Our talented class is having a great time!

We have a great beginner class going in Steiner Ranch! We started with 6 weeks but have now decided to add 2 more to be able to meet for 8 weeks. There are 4 true beginners and 4 who have had some experience with other mediums. Drawing is not a requirement in our 3 hour sessions although it is a necessity when moving on. I am providing line drawings to be transferred onto watercolor paper or they can provide a drawing of their own.

Our goals are to get familiar with paper, brushes, transparent and staining colors and, of course, techniques. We begin with a "distraction warm up" to get everyone in the zone. I usually do a small demo of an area being covered by the subject matter at hand ( sky, clouds, trees, reflected still water) and then they are off to work at their own discoveries at their own pace.  In this short  time, the personalities of each painter are emerging and can be seen in their work. A brief walk around critique is done in the last 15 minutes. We are about to start a long term project with the subject matter of their choice; any size. Note cards will be made from a selected painting at the end.


As I knew it would be,  I am getting a refresher course by teaching this class and learning, too. In encouraging them to start with the basics, I'm getting back top some basics in my own painting. We have used masking, blotting, sponging and some knife scratching. Soon we will splatter and maybe pour. Just a taste of the fun stuff...Thanks to Mary we know that soaping a brush or sponge before dipping it into masking fluid will help protect the brush or sponge and make it easier to remove that sticky residue later. Here are some examples of their work:

Meanwhile, they are following me in my efforts to capture a wonderful boy and his dog in a 22"x30" painting with a leafy Fall background. Again, I have used various techniques such as sponging, scratching and masking. My starting point is typically the largest area so the stunning background foliage will simple be a background for this beautiful little guy and his Golden Retriever.

Last week we practiced reflectivity in still water and this week we will try active water and splashing. Stay tuned ....

Watercolor Class is happening in Steiner Ranch

  We have a group , a location and a date for our sessions. Starting Jan 23rd for 6 consecutive Thursday with the exception of Feb 13th, we will meet from 11:00-2:00 at Towne Center in Steiner Ranch. I will post our progress and the subject matter on this blog as we move forward.

Do you want to add a little color to your life in 2014? Here's an opportunity to try your hand with watercolors. 6 beginning lessons will include information on brushes, paper and watercolors along with handouts for techniques using salt, sponges, masking fluid and trios of colors that work well together. Subjects will be provided or you can bring your own photos.

Contact me if you are interested and I will send a supply list.

Artwork for my first juried show in Austin has earned a Merit Award!

Entering shows has long been a favorite of mine; one that I have not participated in for quite some time. Yes, there are fees, specific photography, deadlines, rules for submissions, sizes and framing, drop off locations, etc BUT it is a big thrill when a credited juror allows your entry ( actually two)into the competition. Just being a candidate with other members of  the very prestigious Waterloo Watercolor Society for the annual Fall Show was good enough for me! So...after watching a very eye opening demo by the juror, Kris Parins, who also taught a work shop for some very lucky artists, I was smiling. Then came the list of paintings to be displayed at

              North Hills Gallery 7050 Village Center Drive Austin                             

   and one of my paintings was selected! The Show will be open to the public Nov 10-Dec 1st. If you are in Austin, do stop by.

Allow me to introduce..."Simply Delicious"

 

...also please allow me to introduce Kris Parins' very carefully planned pouring techniques. Using 3 colors and masking all whites, she adds her colors and lets them mix on wet 140 lb paper which has had her basic drawing transferred to it. It's amazing to watch and the results are even more incredible. There can be more than 4 pourings per painting for the mid and dark tones to be masked as well. Her training as a graphic artist is evident.

                                            

 

3 colors selected were simply a light, middle and dark tone but I believe this is cad yellow (started with the lightest) and quinacridone red 

 

With the addition of her blue (Manganese?) the green appears and is carefully controlled by her spraying and rolling

 

The smart painters who took her workshop will no doubt be forever changed in their thinking. I will sign up soon! I will try it immediately.

Meanwhile I am so impressed with a pen and ink wildlife artist that I met this past week, Sherry Steele. If you have not yet seen this woman's incredible , delicate but powerful portrayal of animals, especially African varieties, head to her website as fast as you can: www.sherrysteele.com.

Happy painting....

Just back from Italy and Sicily with lots of beautiful scenes to paint!!

What an incredible trip! We are just back from a 14 day journey to Rome  then across Sicily to the east Coast and over to Italy's Amalfi Coast before returning to Rome. We saw beautiful country, idyllic waters, enjoyed the friendly people & their foods  & marveled at well kept relics of life from 7 centuries before Christ. The influences of  different empires that situated themselves there from Africans, Arabs , Spaniards, Greeks and Normans are still evident today. Ancient temples were reconstructed as Basilicas still in use today but left with Arabic domes and tiles to show their history. Even earthquakes could not stop this area from being the showplace of life in the past and yet it is vibrant today with its inhabitants. Colors are indescribable...so I guess I'll have to paint them.

