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Author: Kathy

Painting Dew Drops

Posted in Art Work, and Peeking Behind the Easel

Painting Dew Drops

After posting on dew drops this week, I was curious about how to paint them. It's not something I've painted before. Over the years, I've saved "how to" pages from various art magazines. I keep them in clear page holders in a  loose leaf notebook.  It comes in handy as a great reference for times like this.

Turns out that I have saved instructions from several artists on how they paint dew drops. All of them have the same basics: transparent wash of light  yellow to form the drop, darker shade of the leaf or flower for the shadow in the drop and the cast shadow, and a highlight on the dark shadow of the drop.  Highlighting over the shadow of the drop was the part that was most interesting to me. Usually the light side is highlighted, instead the shadow side is to create the appearance of translucency.  Here's my first try:

1st try at painting dew drops

I used a scrap of watercolor paper leftover from trimming a painting. The middle leaf is based too dark to give a good effect but I was pleased with the left and right leaves for my first attempt. I am inspired by fooling around with painting dew drops. I'll be working on a painting this week including dew drops. Stay tuned.  

If Dewdrops Were Diamonds

Posted in Peeking Behind the Easel

If Dewdrops Were Diamonds

In these end of the summer mornings the dew is heavy on every surface.  The practical side of my brain says great time to sow grass seed on the bares spots of the yard.  The art side of my brain…. sees it quite differently. A sea of sparkling dewdrops as far as the eye can see, shining in the new morning light.  Like diamonds twinkling in the sunlight.  What if each dewdrop was a diamond?

Dew drops on grass

Diamonds…… waiting to be scooped up in baskets, like Easter eggs during a hunt. 

Close  Up view of Dew Drops

  The mini drops look like diamond seedling,  I love the ones hanging off the blade of grass. If dew drops were diamonds…. I suppose they would not be as valued since they would now be as common as dew drops in the morning light.    : )

Enjoy the beauty of your day !

See Ya Irene!

Posted in Uncategorized

See Ya Irene!

Quite the week for the East coast! Hope you are all safe, sound, electricity on, and getting back to normal, what ever that may be!  Our rain gauge, that I emptied yesterday morning, is showing 8 inches of rain – yikes!  But luckily we kept our power  and didn't  float away.  There are quite a few homes in our area waiting for the power to come back on due to downed trees. Hope it is quickly for them. Off to paint calm and pretty beaches.  May your day be the same – calm and pretty!

copyright free image via bing.com

 

Earthquakes and Hurricanes, Oh My!

Posted in Uncategorized

Earthquakes and Hurricanes, Oh My!

So where were you during the Great East Coast Earthquake of 2011? If you're from the west coast or other places that experience earthquakes regularly, I'm sure you are rolling your eyes at the reaction of us on the east coast. But, earthquakes are rare around here and this one was really unusual in length of time and rolling movements.

I've not seen my house sway back and forth before. The attic and roof boards sure protested with a lot of scary creaking.  Looks like there was a little minor building damage around the region, but so far all is well.   I am crossing "experience an earthquake" off my bucket list – it wasn't on my list, but I'm crossing it off anyways –  that was plenty. 

And now….oh my, here comes  hurricane Irene.   Heads up East Coast – last night the models had a direct hit at southern New  Jersey,  Philadelphia. This morning she's moved east and is looking as Cape Cod.  So keep an eye out on her, she can't make up her mind.

 What's next? Locust?    

Stay safe out there.