Watercolor Meusings

Freja

2010-01-28T07:35:00.001-08:00

Freja is a beautiful old girl of mixed breed origins. Her family met with me last September with a request to paint Freja from a photo that showcased her regal bearing and wise brown eyes (in spite of the witch's hat propped on her head!). Meeting Freja in person that day helped me to see the subtleties of her coloring and the gentle demeanor I wished to reflect in the final painting.

Freja's coat is an array of gray-black fur with a striking white bib. Mixed in with the grays and black is a bit of brown that suggested brindle coloring. Gentle and alert, her character shines in eyes the color of Sedona rock.

I worked primarily from one image which posed the challenge of working with flash photography. Freja's fur was cast with blue highlights from the flash, which had completely obliterated the subtle brown hues in her coat. Having several varying poses in natural lighting helped me to capture her coat's true nature.

*This painting is roughly 9x12, the optimum size for this type of portrait. The nature of watercolor requires a matted frame which can add up to 6 inches all around the painting itself.

Tattoo

2009-12-18T09:03:00.000-08:00

Tattoo is my sister and her husband, Paul's cat. Even in her late teens, Tattoo still maintains her youthful good looks =)
In the original photo that I worked from, Tattoo is sitting just a few inches away from a gift she is offering to her people: a
dead mole. After much reflection, I chose to eliminate the mole from the final painting for obvious reasons, but I loved the expression of self-satisfied boredom on her face, inches away from the little mole whose fatal misfortune was to underestimated her speed and skill as a elderly cat!

Sasha and Minque

2009-12-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

Combining two different poses together into one portrait was the challenge with "Sasha and Minque". We loved the pose of Minque with her paws crossed, but Sasha wasn't in that photo, so I combined two photos of Sasha - as a kitten looking right at the camera, and a more recent pose that had her eyes cast downward, looking out of the frame. My goal was to mature Sasha's facial features in keeping with how she looked in maturity, paying special attention to her eyes. The depth of color from kittenhood to 'grand dame' was striking, giving her the older cat's sage and wisdom she had achieved. There is a defined difference through the eyes as they mature that involves not only the color of the iris, but a wisdom from years of mousing, apparently.

Although I didn't get a chance to meet these two gorgeous cats (as the portrait was to be a surprise gift for Christmas), the provided photos allowed me to get a sense of the bond Sasha and Minque shared, as well as reference for their glorious beauty.

Poppy and Petunia

2009-12-05T08:26:00.001-08:00

Poppy/Petunia isn't a commissioned painting, but I'm including their portrait here since their 'parents' are long time animal welfare advocates in the Chicago area. These two girls are indoor kitties, but they have cousins who are ferals, cared for and loved by their adopted people, Ron and Nancy. Because of the nature of feral cats, Ron and Nancy have provided a safe haven in their garage and back deck. They are fed, nutured and provided healthcare, and allowed to live their lives as they have become accustomed while knowing that they are being protected.'

Poppy and Tunie aspire to be outdoor huntresses like their feral cousins, but for now they are happy to live vicariously in the warm, sunny pool of light by the window.

Abby the Chihuahua

2009-12-05T08:10:00.000-08:00

Abby's family came to me with photos of a very sweet, intense chihuahua, to create a portrait for her beloved owner as a birthday present. Because of the surprise that this painting was to be for him, I wasn't able to meet Abby as I usually try to do with my subjects. Working strictly from a variety of photographs - most of which were long distance shots or taken at difficult angles - I was able to create this portrait of Abby as she looks now in her golden years.

What I loved about this particular pose, which actually combines the features of Abby from several different poses ranging from puppyhood to now, was the dear, sweet look in her eyes. It's easy to see that this is a very nice little dog, and very much loved. The bat ears, 'concerned' brow and little smile gives her a comically darling demeanor. By the end of the project, I felt I knew her personally. And how could you not love that face??

By all accounts her loving owner truly enjoyed his birthday gift!

Dusty

2009-12-05T07:09:00.000-08:00

Dusty was a feral cat when he 'adopted' a family who understood that this independent guy would never tolerate being an indoor cat. With their love and affection, they ensured that he lived a comfortable, sheltered life surrounded by his chosen family.

