Welcoming the new year

A few months ago I was talking to my youngest granddaughter, Hildry,  about the upcoming holidays and I asked her what she wanted for Christmas. Without hesitating, she answered, "I want you to paint me a pineapple!"

Why a pineapple? She just likes them...

I forgot about her request and thought maybe she would, too.  Then more recently she asked me if I had painted the pineapple yet. I knew I needed to get busy.

It is interesting to me that once someone mentions something, I see it everywhere. It is amazing how many pineapples there are on posts, wallpaper, clothing, lunchboxes, t-shirts - you get the idea. Hildry's family will be moving to a new house in the next few months...and yes, there will be pineapples in her room.

So, I got started...  I sketched it out in pencil and began to paint. Sometimes a painting just paints itself.  After a very few minutes, this is what I saw on the paper!

 I decided I'd better back away from it and take a good look. I put it on an easel across the room. Another one of my 'tricks' is to photograph a painting in progress. It helps me to really see what the painting needs. I did both these things and left it alone to dry. I didn't want to mess with wet watercolor at this point.

The next day I went back to it and tweaked it a bit. I darkened the shadow sides of each section of the fruit - giving it a rounded effect. Then I added darks to the leaves. I finished by highlighting some streaks on the leaves. That is done by wetting a brush, touching the part I want lighter and gently wiping the area with a paper towel. I also erased some of the pencil lines...not all of them. I think it's fun to see some of the original drawing.

Christmas morning, unwrapping gifts...she loved it!

As I thought more and more about pineapples, I remembered that they are a symbol of hospitality and welcome. The end of December is the perfect time to share this - let us welcome a new year. May you all have many experiences of hospitality in 2018 - of giving this gift to others and allowing others to give hospitality to you.

Happy New Year!

Critters

This week we hung a new show at the St Michaels Library - the theme is "Critters." The students of Barbara Jablin (classes on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings) were all asked to paint pictures of animals.

I had posted a couple of my paintings awhile ago (back in March and in August). Here is another ...

This was painted from a photograph taken when this puppy arrived at my daughter's house. All her girls were so excited to have a new puppy - MANY photos were taken, but I have always loved this one. My daughter has four girls - three brunettes and one blonde. The blonde lying on the puppy - hair/fur similar color just tugged at me.

I began with a charcoal sketch.

A bit of tweaking here and there, I redrew it on watercolor paper and did some watercolor underpainting. It helps me establish the shapes and colors.

Now it's time to begin with my pastels. The painting is beginning to come together.

It was about this point that I took it to class for critique. It needed more darks between Leighton's head and the puppy. A bit more definition in her face... And then I needed to do something with the background.

I love this orange-gold color with dark green so I decided to try that... but thought a whole painting of that would be too much. I left the foreground natural and just added color behind.

I am calling it "The New Puppy" and it now hangs at the library for the month of November. If you are in the area, stop by and take a look at the whole wall full of Critters!

Mikey Has A Girlfriend

It is so nice to get back to my blog. Three weeks ago I had knee replacement surgery...there is something about being in pain that takes away all my desire to be creative!

However, the day before my surgery I had a phone call that did give me something to think about as I am recovering. There is a new group in town  - "St Michaels in Bloom." They are actively working to beautify our little village. Several planter baskets have been packed with flowers and are visible on a walkway in town. Also, they have sold 20,000 daffodil bulbs (and are ordering 10,000 more to sell) which will be planted everywhere! Next spring they will sponsor a daffodil weekend.

Which gets me to the phone call...they were looking for someone to paint a crab holding some daffodils to use for their logo. A mutual friend had given them my name as someone who paints fanciful crabs. For the past several years I have painted crabs for the St Michaels Art League Banner program. 'Mikey' has eaten ice cream, skippered a boat, held an anchor...why not hold daffodils?

What a delightful challenge. I began picturing a gardening crab...holding daffodils and a trowel...and of course, wearing a straw hat. This group did not have a specific deadline, so I had some time to work on it. I did a quick sketch (very rough) and sent it to the group.

