In the Bag and New Update

This is my final photo...I still have to have a professional do this so it is right. Still not sure about "In the Bag" but it will be that until the name comes to me that is better. I got the bar code in on the lower right pear which was fun.

This painting is only getting the wood treatment right now...but that is coming along ok...This might be a slow one and be the last one finished as some elements are pretty complicated...but we will see.

In the Bag

I am not done but will show you where I am at and tonight or in the morning I will finish it and post the final right here with this one I think...unless there is more I want to say.
I have to redefine some of the openings between the boards which I have begun, clean some edges and check a few values in areas. I hope that I can feel ok about this one and move on to number three of the pears.
Trying a landscape in the background was nerve wracking especially since I do not do them and then I chose to do autum to keep the coloring the same through out the picture. When we have those clear days each tree is so clearly defined that it was not an option to do them softly blurred. Also that would have appeared almost like a different painting in the background. I do like the idea so now with that in mind I will be taking pictures of things that might be possible backdrops for other still life works...I think it is one way to solve that problem of the background without resorting to dark....or nothing...those are too simple of solutions. So this test has shown me a few ideas I think...and I used an old brush with jagged edges to just drag the wood grain in...it took about 15 minutes! So that was fun and using this tape for edges was new...also the masking for me is something I rarely have used so am trying to get use to it. It does have some draw backs...but more practice might help.

Will post the final tomorrow!

In The Bag Today

This is where I am at 3pm...I started at 9am. I cannot believe it is going so slowly but guess there has been alot of thinking to figure out these reflections. I think by tomorrow I will be closing the gap and that will feel wonderful as I am itching to work on the next one. The tape I am using is Painters Precision tape that is bright green...new and found it at ACE Hardware. It is working very very well!

In The Bag progressing

Today I worked all day and thought surely I would be further along than I am but I guess I am glad I am as far as I am!!!

Today I began working further on the painting In the Bag...or whatever it is called...my cousin said to call it Pearishable...ha! Anyway, in this first picture you can see how I am using tape to get the straight areas and I used clear shelf paper with masking around the edge to block things off to put in the water...having never done a landscape of any kind before in watercolor...except for 2 plein aire...I decided that this was the approach I would take. Well I taped one area off wrong...but I think when my reflections go in that will be covered...I hope!

Then when I removed all the tape I began the far shoreline of my lake with fall trees. That is now done but all the reflections have to go in...hopefully tomorrow that will go easily and then Sat and Sunday I can finish up the painting! I think that this process is pushing me to do more work..or work faster...not sure what it is!!!

Party Pear Final

I am not sure how this is going to appear as on my computer it looks square...and it is 22 x 17. This pear is about my dear friend Margo who passed away in December...she was the light of my life and the joy that came through the door each day...some friends are like that...bounce into your life and teach you how to live! She was the most positive person I have ever met and found good in everything...and I mean everything! I never heard her complain once through everything she went through. In August I was setting up still lifes of pears and as this one was developing it reminded me of Margo...she made everyday a party. I will think of her every day when I see this and hopefully live a better life because of knowing her.
This is going in at a lower resolution than I usually do because some of my images have been lifted again. I am sorry about that.

Party Pear Progress

Party Pear is getting closer. I have my son and his girlfriend every weekend so that has really slowed my progress but I still keep working some everyday. Thought I would show where Party Pear is today...and tomorrow maybe I will show another one. It has been a struggle with the odd plate this was on...sort of a gold patina and so I have been glazing with greens, golds and also a glaze of Tiger Eye which is a mineral watercolor from Daniel Smith. This paint tends to granulate as the actual rock settles out so it gives some subtle textures. Now when I finish the stem and umbrella they will pop more . I will begin to feel better when I can complete some of these and get them behind me!