He was a gorgeous tabby with distinct markings that softened into a "dusty" glow of long, thick fur. His brilliant green eyes were wise and calm.

Dusty died last spring from an infection, and although he was treated and cared for, he never fully recovered. His family misses him dearly and commissioned this portrait to honor him and the love he brought them from out of the blue, literally.

Hazelnut

2009-07-27T10:17:00.001-07:00

My dog, Hazelnut, definitely needs some representation here. She is our sweet, 7 year old mixed-breed pooch that we rescued from the Westport animal shelter when she was 4 mos. old. As the story goes, she was rescued from a puppy mill in Kentucky and given the strangely discordant name "Bingo" when she arrived in Westport. I took my son who was 14 at the time to just "look" at the dogs there. I guess in my heart I knew we'd end up with one (or two, or three). We had rescued kittens and cats from this shelter, and this was the first time we even remotely considered a dog. Amidst all the barking dogs we found Hazelnut, sitting quietly in a corner looking at us with a gentle, forlorn gaze. I held my hand out to the cage so she could sniff it, and she gently, sweetly licked my fingers before resignedly walking back to her corner. Needless to say, she became a member of our family 24 hours later.

Hazel is a wonderful companion and an entertaining member of our family. She's fiercely protective of her home against those who dare walk their dogs a bit too close to our sidewalk - barking is a thing we're still learning to start and stop on command. (Where's that dog whisperer when you need him?!) Her gentle brown eyes and expressive ears are pure, signature Hazel, and I tried to illustrate those wonderful characteristics in this painting.

Moose

2009-07-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

Moose was in the first litter born into the Stratford Cat Project. His mother, Haley, was rescued into the project in March 2007 on a very snowy cold day. She was pregnant and alone. On the morning of April 9 2007, Haley gave birth to a litter of 4 balls of fur. Moose, named for his size, was the biggest puffball in the litter. He grew quickly, resembling the beautiful Maine Coon breed of cat with his large size, gorgeous coloring and lush coat of fur. He was the leader of the litter and became the favorite at SCP with the volunteers for his loving nature. He was adopted by SCP volunteers Dave and Fran who fell for Moose's handsome features and his sweet, social personality. Now two years old, Moose loves his family, and greets everyone who comes to the door with the air of a perfect host. When I met the cats in Fran and Dave's household, Moose was my guide - he stayed close to my side and planted himself in front of my camera - this is a boy who loves to be photographed!

Upcoming show/fundraiser

2009-07-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

This is Kringle, a beautiful tabby with double paws who was rescued recently and awaiting adoption. He's very sweet, not much more than a kitten and has a playful, yet shy nature. He is one of several at the foster home that loves to play "chase the laser dot", but tends to enjoy wrestling with the kittens most of all. Kringle is somewhat shy around humans, but he is warming up to us as he finds nothing but kindness, food, and doting attention.

Coming up this Saturday, July 25th, the Stratford Cat Project is having a fundraiser/art show event at the Perry House near the library. My artwork, both portraits and still life, will be part of the event that runs from 12-4pm.

Sweetie Pie and GhostWriter

2009-07-10T11:08:00.001-07:00

My friend, Mary Beth, is a writer of young adult novels and lives in Texas with her family and a menagerie of animals (including fainting goats!). Sweetie Pie, her chestnut and white paint mare, gave birth in May to Ghostwriter. Ghostwriter is a visually reverse copy of his mother - a white paint with splotches of chestnut, and blue eyes.

I love this portrait of mother and colt taken just hours after he was born. The nuzzling of noses, the sweet face of Ghostwriter combined with the contrasting coat colors and hints of color in their bridles all made for a stunning portrait.

Some of my first memories of drawing were of horses. They are gorgeously eloquent animals to paint, with their lean, muscular lines, shiny coats and flowing manes and tails - the perfect artist's muse.

The sweetest face

2009-06-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

I was struck by the sweetness of this kitten's face, which compelled me to paint him! How can one resist such a face? All kittens are darling, but this one is just gorgeous. I loved the expression he has - one of our cats used to relax with one eye slightly squinted much like this kitten's left eye is - I always took it as a sign of contentedness.

