Sprinkler Final

I am calling this done as I just cannot take it much further without losing the small details in all the cogs. You might not be able to see all of that detail as it is truly very small but I do not want to put too high a resolution up here because of theft. Hopefully you can see it well enough. There were many problems to overcome in this painting. The biggest for me was that the sun was overhead and I was not going to have much for shadows...usually I like very strong shadows. I could not have them on the wall behind as it would have been too dark and I would have lost all the mechanics on the sprinklers. I decided on this and hope that it works well enough for everyone. I have UND and North Dakota on one license plate as that is where I gradutaed from college. I have one showing Minnesota with a "B" for Bemidji where I am from now. I have a small tag hanging down which is 3=20 which is my birthday. I usually try to add things that make my paintings more personal. Now I can move on and start a new painting which is already to go!
This painting is 9 x 30, watercolor and is titled "Waterworks" Thanks so much! Janie

Sprinklers Continued!

I am finally closing the gap. I took a good long time thinking about the background and not knowing photoshop I had to guess and hope it would work. I really had some wonderful suggestions but in many cases if that area was dark it would have been impossible to see the workings of the sprinklers so it had to be light...or a mid value to work. I have been wanting to add license plates to a painting for some time...but have never taken pictures of any. This was out of my head and now I love what is happening I will take some pictures for future reference. Most of you realize that when I post a picture in progress, obviously all the darks etc are not in. At this point I have established the mid values and lights and so can now go in and finish off the details and really get in some good darks. The direction of the sun is not lending itself to shadows and I think if they were places on the wall it might be distracting in this particular painting so I am steering away from that. This picture is 9 inches by 30 so I am not working with alot of space and the tiny cogs etc are really like trying to paint a miniature...it has been a test of patience!!! Also, you will note that yes, it is crooked again! Hopefully you can over look that and wait for the final professional picture which will be straight! Thanks so much for following along and for all the nice emails I have received!

Sprinkler Update!

I have been just staring at this painting trying to decide what to do for the shelf or bench that the sprinklers are sitting on. I had taken the photo on a wooden outdoor bench but looking at that strong horizontal line that would go across the entire page seemed wrong. Finally I started doodling and decided to break it up like slats of wood to give it more interet since this area was closest to the viewer...it needed that. It is not done in this area but now I can leave it and start to consider what will go behind the sprinklers...that really has me wondering. If I paint loose it will contradict the tight part of the painting. I do not see how I can paint a single color because there is so much to paint around...unless I try to mask it and there is just so much detail I am not sure I can! So I need to put my thinking cap back on! The picture wa staken quickly because it was -30 today and I had to take it outside...so ignore the slant. Also as priviously stated, this is not done, nor is any part of it done until I get the background in and can then adjust the values of the different areas.

Progressing On New Painting!

I have completed a picture of sweet peas but my photographer is out of town until next week so that will have to wait. So I began another painting and thought I would show you where it is at this time. It is 9 x 30 and I am using the Daniel Smith Primatek colors to get the granulation for all these rusty sprinklers! It has been difficult as these are only about 6 inches high so each area where all the mechanical parts are is quite small and they have become miniature paintings I guess. There is still work to be done on them but I am already scared of the background to go around all these little parts since I do not use masking!!! I will have to come up with a plan on how to proceed with that for when the time comes. I have included a close up so that you can hopefully see some of the granulation that occured.
These are copyrighted pieces so you are not allowed to be painting them for yourself. I am just showing you in hopes that it will inspire you to try these paints and do something similar! Good Luck!

Small Painting of Pomegranates

I tried my hand at a small painting a few weeks ago to see if I could do something in a day. I decided since I had not used acrylics in many, many years it was time to drag them out just for the fun of it. I love watercolor so much that I never have had a desire to paint with anything else since 1989 but lately I have been thinking it would be a medium that I could be looser with. I cut open a pomegranate to eat and decided to draw it out first and eat half and then paint it...ha! The painting is approximately 4x6, acrylic, and painted on multipurpose archival board.

Long Time No See!

Well, this time I have really been missing in action and I am sorry. I have done a few little fast things just for the fun of it so that I did not go completely nuts! Besides a dear friend discovering cancer and trips, my son moved home after selling his house! He wants to live in his old hometown but finding work has not been easy. It surely is a change to start cooking for a strapping young man again but such a joy. I just find that after all the cooking, cleaning and washing dishes I have little desire to paint...mostly because I am too tired! Ha! But I have been working slowly on a full sheet of sweet peas from my garden and I do believe it is really almost done. So once I get it to the photographer and get some shots I will post it. I am thinking this is a bad time of the year for such a thing as he very well could be in New Mexico skiing for all I know! So we will see how this goes.
I have 2 paintings running around in my head that I am anxious to do. I will be posting them and they are very different from what I normally do. Hopefully they will be fun. So apologies for my tardiness and hang in there...my New Year resolution is to be more faithful to this blog! Thanks, Janie

Thanks!

I would like to thank everyone for all the nice emails I have been receiving. I did not mean to ignore all of you but I had a family reunion and knee surgery and several other things going on and posting just got difficult. I am just beginning a new painting and hope to post something one of these days. It is going to be simple and just enjoyable until I begin another competition piece later this fall. I did take a week to work in the garden, which is where I ripped my knee!! I guess I was trying to do the impossible in record time! I guess gardening will wait another year now as fall is definately here and the hummingbirds have migrated south already. Mowing this fall is taking a long time as our yard is full of beautiful leapord frogs...some the size of a deck of cards!!! They are everywhere so one must do everything slower so they can decide to get out of the way. The cats have enjoyed a number of good chases after them and the grasshoppers so they are getting in the last of their exercise before winter settles in. Wish I could say the same!!
Thought I would show you one of my little friends again...this fellow must have 50# of peanuts now under the deck...he should have a good winter!
Thanks for your patience!