Watercolor Sunday

A couple extreme watercolors - attempting to be more dramatic. Seem over-worked to me in person, but they look pretty good online.

Painting of the Week - Inniswood Herb Garden

Experimented with sketching with a Sharpie instead of a pencil -which means no erasing. I do like the graphic quality of the black lines. Makes it look more like an illustration. I like the right side of the painting with the tall bushes and the violet behind. I had problems under the big tree.

Pastel - Crestone Peaks, Colorado

Hard to photograph this one, it's 8" x 20". Too long for the scanner. Click pic for larger view.

Monnett Garden

Went up to Delaware to meet friend Diane to paint outside last night. We met at the Monnett Garden across from the Arts Castle. Lots of flowers. She was painting in oils and I tried my hand at pastels. These are tiny - 3x5. Although we met at 6pm, the light changed fast and it was cloudy and we had to pack up about 8pm. Dusk is coming much quicker now....

Painted Pear

This is a watercolor, painted using the pastel pear as reference. It was alot harder to paint. I think I like the pastel better.

Pair of Pastel Pears

FINALLY. Back in the groove. This was a pear from the ancient pear tree at Red Bank. I took some photos with extreme lighting. Instead of printing these out, I used the photo on the computer screen and painted with pastels. I LOVE these. Maybe I will try using the same photos but use watercolor instead.

Click on picture to view larger.

My photo:

My pastel painting:My photo:

My pastel painting:

Red Bank Boat Launch

Another frustrating evening painting. On a bright note, we were surrounded by about 30 mallard ducks (yes and a few Canada geese) who talked to us while we painted. There was also an ancient pear tree that was loaded with ripe fruit. Never saw a pear tree that large in my life. Hmmm. Guess I should have painted pears...

Use it or Lose It

Back to Stan's class last night. We met in the Galena town square and painted outside. It was hot and very humid. Not my favorite weather. I couldn't find too much in the scenery that inspired me, so I went for this view closer up. Not my best work but as they say, Use it or Lose it. Practice practice practice...

Class Week 4 - Blue Limestone Park

Last week for the Delaware Parks Plein Air class. We were at the Blue Limestone Park where the stones for the Arts Castle building were mined. A lovely park hidden away within Delaware. If you don't know its there, you'd never find it.

My pastel is the first picture below, followed by the photo of the inspiration.

Class Week 3 - Hogback Ridge Preserve

Newest pastel worked on black paper, done at the Hogback Ridge Preserve. This park is very densely wooded, so kinda dark in the evening. Everyone felt it was hard to work here because of the light. There was not much to paint other than trees, I was able to paint the cone flowers, oak leaf hydrangea and bee balm near the nature center.

The teacher decided that our last class next week will be at Blue Limestone Park in Delaware. Less green, and instead - rocks and water - and perhaps brighter.

I know why..... New Class Week 2

I think I know why I am not happy with my landscapes. TOO MUCH GREEN. Because of all the rain we have received in Ohio this spring and summer. Everything is way too GREEN. It is boring in art to have one color.

But I truly am enjoying the experience of making art outdoors and find it very peaceful.

Here is last night's effort.... now if I would have just moved the two trees to the right..... I do like the misty quality of the left hand side, where it recedes (as it should). I like the darks at the bottom of the forest. And my sky pretty much looks like it did after that huge thunderstorm went through.

New Class, New Medium

I am taking a new class this month, as a break from watercolors. The Delaware Arts Castle offered a class of "Plein Air in the Parks" with Angela Gage. We are meeting at a couple brand new parks in Delaware County. Last night, we were at Gallant Woods Nature Preserve. I decided to try my hand at pastels again. Its been nearly 35 years (WHAT?? has it been that long??) since I used pastels in high school. Angela has experience with pastels and she was very helpful getting me started again. Some of the other students used oils, pastels, and watercolors.

Here is what I accomplished and the photo I took of the scene. The paper is orange and you can see, it is not finished. I need to try to be less detailed and get larger swathes of color down.

Exhibit at Market Mortgage

I am having a duo exhibit with my friend Erma Pierce at the Market Mortgage on E Wilson Bridge Road in July. Market Mortgage graciously allows members of the Worthington Art League to hang monthly art shows in their lobby. We will be hanging our exhibit this Thursday. I will try to remember to take my camera for photos to post here, but if you are in the Columbus area, please take time to stop during normal business hours and view the show!

Painting of the Week - Metal Bowl with Grape Earrings

Painting of the Week - Cowboy Hat

Painting of the Week - Sun Dial

Getting Back in the Groove

Watercolor classes started up again last week. I started this in class, but didn't finish. Last night, I played around with adding soft pastels on top to finish it. I like it, but I need to loosen up and get that soft watercolor style back.

"Art" on You-Tube

This is really cute:

Gardening

Below is my veggie garden. Roma Grape tomatoes with basil and summer squash for me. Catnip and grass for Spanky.

Clematis on the garden gate.



Front porch shade garden.

Wegerzyn Gardens - Dayton Ohio

Wegerzyn Gardens in Dayton. Garden 'rooms' and Children's Discovery Gardens.
(As always, you can click on a picture to see a larger view.)