Figures in Watercolor

My husband and I had gone to Mobile, Alabama last year to see the battleship USS Alabama, and then we drove around the area for awhile before heading to New Orleans. These girls were bouncing on a huge branch somewhere in Fairhope, Alabama. They just struck me – they were at that “in between” age – still little girl enough to play, but beginning to develop into young ladies. When I got out of the car to take their photo they automatically struck poses! I had to wait a couple minutes to get a more natural pose, until they went back to bouncing, but they were still aware of me.

My purpose in this painting was not to get an exact likeness of the girls, but to work on figures. However, I do think that if you knew these girls you would actually recognize the girl on the left and might figure the other two to be related to someone you know!

For some reason I’m becoming interested in figures. Combined with wanting to venture into different mediums and techniques – what’s up with that? Maybe I’m becoming an artist after all!

Dunham Classes

My summer session of watercolor classes is over at Dunham Recreation Center (Cincinnati Recreation Commission) and I’m already looking forward to the fall session. This is a great bunch of people.


I inherited this class from Marilyn, who had moved from the west side to the east side and did not want to make the long drive over. When she asked me to take over the class I was both flattered and scared! The spring session was the first that I taught and I felt like a substitute teacher going in – would they like me? Would they want to come back? Would I like them? Gulp!
At first I thought I would try to do everything the same way Marilyn had done things, but then I realized that it wasn’t exactly my way of doing things, and it would be better to just be myself.

So, they have put up with me! From the laughter that ensues, I know they are having fun – and I think that is the biggest part of my job. (If my students are not having fun, why are they here!). From the quiet that ensues, I know they are working hard. And from the good results they are getting, I know they are learning something.

This photo represents the 3 paintings we completed in this session – eat your heart out Jerry, Jerry and Ron – you missed the landscape!

If you live in the Cincinnati area and want to join us in the fall, let me know! See you on September 16!

Yupo Peony

Here’s my latest – done in Yupo. (Below are the stages of "transformation").

Those of you who know me know that I am not a Yupo lover. However, one of my students wanted to try it, she had heard so much about it. I figured I couldn’t go wrong by painting a flower, and I’m really quite satisfied with it.

For you “Yup-ors” – you may be able to detect the fact that I used a foam roller and some alcohol but don’t know all the tricks - don’t have any of the George James videos, don’t plan to get them either! (Although, never say never). I even managed to glaze in a few spots (my favorite way to paint).

So, feel free to pick it apart and let me know what I should have done. (Just don’t expect me to do it!)

Roses on Embroidered Quilt

This one is an acrylic on canvas; the quilt was embroidered by my grandmother. I have tried to figure the approximate age of some of these quilts and crocheted items. Some of them were made in the 1920’s or before. I think I remember her working on this one and a pink one, so it would have been sewn at least in the 1950’s.

As for those books and magazines from my last post, I devoured them (and actually did read a couple during a rain storm!). The 2 acrylic books will be well read reference books, and the Birgit O’Connor book and DVD (which I have not seen yet) would make a good beginner book.

I also received my Nicholas Simmons DVD which I haven't seen yet – but I will!

I have been painting again, thank goodness, and have completed a – get ready – YUPO! I also have worked on a casein and watercolor, all of which will be posted soon. At least my painting slump seems to be over!

Jackpot!

Got home from the grocery today and noticed a large brown container and a pile of mail on the table for me.

I must have died and gone to heaven – the photo shows what I just got! FIVE – count ‘em – FIVE art books/magazines.

Can’t wait for the next rainy day – (and actually can’t believe I just said that, considering the torrential rains and wind we have been having lately!)

I’ll be stretched out in the chair, my feet up, a cup of coffee in hand and all of these bad boys piled up beside me, savoring each one!

Fluffy, The Red Tailed Hawk

This painting of a red tailed hawk is done with both tube and fluid acrylics.

This bird has been in a couple of small shows and in and out of the gallery. People tell me “oooohh, I just love this guy, he’s so fluffy I could pet him” and yet, no one purchases him. One woman (she also said he was fluffy) told me she would buy him, so I plopped him on the backseat of my car and drove to the appointed destination of purchase, but she never showed up. So, he still resides on my back seat. I now fondly refer to him as “Fluffy, the Red Tailed Hawk”. (I’ve decided that his cousin is “Gladly, The Cross Eyed Bear” – get it???).

Procrastination?

Lately I think I’m just a waste of human skin!

I have so many ideas for paintings running through my brain, but none are coming out onto the paper. Could this be because I don’t just sit down and paint? Instead I’ll find something else that “must be done right away”. Obviously, laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping and cooking fall under that category. But they don’t really lend themselves to anything artistic. Or could they? Hmmmm . . . and I’ve just added a few more ideas for paintings skittering around inside my otherwise empty head.

And I tend to paint slowly. Once I get my idea onto the paper, my favorite way to paint is to glaze, so that takes more time. I think I must also be getting that Adult Attention Deficit Disorder since I can’t seem to focus on any one thing for longer than a half hour.

Just to be fair to myself, I have been busy with some classes. One requires that, one day a week, I hop in the car and drive for 45 minutes, set up, teach and clean up for 3 plus hours, then another 45 minutes home. And, since there has been a bizarre wreck on the local interstate involving support pillars for the expressway having been hit by a TRAIN LOCOMOTIVE (yes, you read that correctly) which necessitates a detour, my 45 minute drive will now probably be more like an hour each way, at least. Then I have some classes at home which involve not only the time to teach, but also set up, clean up and homework.

