Magnolia Blossom

Magnolia Blossom
5 x 7

It has snowed here all week. I'm ready for spring colors.

I'm participating in Laura Trevey's painting a day challenge.
I missed a few days, but hopefully I'm back on track.

Day 16 - Falling Leaves

Falling Leaves

Note Card

Not much time to paint today, just a little note card.

Laura Trevey is hosting A Painting a Day Challenge at her watercolor website.

Day 16 - Winter Barn

Winter Barn

5 x 7

Snow is forecasted again this week.
The birds have been eating like crazy today.

Laura Trevey is hosting A Painting a Day Challenge on her watercolor blog Watercolors by Laura Trevey.

Day 15 - Winter Tree

Winter Tree
5 x 7

The winter tree and branches were painted using a combination of quinacridone rust and ultramarine blue.

Laura Trevey is hosting A Painting a Day Challenge on her blog, Watercolors by Laura Trevey.

Day 14 - Daisies

Daisies

5 x 7

I'm participating in Laura Trevey's January Painting a Day Challenge.

Day 13 - Winter Blues

Winter Blues
4 x 6

Everything is white in my world mixed in with below zero temperatures. It has been since Monday. I have a touch of the winter blues....

Day 12- Starfish

Starfish

5 x7

This starfish was made with just two colors; Burnt Sienna and Payne's Gray. The texture was achieved with sea salt and masking fluid.

Day 11 - Watermelon Slice

Watermelon Slice

Note Card

I've been working on a simple project today, a little note card to add to my stash.

Day 10 - Lupine

Lupine I
5 x 7

Lupine II

5 x 7

When it's cold and snowy I think of flowers!

Day 9 - Pears

Pears
5 x 7

I've been experimenting with a couple of new colors,

quinacridone gold and quinacridone rust.

Day 8 - Pink Peony

Pink Peony

5 x 7

An attempt at a peony for the painting a day challenge.

Day 7 - Negative Leaf Painting

Note Card
4 x 6

It's been a very busy week and I'm ready for the weekend! This is just a simple note card painting the negative space and using salt for a fun effect.

Day 6 - Watercolor Leaf Print

Watercolor Leaf Print

5 x 7

I have been playing with a technique that is new to me, leaf printing with watercolors. I have a larger painting in my mind, but want to practice before I put it to paper. I think this will make a neat note card.

Day 5: Pond Reflections

Pond Reflections

11 x 15

This is a painting of a pond close to where I live.

Day 4 - Yellow Flower

Yellow Flower

ACEO

Only time for a simple little flower today.

Day 3 - Sunflowers

Sunflowers in the Garden
5 x 7
(watercolor and pen and ink)

It is cold here, but the sun was shining. Made me think of the sunflowers my niece plants every summer.

Local Color and Cast Shadows

Local Color and Cast Shadow Practice

Lesson 3&4 was about local color and cast shadows. Local Color - the actual color of an object being painted, unmodified by light or shadow. Cast Shadow - the dark area that results when the source light has been intercepted by an object. I've enjoyed reviewing some of the basics. Hopefully this practice will help my paintings.

Happy New Year - Painting and Posting Again

Wow! What a year! I have really enjoyed my Adventures in Arts. Except I'm not sure where the last few months have went... vacation to Florida, planning for school to start, school starting, the holidays. Suddenly it's New Years Day. There hasn't been a lot of time for art the last few months, just a few Christmas cards.

Well, I'm changing that... I'm taking Laura Trevey's painting a day challenge. I am going to try to paint everyday!

One of my Christmas presents was a watercolor painting DVD set, Charles Reid's 10 Lesson Course. It is very interesting. I've just completed lessons 1 and 2, reviewing supplies and paint to water ratio. In critiquing my paint swatches, I have been using too much water and dabbing my brush.

Paint Swatches

Paint Swatches

Swirls of Paint

(I had to keep telling myself to stop dabbing my brush.)

I tried painting something outside my art room window. The windsock was blowing happily in the breeze. (Actually it's quite chilly outside today).

Windsock I

Windsock II

Windsock III

Anyway I tried to paint the windsock without dabbing my brush and with more paint and less water. I felt like I found some success. Hmmmm.... what to paint tomorrow!