Category: Art

One Down, the Next is Coming up!

Bountiful ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis
15×20 Watercolor, Canson 140lb cold press paper

This painting is finished. I may have to take another photograph as I think it could look a little better. The light seems to have washed out some color on the left side. I’ll try it again another day. Right now I am thrilled it’s done.

Moving along now onto the next work. Something is clicking and keeping me in it. Who knows what tomorrow will be like. For right now I have plans. I have ideas. I have supplies. I have references for work. I think I can feel a series coming on. And it feels really good.

The Blast Off class is over, but the learning continues on. This week I will be working in another class with Alyson B. Stanfield called Cultivate Collectors. I like the word “cultivate.” It reminds me of things that are growing.

Things are growing alright.

Blasting Off

You know me, I’m so last minute all the time. Well, true to form, I decided, at the last minute once again, to take a class in self promotion, process, progress, organization, all in the name of art.

Yes, I said Yes, again.

Alyson B. Standfield of the Art Biz Coach/Blog regularly holds online classes in various matters pertaining to artists and their work/business. This class is called Blast Off! and that’s just what I need right now. A little guidance can go a long way. It’s not hand-holding either. You have to do the work to succeed. No one can do it for you.

I’m all strapped in and ready to Blast Off. Wish me luck!

Painting Photo for Friday

Cooper’s Farm ©2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
14×20 Watercolor
Finished another watercolor painting! I am on a roll. Actually, I just wanted this one done with. When I am ready for something else I get antsy to finish and continue. Not like other times when I don’t even touch the paints. No, I am trying to behave and keep working.
For each painting session I was still using twenty minute segments, letting the work dry in between. And here I am painting from photographs, too. There was a time I just couldn’t do that. The subject had to be live. But the blue tractor was adorable, and I liked the scenery. So there you go.

Now I’m over it. 

Big Yellow Umbrella at the Beach

Today was an amazing beach day at Pt. Lookout, N.Y. At home it seemed as if the weather would not cooperate, cloudy and overcast with a hint of a sprinkle. There was no way I wasn’t going to the beach. No way. I packed myself up and left. Total drive time to the beach was fifteen minutes without traffic. I arrived at just past noon.
Other people must have thought it wouldn’t be a good day, but it turned out beautiful. Like I always say: Heaven is an empty beach. After relaxing in my chair for a while and having lunch, I got out my trusty travel watercolor set and pad and set to work painting the big yellow umbrella right in front of me. 

Big Yellow Umbrella (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
7×11 Watercolor on Canson paper 

Twenty minutes and I was finished with this painting. I don’t know if it’s the paper that dries so quickly or the beach weather. It was a pleasure to sketch with the paint and forgo the pencil for most of this work. I did draw just a little to get some proportions correct, but overall I just went with paint. And it was good.

Off on Tangents, but Painting Happened Nontheless

My day began with a bang. Not really a bang, but maybe there’s another word for it. I was minding my own business pouring my second cup of coffee on a nice, quiet morning. I reached for the half and half, yes I like half and half, and started to squeeze the carton. Let me explain, I get a carton and open the folded and sealed top to form a spout and then I close it up. If I squeeze the carton a nice small stream of milk comes out. Nice and neat.

Well SOMEBODY opened the carton for the spout, and I, unknowingly (not paying attention), pour it out all over my lap, my tablecloth, and my coffee. I started to think to myself that this may not be my day, and it was only 8A.M.

I went along my day. Farmer’s market, supermarket, bank, etc. Errands. I thought I might not get to paint, but I knew I had been losing my fight with Mr. Resistance and, bad day or not this was going to be it.
What do you know? I had run out of the large size watercolor paper I had been using.

 Now what? I really didn’t want to use the travel pad and my subject was going to be too big for the small Arches block. Great. I opened up the small block and now I see I need a spatula to get the protective paper off. I trudge to my basement studio, where the light still doesn’t work, and fetch the tool.

Now what? Phone call from The Mr. about some computer problem. I trudge back to the basement and the computer, flip it on and we discuss. Ok. I passed the kitchen and remembered I wanted to roast some peppers I had. So I go at that, almost forgetting my painting outside.

Then I think I should have painted these peppers, but now they’re all cut up. Bright idea: take photos, and add a shiny platter for contrast. That’ll show that book deal guy I can paint Greek themed stuff. Right.

I’m all finished with the peppers, put them in the oven after their photo shoot and remember I was supposed to be painting. I go back to the basement to get another watercolor block. While I’m running around my house I am thinking that I must be some crazy kind of idiot, going off on tangents, not getting anything done.

Finally, I get myself to my painting set-up and sketch out my idea. I wanted to paint from the photos of the sunflowers from the farm. I sketched out the subjects and started getting into it when I remember I had peppers roasting in the oven. Shades of my turkey debacle from a couple of weeks ago.

I run to my kitchen, remove the peppers that were not burned and returned to painting. Now can I get down to business? Yes, I did and I am happy to say it felt good.

Sunflowers Outside (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
12×16 Watercolor on Lanaquarelle paper

Photos for Friday-Veggie Haul

Take a look at my haul from the farm share this week. Plenty of stuff that I don’t know what to do with and that I don’t even know what they are. That’s going to be fun. Ok, I’m not that dense, some things I know, but I think Google will be busy as I hunt for recipes. What do you do with kohlrabi? Oh, that’s the weird alien looking thing with the beautiful sunflowers in this last photo.

Vegetables aside, the inspiration I got from photographing these things was invaluable. I took photo after photo in hopes of future paintings coming out of it. Yes, from photographs. I am in it to win it. Wish me luck!