He came to SCP very shy and very quiet along with his brother, both clinging close to mom. The kittens were born in a backyard and brought to the cat project to be socialized and adopted. They are doing quite well!

Puffy, the calm study

2009-06-22T05:57:00.000-07:00

Such a gorgeous cat to work with! Puffy is my first officially commissioned pet portrait. Her family, Fran and Dave, rescued her as a kitten through the Stratford Cat Project.

Puffy wasn't initially as outgoing as some of their other cats, but she had a sweet presence (along with her fabulously voluminous coat) that drew your eye to her. When I met her, her pale yellow eyes shone with a quiet intelligence and alert calm - I wanted to bring that out in the painting. She studies you with a calm eye. She is not a timid cat, just as she is not a supplicating one. She is coolly gorgeous, and knows it. To best catch the overall demeanor of Puffy, I wanted to highlight her muted tortie coloring, the rich, soft thickness of her fur, while allowing the sheen on the edges to come through.

Dusty

2009-05-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

Dusty is a shy older cat that came to the Cat Project a few months ago. For weeks he stayed in his crate, peeking out from his cat condo, and all I could really see clearly were the calm, beautiful light green/blue eyes he has. He is a sweet boy, but still timid - although he ventures out more now. He abides my stroking his head and scratching his ears, but he is still a shy cat with eyes that show intelligence and serenity. This is a gorgeous fellow.

Baby Possum

2009-05-14T11:12:00.001-07:00

A baby possum peaks up over his bedding while at the Wildlife in Crisis sanctuary. The opossum is largely misunderstood and usually maligned, which is why I'm including a YouTube short video that gives a bit more insight into these little creatures......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4hmB-cQEF4

Camden

2009-05-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

Camden is one of gorgeous twin brothers at Stratford Cat Project. Sweet, and gloriously attired in blue/gray puffery, these boys are two of the prettiest cats I've seen in awhile. These guys love playing laser tag and like to follow me around and talk while I'm at the shelter. This pose is typical of how these big babies relax!

Benheim Gallery Show in May

2009-04-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

These two small works are two of six paintings I'll have showing at the Bendheim Gallery in Greenwich. All works are priced under $500 - a recession show, of sorts =). The Opening reception is May 16, noon to 4pm. Please feel free to visit any day during the month of May to see the show!

The gallery is located in Greenwich, the directions are posted at this link:http://www.greenwicharts.org/directions.asp

Ruthie

2009-03-31T12:56:00.000-07:00

My mother, Ruth, passed away 5 years ago last week, just shy of her 85th birthday. The days right before she died she griped in her hilarious, self-deprecating way about how she just COULD NOT accept that she would actually live to be 85 - to her, this landmark age went beyond being an "ancient old relic". There's no doubt in my mind that she might have smiled as she moved into the next world, knowing that she needn't face that frightful age officially. For Ruthy was ready to go; in fact beyond ready. Her heart was slowing down to the point that moving from one room to another was a workout, and her world had narrowed down to a pinpoint. This robust, unstoppable force of a woman, with a big heart and bigger laugh morphed to a tiny, fragile old lady - the too-big heart being her undoing in the end. Through it all - the hospitals, rehab centers, progressing from her proud independence to a cane and then to a walker and wheelchair, she never lost her remarkable sense of humor.

After five years I still miss our daily talks and her ability to make me laugh out loud, and often. There are moments when I will pick up the phone, the urge still so great to call her that I forget she's gone. I miss how she always 'had my back', even from afar. But I have a sense she still does, that she has all of our backs and that comforts me.

And last Thursday, on the day she would've turned 90, I believe she was somewhere laughing at the notion that she didn't have to endure the 'torture' of reaching THAT ripe old milestone.

Under 500

2009-03-31T09:17:00.001-07:00

I'm currently working on a few small paintings for the "Under 500" art show at the Bendheim Gallery in Greenwich, CT. The show goes up at the end of April and on display through June 16. All the work will be priced at $500 and under, which is great considering the current economy. I'm hoping to include around 6 paintings for this one and looking forward to working again with the Greenwich Arts Council at Bendheim Gallery - it's a great group! More details and images included in the show to come.....

