Summer Lessons....Bees and Blooms

 I taught a class to my 5 summer artists and we all loved the delicate wings and petals in this scene. Our goal was to use iridescent watercolors successfully. The backgrounds could be solid or variegated with one color or more using aa drip method to lift the transparent blue...just for fun.

Bee with pearl highlights

Variegated background using blue and violet

We dripped clear water to make the shapes in the blue background, then let it dry

Our reference came from a Facebook artist whose bees were magical.

Turkish Lanterns ...Light Up Your Life!

 

Ok, the truth is, I have always loved and collected lanterns but it wasn't until I was visiting in St Helena California on July 4th that I found a shop with every color represented and aglow with light! But...it was closed! So I took my photos from the street and knew I was going to paint these magical mosaic lights.

Lighten UP!

I started with this larger sheet of paper and an arranged grouping. My original thought was to have a dark background but I realized a lighter area was needed.

I borrowed shapes within the lantern itself but also made up some designs in the pattern of the mosaic tiles. I also borrowed some proven palettes but created a few of my own. Then I positionined these lights vertically anmd horizontally, left and right,

 as I felt they looked best.

Light Up Your Life

I am not sure this series is over as yet...i want to leave that door open. I used no masking fluid but I did use a white water based pen to clean edges.  The metal is a bronze or gold on the lamps and chains makes a great texture change. I also like the connection all of them have with their similar tops and bottoms.

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Enjoy!

Ok, the truth is that I have always loved and collected lanterns

Yosemite in the Spring...hard to imagine, wonderful to paint!

Can you imagine a warm, sunny day in March when you are fine wearing a sweater while snow still edges the shadowed side of things in this Valley? That is what you will find in this natural preserve that has been appealing to many visitors since it was found. Wear your sneakers because there's a lot of ground to cover. Bring your camera because you will want to capture the golden greenery, the rock formations  and the postcard blue sky. Even the sounds of roaring waterfalls are like no other experience...there is so much to take in and it's all around you.

This is snow!

This is a shadow

The sky is limitless

The trees are soooo tall

You can see forever

This is a visual course nature as it happens

That Gold/Green in the fir trees

Of course I have to attempt a painting so here goes.....starting with a yellow underpainting

 

It is my favorite mix of puzzle pieces and patterns. Here is my painting at about 70%

I will enjoy the beauty once again with my watercolor but it does remind me that it's hard to beat Mother Nature!

Spring is here...rejuvenate!

Camelias are early bloomers along with daffodils and tulips at Filoli Gardens in Woodside, California...this is Spring! (Taken March 5th, 2026)

No matter where we live, winter has its effect on us. Plants lose their leaves, their vibrant color disappears and they basically hibernate. Days and daylight are shorter. Most of us stay inside more, wear heavier clothing and eat heavier foods. Then this phenomenon called Spring ( more sunlight? a few warm days?) awakens via a secret message to the world to wake up and rejuvenate. You can do the same.... get out and walk, go to a graden or nursery, trim the winterkill and plant some fresh shapes. Watch the subtle displays of color emerge all around you as the earth renews itself. And while you are at it, it's the perfect time to rejuvenate your paintings, Get busy!

I suggest uou start by taking a good look at your space and supplies. Clean and assess your brushes ( do you need a new one or two? Escoda has some well made keepers at a reasonable price) and studio area. Throw out the old paints and replace them BUT buy a few new colors too. I recommend the transparents and have added Winsor Newton's Aurelian to my tray of 18 favorites. It's warmth is unmistakeable. Do the same with your available watercolor paper. Try a new brand or size. I recently tried a less expensive paper by New York Central. It is not as coarse as higher quality Arches or Fabriano offers but it has a sturdy weight and allows a lot of lifting. It's perfect for your starts and may surprise you.

I bought a light for my drafting table that offers 3 colors to warm or cool the scenes. I love the ability to reposition it and actually see the colors better. And, because i teach in my studio several times annually, I bought some better chairs that are on rollers. I think these were much needed updates. But...do you need some instruction? Take a class in person or online.Wake up your craetivity with some gouache or inks. 

I also have a new method of titling my completed paintings as well. It's called "New Meanings" and here is one of them (shown unfinished) called " Pathology" (noun) def: the act of taking a path to refresh the body, mind and soul; a little play on words.

So, back to the camelias. Yes, they have inspired me! I am starting small but I am picturing these as much larger than life and it is awakening that little bud in me. Shown at 40-50%.

Wake up!! It's Spring.

All Aboard for Christmas 2025!

  I love trains! Join me on the journey to Holiday fun with my whimsical "All Aboard"...

Send a nice greeting card from a store or take a family photo. All are worth the effort and cost to your recipients and the message is the most important part. But if you plan ahead, you can send your original artwork on a card. It's not that expensive and it shares a special side of you... your view of the world. Honestly, friends and family will look forward to your annual scene and it may be framed. A 5"x7" card fits into 8"x10" ready made framing so you are giving a gift, too.

I have been creating one for many years for my family but im proud to say I've also created the annual card for a friend's company, Weir International Inc, for 29 years!

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for health and happiness in 2026 !!

I am in love with Hydrangeas!

 Hydrangeas are amazing, fresh or dried, in an arrangement or as the subject of a painting. They are not easy to recreate so it's a bit of a challenge. Using many reference photos, I made my way through a month long journey this summer to attempt this. The end result is satisfying and incorprates some of my best efforts. Here are a few of my steps starting with these huge, healthy blooms from my daughter Leslie's yard. They inspired ,"Entwined" this summer.

                    

I usually finish a painting more quickly than most painters, but not this time. I reimagined the background many times and can now see the value of that time. It was well spent!

Reference photo: early Summer in Pacific Grove, CA.

Steps:

I wanted a design that filled the page and also used my favorite palette of colors...Hansa Yellow, Green Gold, Opera Pink and Prussian Blue, All are transparent and play nicely together. 

I admit the leaves captured my favorite shapes and colors  (my favorite AND usual palette).

                          

But can anything compete with Nature? Maybe not...

Have you added illumination to your watercolors?

 A little sparkle and shine can be a great addition to the normally dry and flat finished look of your watercolors. There are several techniques that create or at least imitate a shine. From varnished and waxed topcoats to tricking the eye to actually using watercolors that have a glitter effect, these all can showcase a wet surface or a shine on bird feathers or damp foliage...the possibilities are endless. And here are a few:

Water surface: using the movement of water by value change can give an appearance of shine and highlight.

Reflection on metal 

...and Glass

All of these "tricks" work but actually adding an inheritantly shiny item to your image steals the show. What we are going to focus on in this blog is using sheets of gold foil glued into your watercolor in a purposeful way. Much in the style of illuminated manuscripts from centuries ago, we will try to enhance with gold foil.I am following this YouTube artist , Theodora Gould, who shares her techniques and sells her products online:

I will use an already created alphabet to do our initials... just for fun at first. I do realize that this method requires patience and preparation...not necessarily my usual practice.😇 But I want to learn the process and use it in future works. I also want to share it with students.

I began with an already painted floral and added the initial "C". 

Mistake #1:This is not smooth paper, 

I usually prefer rough texture so gold foil is not going to lie flat

Mistake #2: I used Mod Podge as my glue/ just don't

Mistake #3: I did not wait for the glue to get to a certain point before applying the very thin gold sheet

But, I actually like this look of old, bumpy illumination. I filled in the openings with watercolor pigment

Stay tuned for more of this fascinating process.