Three Trees and the end of 2016

Three Trees.  Watercolor.
About 5.5 x 8 inches.

This is my 43rd blog post of 2016 and, I believe, my 184 post all together since October 2012.  I aim for about a post a week, but some months there are more and some months there are less.  This month and the last, I've only manage about one post a month.  If you're interested, you can go back and check out my first post ever, which was a plein air painting of sycamore trees.    I'm maybe a better painter now....maybe.  I do happen to like today's painting better.....

I'm going to do the painting a day in January 2017, just because it's so much fun.  I don't know what I'll paint yet, or maybe I'll go in with no particular plan at all just to see what happens.

Here's to 2017.

Phthalo Blue RS, Quin Gold, and Quin Red on Kilamanjaro 300 lb cold press paper.

On Cobalt. Three Studies.

On Cobalt.  Watercolor.
Approximately 6.5 x 4.5 inches.

Three small paintings using the same limited palette of quin red, indathone blue, cobalt blue, and azo nickel yellow.

On Cobalt:  Barn.  Watercolor.
Approximately 3.5 x 5 inches.

On Cobalt: Sunset.  Watercolor and Crayon.
Approx. 4 x 3.5 inches

Trees in Breeze

Trees In Breeze.  Watercolor and Crayon.
Approximately 9.5 x 10 inches.

Three colors of watercolor (quin burnt orange, indanthrone blue, and nickel azo yellow) and two brown gray crayon colors on 300 lb cold press by Kilimanjaro.

You can see an earlier version HERE.

This Too; A Gift

This Too; A Gift.  Watercolor and Crayon
About 25 x 17 inches.

One Yellow Tree

One Yellow Tree.  Watercolor & Crayon.
Approximately 10 x 8 inches.
For sale on DPW.

Darkness Falls

Darkness Falls.  Watercolor.
Approximately 12 x 16 inches.

I think I mentioned that I got some new colors in my last art supply order.  One of those is a new blue that's used heavily in the sky here:  Indanthrone Blue by Daniel Smith.  It is an intense, almost purple blue.  I like it.  Other colors are quin burnt orange (in the building's roof), nickel azo yellow (mainly in the foreground), and quin....I'd have to get up to double check this.  It's either quin red or quin pink.  Paper is Kilamanjaro 300 lb cold press from a block.

I like this painting.  I think the composition appeals to me.  I realize that I say that as the painter, but I don't always have a plan when I start these made up landscapes, and this one worked out to be fairly successful.

Whoops, I came back to add that it's for sale on daily paintworks--if you're interested, you can scope here:  http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/608584

Break The Clouds / Continuing to work to frameless watercolors

Break The Clouds.  Watercolor.
11 x 14 inches

Fall Morning on the Fairway.

Fall Morning on the Fairway.  Watercolor.
Approx. 7 x 9 inches. 

Blue Dreams--Returning from painter's block

Blue Dreams.  Watercolor.
Approx. 12 x 8 inches.

Barn Study

Barn Study.  Watercolor and Crayon.
About 4 x 6 inches.

Lakeside & McKelvey II

Lakeridge & McKelvey II.  Watercolor & Crayon.
About 5.5 x 9.5 inches.

Yellow Canoe. Plein Air Painting at Ryland Lakes, KY

Yellow Canoe.  Watercolor.
About 10 x 8 inches.

Circle. Or, a treatise on staying organized (ok, maybe on not staying organized).

Circle.  Watercolor.
About 14 x 11 inches.

Coneflowers

Coneflowers.  Watercolor & Crayon.
Approximately 12.5 x 10 inches

A Small Doodle

Untitled.  Watercolor.
Approximately 3 x 3 inches

Just playing around with a palette today--permanent yellow deep, prussian blue, and quinacridone pink.  On a scarp of paper.

Dusk While Running

Dusk While Running.  Watercolor.
Approximately 8 x 18 inches

Cincinnati has been hot.  So hot, that exercising in the middle of the day is probably not the most excellent idea.   (That makes me think of Bill & Ted.  Dude.)  I've been getting out to run some mornings, but every once in a while I go out at dusk with my ipod.  (Last night, Ruby & Carlos by James McMurtry popped up--if you haven't heard it, you can check it out here.  Not the best song to run to, but a beautiful song nonetheless--)

The skies have been absolutely gorgeous.  I get so distracted that it helps me believe I'm running fast (I'm not).  The only challenge has been that if the sun is setting, that means it gets pretty dark while I'm still out--luckily I have not tripped.  I have come nose to nose with a few deer.  The deer are unfazed. I tend to shriek

Anyhow, I'm not done with this, but it's a first cut.

