Angela Abstracted

Angela Abstracted.  Watercolor.
6 x 7.5 inches.

Every once in a while, I get a chance to stop by +Manifest Creative Research Gallery and Drawing Center for their open sessions.  It's a nominal cost, and it's good practice for forcing myself to paint what's actually in front of me.  (I don't typically do that, but the mental exercise, I think, makes me a better painter....)  I met Nancy Gamon there--she's got some of her current work up in her Etsy shop--go check her out. It's nice to go with a friendly face since I don't know anyone, and although, everyone's very nice, they're very good artists and it gets a wee bit intimidating.

Anyhow, I take three watercolors (in this case phthalo blue rs, quin pink, and nickel azo yellow), a brush, a towel, and a traveling palette--about the material I'd have if I was painting plein air.

The power was out!  If you live in Cincinnati, you've probably noticed the rain and storms....and, well, the power was out.  They relocated the model so there was a lot of natural light, and then rolled right into long poses.

For me, a long pose, is an excruciatingly long time to paint one piece.  Whew.  Have to work on that.

Here's my favorite of the two pieces I did that visit.

A Landscape Spec Painting, Take II

Into the Calm.  Watercolor.
Approximately 19 x 27 inches.

I've had another request for a large horizontal spec painting, which basically means, no money down, no obligation, and they'll buy it if they like it....

This is my second attempt.  I liked the first one, but they were not as enamored.  Here's the first one, which I never blogged about.....

Working on a spec painting that's a riff on a lake....This would be the first at size. Watercolor, approximately 17 x 29 inches.
Posted by Amy Bryce Watercolors on Monday, June 22, 2015

They're both riffs on a lake--can you tell?

They're also exactly the same palette, even though they have different emphasis on which colors shine.  It's Daniel Smith quinacridone gold, quinacridone red, and phthalo blue rs.  Both on Fabriano 300 lb rough paper

Not a Watercolor Painting.

This is not a watercolor painting....

Ok folks, I'm testing something I just set up on IFTT, so that my blogger posts automatically go over to Tumblr.  I needed a picture.  Thanks for your patience as I try and get it working.

(My kiddos at the Barenaked Ladies concert in MD on Friday night--the BNL were most entertaining.  We all enjoyed the concert.)

If you're ever looking for me other places:

I put finished pieces up on facebook.
Works in progress on instagram and twitter.
Lots of stuff I like (and a little bit of my work) is on pinterest.
And, am trying to get going with Tumblr.

And, a lot of this automated with IFTT.

OK, let's see if this works...

Speed Blog Entry

Chesapeake Bay Study IV.  Watercolor.
Approximately 5 x 7 inches

We're traveling right now, and staying at a cottage on Chesapeake Bay.  While the manly men we're out swimming, I was doing plein air sketches from a downed log.  This is the most realistic of the four I did....and, my favorite.  (It is a gray, gray day, and the sun was just barely trying to get out...the painting looks cheerier than the day, to tell you the truth)

We've seen osprey hunting, and spotted the same bald eagle twice.  Awesome.

Strathmore 140 lb paper (a sketch book), Daniel Smith phthalo blue red scale, raw sienna, and hansa yellow medium.