A week or so ago, I met with a couple of people on the committee to talk about this more. Since they are not a garden club - we decided to go with more daffodils and no trowel.

This was the first 'sitting.' It's sometimes hard for me to critique my work when I am on top of it. It helps me to take a photo and then look at it apart from the original painting.

I like her 'attitude', but the daffodils got lost! It was too yellow and orange...  back to work. If I darken the underside of her shell and add a little more ink around the flowers...a tweak here and there...

Voila! Mikey has a girlfriend! Don't know her name yet. Look for her to appear around town next spring. It's been a fun project. They will have a website up and running in the near future. Google 'St Michaels in Bloom' and see what might come up.

Labor Day Show...and Sale...and Demo

It's almost that time - the art league's annual Labor Day Show and Sale. We will be setting up our racks and hanging artwork in less than two weeks!

I was all ready last year to do a watercolor and ink demo and we got cancelled twice due to weather - so I'm trying again this year.

I will be painting a huge ice cream cone (6 scoops, I think). I start with a pencil sketch. Then I ink and finally paint. I will talk about and demonstrate how to make the ice cream look round on a flat piece of paper. I will ask "What is your favorite flavor?" We can paint that in.

Here is my practice demo...

"6 Scoops"   10.5x25  

Then I am providing paper, paint and brushes for YOU to try your hand at it. It should be fun

Here are some visual instructions.

Everyone gets an already painted cone... pencil, pen, paints, and brushes... go to it! Fill it with your favorite flavors.

My demo is 10:00-11:20 on Saturday morning, September 2.

The Show and Sale hours are:

Saturday, September 2 from 10:00 - 5:00

Sunday, September 3 from 12:30 - 5:00

Come find us - Under the tent on the lawn of St Luke's United Methodist Church in St Michaels!

Chloe & Henry

Way back in May, a friend of mine posted a picture of one of her daughters in her Senior Prom dress...with the dog. Apparently, Henry (a rambunctious sheepadoodle) had just returned from two weeks at 'boot camp' and they were getting re-acquainted.

I love Chloe and I love painting dogs, and I really love painting relationships - the photo was begging to be painted! I quickly asked permission to do so.

However, there were several other things I needed to finish first - it's a little like having to eat the spinach before desert - so I didn't get to this until July.

I knew it was going to be a pastel and thought it would look good on toned paper. I did the pencil sketch and began painting with my soft pastels. Since the paper tended toward a darker value, I began with the light areas.

 I continued to paint and began to realize that the tooth (texture) of the paper was distracting. I tried to make it work, but kept being disappointed. A good learning experience, but I needed to start again. So much for the toned paper.

 I switched to my favorite - sandpaper. I have been using a 500 grit UART paper  - it's archival and has worked well for me in the past. I got this far and wondered what I was going to do with the background. The sanded paper is just beige, it needs a little color.

 Knowing that it I did not want to mess it up at this point and have to paint it again, I got out a piece of acetate paper. It's a clear (like plastic) sheet that I can experiment on. I laid the acetate over the painting and tried different background colors using my watercolor paints. I tried several - here are just two...  The original photo had an outside background.- grass, stone path and sky.

Although the photo had more color, adding a color (like the green) that I had not previously used seemed very artificial. 

Hmmm, I liked the blue dress - orange is the complement...

 That seems to being out Chloe's facial features.

Now to work on the dress. The prom dress was beautiful - navy blue with white flowers. However, as I tried to capture the flowers, I found them distracting. After all, the painting is about the relationship - them looking at each other - not about the dress!  In the end, I made the dress a solid blue.

Then I added the background that I had chosen...trying to add different values to it so it isn't solid and heavy.

This is one of the paintings I will be exhibiting in November at the library in St Michaels. We are having a themed show - "Animals"  More about that at another time.

Why Knot?

