Category: watercolor painting

Me, Whimsical?

Having finished the dancers painting for the person interested in illustrations for their book,I emailed the image with fingers wimply crossed. Yes, I said wimp-ly. As in like a wimp. Should I have said sheepishly? Anyway, I was thinking it might not be to their liking with the “whimsy” word being tossed about.

Do I see my painting, or myself, as whimsical? I think not. My kids would say “Who, you? Uh, no.” Those are smart, observant guys, those kids of mine. Yeah.

I think watercolor work is light and airy by nature of the medium. Would I call my handling of the medium melancholy? So I lean toward Prussian blue and alizarin crimson, are they sad, depressing colors? Not in my opinion.

I paint what I see generally. With photos I see too much. From life there’s no time or room to see everything, which is what I like about painting from life. I am not sure it’s even possible to use watercolors to capture a crowd of people dancing unless in abstract forms or quick gestures. Maybe that would have been a better way to go, but I needed a reference, hence the photo.

What can you do? Can you please everyone? No.

I will continue to stay positive, or invite the unwanted advances of Mr. Resistance. I decided the operative word was “Yes”. I went with the flow. I tried my best with what I thought would be okay, and maybe not how I would have liked it to be.

After working from life going back to a photograph for guidance didn’t feel exactly right. Being true to myself and my own objectives may be more important in the long run. Book deal or no book deal.

But I Like the Photograph

Dance Party (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
8×12 Watercolor on Arches paper

Well, it’s finished. Or let’s just say I’m finished with this. I had to stop. If I had continued I am not sure what kind of mess I would have gotten myself into. There was nothing else to do at this point.

Shall I tell you what I like, or what I don’t like? How about this: I like the photograph I took of the original scene. The suggestion from you dear readers to add lights or banners was a huge help. I decided to make it look like an outdoor party and the lights strung over head were just what this needed. Not to mention the fact that in Greece they decorate exactly like this.

I’m not so sure what else to say about it. But if you have something to offer go ahead and let me have it. Good, bad, doesn’t matter. Tell me your opinion. I’m an adult. I can take it.

Photo for Friday

Chugging along on the latest watercolor painting and I see some darks creeping in in places. Well, something has to happen in between the figures. It can’t all be light, airy and flowery. I may lighten up the space from mid paper and up. I thought I would make believe the people were dancing outside somewhere, but I might practice what I’m planning on another paper.

I added values and skin tones while trying to give the figures some grounding or they will float. What else can I say? It doesn’t look like this is going to be a fun, free wheeling painting. Maybe trees and sky in the background will make it look more “fun”?

Whatever happens, happens. And that’s that.

Starting Something Different

The latest news flash is that I have been asked to do some illustrations for a book on Greek culture. The interested person happened to see some of my work online and liked the style of landscapes I did of scenes in Greece.

It’s exciting, yes, but the thing is he thinks my color choices are dark and melancholy. This particular painting that he liked was on the washy side and I guess that’s what he’s interested in. I’m not so sure I am illustrator material. I think if there’s a work someone likes maybe I can recreate that feeling but it might have to be on my terms. It’s the idea that I paint something a certain way and that’s it. Now my work has to have limits or direction, but it’s not coming from me.

Well, anyway, I’m working on what he suggested and maybe he’ll be interested, or not. He wants figures dancing and having fun. That’s fine, but since I have been painting from life lately I’m not used to using photographs. Dancing people are not easy to paint from either, photo or no photo. I’m taking liberties with the poses and just going at it.

I sketched out this photo I found in my pile, of a party I attended with our Greek dance group a while ago. My son is on the right playing his bagpipe and people are dancing having a good time. Using the twenty minutes time slot I lightly painted in some color values. What this is going to look like painted up may not be to this person’s liking, but it’s a painting and I’m doing my best, regardless of the outcome.

I don’t know about melancholy, though. Looks happy enough with energy and movement. Let’s see what happens when it’s finished.

Rain, Clouds and Thinking Things

Apple is Butting In (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
8×12 Watercolor on Arches paper
Lone Shell (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
8×12 Watercolor on Arches paper

It’s been busy around here after the holiday and trying to get myself back on track. I finished the watercolor with the apple and moved on yesterday to the next work. The broken shell was looking at me so I did it the favor of a portrait.

Moving along at least.

Today is overcast and it’s been raining. Rotten weather like this is depressing after having warm, sunny days. The day itself isn’t so great. I’m thinking things today. You ever have one of those days that you are constantly thinking things? All kinds of things? Today is one of those.

I don’t have any time for painting today either. Maybe not even tomorrow. Maybe not even Friday or all weekend. I am looking forward to Monday.

Apples, and Shells, and Rocks, oh my!

There’s just something about apples that I need to paint. What’s going on inside my brain that lures me in and bites me, compelling me to put an apple in my still life paintings? Weird brain.

I’m not even that thrilled with how this brand of apple paints up. Besides the paints, which I am too stubborn or lazy, or something, to add the new Alizarin Crimson and Burnt Sienna to the palette, I need to buy prettier colored apples.

At least I found time to paint, thrilled or not. Process over thrilled. May as well paint a junk painting now and then. Is it good or bad for the ego? Then again, it is my opinion.

Some times I think my work was lousy and someone else would say how they love it, so I can’t go by how I feel. Just paint and don’t think about it. Move on.