I definitely doodled a little on the trip. Thanks to advice from fellow painter, Martha Ruth, who had just returned from Rome the week prior, I brought 10 4"x5" pieces of watercolor paper and a very small travel kit ( 5" round) from Raphael paints. It was equipped with a mini paintbrush but I brought my favorite 2 sided flat/round as well. One of my favorite moments was in Catania painting on the steps outside our picturesque Hotel with my new friend, "Luige" . She is a relatively new painter but an accomplished quick learner with a nice, loose touch. We spent just an hour there and
think we will both remember it as very special. Here is my balcony scene from that morning in Catania and also a balcony view from our hotel in Reggio Calabria, Italy. Across the sea is Sicily.

 

 

 

 

FYI if you plan to travel by air, no paints are allowed in the cabin...bummer but the rules are for safety regarding hazardous concoctions and odors. I did bring a pencil and changed my genre to drawing which was a good practice for me. This is a favorite tool of my daughter, Leslie, who has mastered the pencil sketches. Here is my chosen scene of The Fountain of Trevi. I plan to paint a larger version of this , for sure.

 

 

BTW, the winning title of the cactus wreath contest ( see my Aug 18 blog) was Anne Witt, my clever daughter in law , who immediately titled it "Cool Yule". That lead to the final title: "Have a Cool Yule, Y'all!"....we do live in Texas and that is a Texas cactus, after all... Cards have been ordered and will be sold at two shows in November. I will send details soon for anyone wanting to order for Christmas. I do encourage you to create your own cards. It is great fun and many comments are promised from your recipients.

Ciao, Bella! 

Name this artwork and win a box of Christmas Cards!

Talk about HOT...at this point 15 straight days over 100!! So I'm staying cool inside painting Holiday card scenes & looking at my marvelous prickly pear cactus outside. I'm thinking this is a survivor in Texas & deserves some recognition. Here's your chance to show some creativity and win a boxed set of my Christmas cards for your efforts ( a $20 value but priceless, of course, to be named the author of  this piece!). I need a catchy name for this artwork and , though I've had some attempts at it, nothing has hit yet.  This contest will close on August 31, 2013 at 12M.  I will announce the winner & title. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

 

Feeling like Christmas in July?

I know I am in the Christmas mood as I started painting two Christmas Card scenes this past week. One is my annual card ...the other is for my longtime good friend & client Weir International Mining. We have had a 20 year liaison that I am very proud of...To put me in the mood, I am humming along with carols! Believe it or not, this is not too early to get into the spirit & the temp is guaranteed to lower by 10 degrees when you sing "Dashing Through the Snow".... Here is a sneak preview of my almost completed 2013 Card.

If you are in McKinney and want to be shopping to beat the Holiday rush or are "feeling  Christmasy" just wander over to "Made in McKinney" , the store inside the McKinney Convention and Visitors Bureau at 200 W Virginia just off the Square. They will have their official grand opening July 17th at 3:30 and have stocked the shelves with many fine items ( Christmas cards included) from local artists: visual and vocal, cute and classic, at all price points and for all age groups. This is not-your-ordinary souvenir shop so make it a part of your shopping experience on the Square...and you'll be supporting your town, as well....Merry Christmas in advance.

Where did June go??

June 1
Once summer hit , ie school ended, the schedule flew out the window. I barely made it to my Tuesday paint group in Apache Shores.  I am working on entering the Georgetown Library's show that must have a "book theme"...so I had our Austin grandsons pose for me as though there is a little reading going on after lights out ( shock, shock!) hence the title, "Breaking Curfew". Keep in mind these are works in progress....

June 15

We were in McKinney for a few days and I met with Windy Gallagher, the clever and creative owner of a new shop inside the Convention and Visitors' Bureau called "Made in McKinney". All is going well for her as the word gets out. Many new items are on the shelves including adorable canvas bags in a variety of shapes and sizes that have McKinney scenes on them, some featuring my artwork....Come in for CDs,  T shirts, note cards, framed prints and so much more. The shop is now open on Saturdays until noon. Please visit. You won't be disappointed. Here is one of the scenes coming soon in the store in honor of our great Texas State Fair...."The Star" 

June 22

Terry's garden inspired me to create "Spiced Up" which is also still a work in progress. I am such a foodie and the harvest is so colorful, it really whet my appetite. Hopefully, this will be a fruit and veggie series as I would also like to capture the colorful Farmers' Markets in Austin and McKinney. Here we go. I'll post the final products.

June 24

I held my first cartooning class for 5 aspiring young artists who show some real potential. They each selected an animal and then sketched guidelines, inked in the permanent lines and voila, they really liked the results. Notebooks were started and we will meet again in July.