone with any thoughts, please comment. I had plenty of time to leisurely paint on the day I started this piece, but it quickly went downhill, in my opinion.

Having spent plenty of time examining the beach items and leaves, I decided to add the apple for color and a different shape to play with. I did not stick to 20 minutes of painting time and leave it at that. No. I went over time and over board, later finding the need to lift out color where I needed highlights.

Telling myself it's the process not the outcome makes me feel a little better, but not by a whole lot. Next painting I do needs to stop before I do too much and want to poke out my eye!

#25 & #26 Paris - Sheryl Hawkins

These watercolors are painted from reference photos I took on a trip to Paris a few years ago.  Sometimes, I like to go back through photos I have had for a while and take a fresh look at them.  I have been painting with oils for the last few weeks and they are, for the most part, dark still life paintings.  I love to do them, but it is also nice to get back to the light feel of watercolors!  These were fun to paint and I was happy to get into all the colors.

Broken Shell #2

Broken Shell (c)2011 8x10 Watercolor

Keeping to the commitment to paint 100 paintings was daunting. However, if I hadn't found out that I could start and finish a work in twenty minutes I would have been in deep trouble! Twenty minutes works!

Being prepared helps, too. Having still life items and art supplies available seems to be key. I can go to my stash of items, rearrange them in a way that pleases me and go at it. I am trying to keep the water down while using these watercolors so I can finish in the time I have allotted for painting.

I think I'm getting the hang of it.