Quin pink, phthalo blue rs, permanent yellow deep, nickel azo yello on 300 lb Fabriano rough.

Flowers In a Blue Pot

Flowers in a Blue Pot.  Watercolor (with a touch of crayon)
Approximately 12 x 8 inches.

I haven't been painting a lot over the last month or so.  Painting block?  Busy?  Distracted?  Maybe a combination of all those things, but technically, I just haven't been able to explain it.

I'm going to try and get back to it more consistently, so here for your Monday enjoyment, is a floral watercolor.  It started as clematis (which are blooming outside my kitchen window, and I've painted before), but morphed into something else.

It's phthalo blue rs, indigo, quin pink, and quin gold.  Plus a touch of green crayon in a few spots in the top of the painting.  On Fabriano 300 lb rough paper.

Sorrow. A small watercolor landscape.

Sorrow.  Watercolor.
About 6 x 4.5 inches.

This is the 4th of five paintings I've done with this palette.  It's the same as my most recent irises, and one that I've got on facebook here.  I like this painting a lot for the intensity of the colors.  I'm not feeling chatty today, so we'll leave it at that.

Phthalo blue rs, hansa yellow medium, and carbazole violet on Kilamanjaro 300 lb cold press.

Sky/Tree/Hill. Another glimpse into process....

Sky/Tree/Hill.  Mixed Media.
About 14 x 11 inches.

Siberian Iris

Siberian Iris 2016.  Watercolor.
About 15 x 9 inches.

Every spring, I end up painting Siberian Iris, which are blooming in my garden (sometimes, I cheat and paint them before they start to bloom....).   You can see previous year's paintings HERE, HERE and HERE.

This particular version is a little stark, if you ask me, but I was actually looking at the iris as I painted them.... Usually I look and then go off and paint without revisiting reality.  I love that as an artist reality can be extremely fluid.  Sometimes, though, it's a good exercise to try and capture a little more of the garden.

Phthalo blue rs, hansa yellow medium, and carbazole violet on Fabriano 300 lb rough watercolor paper.

Mounting A Watercolor

Spring Trees.  Watercolor Mounted On Board.
10 x 8 inches.
(Below the painting is an antique toilet paper roll from
my husband's grandfather, who was a plumber!)

What rhymes with orange?

Rorschach.  11 x 14 inches.
Watercolor on Yupo.

I think I'm going to try and paint around a color for while, and the color of the week would be: orange.  Perinone orange to be precise.  

This abstract is cobalt blue, quin gold, perinone orange, and carbazole violet.   On yupo.   

I took the photo with my phone, on my kitchen counter, where I've been painting a lot lately.  It's a nice space, high, with good light.  Not sure if it's done, which is always an issue with abstracts.  It is kind of busy.   I will think on it.

Five Tips For Applying For Local Shows

Crash.  Watercolor and Crayon on Yupo.
Approximately 8.5 x 6

Untitled Saturday Abstract

Untitled.  Watercolor on Yupo.
10 x 6 inches.

Why I Paint--Part II

With Spring Rain.  Watercolor and Crayon.
Approximately 8.5 inches square.

Why I Paint--Part I

Limited Palette Studies, Watercolor and Crayon.

The Annual Spring Bouquet

Spring Bouquet.  Watercolor.
Approximately 9.5 x 7 inches.

Still Life On Yupo

Pears on Yupo.  Watercolor.
Just under 11 x 14 inches.

Can you save a painting? Maybe.

Upside Down Creamer.  Mixed Media.
Approximately 8 x 8 inches. 

The Weight of the Sky

The Weight of the Sky.  Watercolor and Crayon.
Approximately 8.5 x 11.

Still Lifes--Two Pears and an Orange

Two Pears and an Orange.  Watercolor.
Just smaller than 9 x 12 inches.

