watercolor painting Archives - Page 16 of 19

A Little Something New

It’s Monday. A new week begins again. The awful feeling of reliving the events of September 11, 2001 has passed for another year. This week should prove to be very different. It’s the anticipation of a new thing to be with all kinds of excitement.

The new thing is still growing, cooking, working it’s way to us and expected to be revealed soon. Have you guessed it yet? Maybe you have.

I am superstitious. Let’s get that out of the way right now, up front, plain and clear. I’m not saying anything more about it. But I will say that the anticipation is killing me now that the time is nearing. Yes, superstitious I am. It comes to me from my family. My grandmother had plenty of them for different things. Doesn’t everyone have a little something they do for good luck, or to repel bad luck? Like a Friday the 13th kind of thing? We have plenty, for sure.

My kids don’t want to hear about the different superstitions that have been passed down. You want to shrug your shoulders and say, So what? What’s going to happen? But go ahead. Do it and see. Do you really want to chance it? I go with that flow.

Some people call it a jinx. Some call it a canary. Why even try to explain these things? If you don’t know maybe it’s better. The Mr. will say Don’t even tell me!

Now my poor DIL Gorgeous is stuck with me and the superstitions, old wive’s tales, Greek folklore stories and the like. She’s Greek too, she knows, but every family has some they believe in and others that they don’t. My bunch just seems to have more. I read somewhere that some very prominent, intelligent, famous people were superstitious, so that gives me some hope we’re not all nutcakes. Son #1 rolls his eyes at me, but I think Gorgeous is starting to ‘get it’. She’s a great sport!

When it’s all over I’ll tell you all about it, but not before. No need to count those chickens before they hatch now, right? Of course. Details will come later.

In the meanwhile, here’s the watercolor I painted on my beach day last week. I understand that Tuesday is going to be sunny and pleasant. There’s a good possibility I’ll be visiting the beach again if it is, unless there’s something else that comes up. In that case, I’ll be somewhere else.

Progress, Process and the Beach

Monday scene

All of the angst over the computer issues has worn me down so I’ve been at the beach. Let me say how much that beach helped my brain relax. Sun and ocean does wonders for the psyche, my psyche anyway.

Sunday was a beautiful day at Pt. Lookout Beach. My sister, my mom and I went and met up with Son #1 and Gorgeous DIL (daughter-in-law). The sun was out, there was a nice breeze, we talked, laughed, and generally had a nice day. Monday, Labor Day, I visited the beach again with just my sister. People must have been on vacation or away for the day because it was pretty empty beach for a holiday. We chose a nice spot with good space all around us and plopped ourselves down.

Have you seen the stuff people have been bringing to the beach lately? I want to know where they stash all of that during the winter? And what’s with those carts? Gorgeous pointed them out to me and we were counting them. I don’t know about you, but I used to take my kids to the beach with an umbrella and a bag with my stuff. My kids held their beach toy or a pail and shovel. Done! There must have been a sale at Costco and everyone bought that Wheelie cart thing.

After sitting in our choice spot on the beach for a little while, a couple of people show up in front of us and assess the space. My sister and I looked at each other thinking the same thing: Of all the space on the beach, are these people really going to sit right here in front of us practically touching our toes? Very nice. They don’t even look at us. After the first two people came a band of ten people! All thinking this is a very nice spot to park themselves, two inches from our feet! I said we need to move. My sister said let them sit on our feet and she’ll show them who’s boss! Look, I’m not interested in trouble, I just want to spend a nice day at the beach. At my urging she grudgingly got up and we move away from that crowd of annoying, no conscience people. I thought about it too late, but I should have taken their picture for my post! Rats!

Okay, we settled down again and try to relax. I just can’t help but ogle all manner of tattoos and belly rings on people. Sorry, but I can’t stop looking if it’s all out there.

Then a swoop of seagulls came and dive bombed all the people in our new spot. Some guy had thrown his kid’s french fries on the beach, full of ketchup, so the gulls could eat them. Not a nice move mister. People were annoyed, kids were crying. My sister heard the guy tell his kid, “Now we made the seagulls very happy”. Well what about the human people? Nobody around this guy was very happy that the seagulls were happy! Give me a break.

