Village Scene

Village Scene is an exercise in doing a variegated wash which means that you start with one colour at the top of your paper and slowly change or blend colours as you go to the bottom. I copied this scene from my DVD Watercolor course. I am very pleased with it. I really like the colours and how they blend so well. The painting was done with only three colours therefore it is kind of hard to go wrong. I also like the 'glow' of the sky just behind the church and houses.

Little White Church in the Snow 2

Little White Church in the Snow 2 is similar to the other snow scene I did however, again, I wanted to try out some different techniques such getting the snow to look more random and adding a moon. I really like the atmosphere I achieved in this little painting.

Little White Church at Night

Little White Church at Night was a painting exercise in practicing a flat wash. For this technique the painter tries to get a uniform layer of colour (in this case, blue) on the paper. Once it dried I painted the scene with the church. The wash was done as part of an instructional DVD course that I bought this fall. However I chose to do my own scene rather than copy the one given on the DVD since the flat wash was something that I already knew so I decided to play a little.

Little White Church at Sunrise

Little White Church at Sunrise is a painting exercise in doing a gradated wash which means that you start with a dark colour (blue in this case) and as you advance down the paper you gradually add more water to the paint until it almost fades out at the bottom. After the blue wash dried I painted the church and bushes etc. This gives a totally different feel to the painting than the flat wash did.

Little White Church in the Snow

My inspiration for the atmosphere of Little White Church in the Snow came from looking out my back window at dusk. I had already done my first two paintings of the Little White Church so when I looked out and saw that the white of the snow was just a blue glow when the sun has set I decided I should try yet another Little White Church painting. I achieved the 'glowing' snow by 'scrubbing' out the blue from the flat wash once everything else was dry.

Fallen Angels

Fallen Angels is an experimental watercolour painting done on a textured Gessoed canvas. Normally you would use Gesso to prepare a surface for an acrylic or oil painting. The watercolour paints do not absorb into the surface therefore makes it a bit different to apply. I saw someone use this technique at an art show in Perth Ontario this past summer and thought that it would be a neat thing to try. The ridges in the Gesso help to convey the idea of veins in the leaves and texture in the stones.
My husband, Matthew, thought that this painting was a test for colour blindness! Since he is somewhat colour blind, the leaves on the pebbly background do not jump out at him.
This experimental painting has been an interesting learning experience for me.

Dry - Docked Boats

Dry - Docked Boats is an acrylic painting done on five separate canvases. I do not have a lot of experience with acrylic painting so this work was a major learning experience for me. I must say there are many advantages to using acrylics. This painting was completed over almost a year with much encouragement and urging from my kids and husband. I found it very difficult to paint since the photo that I used was not the most vibrant and inspiring photo and also I wanted to change some elements of the photo to make it a nicer (at least I think so) painting. My real inspiration came from seeing these boats in 'real life' in Shippigan, New Brunswick and immediately thinking that they would make a great painting. I was so happy that this painting was finally completed that I held an official 'unveiling' party to celebrate.

Sparrow at Feeder

Finch at Feeder

Now that the cooler weather is setting in we have set up our bird feeder outside our kitchen windows. I always enjoy watching the different types of birds which come to dine.

Child at Play

Nuthatch

Amos

Nathaniel 2

Nathaniel 2 is a miniature version of a painting that I did last year. See October 2008.

Waiting for the Game.

Soccer Anyone? Watercolor Sketch

Soccer Anyone?

Apple Blossoms 2

This painting is a copy of another one of the same title which I gave away as a card. I think I did a better job of the subject this time around.

Strawberries Watercolor Sketch

The following three paintings are a departure from what I normally do. I saw this technique demonstrated on an Ebay group that I joined. The style is very loose and quick. These paintings took me about five minutes each! I first did the painting then added the ink. This particular painting is a copy of the one on the group. I used this for a birthday card.

Fall Tree Watercolor Sketch

This watercolor sketch was made for a birthday card for an October birthday. I copied a lesson off of a group on Ebay but the lesson used summer colors so I changed it to fall colors.

Pumpkin Sketch

Red Currents 2 - Sold

Red Currents is a copy of my previous painting of the same name however, this time I used watercolor paints rather than watercolor pencils. I prefer the the greens in this version of the painting.

