October 5, 2024 — Elaine O.

Finished! I had some serious doubts when I sat down to do the fine straight lines of the wrought iron. Did I want to attempt this? Do I even need it? But I pushed through and I really do think I needed them. That fence adds a real sense of space and weight (and I really don't care if the lines are a bit wobbly!).

14" x 11"

The finishing touches took much less time than I allotted, so I had time to kill. I zoomed in on a group of tourists to do this direct watercolor. 

12" x 9"

Working at home

 Did quite a bit of work on this over the week, chiefly working on those dense patches in the upper right and lower left so they wouldn't dominate so much.  Strangely those thin stripes seems to have made them look not so dominating and oppressive.  

This is my favorite postcard from few weeks ago.

This is a 9x12 version I did today, not quite finished need to lighten up the shell of Chicxulub, which I am calling this.  Chicxulub (Chick-shoo-lube) is the meteor that smashed into Yucatan and wiped out the dinosaurs.  I may do a little series on this, or maybe not.

Then and Now

 Before I joined the watercolor class in the fall of 1989 I was doing things like these.  They were markers on typing paper  9x9"

So this is the same thing only it is watercolors and 18x24" and the triangles and rectangles are studies in how different paints mix. but also I hope that they are attractive little designs in themselves and that the whole thing is pleasing to the eye.  There is a little more work to be done on in but this is substantially what it will look like when I am done.

Is She in Despair or Is It Just Yoga?

 Have had this image for a long time…..imagined how when I painted it, the paint would smoothly flow between skin color and shadows.  Instead she’s looking bruised. I think she’s in despair at how I painted her. Time to play around with the skin color section of of Watercolor  Painter’s Pocket Palette.

Variations on a theme…

Well, you know when you get an image stuck in your head and you keep thinking I can get this, just one more try…overall I probably like the one from last week best as well as the bottom one here. I didn’t put the window frame over it because I really like the way the top half is painted. Actually I like the way the top half is painted in all of them…it’s just the shadow that I haven’t quite mastered…

Here are two other paintings I’m working on. Actually the top one is done, it’s 6x10. The bottom one is 5x7 and still a work in progress. But I do like how those figs are painted…
 

September 28, 2024 — Elaine O.

Moving along slowly, but surely. The damp weather probably caused the slow drying time, but I'm learning to patiently wait. And it helps to have a second sketch going to fill the time!

14" x 11"

We Have Visitors!!

Guess who dropped by today? Bryan and Allison...along with Baby Holly! She's absolutely adorable and, as you can see, her parents are happy, healthy and glowing with joy. It was wonderful to catch up and, for those who missed them, they promise to be back. We can't wait to see them again and foresee many baby paintings in their future.

This rock formation is in Chaco Canyon, northwest corner of New Mexico.
 

The second painting is a rock formation in Joshua Tree NP. I think this is the best

landscape painting I have done so far.

The third painting is of Michigan Lake in winter. I wanted to do something that is fairly monochromatic

but is still a good representation of the actual scene.

The final painting is a Winslow Homer watercolor. I am trying to upgrade my work by copying

someone someone who has a complete understanding of the medium. 

Alan Fall 1

 Inspiration can come from the damndest places. When my friend in Michigan came over to work on our cottage opened the hatchback of his SUV I was amazed by the pile of tools and cords. So…I took a photo of it and turned it into a painting on Yupo. I just liked the chaos of it.  It’s 11 X 14 on Yupo  

Returning to my sketchbook, I sketched a farm scene I had taken a photo of and washed it over with watercolor. 

It’s 5 X 10 on hot press. 

Bye the way, if you look at the gouache resist painting I posted last time on a bigger screen and zoom in you’ll get an idea of the tremendous texture of that technique. 

Not quite perfect….

This is about 7x9 on a 9x 12 paper. Thinking about contrast and drama, always. The mom’s face needs to be in shadow more and maybe the space behind her darkened. Maybe the baby’s needs more shadow on the right.

This is 5x7. I saw lovely shadows on the apt building across the street, but I just didn’t get the contrast I want. I think I’m going to try again. Not sure if the window frame helps or hurts… or maybe I need more framing on the sides…

A couple of postcards, again working on contrast, but a normal kind of contrast that provides structure more than drama….

“Lazy Fruit on a Picnic Blanket Before the Storm.”  Another old sketchbook painting repainted. It cracks me up! I’m going to try to visit next Saturday. Will my ID work when im not registered?