Category: mamieriblu paints

What? Everyone Loves Free Stuff

Yesterday I planned to take a short break while I still was semi free and visit the nearest art supply shop. There are two in my area and both were having sales. One shop sent me a great coupon to take off 40% on a non-sale item. That is huge.

My little artist date started at the office supply store for some stuff I needed to continue working in the Blast Off class. Then I moved on to Dick Blick art supply. I purchased a nice large block of Arches watercolor paper on sale. I needed watercolor paint and chose yellow ochre from Windsor&Newton. Dick Blick didn’t carry MamieriBlu which I’ve been using. Fine.

Afterwards I drove over to Utrecht where the Arches was also on sale, same price. Ok. I found MamieriBlu paints there and bought permanent green light. Sale! I decided I liked the brush selection at Dick Blick better, so that’s for another day.

At the register the manager was fussing with some large sheets of heavy weight paper as I was paying for my paint. He turned to me and asked if I knew what the paper was, because he had no clue and no paperwork for it. What did I know? Was it bristol board? Was it watercolor paper? No idea here.

Then he said, Why don’t you just take it?

Who? Me?

Yes! Happy New Year to you!

I said, Why not? Hey, I will never refuse free paper. I don’t know what it is, but it’s all mine now.
Now if I can only get my butt in gear and use it.

Sunflower Painting is Finished, and What I Learned

It’s Friday and time to show you photos of the latest finished watercolor painting. I had some other fun news to share, but you will have to wait. Painting is happening and the sooner I get this one out of here the easier it will be to get the next one working and I will tell you what was so much fun.
First twenty minutes

There were a few things I learned while painting this work. Firstly, the height of my art table is too high. The dining room table is lower when I painted there, waist level while standing. This was not comfortable and I felt as if I couldn’t get away from it by standing or sitting on a stool. It will need to be lowered if I’m going to paint there.

Secondly, the desk lamp is not natural even though I have a daylight bulb and an incandescent one. It’s just way to bright and also too close to the work to gauge paint colors the way I wanted. I persevered.

Second twenty minutes
The third thing I learned is about the paper. After using Lanaquarelle, then Arches, I can tell the difference in quality. I bought this Canson tablet on sale, it was larger than I was using, and figured it’d come in handy when I was ready to work larger. 
Also it’s a pad, not a block, and if not affixed to a surface it curls and rolls when wet. The painting surface is not that great either, leaving weird brush strokes. Well, I guess it’s okay if you want those brush strokes to show. 
I’m using two different paint companies, MaimeriBlue and Windsor&Newton. When I painted a layer over an area previously painted, the layer beaded up. Was it the paint? Was it the paper? Or does that happen? I thought it was strange.
Blue Vase With Sunflowers ©2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
15×20 Watercolor on Canson paper
After I finished I took photographs while the work was still attached to the table. My problems were the same I had while painting: unnatural and too bright light, too close to get a good shot. I took the painting off the table, went to the dining room table and the nice northern exposure picture window to take a photo. See the difference? Washed out color in artificial light, more true to the paints in natural light.
The fourth thing I learned is that I’m getting comfortable using my photos to paint from. I don’t want to get too cozy because then it’ll take time to get back to painting from life.
I’ll figure it out one of these days. In the meanwhile I’m still in the game. 

Tomorrow is Another Day

So, back to the dreaded apple, sharp shells and fearsome pebble. Just kidding! Nothing scary a out my still-life set-up except the paint colors. Yes, I’m not feeling it with these paints. It’s becoming a problem. An issue. I feel as if I’d rather not paint, but I’m fighting it with all I’ve got.


If I give in it could spell trouble with a capital T. Let’s just say it could happen, but I’m planning on it not happening. Besides, I have a challenge to complete! 100 paintings in a year are not going to materialize just like that.I have a goal, a plan, and by golly, I’m going to win!

Ahem. So here it is, the next work. Twenty minutes in and I wanted to trash it. I hate the reds of this watercolor brand.Ugh. Ok, I will try to lived with it. The more I use it the closer I get to buying new paint. That’s how I’m looking at it.

I turned the still- life around once again, to view another side and different shadows. I stood on the opposite side of the table too. I tried to let the magic flow, but it wasn’t easy. My brain sees different colors than I have here. I shrugged that off and kept at it. I have more to do, but this is where I stopped for the day.

Let’s see how it turns out tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day.