Painting With a Master...

 Wow! is all I can say. Finally, Austin's watercolor group was able to host the epitome of watercolorists, Laurin McCracken. He lives in Ft Worth so drove down to Austin to jury our Fall Show before starting an unforgettable 3 day work shop with a fortunate few painters. Luckily, that included my daughter, Leslie, and me.

This was our reference photo, a grouping of four antique bottles with their own shapes, scratches and color characteristics reflecting on each other with Laurin's signature black background. He had prepared a detailed sketch which we transferred onto Fabriano cold press paper provided by Fabriano. (Huge thank you!)

Laurin spoke throughout the workshop with information on achieving the best outcomes as we painted. He also encouraged us not to copy him but to make decisions based on what we saw. Some of these guidelines that he has proven included using warm water in a full clear container, flicking water off the brush before loading your pigment, protecting edges with a specific tape ( Nichiban Wash White Masking Tape) as we navigated the scene and just how much pigment to apply. I will likely never paint without clear shelf liner ( available under the name Easy Liner shelf liner... thank you!) protecting unpainted areas of my artwork ...and the partial glove is genius. I am purposely not sharing all of the specifics.

We maneuvered around him as he demonstrated each phase, then did our best to approach our own in the same manner.

Brushes by Escoda (Kolinsky Reserva being the ultimate) , paper by Fabriano and paint by Daniel Smith (huge thank yous!) are his "go to's". I agree with all of these selections but I knew very little of the history and dedication to perfection behind these companies and their products. Laurin has been to their businesses and corresponds with them regularly. He also uses American Frame which I do as well owned by two women who are not only very helpful but keep a simple profile of quality frames and turn around your order in a short time period.

The class was held at Bee Cave Arts Foundation in Hill Country Galleria. It included many of our local artists including Kathleen Stafford (who is the WWG Work shop chair along with Lonni Swanson), Beatrice Baldwin, Janet Fulk, Shevawn Eisman, Debbie Wilhite, Rashmi Thakur , our president, Fred Feng and Frank Tenney, doctors who are solid regulars, a couple who traveled back and forth from San Antonio daily plus more ladies from Dripping Springs and Bastrop. Most of these are fine, award winning artists even instructors in their own right but , in my opinion, we are not in Laurin's arena and we know it. It would be difficult to explain his academic approach to all of this. He is an encyclopedia of information from the use of ruling pens to the way to store masking fluid to avoid bubbles, with a mind that wants to know the reason behind every brushstroke and the exact tool to use down to blotting paper!

These are some of my efforts as we navigated all of the information we needed to paint each bottle.

My blue bottle is my favrite at this point

He gave detailed instruction regarding the use of McCracken Black ( we each received a tube from him thanks to Daniel Smith) in a yogurt type thickness for a scumbling application over a pre painted side of our paper. This formula was developed by him using many specific colors for Daniel Smith and is EXACTLY what he uses to achieve his signature black background.

Here you see Leslie and I enjoying this experience! BTW she and Laurin had so much in common both being Rice/Princeton trained architects who, despite their age difference, knew many of the same people who helped carve their future professions. They really hit it off!

                                                            Thank you, Laurin! It was magical...

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.

o

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...