Finished Stargazer Lily Watercolor

Here is the end results for my painting that I stretched over stretcher bars. I have seen this with so many of my friends and I just never tried it but decided to give it a try and enjoyed it alot! The size is 8" x 8" and watercolor that is spray sealed and then varnished. It now can be floated in a frame or hung as it is but never will need glass to protect it. I will do a few more this way as it will be interesting to see if these will sell better. I have not used a Paypal button on here for a long time but am thinking of trying it again...I will let you know if I work up the courage to do that! ha!!

More of Blue Jay Watercolor

I need to keep going with the Give Thanks demo for you!

I am not sure I have discussed the stem! I decided to make it longer and go behind the gourd. I felt like that edge was my brightest edge and I was beginning to lose it. Not sure if there was wisdom in that decision or not but it was what I did and why at the time. I have darkened more in the leaves and am finishing off the lettering and have placed a pale blue wash in for the background. This is why I suggest you know your background. I am going into this with the strong chance now of wrecking what I have because I have no idea what it will look like. After I put the design into the curtain, I decided that perhaps I had too much going on as it was. Plus I knew I had to finish this up for the deadline so there really was not time to sit and ponder what to do.  I know next I have to begin working on the Blue Jay and get his values in there and then I can make up my mind on the rest. I sure wish all the elements would have been clarified in the beginning as I think this could have been a really interesting painting. It still is nice but predictable in many ways.

Stretched Watercolor Paper

I have never taken the time to experiment but this winter I hope to do more of that. Right now I am working on this little piece. It is 8" x 8" and I stretched wet watercolor paper over stretcher bars and stapled it to the back and I am painting the sides. Hopefully when I am done I can get better pictures to show you that part. When I am done I shall varnish it and it will not require glass. If all goes well I might even finish it tomorrow...but don't hold your breath! Ha!  I see it is coming up a little dark but the sun is going down here and so it is not the best. It also is not square but I will do better the next time!

Next Step in Watercolor of Give Thanks

I am hoping I numbered these right so that this is the next step! While I am doing this posting I am working on a new peony painting but with grey skies it has been impossible to take pictures. This often happens to me in the winter so we might not have a step by step on that one.
In this step you can see I began to solve the background. Remember I do not like to leave this up in the air and make mistakes. If I knew photoshop I could check this out there but I just have to rely on my instinct at this point. I would much rather have taken it in a photo to see if it was working but instead I am taking a terrible chance and hoping it will look ok. These are curtains I have in my studio so I just drew them from life and waited for the time of day that I took this picture to try to make the shadows be right. It is here that I lost my beautiful peanut. I did not realize that the dark area would run behind it and there was some erasing there or something as the edge bled over and it just was gone. It took work to get it back so that it was a nice peanut but not the beautiful one I originally had. I am still very unsure of the background here as to what to do next and the deadline is looming...stay tuned! ha!

Step Four of Watercolor Thanks Giving

Sorry guys...crzay world but I am back! So here is the fourth picture of took of the progression of Give Thanks. Here I began working on the Blue Jay and the peanut and I really nailed the peanut...not sure if in this one or the next step but I was so dang happy with it but then went on to lose it when the background went in. That is the problem when you are unsure what is going to go in the background. It is always best if you can plan that ahead because tossing one together is never the best solution. On that note, I know many of you know that I do not see a dark background as a solution...it is an easy way to get drama but for me I always want to know if there is something else I could do. Yes, there are times I have sacrificed the painting trying out something different but I just see too many artists going with a solid dark background because they know it will work...when I know something else would as well but they are not willing to go there. I should be smart and just do it myself! ha! Now back to this...I have defined more the letters etc and at this point is when I see that I wish I had added some yellows and greens for leaves. All I had were my red maples with leaves on the ground, everything else had been raked up. But now I see that would have been a very nice balance with the letters. The greens would be a great complement with the orange/reds and would have helped to pop that area,,,however at the time I took the picture I thought it might be nice for that foreground to just blend in and just be a directional tool and one that would ground the area...but greens there would have helped alot. So there you are! Step four! I have a few more steps to go! Hope you are enjoying laughing at my thought process! ha!!!