I had to take a little break.  After finishing 30 paintings in 30 days (ok, for me it was 24 paintings in 30 days, but still a super productive month) I had to get ready for a show, and then I was so tired, I just needed to breathe for a minute.

Day 30--30 Paintings In 30 Days. Calm Again.

Calm Again.  Mixed Media.
Approximately 22 x 30 inches.

Day 26--30 Paintings In 30 Days. Flowers From Kroger.

Flowers From Kroger. Watercolor.
Approximately 9.5 x 12.5 inches.

Day 21--30 Paintings in 30 Days. Coming Down The Hill

Coming Down The Hill.  Watercolor.
7 x 4.5 inches

Day 20--30 Paintings in 30 Days. Switch Grass in Winter.

Switch Grass In Winter.  Watercolor.
Approximately 11 x 8 inches.

On Monday, Ohio decided to turn off the heat, and this morning it decided to start spitting snow.  Not a fan.  It is oppressively gray.  If feels like the sky is pushing down....mood, shoulders, spirit.  Blech. Don't believe me?  You can see for yourself in the picture I was riffing from below.

Palette is Indigo, Quinacridone Gold, and Quinacridone Burnt Orange (there may be a wee touch of Prussian Blue mixed in, but it is wee).  On Kilamanjaro 300 lb cold press watercolor paper.

Note:  Day 20 in Thirty Paintings in 30 Days, and I've only not painted 2 days.  I feel like a rock star!

Day 15--30 Paintings in 30 Days. Three Houses

Three Houses.  Watercolor on Yupo.
Approximately 11 x 14 inches.

Day 12--30 Paintings in 30 Days. Winter Trees

Winter Trees.  Watercolor.
Approximately 5.25 x 8.5 inches.

Day 10--30 Paintings in 30 Days. The One Field

The One Field.  Watercolor.
Approximately 27 x 20 inches.

Day 6--30 Paintings in 30 Days. Tall House With Blue Door.

Tall House With Blue Door.  Watercolor.
Approximately 9.5 x 5.75 inches.

Day 4--30 Paintings in 30 Days. 4 Red 1 Green

4 Red 1 Green.  Watercolor.
Approximately 10.5 x 12 inches.

Day 3--30 Paintings In 30 Days. Mountainside

Mountainside.  Watercolor and Crayon.
Approximately 8 x 6 inches.

Yes, the colors are really that intense.

If you follow me on instagram, I made a few changes since I posted there--I adjusted the foreground to add some brighter colors among the shadows, but also added some darks.  And, I used crayon to gray out and define the sky.  Plus, I think it benefits by cropping the top of the painting down just a little bit.  Decisions, decisions.

Honestly, one of my joys of painting is making decisions about what I want to do with my paintings--it's empowering.  My successes and my failures, and they are mine.

The palette is nearly the same as yesterday, with quin pink replacing the permanent yellow deep.

Daniel Smith--indian yellow, quin pink, and prussian blue.
Caran D'ache Crayon--light beige (although if you ask me, it looks like a grayed down white)
Kilamanjaro 300 lb cold press paper.

Day 2--30 Paintings in 30 Days. Three Trees

Three Trees.  Watercolor.
Approximately 9.5 x 7 inches.

My subconscious over rode my brain, and decided to do trees.  This started as landscape over portrait, but I liked this section better, so I cropped it in half.

I like yesterday's better, but the intent here, at least for me, is to paint every day.

Daniel Smith:  Phthalo Blue RS, Indian Yellow, and Permanent Yellow Deep
Kilamanjaro 300 lb cold press watercolor paper.

Day 1--30 paintings in 30 days. Abstract Tree Line

Abstract Tree Line.  Watercolor.
Approximately 8.5 x 12 inches.

I think I mentioned that I was planning on participating in 30 paintings in 30 days, which is organized by Leslie Saeta.  You can find more information here.

I'll try not to inundate you--there may be a lot of photos without too much text.

Again, this photo is not fantastic.  (I'm on a roll!)  There's yellow cast in the whites since I was working after dark.  I'll go back and correct it tomorrow.

Daniel Smith, Prussian Blue, Nickel Azo Yellow, and Quin Burnt Orange on Kilamanjaro 300 lb cold press paper.

Edited--took a better pic this morning (another sunny day--yay!)  see below.....