Every now and then I have to revisit ropes. Since I was shown the secret to painting ropes, it seems to be my 'fall back' thing to paint and helps me get out of 'slug mode.'

I looked at various rope pictures and came upon a photograph that my husband had taken years ago.  With his permission (I never paint someone else's photo without asking), I decided to try to paint it.

It's a bowline knot  - fun to tie. I find myself transported back to camp where I learned to tie it with a story. You take the rope and make a lake. (Just twist a loop) Then take the end of the rope which becomes a snake. The snakes comes out of the lake, goes around the tree and back into the lake. Then you pull on the head and the tail. Voila - bowline knot!

Enough of that... I began to sketch with pencil. The end of the line (rope) was very frayed.
Then I added some light watercolor washes leaving the frayed part until later.

Next step - add the frayed end, a little more definition on the line and some color in the background.

Then I took it to class for critique... Well...we began a discussion about where the light was coming from. The line shows the light coming from the right side. Wouldn't it be better coming from the top left? Then the frayed end would have more impact. They also thought the fray should be more prominent.

I took it home and washed some of it out, added more fray and defined the end a little more. Changing the light source was a little trickier. I switched to some of my pastels. So now the light side of the line is on the left. It's more yellow on the top left. Back to class the following week...

The suggestion then was darken the bottom right. The contrast of the opposite corners would help.

I did it and was really sorry...something happened that threw it all off for me. Having spent so much time with this knot, was there a way to salvage this?

Ah, yes...crop! I could get rid of some of that boring dark corner...   It's now an 11x14 instead of a 16x20.

Why Knot?

"Why Knot?"  11x14 watercolor & pastel    $100

There's something about hollyhocks...

This summer I am trying to get organized for several art shows coming up in the fall. There are two shows in October that have similar themes - "Around Town' is the stated theme of the art league's show. The other show suggestion was that 'local art sells.'

So, the other day I was driving around St Michaels and looking to be inspired. I stopped on North Street at a 4 way stop sign. There, next to a telephone pole, were hollyhocks!

I don't know about you, but there's something about hollyhocks that takes me back in time. I can't remember specifically, but my mother loved to garden - she must have grown them 'once upon a time.' It's really strange, when I see them growing, I am momentarily transported to a childhood 'almost' memory.

Of course, I was immediately hooked! I took a few pictures - the flowers looked a little scraggly. But, the wonderful thing about painting is that I can paint from a photo and change it to be what I need it to be.

In addition to finding inspiration I am also trying to paint more loosely this summer. Here is an opportunity to not put everything in this painting.

I began with a simple pencil sketch and then got out my pen. Just a few lines to give the impression of flowers, leaves and stems...and then some watercolor washes. I left out a telephone pole, a green cement block building and a bit of roadside trash.

I like this look. I put it across the room for awhile to take a look. Other than the flowers floating in space...I like it's simplicity.

I added some suggestion of leaves, and grasses. Now it's grounded.

I may have to title it "Hollyhocks on North Street" to give it a local setting, but for now it's "Hollyhocks - a memory"

"Hollyhocks - a memory"   11x14 watercolor & ink  $150

Ladybugs

Recently I was looking through some old sketchbooks - actually looking to be inspired - and came upon a series of sketches I had done with a group a few years ago. It was a three-day paint out - painting in a different place each day with a critique at the end of the day.

I had chosen to just do sketches rather than try to complete a 'fine art' painting. I love the freedom and quickness of sketching. There is a freshness in my work when I do this.

One of the places that had fascinated me was an old log cabin. I love the way the logs are fit together - particularly at the ends. The patterns in the wooden logs has always interested me. These had interesting shadows and textures.

With all those things going for it, the painting also needed some focal points - not just a static representation of old logs. I am drawn to the color red...how about some ladybugs crawling up the side of the wall? That gives it some movement and color!

I decided to use the matchstick and ink drawing method so that the ink lines would be more 'scratchy.' An ink pen gives a straighter, more clean line. They are old, weathered logs, after all. The matchstick would be perfect.