This was a twenty minute session at this point. I left it alone after twenty minutes because it was annoying me. I had to stop and get away from it. The next day I worked on it again and it looks slightly neater. I can’t think of the word to describe the finished piece other than “neater.” It’s done.

There are some elements that please me though. I really like the color strength and shape of the broken shell on the right and the way the shadow pops the lower edge. The rest is just so-so, to my eye. I think that apple is doing nothing for me. Overplayed the apple, and maybe that rock. The shell?

I think it’s time to find other subjects, but I’m not sure exactly what thing is going to feel comfortable.  Other fruits are boring as well as some veggies. Maybe a fabric? Or a shiny platter? A bowl?

Maybe I need a vacation?

Keeping On

I’m still working on painting those 100 paintings. Thank goodness I joined the challenge otherwise I would find excuses not to paint. So, the idea to be accountable to someone or something else works.

It’s like when you are in school and expected to come to class prepared. The possibility of failure is up close and personal. Not so when you’re working on your own. Who’s going to grade me? No one, but myself. And I could give myself a pass instead of a fail.

Independent study might not be my forte. In my last year in college I had a painting class at which the professor did not hold regular hours. You had to paint on your own and attend one class a month. You can just imagine how that went. I was wasting time until I received the notice when class would meet and then Bam! I had to get on it.

I pulled out my 5ft roll of canvas, kicked it out on my basement floor and where it stopped I cut it and painted. At the time I was working in oils doing color studies using a limited palette of three colors. Abstract work, mixing the amounts of colors to see how many I could get from those three in a cloudy-like design.

Working all day and into the late night, I painted until I filled eight feet of canvas. Needless to say, my professor was impressed. After all, he told me to paint bigger! I knew I could do that, I just needed the time frame.

Pebble and Bits (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
9×12 Watercolor on Arches paper

All these years later I’m still the same person I was back then. I need to be accountable and have a time frame. I guess that’s why twenty minutes does the trick along with this challenge.

Progress in the Process

I have a busy Monday ahead of me today. And an even busier week to come, this being the lead up to Easter. I just can’t believe a year has passed and here I am in the middle of another Holy Week. Didn’t I just do this? Didn’t I just blog about this? Time just flies by.

The big question is this: Will I have any time for myself and painting? I seriously doubt it, but I will try to squeeze some work in. This time last year I don’t think I was using twenty minute increments of time to paint. I think I remember working on one piece for a while.

There’s nothing wrong with that either. However, since I found how productive I can be using twenty minutes to paint I’m not sure how/if I can go back. Maybe if I find something interesting to paint I may have to work on one piece twenty minutes at a time. That could work.

But this week is rough for me. Fasting, baking, cooking, evenings in church take up alot of time. I’m pooped already. Can I skip any of it? I don’t know if I can. I’m so used to going to church almost every night of this week. I’ll see how I feel.

Shell Bits and Pebble

I painted these shells once again, but this time I added that pebble. Moving the set-up around to see the other side this time, made the still life look different once more. It’s working for me so I’m not going to change it up and chance a bout with Mr. Resistance.

Then I happened to get a flash of motivation and quickly sketched the objects again before we headed out for dinner Saturday night. I moved the items around again, found a pleasing arrangement and  dropped in some color before we had to leave. Done.

I am definitely making progress with the process!

I’m Still Here

Bits and Shell (c)2011DST  8×12 Watercolor

Hello! I didn’t forget you! Did you forget me? I could almost forget me! I have been busy this week with my little munchkin and having plenty of fun.

Babies are amazing animals. I’m really enjoying watching her grow and change. In fact, I’ve been enjoying watching myself grow and change. We’re on similar paths. She: physically. Me: artistically.

With the kick in the knees at the 100 Paintings challenge, to just put away a painting once it’s finished, I’ve been easily moving on to the next work. Progress! Growth! My kind of “change”!

It’s amazing what a difference a small suggestion can make. It feels like freedom. Free to move to the next stage. Okay, I’m still painting still life items, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. Painting the same items over and over affords a certain affection with said items. Yeah, it sounds weird, but these things are out and that’s it. Don’t think about it too long.

So. I painted this yesterday and today I painted another one. I am on a roll! “Change” is good!

Quantity over Quality, Process is Progress

Shell With Bits (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
 8×12 Watercolor on Arches paper

Adding to the latest mantra, which for some time was: It’s the Process! Now I’m saying to myself: Quantity over Quality. Yes, don’t worry over what the outcome is, just keep moving. It’s a good idea.

Over at the 100 Paintings Challenge, of which this is #12, the host Laure Ferlita, sent out an email recently. It seems some of us in the challenge have begun to discuss the good and the bad of our work in our blurbs. In other words, we are judging individual paintings rather than critiquing a good number of them as a whole.

Instead of pointing out the faults of each piece, just paint and forget about it. Finish one work, put it away, and begin the next.

That made sense to me, as I always prop up my work and look at it as I walk by during my day. Since Laure’s message, I have put my challenge paintings in a pile. I will take them out and look at them when I hit twenty five. Will I see changes by then? Maybe.

Really, the idea of quantity over quality is similar to process. The point is to paint, and keep painting. Progress comes in degrees and over time. For me, the progress is I’m painting regularly. Even if it means twenty minutes at a time. This painting was done in twenty minutes. Progress means I have my tools out and available to use when I find the time.

If I can use those twenty minutes this wisely every day, I am way ahead.