2009-03-07T08:20:00.000-08:00

French Lilacs is currently showing at the Norwalk Community College Gallery in Norwalk.

Upcoming "Under 500" show at the Bendheim Gallery in Greenwich

2009-03-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

I am currently working on small paintings for an upcoming show of former solo artists featured at the Bendheim Gallery in downtown Greenwich May through June. All work shown in the gallery will be offered for no greater than $500, framed. I will be hanging several new small works for the show, similar in size and content to Pear on Vintage (12x12 framed).

Please stay tuned and I will post more details as they come, and follow the link for information on the Bendheim Gallery.

Twin racoon babies

2009-03-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

Baby racoons are a familiar visitor at the Wildlife in Crisis sanctuary. These two were being cuddled by a staff member

as they showed us their trademark masked faces.

Barley and Ariel

2009-02-26T12:06:00.001-08:00

Babies

2009-02-15T07:30:00.000-08:00

A rescued baby skunk sits in the pocket of a Wildlife in Crisis staffer, and a baby squirrel is hand-fed

Amelia

2009-02-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

This is Amelia, a shy little kitten with beautiful tortoiseshell markings. She reminds me of my cat from years ago we named Gremlin - same luxurious coat and tiny white markings on the face. We brought Gremlin home as a kitten from a loving family with several little kids, so she was quite friendly and had a ton of character. In fact, Gremlin had significantly wonderful ATTITUDE, which I've heard is a signature quality among tortoiseshell cats. I don't know if that's true, but it sure was the case with Gremlin (who, by the way, was appropriately named after the wild little creatures in the 80's movie of the same name as she reminded us of their leader, Spike!).

Amelia is very shy, but coming into her own. She was brought to Stratford Cat Project as a terrified kitten, who's slowly warming to her environment and caretakers. She is gentle in her shyness, but I sense that somewhere hidden in that beautiful tortie coat is another fun-loving Gremlin. In fact, recently I found that she plays a wicked game of laser-mouse tag!

GE's Women's History Month art show

2009-02-04T12:11:00.000-08:00

Four of my paintings have been chosen to be shown in an upcoming GE's Third Annual Women's History Month Art Show. They will be displayed along with the work of four other artists at GE headquarters throughout March and April. Pretty exciting!!

2009-02-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

Meet Laughing Fox and Killdeer, my two new portraits of animals rescued through the Wildlife in Crisis group in Weston.
The back stories on these two are quite sad, especially for Laughing Fox, but the good news is that once they were brought in to WIC they were cared for, rehabilitated and set back out into the wild to live as they were meant to.

The ongoing issue with the majority of these injured animals is the encroachment of land development into their habitat. For injured birds like the killdeer, the issue is free roaming cats, usually domesticated cats - yet another good reason to keep our cats inside and safe!

French Lilacs in Silver

2009-01-29T10:15:00.000-08:00

Another painting featuring my neighbor's glorious french lilacs. More magenta than lilac in color, the individual flowerets are saturated with deep red/purple hues. Each blossom is so profuse with flowers that they bring to mind a lush velvet, both texturally and visually. I've created set-ups with white lilacs and have worked with the lighter-hued violet lilacs, but there is nothing, in my humble opinion, quite as gorgeous as the depth of color you get with french lilacs!

I chose to showcase the blossoms and the color of the lilacs in this painting by using an offset of neutral background of white on white.

Baby Bobcat Updated

2009-01-27T12:55:00.000-08:00

The Wildlife in Crisis sanctuary in Weston, CT rescues injured animals and those who have been abandoned as infants. This little bobcat was one of the many rescued animals that end up at the sanctuary. The work this group does with the wildlife they rehabilitate is amazing - this bobcat is now back in the wild and living it's life as it was meant to.

I was drawn to this bobcat because of his sweet, but cautious eyes. It's still a work in progress, but most of the fine tuning will involve bringing out the whiskers from a technique that scratches a fine line in the paint, revealing the white of the paper. Since I don't utilize masking fluid, I rely on scratching sometimes for the tiniest element of the painting, such as highlights and whiskers.