Here's the beginning...the first watercolor wash over the matchstick and ink drawing.

Next I added a little more color to the mortar and the beginning of the ladybugs. 

The painting needed to be grounded in a 'scene.' So, here's an indication of grass, trees and sky on the right. I purposely did not want detail there - keep the viewer's eye on the cabin.

To finish this up, I got out the matchstick and ink again and added more detail in the logs. Actually, I did have to stop myself - I got a little carried away with defining all the cracks and crannies! A bit more definition in the shadows and a watercolor wash here and there...

"Ladybugs"   11x14 watercolor & ink   $225

...And it makes me smile!

The Auction

Every few years our church holds a 'Service Auction.' It is a fundraiser in which church members donate a 'service' - we share our gifts with others. There is a huge variety of things offered - from babysitting to boat trips to landscaping...you get the idea.

When asked this year what I would donate, I offered to do a drawing of someone's house. I have done house drawings for the Christmas in St Michaels fundraiser before - this should be a no-brainer.

Unfortunately, we were out of town the night of the auction so I didn't get to see the bidding or get to bid on anything. The next day I talked to the person in charge and was told that my offering went for $250! I love it that I can use a talent, have some fun and make a difference.

I contacted the winning bidders and they were really excited. We set up a time for me to visit and take some pictures of their house. The house is a large home made of stone and is in a lovely setting on the Tred Avon River in Easton. There are arches above the doors and windows - lots of interesting details.

Back home again, I began with an ink sketch with some pencil shading.

I cleaned it up a little and began adding more detail

My original idea had been to just do an ink sketch, but the more I looked at this the more I was convinced that it needed color. The black and white was just too busy and did not reflect what the house had to offer.

So here is my next step.

It's getting closer to what I had imagined, but i thought the color needed to be stronger. I fiddled with the trees a bit and darkened the sky. (Sorry, this next photo is a little out of focus)

At this point I took the painting to my watercolor class for a critique. The main thing was to crop it  - it didn't need to big sweep of the driveway - it's about the house more than the setting.

So, I painted it once more, added a few clouds, darkened the roof (for contrast), put a little more color in the trees and worked on the shadows. Then I cropped it, matted it and delivered it to the homeowners! 

Thankfully, they were pleased! I think it turned out pretty well. Comments?

The Fence

My son bought an old farmhouse in Vermont several years ago. The front of the house was very close to the road - I understand now...that is because you don't have to shovel a long driveway! However, I was concerned about small children playing outside until I saw the picket fence.

It was a picture book fence enclosing a small garden - with flowers everywhere. I took lots of photos. A few weeks ago as I was going through old photos, I rediscovered the fence and thought it would be fun to paint.

I began with an ink sketch.

Next step was adding a watercolor wash.

In my original photos, the fence was close to the house and the lattice under the front porch could be seen behind some of the flowers. I added that and began to put in more color.

Yikes! It got very busy and my eye kept being drawn to the lattice - not the fence. I tried washing it off, but of course, I was stuck with this...

Gotta get rid of the lattice! So, I began again. 

This time I left out the lattice entirely and just put in the fence and greens.

That's better - I liked the different greens with the yellow in the center. Now it needs more color.

I have to have red somewhere in my paintings... flowers peeking around the fence gives it some movement and life.  Just a little more tweaking... as in lifting some of the very dark greens behind the fence (it moves it backward), detailing the grasses in the front, (keeps me more focused on the fence), adding depth and finishing touches to the pickets (it is about the fence, after all)...and a bit of a crop (didn't need the other piece of fence going off to the right).

Voila!

I love looking back on the process. I learned a lot on this one!

Soggy Bottom

Several weeks ago, my nephew's wife posted a wonderful photo of her little boy. He is sitting on a dock, looks like he is kicking his feet in the water, and that he's getting pretty wet! Such a boy thing to do...

