Category: watercolor painting

Snow. Again.

Try as I might, I can’t keep my spirits up lately. The snow just keeps on coming down around here.  Today I had to shovel up almost three inches of the stuff.  And may I say how heavy it was?  It was really heavy and my back and shoulders ache.  So it’s exercise, I get it, but it’s enough already.  I am done.

I wanted to ignore the snow for a while by looking at some summery watercolor paintings from my garden flowers last summer.  At the time I had not yet read The Artist’s Way and was really bad at letting the household chores rule my free time.  Now that I know better, the housework was my way of blocking myself off from art, subconciously.  After doing the course I can identify my actions and try to veer towards ways of overcoming those blocks.  Now I have tools! 
The snow is my block right now.  I know I’m letting the weather block me from the studio.  All I want to do is sit and look out the window at the snow, snuggled up on my comfy little sofa with a cup of hot coffee and a lap blanket.  What studio?  What art?  Huh?  Oh, that.  Maybe later.  Maybe not. 

Those summer watercolors gave me a breath of fresh air, the feeling of stretching out and a moment to warm up and relax.  By looking over the paintings I took myself to that time of hot weather and sunshine, far from this dreary misery that is this year’s cold and snowy winter.

I remember that day well, when I walked through my house on the way to the kitchen.  Catching a glimpse out the living room windows, I noticed the really tall pink echinachea moving in the breeze along with the black-eyed Susans and the red daylilies.  Something said, “Come on outside and sit here” and I dropped everything and did just that.  The travel watercolor set was available and so was the block of paper.  I had the time and the motivation, and I vowed not to waste it.

Sitting on a chair in the garden, eye-level to the flowers made it seem like I was all alone in the world.  I sketched the scene quickly in pencil and then went straight to color.  Mindlessly, I worked purely from instinct, not thinking of which color to use next, just doing it.  I imagined this might be how Monet felt painting his garden pond and bridge in Giverney, France.  I painted the way the light fell on the petals and surfaces at the afternoon hour and the color of the deep darks in the shadows.  It felt wonderful to lose myself in that moment.

I wish I could figure out how to get myself in that moment right now.  Snow is not my friend.

15 Minute Studio Time Really Works

The fifteen minutes in the studio thing is working really well for me.  Yesterday I had a day where I did alot of running around.  I didn’t think I would go to the studio to do anything.  I’m annoyed at the light in the room because it’s fooling with me.  One day it will very nicely go on and be lit the whole time I’m there, the next it will light up for me then rudely turn itself off as if to tell me to get lost.  The day I decide to call  the electrician it’s on all day long.  I think it likes to play games with me.  It’s getting old.

Anyway, when I finally came home in the afternoon I didn’t feel like painting.  I checked email, the blog, my facebook page, the etsy shop, opened snail mail, decided on dinner, everything but go to the studio.  After I threw all these road blocks in my way, I decided to sit at the desk and look at this bagpipe painting for only 15 minutes.  If I could just look at it maybe I would have thoughts about where I want to go the next time I paint.

So I took my inner child artist brat to the studio and sat at the desk like an adult.  Light bulbs were flashing in my mind, how would this look, maybe that color there, how can I make the light pop.  Low and behold, I was painting.  It’s a blur when I filled the pans with water and dipped the brush to apply paint.  When I looked up at the clock, two hours had passed by and if I didn’t get moving there’d be no dinner that night!

I had just enough time to step back and look at my work, photograph it too.  The first one is where I left it to dry on my desk.  I’m not used to painting on a desk as I always painted oils on an easel.  It’s a little weird to me, but if you paint watercolor upright the drips are unmanageable, unless you really want drips.  The second photo is the work on my easel after it dried some.  It’s on the easel so when I go into the room I can see it better.  When I see my work I’m surprised how it looks hour to hour, day to day.  Is that weird?

Well, today is another day.  Let’s see how it goes.