Update: Babycat is done and ready to roll. He will be featured in an upcoming show featuring Wildlife in Crisis photos and watercolor portraits. Please stay tuned for details and new paintings!

Fiona

2009-01-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

Sweet Fiona is a timid girl, but easily one of the most beautiful cats I've seen in a while! She is a soft, plush pillow of long, solid gray fur, with pure white accents that enhance the beauty of her face. In my opinion, her snow white bowtie of a mustache, and the golden/green eyes set her apart from the others. It's hard not to be struck by her gorgeous physical appearance.

Fiona is always very curious about me whenever I come by to visit, but likes to observe my presence from a vantage point above. She's one of those cats who seem to actually listen when you speak to them, and her expressive eyes will convince you that she understands! At any given moment I can look up to where she's perched and see her fixed, calm gaze following my every move. And listening. I do seem to fascinate her, but she's still a little shy about physical contact. However, lately I think she is becoming more comfortable with me, and comes down from her perch to enjoy a fast-paced romp around the room chasing a laser beam "mouse" with the other cats. Frankly, Fiona is the best beam hunter in the group - she lets it come to her, and then a lightning quick paw smacks it down [or at least, it would if the beam were a real mouse!]

Barley

2008-12-15T21:11:00.000-08:00

At long last, the final version of Barley! More cats to come, but I've got to get through the Christmas rush of gifts to paint.

Barley

2008-12-10T12:40:00.001-08:00

This is the beginnings of a little portrait of Barley - the world's sweetest little cat! He's a little mite for a male cat, but is adorned with gorgeous, long butterscotch fur featuring a brilliant white face, bib and mittens. I'm still working on the eyes, as I haven't quite captured the big-eyed gentleness of this cat - or the slightly cross-eyed gaze. A work in progress, but what a great subject.....

As a side note, Barley plays a mean game of laser mouse!

Thank you, Sandy!!

2008-11-18T09:15:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all those friends of Sandy who have stopped by to view my blog! I'm not used to traffic here, and have been kind of shy about announcing my work via the blog, so this is good for me. I appreciate your comments and ideas, and making a connection with other artists (especially since I work at home and can get isolated from the outside world!)

I am currently adding cat portraits to my list of subjects - I'm hoping to apply my painting skills to create small paintings of rescued kitties through the Stratford Cat Project for fundraisers to help raise money to keep the cats safe and healthy while waiting for adoption (although some have been in residence for several years. This group assures they have a safe haven for the rest of their natural lives, thank goodness!) We're thinking greeting cards and the like for the fundraisers.

Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome and greatly appreciated! I've only just begun as a sideline, and would love to hear from you.....

Summer Blues (and pinks)

2008-10-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

This is my newest painting, tentatively called "Summer Blues". It is not QUITE done yet - there is still ribbon detail near the right side that is unfinished, and a segment up in the top left corner - but essentially it is about an hour from being a completed. I wish I had documented this one over the course of painting it, as it was quite an elaborate process!

On another note, my show is still on the wall in NYC and looks gorgeous (If I do say so myself!). They've sold two - French Lilacs, my latest before this most recent piece (and shown below) and Speckled Roses. This is great news considering the very awful economically catastrophic month we've been enduring.

New Show in NYC

2008-10-07T14:41:00.000-07:00

Please come and visit my show "Passionate Watercolors" at Uptown Gallery on Madison Avenue in NYC!!

http://www.uptowngallerynyc.com/broadcasts/Meuse_Oct08_email.html

French Lilacs

2008-09-11T16:15:00.001-07:00

My newest finally finished! This painting along with all my inventory will be in a one-woman show in NYC next month. The show is at Uptown Gallery, on Madison Avenue. The show begins October 1 through the end of of the month. Details to come!

French Lilacs to die for

2008-07-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

Currently working on a new big painting, complete with tiny lilac blossoms! I've finished the silver pieces, and now moving to the toughest area of focus: the flower blossoms. This is where books on tape come in mighty handy to pass the time as I trek across the paper, petal after petal!