It made me think of lots of other little children who just love to kick, stomp and splash in any water that is near by. They never seem to even notice that they are getting wet. I love to listen to them giggle and just know that they are having such a great time.

That photo had to be a painting - I asked Olivia and she gave her permission.

This is a pastel painted on sanded paper. I began with a pencil sketch and then a watercolor underpainting.

In the photo, this little guy had on a black shirt. I wanted to give him a little more color. so I changed it to red. That's one of the great things about painting - I can change things around!

I worked on this for a few days, got away from it, came back again... at one point I wiped off a lot of the pastel and began again. I liked it better. It seemed fresher - not heavily coated with pastel. The underpainting could do its job...

"Soggy Bottom"  9x12 pastel

So, the water is coming over the dock and he's got to be splashing - don't you know that he has a soggy bottom!

Please...

My daughter's family has two dogs. They have had "Uncle Wally," a cockapoo, for several years. He's a cute little ball of hair. About five years ago they decided that Wally needed a friend - another dog, but with a big bark.

Before Wally, they had had a golden retriever - a wonderful family dog, good with children and loved by all. So, a golden puppy was introduced to the household. "Professor Gilbert" was an adorable ball of fur, about the same size as Wally...but not for long. Gilbert grew and grew...and maintained his puppy-ness!

This is a busy household - four girls with sports schedules, sleepovers, etc.  - and not a lot of time to train a puppy. Before we knew it, Gilbert was an enormous animal who was always retrieving and destroying things things like shoes, pieces of clothing, lacrosse balls - you name it.  Whenever I visited and showed him the slightest attention, he jumped all over me and then 'retrieved' my wrist - which ended up in his mouth!

Eventually a 'dog whisperer' was called in...

A month or so ago, my son-in-law posted a picture of Gilbert with the caption "I think Gilbert wants something."  Too cute, I had to paint it!

I love painting animals in pastel. So I began with the pencil sketch and few blocks of color.

The original photo was of Gilbert on the hardwood kitchen floor. When I began to add the floor color, the whole painting was the same color so I changed the floor to imaginary rug/grass...or something blue-green that would contrast with the golden dog.

Here's the finished painting. I love the way his jowl is sort of hung up on his paw.

I am thinking of calling this "Please..."                     BTW, the dog whisperer worked...

Un-staging the condo

As promised in my February 1st post, I am sharing some more sketches of the 'stuff' in the condo that we rented in Puerto Rico.

Each year when we arrive, the condo is 'staged' for guests. There is all this cutesy tropical beach 'stuff.' It looks very welcoming and vacation-y.

After getting our groceries put away and our suitcases unpacked we begin 'un-staging.'

We move things around... the artificial plants, ceramic knick knacks, bowls of various sizes, a table here and there, baskets of books - you get the idea.

There was a very big planter of bamboo by the sliding door to the balcony.

Then another big planter with a very fuzzy palm tree against a wall where we like to put our 'computer desk.' It goes over by the bamboo for the time being.

Breakable ceramics go under a shelf in a safe space - not where we can accidentally knock them off onto a tile floor!

There are a couple of other ceramics on the walls. We didn't move them, but just thought it would be fun to try to draw them without getting dizzy...

Small wooden containers with dried arrangements on the dresser were interesting. Didn't move them, but were careful when we shut the dresser drawers that we didn't shake anything loose.

A few more large ceramic vases of interesting shapes, colors and textures...

There are interesting bowls of various shapes on table tops. Some of them are full of 'things.' This one had colorful string balls. The kind of thing we used to make as kids. You blow up a balloon, dip colored string in flour paste, wrap it around the balloon, let dry and then deflate the balloon.

And, of course, several smaller pots of orchids of different sizes and colors  - here and there around the condo. Only sketched one - in the tropics...orchids are everywhere!

So, the only bad thing about any of this is trying to put it all back the way we found it when we arrived! It occurred to me we should have taken pictures of the original staging... that would have made it a little easier.

I wonder if I will remember to do that next year...