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Portrait of Wilson

  Portrait of Wilson watercolor on Arches paper 11 x 7 inches available I painted this back in July but have not had a chance to share it here. It was painted for the monthly art challenge of my on line art group. The photo was kindly provided by Geri Berkenstock: it is his handsome rooster, Wilson. I had a lot of fun trying to convey his personality. It is something I always wished for, to have a farm!  Thank you for stopping by!

A Rose Aglow

A Rose Aglow watercolor sketch on paper 18 x 26 cm The rose in this painting is situated in front of my daughter's high school. As I was walking past it, the sun was hitting it in a way that made it seem it was glowing with a beautiful mix of yellows and pinks.  I recently purchased some paints from the Ecoline liquid watercolor line. I enjoyed playing here with the pleasant intensity they possess. With this type of liquid ink there is the possibility of degradation of its properties over time, I will keep it for sketching purposes only.  work in progress

Morning Stream

 Morning Stream II watercolor sketch on paper 18 x 26 cm I recently went plein air painting. I painted this same scene last year, about the same time of year and hour ( you can view it here ). I am hoping to catch the feeling I see of the early morning light coming from behind the trees and onto the water. It is very suggestive, hopefully one day I will manage. I apologize for my absence from this blog. I have missed visiting your blogs and hope to be around to catch up soon!

Poppies

Poppies watercolor on Fabriano Artistico paper   7"x 5" inches available  I created this painting from a sketch I did earlier in July.  I sketched on site and painted at home. It worked out well because the reference photos were not very helpful, without the sketch I would have  had to abandon the project.    my plein air sketch 

If Life Gives You Lemons

 IF LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS watercolor on Fabriano Artistico paper 30 x 23 cm available Now that it is summer, Amalfi lemons are in season at my local market. They are grown on the hills of the Campania   region, around Sorrento and Amalfi. They have a characteristic sweetness, a consequence of the volcanic soil, year-round warm temperatures, and perfect amounts of rain. After rinsing the lemons, I set them on a kitchen towel to dry. As I went about, I would pause often to take in the soft delicate pastel colors. My purpose became to convey the soft light that comes in, with many variations of whites and neutrals to highlight the sunny yellow skin of the lemons. It has also been helping me to do a warm up sketch before painting. I keep this sketch beside me to test colors before actually applying them.  my warm up sketch When all of this is over, I have a whole book of baking recipes devoted to the fragrance of these lemons ... I need to get to work! Oa

I've been Doodlewashed!

I am really honored to have been invited by Charlie O'Shields to be a guest on his website, doodlewash.com . You can read my interview by clicking here . He is also behind  World Watercolor Month   which begins tomorrow!! It's  an official, month long celebration of my favorite medium. Simply tag any art that uses watercolors (or gouache) with #WorldWatercolorMonth during the month of July! Try the ultimate challenge of 31 watercolors in 31 days, or simply post when you can (which is what I will be doing). This first year of the celebration is also raising awareness for children in need of supplies and education about the Arts around the globe! Simply click here to read more...so lets get painting!!

Nightfall Blooms

Nightfall Blooms watercolor study on paper 26 x 18 cm. The inspiration for this flower is drawn from a beautiful  John Livzey photograph (painted with permission). It is for the monthly challenge for my online art group. The gorgeous photographic image was a delight to work from. I did many washes of blue to get the nocturnal feeling and to keep the middle area light I sprayed out the color with a spray bottle. To regain some of the whites I went over the petals with white watercolor pencil.  Thank you for stopping by! I hope every one has a wonderful week!