Royal Lady

Snow White

I think I am done my frog phase for now.

Frogs On the Rocks

Frog Prince - Sold

Yes, here is yet another one!

Bird Gathering

Now for something different! While on vacation I tried my hand at some Japanese Painting since I read somewhere that it is a helpful skill to know as a watercolour painter since it teaches you to create paintings using a minimum of brush strokes. This is a painting using all the techniques that I have learned so far. It is copied from Yolanda Mayhall's book The Sumi-e Book. The painting is done using a classic calligraphy brush, ink on watercolour paper. Technically, I should be using rice paper or... if I get really good... silk.

Frog Portrait - Sold

Hop on Pot

Frog on Pot

Here is another one! Stay tuned for more.

Hop to It!

Two Frogs - Sold

Another Frog painting! My husband says I am in my frog phase.

Leap Frog 2

Leap Frog 2 is essentially the same as Leap Frog, however I was not satisfied with the colouring of Leap Frog. I think I was able to improve the colours in my second attempt of this painting. Leap Frog 2 is painted on Arches 140lb watercolour paper whereas Leap Frog was painted in a piece of mat board.

Leap Frog

Leap Frog was copied from a photo taken of four frogs 'piled up' in my backyard pond a couple of years ago.

Deserted Beach

Deserted Beach was yet another exercise in painting clouds. Once my clouds worked out I used a photo taken at Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick for the beach scene.

A World of Their Own

A World of Their Own is copied from a candid snapshot of my youngest son and his girl friend. I saw the photo and was immediately drawn to it. The couple seems to be totally oblivious to the world around them and content just to be in each other's company. Since the photo evoked such a feeling in me I decided not to draw in any of the background. I hope to do this picture as a watercolour in the near future.

Foxgloves

Recently I joined an artist's website called 'Idrawandpaint'. It seems to be a lot like facebook but it is a place where artists post their work to invite critiques or post questions that they may have about their art medium. It has been really interesting since you chat with artists from around the world. Each month there are challenges for the different art mediums where someone posts a picture and the artists use the specified medium to interpret the picture. Foxgloves was done for the April watercolour challenge.

Door Latch

Door Latch is a drawing done for the April Drawing Challenge on the 'Idrawandpaint' website.

The Studio

The following posts are all pencil drawings done over the course of the last few months. I am still able to draw in the evenings since the lighting does not bother me while I am sketching as it does while I am painting. Drawing in black and white helps to distinguish between the light, mid and dark tones in a composition which is very important since it adds depth to the work. For painting it is suggested that you first do a tonal study of your subject before starting on the final work in order to establish and plan for the different values. This is especially important in watercolour since you work from light to dark and there is no going back once you have painted the dark colours! Having said all this, I must admit I don't normally begin with my tonal sketches since drawing still takes me a long time. Hopefully with consistent practice it will come faster.
The Studio is a perspective and tonal study that I did of my desk where I do most of my art work.

The Preacher

The Preacher is a copy of a drawing done by Charles White. It was an exercise in drawing a foreshortened view of an object. I have been working my way through Betty Edwards' book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain for the past two years and have learned so much. I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn how to draw or who wants to improve their drawing skills.

Empty Room

Empty Room is a copy of a picture that I found posted on an art website that I visit quite often. It was posted as an exercise in shapes, shadow and space. I was quite attracted to the subject matter not only for the perspective but also for the light and shadow throughout the picture. For me it was a good tonal exercise in capturing the light, mid and dark values.

Dancer Adjusting Her Slipper

Dancer Adjusting Her Slipper is a copy of a drawing done by the artist Edgar Degas (1834 - 1917). This is another drawing done from my book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Again, this was a study in doing a foreshortened view of a person.

At Rest

At Rest is a drawing copied from a photo of my brother-in-law taken while we were camping with the family in New Brunswick. I've always liked this photo since he seems so totally at rest in the shade on a hot, sunny day. One day I hope to do this as a watercolour.

Sailboat

Sailboat is an experimental painting copied from one of my painting books. I was experimenting with a streaked wash since I am thinking of using that technique in my next painting. I also experimented with scrubbing and scratching out some highlights once everything was painted.