Third Step of Milk Glass and Cherries

I have defined the lace more and one more coat into the background...I removed the masking and was not overly happy...but will try to fix that best I can...it did allow me to make a smoother wash in the background and manipulate that glow but I usually do quite well on my own...so still questioning this stuff but might have to try a different brand of masking. I will have to try some of the brands others are suggesting...this was nice and liquidy...easy to use...but full of bubbles so I need to inquire if that was from the trip or the cold. Also I am testing a new tube of paint. Since I was so unhappy with Aliz. Crimson I grabbed another tube I had not tried. Since this is an experimental piece I figure why not. It is Perylene Violet and I really like it...very dark. It is the dark in the top cherries and the dark in the background. I really like this color and think I will add it to my palette for sure...at least I like it better than AC! Ha! I sure hope I can keep painting on this and finish it up this week...so many irons in the fire around here it is going to be hard. My husband retired and this is his first day home after 37 years...so now we begin adjusting to this and I need to establish my painting hours and claim them!!! Ha! Wish me good luck!

Christmas Painting

Since I have not found time to paint as we still have company. I thought I would post a few of the steps to a painting I did for an exchange at the Artcolony. This painting went to Mollie who lives in Texas and is an avid gardener...so felt pretty safe doing a flower. We worked smaller and also faster which was strange for me....I sure would have liked to do more detail etc but time was an element and I needed it to be shipped by a certain date...It was fun to do as it sure went alot faster than most of my work! HA!  My first image was taken in such a dark space and I cannot get the background to look white...sorry about that. I was sort of letting the background color mingle in case something surprising would develop but decided to just continue to go dark...it was the easiest with time constraints.

WIP Continued

I am making slow progress. Mostly because I am drawing on other things for the Pasadena workshops and trying to guard my hand. You can see I am beginning to find the shapes of the other ribbon and more bamboo and clothespins...there is just so much to do to deepen what is there but I like to get things to the middle values all over before I do any final work. This will no doubt not be finished until I return from Pasadena in October but I would rather take my time as it feels like a strong piece and do not want to rush it. So I hope you will be patient. Once I get to the painting stages for the workshops I might post them here as well so you can see what I am doing. It sure would be nice to meet some of you at one of these...I think if you visit the website for this expo you will be pleasantly surprised by all the artists coming to teach short workshops. Alot of info going to come out under one roof!! Anyway, thanks for all the well wishes about my hand. It is better when I do not use it so much.

The Fix!

Ok...for those of you seeing this...check out the picture below as well to see the mess I have and here I am going to explain what I am trying to do. First of all...just going dark was not the answer...it is a bright sunny day to begin with and secondly a dark color would have hidden the one bird completely. It was not appropriate. I eventually came up with this rock wall as I felt the blue could come through it and not be too bothersome. The blue is staining and so lifting as you can see in the far left edge is not easy and will abraid the paper. The rocks seem to be working and so will continue with that and then I will have to figure out the area above the tallest dahlia as I spilled some juice while I was sick...it will only darken with any washes over it...so that I am still thinking about. None of the painting is done at this point and now with the wall this dark it will mean that the flowers will need alot of value adjusting...but I am going to try to save this piece. Oh, I forgot to mention why I thought of trying such a bright blue! Not my normal color is it? Ha! I started to think this would make a great garden flag etc. and they usually want a bright color in them...I guess I learned my lesson...play with new paint and understand it. I never use new stuff as I know what my old palette will do. It was careless with such a beautiful piece to do this. I guess we can safely say I was not in my right mind at the time!!! Lesson learned!

Dahlia Progession

While I have been sick I have not painted much at all but even a little slowly gets you to your goal. This is the lower left hand corner of a full sheet. I am working on the values of the leaves and adding some cool blues to reflect the sky color. Once I have all the shapes and the painting is pretty much done I will select what to move back into shadow. I like to keep my options open!
I hope to fly to Oregon on Tuesday and if I do I will be gone for a week so there will be no painting...so there will not be an update for several weeks now...thanks for being patient!

Dahlia Continuation!

Well, ever so slowly I am advancing...at least I am finding the shapes and that will be a big help later. I might find only 1-3 petals in a day if I feel tough but it is all helping. Goes to show you that you can paint even a little each day and accomplish quite a bit!!! So no excuses guys! My colors I am sure are not great again but I did learn not to push enhance as that makes them blue which they are not! I am learning! So one will show more of the composition and the other will show the 3 I have been slowly working on.
As to my health...still coughing and very tired but I am improving and am very glad for that!!! I suspect that next week I will begin to feel much better! Thank you all for your kind words here and through emails as that really kept me going! I do have such fine friends here and you are greatly appreciated!