I've haven't worked with lilacs for a few years, and this year my neighbor's french lilacs were so gloriously lush that I had to create a set up using them. The color shifts throughout the bunches ranged from a blue/violet to red violet. The prettiest lilacs I've ever seen. (My neighbor is going to give me a cutting to grow my own lilacs - let's hope it takes!)

I'll post more as they unfold on paper......

The Tulips and Persimmons final painting!

2008-05-06T11:14:00.001-07:00

Tulips and Persimmons is finished, but I must warn you that the computer digital image is a bit "brighter" color-wise - one of the side-effects of the light emitted by the computer. But it is still a very eye-popping painting with the palette of reds and purples.

Tulips and Persimmon

2008-04-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

Moving on to the background! With the intensity of color there is much layering and patience involved. I have been taking this process slowly and steadily and am quite happy with the results to date.

The background satin drape is a vintage fabric that I found as part of a collection at an estate sale. It was purchased, along with a trunkload of other great fabrics, by a very wealthy and eccentric elderly woman from Bridgeport back in the fifties, who seemed to enjoy their beauty and color to the point of purchasing several yards of each fabric, but never used them for dressmaking - or anything else for that matter. I've not seen fabrics quite like these elsewhere, which is why I love using them in my still life. This one, as will be revealed as I paint, has a deep purple hue with a geometric pattern of black matte rectangles throughout. The rectangles are clustered sporadically, and are fairly subtle, but add a nice interest to the satin's finish.

I will post details of the fabric as I head into this week of working on this area.

Tulips and Persimmon

2008-03-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

Most of the detail work in the flower petals is done, and I'm moving towards finishing up the silver details in the bowl. I have been concentrating on the lively reds of the tulips - keeping the color bright, but also ensuring a sense of the depth of the color as well. Not easy with red! There is just a bit of depth that I will be adding later to certain areas, but more as I fill in the detail of the surrounding set up. This painting should take on even more drama when I layer in the deep purples and reds of the drape, and the playful texture/color of the tulips will prevail as the focal point.

Stay tuned! I will update as it progresses. As always, please feel free to comment or ask questions!

2008-03-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

Moving Forward with the impossibly colorful pallette!.....

2008-03-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

Moving forward with the purple/red/bright orange pallette. Right now I'm focusing on the tulip detail as you can see in the top image. This is a fun painting for color - and truly challenging since pushing the pallette to the level of unsaturated jewel tones that I will need to pull this one off will take much layering technique.....and patience!

Finished- Berry Spoon and Pear

2008-03-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

Finally posting the finished Berry Spoon & Pear painting! It took a bit longer than expected, what with the detailing in both the spoon and the pear, but I'm happy with the outcome. This one is bigger than my other pear paintings and holds up well with the increased size. The dramatic lighting makes it a great overall composition and I'm looking forward to seeing it framed!

2008-02-29T13:27:00.001-08:00

A lot more detail has been added to the berry spoon and pear. Still working on details in the spoon handle, but the image begins to really pop on the page.

Side note: My eyesight is a little troublesome these days. I need close up glasses for the detail work, but they seem to magnify the paper and painting too much! I've got to work on getting the right strength (enough of the CVS cheapo glasses!) The result is I find myself literally pouring over the detail to a degree I am not used to going to. It's interesting, but tends to become a tad anal!

Brilliant pallette

2008-02-27T10:25:00.000-08:00

Simultaneously with Pear with Berry Spoon, I am working on a large painting for an old college friend. This is just the very beginning wash of the painting, one where I lay down the basic colors to guide me as I move towards layering and detail work. This painting features a brilliant pallette of purples, oranges and reds, tempered with a ribbon of complementing greens and blues. Sounds wild, yes? It is promising to be a gorgeous grouping of my favorite pallette of color!

Keep an eye on this posting as it will hopefully materialize gradually into a painting of silver, tulips and persimmons, interesting light play and composition.