Taking my Time with the Bagpipe

With the idea of spending just 15 minutes in the studio I’ve been able to work on this newest painting of my son and his Greek bagpipe.  Fifteen minutes turned into a couple of hours, so I guess it’s something to keep up doing.
I’m trying to go slow on this work too since my tendency is to throw paint around and then I’ve gone too far.  In that respect, using watercolor as my medium is discipline.  I think to myself:  Take your time, don’t rush, don’t be impulsive with the colors.  I like to just go with my gut on the color choice, letting my instincts take over.  Choose first, think later and I end up sorry sometimes.  I guess it depends on my mood.  As with the first cherry blossoms painting I’m thinking more before I act.
A plus about blogging on my painting is the work-in-progress photo.  After taking a photo I can see, somewhat easier, where I need to go .  The photo flattens things out.  It’s like taking that step back from the easel and squinting at my work.  The camera helps me squint and blur the edges, colors and composition to see where I’m going.  While I’m painting I could make huge application mistakes that could cost me the whole shebang.  Then it’s dumpster time!   Sometimes things are not fixable.  I’d like to avoid that and keep an upbeat attitude, if I can help it.
Taking it slow, chosing and applying the paint, stopping to photograph the work, and stopping altogether is keeping this baby alive.  I can already see some things I might have done better, but I’m painting.  I’m in the process.  Whatever the outcome, I did it and if I need to, I’ll move on.  It’s all good.

Yes I Can

With yesterday’s post in mind about going into the studio for 15 minutes, I did just that.  Luck was with me and the stupid light in the studio was working. 
Going into the studio, I decided to look at the latest cherry blossoms painting I was playing with.  The first one is over and done.  I don’t think I can do anything else to it because, firstly, I’m over it, and secondly, I’ll just over do it.  I signed it and I’m done. The second watercolor needed a little definition in the flowers and I worked on that until I was done with it, too.  Signed, done.
On my desk is a couple of print-outs of my son playing a traditional Greek bagpipe.  He had a YouTube video of music he was practicing and I just loved the look of it.  To me it was so Rembrandt, all chiaraschuro like.  Bright light against deep darks.  I liked that moody look and printed out some frames, with his permission of course.  I sketched out the basic subject and lines for the background on watercolor paper.  This would probably be a better oil painting than a watercolor, but hey, the watercolors are out so that’s what I’m going to use.  If I don’t like it, I can paint another one in oils, which I probably will do. 
I didn’t want to plunge right in with color just yet.  I need a tube of New Gamboge that I’ve used before for painting skin color in watercolor.  It’s just a nice soft color and adding shadows to it is easy.  So I’m off to Pearl Paint today to see what brands they have in this color.  Forgot about it when I was there last week for the 50% off sale. 

It’s amazing how an idea like doing something for only 15 minutes can wake you up and charge the batteries.  I’m going to make this my little Artist’s Date for the week. 

You have to take the motivation where you can get it and run!

Sketching with Paint

When I first started with watercolors, I really didn’t have any idea how to use them.  As I said in a previous post, I took a class my town offered which ended up being a disaster on the one hand, but a chance to try on the other.  The watercolorist who was the instructor, was busy hustling the retirees by adding extra hours to the class, payable to himself, getting paid to frame their work, besides getting paid to teach the class. 

What teach the class?  He was totally unethical as I have said.  He only demonstrated watercolor painting, by using other artist’s work as a guide for the students.  He didn’t teach anything.  Not how to set up the colors, not how to prepare the paper, not how to manipulate the brush or the paint.  Never set up a still life to work from or a model or go outside.   Nothing but demonstrate on other’s art. 

When that class was over I continued in my quest with watercolor on my own. At least I had a little idea, but I used these paints as I did oils.  I have learned that it’s a totally different medium and it needs a new approach.  That’s not to say I haven’t applied these paints just like oils, but they don’t work the same way.  I can apply watercolor paint as I do the oil, but they get absorbed into the surface differently. 

I found I liked sketching with watercolor from life better than from photos.  I know lately I’ve been using pictures of what I want to paint.  Sometimes it’s unavoidable.  But when I can, I paint straight from the real thing. 

