Vine Maple Dance

I really love the shapes of vine maple leaves. They turn brilliant colors in the Fall. I thought they would be really festive with a towhee. I built layers in this piece beginning with acrylic ink, adding watercolor, and finishing with acrylic ink. The paper tends to soak up the color so some of the last layers were made with inks. I worked on handmade rough press paper. Each edge is a deckle edge. The rough texture adds to the character of the piece.

"Vine Maple Dance" • Original mixed watermedia on handmade paper • 12" x 18"

Reds & Greens & Pansies

I recently bought some pansies and decided to paint them before I planted them in pots. I love the rich reds and red violets in some of the flowers.

"Reds & Greens & Pansies" • Original acrylic on 3/4" stretched wrap around canvas,
painting continues on sides, ready to hang • 5" x 7"

Stop, Look, Listen

This towhee is perched in the tree to see what's going on!
I've been watching the leaves to see if they're changing colors yet and so far they're pretty green, maybe just beginning to turn. It feels like Fall, though, so I've added colors besides green to these vine maple leaves.
I began with acrylic inks, painted watercolor over that and finished with some inks. It's fun to pick some leaves to use as overlays to paint around for this kind of painting. I think towhees are very cool birds, always busy and in the evening they love to sing.

"Stop, Look, Listen" • Original mixed watermedia on 300# 100% cotton paper • 5" x 8"

If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.

View at Indian Beach

I took a trip to the beach and got to paint!!!!! We went to Indian Beach which is a great beach with lots of rocks off shore including one rock with a hole in it! We were there in the morning as the clouds were lifting. It was breezy with just a nip in the air...perfect painting weather!!!! To avoid getting sand in everything, I found a place on a big rock and went to work trying to 'paint the beach!'
Well, painting the beach is a lot harder than it looks!!!! I had been reading the newest edition of Plein Air Magazine and enjoying all the perfectly placed brush strokes of the artwork there and was all hyped up to go! Luckily I decided to start with a sketch. I really didn't like the first one but was pleased with the second sketch where I moved the rocks a bit. Trying to sort out what the ocean was doing was challenging. Every time I'd get a look at a great pattern it moved!!!!! Anyway, I'm pleased with this. I made a few changes when I got home, mostly in the background rocks to send them backward a bit and I painted the sides by continuing the image. I really like all the movement in the ocean.
Thanks to my Mom for coming as company!
The painting is below.

"View at Indian Beach" • 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.

Below is the painting as it was when I left the beach. It looks different because it is and the light was a bit different there. You can see my sketch off to the side as well as my value scale.

Late Summer Minuet

I've been painting a lot of sunflowers lately as large pieces. I thought I'd try a smaller one on this piece of handmade paper. I used watercolor and acrylic inks. This piece was fun to fit into the square format and create interesting shapes around the flower. I have photographed with the edges showing so you can see what they are like with the handmade paper.

"Late Summer Minuet" • Original mixed watermedia on handmade paper • 8.25" x 8.25"

If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.