Detail of Pear of Berry Spoon

2008-02-27T10:16:00.000-08:00

Onward to new work! This painting is meant as a potential commission for a friend. It features my grandmother's berry spoon and a bartlett pear. Here you will see the close-up detailed beginnings of the spoon's embellishments. I started with a light wash of yellow and gray - the yellow is a reflection of the pear's yellow-green skin. I build on the yellow with varying depths of black and gray to provide the proper drama needed in to bring out the details of the berry and leaf pattern.

Lemon on Blue Delft Plate

2008-02-27T10:13:00.001-08:00

The final lemon painting. It's actually been finished for several days now, but I've been slow in getting the photo posted. I think working on three paintings at once must be distracting!!

Lemon series - Blue

2008-02-19T09:30:00.000-08:00

This is the last 4x4 inch painting in this particular series of Lemon miniatures. I'm working with blues in this one (as a result of personal request!) and hope that the china pattern comes through in this one. It's quite delicate with thin piping throughout - requiring a steady hand. I think I'm up to the challenge! I will be posting the final later today, and then onward to a large, intense commission piece that I will also be posting updates on here regularly. Watch for the sketches to be posted later today as well!

2008-01-28T08:48:00.000-08:00

Lemon on vintage damask is the second in a series of miniature paintings involving the lemon. Now onto number three! Teri, if you're checking in, I'm working on your painting and it is going to be uploaded in all it's infancy soon!

2008-01-23T09:35:00.000-08:00

Here is the painting called "Lemon on Bright Satin". Currently, I am tweaking some of the color within the lemon, while working on yet another small lemon piece and will post it as soon!

Lemon Miniatures

2008-01-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

At the request of a friend, I'm currently working on a pair of small paintings that feature lemons. While the request was for one painting, I'm trying two very different backgrounds for variety.

First, since I love the boldness of the yellow contrasted with dark shades of pink/purple -- and the colors complement each other -- I'm creating what I think of as an elegant theme for this one.

Next, I'll be working with lemon on bright red satin. Very bold, color-wise, and should be an interesting match-up.

Posted here is the beginning wash of the deep purple/lemon painting. I will start the second small painting shortly and post it as well. Perhaps we can see them evolve together.......

Flame Red Tulips

2007-12-06T12:48:00.000-08:00

This is the final version of Flame Red Tulips. I got a bit side-tracked over the Thanksgiving holiday and my son coming home for the week, but now it is finished and framed.

I found working with red was especially tricky with this painting because it required an intensity of color, but also a luminosity. This is not easy to achieve when layering red pigment - and washes don't do justice to the vibrancy of color either - so the challenge was to create the rich reds without losing their fire.

Beginning

2007-11-18T18:13:00.000-08:00

I've talked about my work as an artist to various groups, and answered many thought-provoking questions regarding my technique and inspirations. I created this blog to focus on my work so that I might take time as allowed to reflect on what it is I do, and share my thoughts and progress with those who are interested in watercolor painting, in my work in general, and in the process that an artist takes to achieve their goal.

I will post updated photos of my paintings as I work, so that my work might be seen firsthand as it progresses from intricate drawings on paper to the final piece. I welcome comments, questions and thoughts regarding my work, and of watercolor painting in general. (Random thoughts are also welcome!)

To begin, I have posted the newest painting in progress which features one of my favorite silver pieces and a rather interesting shade of red tulips born from a pigment that incorporates both tangerine and cherry. Reds have posed a great challenge for me when painting - achieving a brilliant, deep red hue without the muddiness that can so easily come with watercolor reds is quite a task. I've found mixing green - red's complementary color, works to deepen the color, while black pigment, added judiciously, often adds a jeweltone to red as well. Building the pigment with less and less water added in each glaze (layer) helps with intensity, while adding offset color (green) and finally black in the right amounts can create the depth desired. It takes experimentation and, quite frankly a lack of fear, to achieve the look desired. Layered color for the most part can be diluted and removed if it isn't working well, allowing me to start over - so long as the end result is depth of color. It's harder to reverse the painting when a lighter touch is needed.

This week I am looking to finish this painting, moving to the red drape around the focal point. This will be an interesting process as the fabric has yellow, gold and green stitchwork throughout and requires much time-consuming patterned painting to work around the slender bits of color in the drape.