John’s Laouto ©2000 Dora Sislian Themelis
Watercolor
The first time I used watercolors to paint a live model I used my son playing his instrument.  It was summer and he was practicing in our patio room.  He planned to be there a while and I ran to get the paints going as long as he didn’t mind.  I quickly sketched the general position of his body and the instrument with a pencil then I went in with paint.  The paints that I used for the class were student grade.  If I was using pro paints I may have had a better result, but I thought it was good at the time.  Now that I’ve been working with better paint I can tell the difference.
Gregory ©2000 Dora Sislian Themelis
Watercolor
I liked working with watercolors and the live model so I did it again with my younger son while he was doing homework in the afternoon.  He sat across from me at the kitchen table and I sketched him with only the paint this time.  Thankfully, that day he sat quietly and he was a fidgety kid! 
I know I’m calling these paintings sketching because I really didn’t spend that much time on them.  I sat and quickly painted.  When I was done, the painting was over.  I didn’t pencil out the idea and go lightly with the paints for a few days like I did with the cherry blossoms.  I guess each work has it’s own energy and style.  Some days a sketch is enough, some times it takes more for the work to end.

Working on the Zen

I’m steadily moving along on the cherry blossoms painting and not pulling my hair out yet!  Little by little, I can see it taking shape.  I guess I’m pleased with the way it’s coming along so far since I haven’t ditched it by now.

I like the shadows on the flower petals and trying very hard to keep the bright sun light showing.  I hope it will convey that feeling of calm and well being that my friend is looking for.
The paints I’m using are lovely.  After a discussing with another artist, I stayed with the MaimieriBlu watercolor paints and I’m not one bit sorry.  They’re velvety and smooth.  The creaminess of the paints as I apply them to the paper helps keep my motivation up.  The colors are very strong and it doesn’t take alot to have a good punch.  A touch of the brush to the paint goes a long way. 

That little bird perched on a branch was my attempt at a touch of whimsy!  I saw that photo in my swipe file and thought how charming it would be to have him sitting in the midst of all those blooms.  So there he is.

It’s almost done.  The friend I’m painting this for should be happy with it.  And if not, I am so keeping it!

I haven’t spent this much time on a painting in quite a while.  Usually I work at a frenzy, moving, standing,

manipulating the paint with my brush.  This time I slowed down.  I still stand and move back to view my work, but it’s a comfortable pace.  The energy is there, it’s just subdued.

I guess that’s what the zen is all about.  What do you think?

                                                        

But is it "Zen"?

I’ve been asked to paint cherry blossoms.  Actually I was originally asked to paint them on a bedroom wall in a young friend’s home where she wants to have a quiet, meditative corner.  As much as I like to look at murals, I’m kind of uneasy about painting one myself.  It’s the idea of putting love into something that someday, someone will eventually marr by throwing a roller of paint on top of it. 

When I was a kid my artist father painted a beautiful Japanese garden scene on the basement walls, all around the whole space, which was also his studio.  It had flowers, cherry blossoms on trees, birds, butterflies here and there, and in the center on the longest wall, a foot-bridge.  He painted it right on the cinderblock walls and we never had the basement finished off with paneling like people do.  It was an oasis of calm and beauty. 
Years later my parents sold the house.  I was horrified that the new owners might very well cover up that mural and the heart that went into it.  What I really wanted to do was throw black paint all over, but I didn’t.
I told my friend I’d rather paint on something that is portable.  At least framed art can move with you.  Yes, she wants cherry blossoms to create a sense of calm, “zen” as she called it. 
Combing through my swipe file, I came up with a few photos of cherry blossoms, Asian gardens, Washington D.C. blooms, and had them ready at my desk to work on today.  After dinner I needed a pencil from my desk and took a look at the pics. 

Some how I ended up sitting at my desk sketching out my idea.  Watercolors are calming, I thought, and available.  I dabbed the new brush I just bought in some color, trying to be mindful of areas I wanted to keep bright white.  Methodically, I went around with the brush lightly painting in the background.  By the time I decided to stop it was 8:30PM! 

In the midst of all the holiday hype, Christmas shopping and baking, I’m looking forward to this painting.  I don’t know if it’s the wash of the colors or the cherry blossoms themselves, but I just might have found zen.