Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras - this painting was pure fun to work on - well...for the most part.  I recently purchased some water soluble oils and decided to try them out.  I had forgotten how long oils take to dry - and yes, this is the case with this type as well.  So, I painted for a few hours - waited a few days, paint again wait again, you get the picture. This went on for quite awhile.  Then one day as I was studying the piece - I realized it was close to finished!

And so today I worked on it for about four hours and I think it is finally finished.

In this painting is Hoover, Nemo,Comet, Guilda, Goldie, Marilyn and Dot....our pet goldfish and koi. I continue to be fascinated by the fish and love to paint them. The next painting they are swimming in the pond - a whole different perspective. Oh - and it will not be in water soluble oils - this media is too frustrating to work with.

Ruby Red tuLips

This is yet another adventure working on Aquabord.  I am finding this surface is better when worked in a painterly style as opposed to realism and high detail.  It is a good process to go through as it does help to loosen me up as along as I have large pockets of time to work in.  I find when I grab a few minutes to paint – I work in a tighter manner. 

I love the colours of these flowers, not pink, not red and not orange, but really all shades in between.  Tulips when in full bloom make me happy.  I am not completely sure, but to me they represent free spirits. Out in the early spring, bowing in the wind – leaning into the sun. 

This stand grows in my front garden under an apple tree.  The most challenging thing about gardening with tulips is keeping the deer from eating them completely.  As soon as the stalks are out of the ground, I start applying blood meal.  It does help – I also think a spray of safers soap also keeps the deer from munching. I take a lot of photos as soon as the blooms start to open.  Cliché maybe – but I  really like to get shots of backlit tulips.

Noah - "Learning to Fly"

This is a painting long in the making - I started it forever ago and just finished it this week. I had Noah painted on the swing - painted some of the grass - and finally went in for the face.  Normally I would have started with  his little face - and if that didn't work out for some reason - well, I would either start over or move on. 

This is a painting of the little boy next door - and he is adorable.  I showed the painting to his Grandmother and she turned all red and welled up - you know you have captured the essence of the person when you get a reaction that profound! The painting will be hers!

This watercolor is painted on Arches 300lb paper 12" x 15".

Blue Taffeta

It is always an adventure when you embark to paint a series of related works.  In this case, I am experimenting with the Aquabord watereolor painting surface.  I really like the vibrancy you can achieve once you figure out how to layre  - er, actually, once you realize you have to have patience to let the layres dry completely before you apply the next one.

This is an iris from my garden and one of my favourites.  We grow a number of bearded irises - but thsi one always stops me in my tracks.  The blues are so intense and the white so crisp. 

This flower reminds me of a ballgown, hence the neme "Blue Taffeta"

A Few Old Fashioned Ladies....

Ah yes, another watercolor on Aquabord.  Finally think I am getting the hang of the surface! It is almost impossible to do multiple washes or layring on it - the under colour "lifts" or worse yet - mixes with the top wash.  And yet the finished painting is absolutely vibrant.

These pansies remind me of the old fashioned ones in every country garden I saw as a child, or the old china teacup with the delightful pansies on them - hence the paintings title.

So I link it, and once I figure out a framing solution - I will let you know if I intend to purchase more.  I still will admit, for any intricate and serious work, I will always use Arched 300lb cold pressed paper. 

Oh, by the way - I think they are "bluish" not so purple?

New work - and to think I said no more painting with purples for awhile -oh well!

After finishing the "Amethyst Lilac" painting, I was determined to paint somethig less complex and not purple.  Well, being who I am, gravitating towards complexity in everthing I do, I started this painting on Aquabord.  (This is burgundy with some purple....)

Aquabord is a relatively new hard surface for painting with watercolours.  The beauty of this surface is that the completed piece is sprayed with acrylic Krylon archival varnish when completed and framed without glass.  Thie piece is protected.  As so many people now prefer to purchase paintings with out glass in order to emiminate glare from lighting and windows - this is a nice option.  The main thing is, the work becomes a mixed media piece (remember the acrylic varnish?)  Oh yes, the fraing is also less expensive - less the matting and glass.  Aquabord aslo comes cradled - my next purchase will be cradled - then no framing required at all - just finish the edges!

The surface is tricky, the colour holds well, but a mis placed drop can remove the pigment. Also, when painting wet-in-wet, I find it harder to get an edge than with Arched 300lb paper.  So, I love the surface, nice for a change - but will not be giving up working on paper. 

Finally finished the large Lilac painting! Phew!

I think there should be a drum roll with this.....

This was no small undertaking. I have been working on this piece for what seems like forever and a day.  What makes this piece interesting is that the more you look at it, the more dimentional it becomes!   I went through more paint imaginable on this - I guess this is typical of large works.  Always makes me marvel though.  Watercolours are seemilgly endless in thier supply until you take on a full sheet.

I am ready to retire the mauves... for at least another painting or three. I have already started an iris - shades of ivory, burgundy and a little bit of mauve.