Early Evening Magic

During this AWESOME weather we've been having, sunny and mild, I've been making an effort to get outside more and actually paint! This is still new for me but every time I manage it, I'm so pleased with the results and so happy to have combined beautiful weather with one of my favorite things to do. I went to the river and the light was just magical! Of course it changed really fast and I was facing the sun but still it was a blast to be sitting doing something that I love. This is the painting that happened from that. I actually began with a value sketch which is below and used my value card with the holes punched in the different values to figure out the value of the shapes that I was looking at. I realized that I hadn't judged all of the values correctly and changing those areas changed the painting. I guess that judging values is something I will improve at over time. I'm still amazed by how much my head thinks it knows when my eyes are saying something quite different!!!!!! This canvas is toned with orange which shines through all of the colors and really sets off the greens and blues.

value sketch for "Early Evening Magic"

"Early Evening Magic" • Original acrylic on 3/4" wrap around canvas, painting continues on sides, ready to hang • 12" x 12"

If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.

River Wander

Watercolor and acrylic inks make a very awesome combination. You get the best of both worlds with transparency and opacity not to mention sparkle if you're into the iridescent inks and paints as well. I began with a free for all wash and textured to suggest trees and forest. The hardest part of this kind of painting is trying to figure out how to continue without painting over all the things I like! This piece came together beautifully. I just want to wander through the piece and see what's around the next bend!

"River Wander" • Original mixed watermedia on Arches 140# cold press paper • 15" x 11"

If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.

Sunflower Musical

The combination of watercolor and acrylic ink continues to intrigue me. This piece started out with a primarily yellow background and the idea that I wanted to paint sunflowers. After I removed the saran wrap and everything was mostly dry, I began to try to figure out where exactly to put the sunflowers and leaves. This is a slow process. It can help to cut out shapes with tracing paper and lay them over the background and see how they look. I developed the shapes with watercolor, adding more ink where needed. It's very summery with harmonious travel along the color wheel.

"Sunflower Musical" • Original mixed watermedia on Arches 140# cold press paper • 11.75" x 11"

If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.

Lilypad Music

This piece was painted on site at Molalla River Park. I finished it in the studio. Waterlily leaves make GREAT designs!!!! They sit so effortlessly on the water and the light and reflections on the water look really neat behind them.

"Lilypad Music" • Original acrylic on 3/4" wrap around canvas, painting continues on sides, ready to hang • 12" x 12"

Song of the Lilypads

I decided to enjoy the outdoors and paint at the same time so I drove to Molalla River Park. There are waterlily ponds there and the the waterlilies are blooming!!!! SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! Well, I couldn't find a place to sit where they were blooming so I chose a smaller pond and just enjoyed the shapes of the leaves sitting in all the wonderful reflections. While I was painting I was listening to a soundtrack of various bird calls, frogs and feeling the warm sunshine and soft breeze. (And telling the mosquitoes to please go away!!!!) Painting like this is truly paradise! I actually photographed this piece in progress and I'm including the progression of the painting below.

This is my beginning sketch. It took less than 5 minutes.

This is my first layer done with acrylic thinned with airbrush medium.

Here I have begun to add the greens over all the red in the undercoat.

I have the basic values and colors in place.

Refined a bit more.

"Song of the Lilypads" • Original acrylic on 3/4" wrap around canvas, painting continues on sides, ready to hang • 12" x 12"

I went home and finished this piece in the studio.
If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.

A Dance to Remember

I've been working on this piece for awhile. I used watercolor and acrylic inks. Sunflowers are so fun to design with. This piece is on 300# handmade Khadi paper.

"A Dance to Remember" • Original mixed watermedia on 300# Khadi paper * 27" x 27"

If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.