PEEKABOO BEAR - 1 (Chroma Flow Acrylics)

Last fall when I went to the local antique fair one of the photos I took was a grouping of old teddy bears.

I decided this would make a fun painting and, since I needed to do some more work in acrylics for the Chroma paint trial, I decided to use the flow acrylics for this painting.

First step, as always, get that drawing onto the w/c paper.

Step 2 - wet the paper and add paint, allowing it to spread and flow.

PONDERING THE PAINTINGS

I've got a folder (somewhere on my desk) with copies of photos that I might like to paint one day.

Some of these photos are printed 4 or 6 to a page in thumbnail version so that I can keep checking on them and deciding if any are worthy of painting; some I've decided will probably become a painting at some time and so I've printed them 8.5x11.

Of course, when I decide to look through the folder, I usually cannot locate the folder.  (I would put up a photo of my desk but then either I would die of embarrassment or you all would die of shock, so I'm not going to do that!)

Once I do locate the folder and page through, I'm usually very under-whelmed by what I've previously selected to paint, so I go back to the computer to repeat this process.

(Are you beginning to get the "big picture" here?)

It doesn't help when you have a painting failure thrown into this mix.  As you know, a painting failure reflects a monstrous shadow on your soul and you just know you are never going to paint well again.  Ever.  So in order to make sure this occurs you just don't paint.  At all.  For a while.

Then, finally, the encouragement of friends and fellow artists gets the best of you and, once again, you decide that, well, maybe you can paint something.

This usually creates a need to go to your art books and magazines and pull a few off the shelf to thumb through.

Sitting with a cup of coffee and looking at pretty pictures will usually make me feel better.  Then I'll see a painting similar to one I've done (a successful one, that is) and then I begin to think "well, Deb, maybe you can paint . . . ."

With any luck I'll be sufficiently encouraged to . . . check out the folder, go through the computer . . . and start this whole procedure over again.

Such is the life of an "Artiste"!

THE WHITE DUCK

Can you see the white one with his big orange beak!  (Top row on the right).  He's blinding in the sunlight!

Last Easter a friend purchased two ducklings and presented them to her great-niece.  Amazingly, her niece handed them back to her at the end of the day!  So they ended up coming back home with her.  And then, who knew, they ended up at our lake! 

(Gee, didn’t see that one coming!)

They were too funny – when placed in the water they flapped their wings and feet and ran so fast they actually did walk on water to get out of it!  They spent the first few days at their new home holed up under the rowboat!  Seems they finally decided they were ducks and I’d see them swimming around.  One was white, the other brown.

After a while I saw the white one frequently, not the brown one.  (Life in the country . . . )

Now that it’s fall, I see the white duck quite frequently swimming with the mallards that are passing through.  He (she?) doesn’t seem to befriend the mergansers, though.  Guess the mallards think it’s the King (or Queen) of ducks, judging by how much larger he (she?) is compared to them!

I’m hoping he (she?) makes it through the winter, but I do not have very high expectations.

Thought you might enjoy the photo!

PENNSYLVANIA WATERCOLOR SOCIETY

The pin is not showing up very well - but it's a very pretty bright blue with gold letters!

The Pennsylvania Watercolor Society show is now hanging in Harrisburg, PA.  They had their opening reception on the 16th and I had wanted to go, but due to car troubles didn't feel confident to drive up there.

Instead, I received a package in the mail containing my Signature certificate and a lovely pin!

I feel in very good company to be included as a Signature in this group!

TUBA - FINAL

After all of the words and notes were complete I darkened the shadows and made a few more adjustments.

I think it's done now!

Flight of the Bumblebee, 30x22, watercolor and acrylic, Arches 300#

TUBA - 4

I began adding the notes.

I used acrylic ink in the shadow area so that if I needed more color there, the notes would not run.

All of the lines are also acrylic ink, but the notes and words in rest of the painting are watercolor.

TUBA - 3

More color on the tuba in this series: