Behind the studio
Posted in Art Work, and Other Artist Work
For those who are local – I have new minis at the CCAA Exton Mall Gallery. I stopped in this morning and there is some wonderful art there! Beautiful watercolors, pastels, acrylic, oils, photography, and new pottery on displays. They have a new jewelry artist whose work with stone and gems is just gorgeous. It's definitely worth a trip to check out what is there.
Posted in Art Work, and Peeking Behind the Easel
I've started a new painting and thought you might like to follow along from start to finish. The first thing I do after deciding what I want to paint is think about the composition and mull over colors. Sometimes, I'll sketch out an idea to help refine what I want to do.
Once I have a mental picture of the painting, the next step is gather up the photos, sketches, and other reference material. These help me see the shapes of what I am painting. Some artist project their references and trace the shapes. I haven't tried that – I like the process of drawing out the picture. For this painting I am using photos I've taken of irises and relying on years of observing irises up close in my yard.
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The next step is choosing the size canvas and base coating the background color. I like to paint the whole background to get rid of the white and to help balance colors and tones from the start. I chose a dark green that will help create depth later in the painting. After the base coat is dried, I begin sketching right on to the canvas. I use a pastel pencil or chalk because I can wipe away it away with a wet towel. This way I can redraw as much as I need to until the composition and the shapes are to my satisfaction. Here's the start of the painting:
Now comes the best parts – painting! Stayed tuned for the next step and a further peek behind my easel. : )
Posted in Art Work, and Peeking Behind the Easel
I love Moo cards! I'm not an affiliate nor do I get money from them. I just love their business cards! Why? Because you can put a different photo on each card – as many or as few photos are you would like. They are also reasonably priced, good quality, and fast. You can purchase as few as 50 cards or as many as you would like. They also print postcards, stickers, and minicards.
I like being able to quickly show my art work by pulling out my business cards when talking to people. I also think it's fun for my customers to have business cards with my artwork right on the card. If you are an Etsy shop owner, they made it really, really easy to quickly upload photos right from your shop to your cards. If you haven't heard of them – here's a link to take a look: Moo Cards This my new set of cards that arrived this week.
Posted in Musing About Art, and Reference Photos
Here's one of the newest batch of bunnies. Do I dare ask how many batches a year rabbits have?…..best not to know, just enjoy they're adorable cuteness! These photos were taken from inside, through the window.
What is it about this planter that attracts the bunnies?
Luckily he's so little that all his munching won't do too much damage.
Each rabbit is a little different. This little guy has a white spot in the middle of his forehead. It's fun to get to recognize each individual rabbit as they grow. I probably won't paint his little white spot in a painting because it's not very common and would distract from the painting. Good old artistic license – keeps the painting from looking like I splash white paint on his forehead!
Posted in Musing About Art, and Reference Photos
I paint a lot of daisies. I love seeing them waving in the summer breezes in July & August. Their whites and yellows are so airy and fresh in the summer heat.
I have several patches of them around the yard to paint en plein or photograph for later. [En plein air is a French expression which means "in the open air", and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors.]
Daisies are a simple flower to paint and I like that they can be painted in so many different styles and moods. Give them a grey undertone, and they have a softer, understated feel. Paint them with greens tints and they have a more woodsy feel. Punch up the yellow centers and they have a happier feel. They can be painted loosely or finely detailed. It's a great flower to paint!