I also was (am?) the chairperson for the Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society current spring show, so there was much time spent on that. Then I was accepted into the Woman’s Art Club of Cincinnati juried show, which meant that I had to drive cross country (I live in Indiana, the venue was on the east side of Cincinnati) twice, once to drop off and once to pick up, because, Heaven forbid anyone should actually purchase the painting!

Hmmm . . . can I come up with any other excuses? I wish I could, but the aforementioned has no bearing on all of the other hours of all of the other days that I could be painting. So, what’s my excuse for that? Sadly, I have none, other than to say that I’m a terrible procrastinator.

Case in point – here I sit at the computer typing this drivel when I could be painting!

But maybe this counts for some sort of artistic endeavor – after all, I’m trying to communicate with other artists here, right? And at least I’m thinking about art, right? And I also have to think that reading my art magazines or looking through my art books or photographs seeking inspiration also has to count as artistic endeavor. Right? Come on, help me out here!!!

And it sure would be nice of you to leave a comment (good or bad) just so I know that someone out there is reading this stuff! Because that would give me even more excuses not to paint – I’d have to read all of those comments, right?

I’m going to really, really try to blog at least once a week – which gives me a really great reason to not paint, right?

In the meantime, here’s my first attempt at fluid acrylics, painted about 2 years ago, which has gotten quite a few kind comments. “The Jetskiier”, fluid acrylic on Arches.

Yupo Images and Health Issues!

I managed to find a couple of Yupo pictures to post here - seems like Yupo is once again the hot item. The painting on the left was done in a class and was the first thing I ever painted on Yupo; I thought it turned out well and I sort of liked the challenge of the surface.

I tried another one (on the right) on my own and it didn’t turn out too badly. However, after that I decided that Yupo just isn’t for me. Best wishes to those who want to push themselves to become adept at it’s idiosyncrasies, but after framing Yupo pictures, I have issues with it.

‘nough said – just thought I’d put these up and you can take a look if you like.

On another note, it seems like the more steps forward I take the farther behind I get!

My son got sick on Mother’s Day and then gave whatever he had to both me and my husband on Tuesday morning. Somehow I managed to get to a class, counting down the hours, then minutes, until I got back home. (I completely covered the front seat of my car with plastic bags and towels and carried a towel with me, if that gives you an idea of how I felt!). Anyway, got home and went immediately to bed (didn’t even take anything out of the car or close the garage door) to find my husband already there. So I’ve had a couple of fun days, feeling better, then worse. Today I think I’m on the mend but my husband looks a bit gray around the gills and still feels bad.

So, you may be asking “What has this got to do with art?” As mentioned, I did manage to get to one class but had to cancel the rest of my Tuesday and Wednesday classes. It just seems that as soon as I get some classes going well, along comes “Life” to mess it up!

Oh well, hope springs eternal and the sun is shining right now. I’m going outside, pet the dog, go fill up the car in preparation for tomorrow and smile. I may even get around to working on some ART later this afternoon (after yet another nap!).

Peony

This image is of a tree peony flower done in fluid acrylic on canvas. It was in the Kennedy Heights Arts Center Guild Show which came down last weekend. It sold! Yippee!

I have done a couple other peony paintings and will probably do more - I just think the flowers are so beautiful. But it seems like when they bloom we always get some severe rain and thunder storms - my imagination, or is it that they happen to bloom at the same time of year that we are prone to get bad weather?

My grandmother always told me that when the hydrangeas (she called them "snowball bushes")bloom we will have cool weather and she called it "Snowball Winter". Again, seems to me that she was right - we do seem to get cool weather then. Some time ago I attempted to paint some hydrangea blooms and failed! I'd like to try that again.

Art Events

This painting, Sunlit Pears 2, (Casein on watercolor board) - (previously featured on my blog) - was accepted into the Woman's Art Club of Cincinnati 115th Annual Juried Exhibition. I feel it is a strong painting and was thrilled when it was accepted into the show, even though it did not win an award.

They had 275 entries and only accepted 58 artworks - having seen the exhibition list, I'm in some very good company! A friend of mine had both of her paintings accepted into the show, and she also sold one! (I’m so happy for her!)

The show is the inaugural event at their new Woman's Art Club Cultural Center, 6980 Cambridge Avenue in Mariemont, OH, and is open Thursday-Sunday through May 18.

In addition, Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society opened our annual spring show which will continue daily through June 15 at Evergreen Retirement Center, 230 W. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH. I’m happy to report that all went well from registration to opening – since I was the Chairperson this year!

The painting below is one of the paintings in the GCWS show - Frank's Apples, watercolor on Arches, and I have received several favorable comments on it - that the apples look freshly polished, that you could reach out and grab one and give it a bite! That certainly makes me feel good about it!

If you are in the Greater Cincinnati area, hope you get a chance to stop by both of these shows!

In addition, tomorrow is our Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society monthly meeting and we will have a nationally recognized, award winning artist - Steve Blackburn (www.learnwatercolors.com) - to present our program. Steve has a unique miskit and paint pouring technique that he has perfected and he creates some amazing paintings. I’m looking forward to seeing him again. I have attended 3 of his workshops (so that should tell you what I think of him!) He’s an amazing artist, great teacher and all around good person.

I’ll be bringing one of my students with me to the meeting. Her name is Valia and she is from Russia, having moved here in the past year with her American husband. She paints in acrylic and oils and wants to learn watercolor – she has a lot of talent! She is eager to meet new people and wants to find artistic outlets in the area so I thought it would be nice for her to come to one of our meetings, and get to see a great presentation, too!