In the Country

 

 

This was supposed to be done for World Watercolor Month, July 25 "Farm Life" but I didn't get it done in time. It could also qualify for the prompt on July 27 "Clouds in the Sky" which was yesterday. I guess I'm a day late for that one too. I was supposed to try to get looser, but I don't seem to be getting there. I did this in a small sketch book (5x8) because it was supposed to be just a sketch. I kind of overworked it in places, but it didn't turn out too bad. I almost gave up half way through. I recommend watching Jenny Moed Korpela's summary of all thirty paintings that she did for 30x30 Direct Watercolor for June in which she advises not giving up:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtwI-jf3FTE&t=1639s

Just for practice, "Path to the Beach"

Pastel - 8" x 11"

In the last couple of days I watched two pastel demonstration videos by Deborah Secor. One was on Artists Network TV and one was on Deborah Secor's blog. The one on her blog was a demonstration using PanPastels for a landscape which was mostly clouds. She made it look so easy that I thought, " I could do that!" Ha!  Not so easy. It probably would have been a little easier if I had used the PanPastels, but I just used what I had in the way of soft pastels. Also, I used a pastel paper which didn't have a lot of tooth. For my reference I used a photo I had taken when we were in Florida that included some beautiful clouds. I changed it a little; the ocean was actually the opposite direction. I used to do pastels a lot but I'm a little out of practice. Next time I think I'll use a pastel board or something with more tooth because I do too much layering.    

Two More Carnegie Painted

Backyards off Center Avenue

Big Tree on Alice Street

These pastels were done for Carnegie Painted in 2006. I just found a CD that had some photos on it that were on my old computer which is not connected yet. I had planned to have it up and running in my spare room with most of my art supplies, but it's been too hot to work up there. I actually prefer my old printer - it had more options suitable for helping me with my artwork and the color of the printouts was more accurate. I did finally get an air conditoner up there, but haven't had a chance to get it all organized yet.

More Carnegie Painted

Little Park off Main Street, 11" x 14"

I did this watercolor in 2008 for the Carnegie Painted show. The color is a little too dark in the first photo and is a little washed out in the second photo. It's actually somewhere in between. The first photo I took inside with two lights on each side and the second one I took outside in the sun. Part of the problem is that it is already framed under glass and I had to be careful I didn't get glare. I found some tips for photographing your art on the web site EBSQArt.com. Apparently I shouldn't take the picture in direct sunlight or with lights shining directly on the painting. I will keep trying to figure this out. Fortunately,If it's small enough I can just scan the painting.