Tuesday scene

Tuesday I sneaked off to the beach by myself. It was the first day of school and NOBODY was there, except a few people scattered around. Just me, myself, and I. I brought lunch and my watercolors, my chair and a drink. What else did I need? After enough relaxing I felt like painting something, but there were no shells or rocks. I was too shy to ask some little kids and their mothers if I could borrow the horse-shoe crab they found, so I decided to paint my sandal in the sand instead. Progress, process, artist’s date, and I’m back in business.

Rocks on the Beach

Beach vacations are pretty much similar where ever you travel, some more luxurious than others. We’ve been to quite a few different places where the beach is the main idea and each destination is unique.

Cancun, Acapulco, Nassau Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Greece, Long Island, Las Vegas, oops Las Vegas has pools, all have some aspects that are similar and different. Some have sandy beaches and others have rocks.

The Mr. was born in a Greek island with rocky beaches so that’s what he looks for in a beach. In fact, most Greeks are lured by calm waters and a rocky beach, something that resembles home to them. But I’m a New York girl so what do I know other than sand and waves like Jones Beach and Pt. Lookout? Rarely did we travel to the Long Island Sound with it’s calm waters. It’s fine with me, I’m drawn to the water, rocks or not.

One fascination Greek island people have is watching the ferry arrive with it’s passengers, trucks loaded with produce, cars and stuff. The ferry is so huge and things keep coming off. Then it gets loaded back up with the same stuff going the other way.

In Greenport there are ferries that shuttle all the same kind of stuff and people to Shelter Island, all day and night, back and forth. So of course, we’re fascinated by all the action. They loaded a huge tractor trailer onto this little ferry, plus people in cars, people with bicycles, and just people on foot! I was in awe, just like we are when we’re in Greece! I know, whacko.

When we were finished gawking at the ferry coming and going we were ready to head back to the beach. The sun was high in the sky and glistening off the clear blue water. Not many people were on the beach so it was all for us to enjoy. Like I said, Heaven is an empty beach!

Except for the seagulls. No matter where you go seagulls will take your food, throw it around the beach and eat it.

Our last full day I took out the watercolors at the urging of The Mr. He said, You brought your set out here, now get to work! Oh gee, thanks. I was so happy to do nothing on this trip, absolutely no brain waves nothing. But OK, it was time, and the rocks looked so interesting.

I began sketching out a few nearby rocks with some dried seaweed clinging to them. So The Mr. says, You’re going to paint rocks? What’s wrong with the water and the sky? I don’t know why but rocks are neat and painting the scenery was sort of intimidating with watercolors. And anyway, I have pictures for later.

Without penciling in the subject I just went with the paint. The brushes I keep with the set have a great point so I can sketch with color and blend in the paint with the side of the brush. I added color and tried my best to keep the whites white. The good thing about this little travel set is the limited palette. That seems to keep me in line or I’d add every color I can get my brush into. Bad, good, I don’t know, but that’s what my brain tells me to do.

I thought I would try to paint every day on the trip, but thinking about doing it was stressful. I needed to wind down my brain and think of nothing and of doing nothing. Once I started painting I guess by that time I was really ready for it.

OK, when’s the next trip?

From Sketch to Done

The latest watercolor painting is done. Finished. I finished something! I was so happy to remove it from the paper block. I have so many ideas in my head I just couldn’t work on this any longer. Once I painted in the details of the butterfly’s wings I was just so done with it. Here’s a look at the progression from sketch to finished work.

I really have to remember I’m not using oil paints. The highlights have to stay white or else forget about highlights. There’s no adding in later. It’s a process and I’m learning. And waiting for the work to dry is another thing. With oils it’s just the opposite. You can let it dry and then have issues because now it’s dry! Watercolors need drying time.

The other thing I wonder about is if it’s too big a painting for the size of the surface. I tend to go large and then find out that my subject pushes the edge of the paper or canvas. The size of this paper is only 12×16. I think this looks as if it’s a huge work. Just another thing to ponder over.

I can hear my painting professor saying “Great job. Now go bigger!”

Painting and a Peek

Made some headway on this watercolor painting yesterday. Slowly added in the darks so I don’t go crazy and ruin it. Taking photographs in between painting sessions helps me see where I’m going with it. It’s as if I’m stepping away from the work and squinting at it to see where to go next. I like it! If I can keep a light hand on it we should be fine. I’d like to avoid disaster if it’s at all possible.

Oh, by the way, here’s a little peek at the finished thing. I can’t say any more about it except that it’s knitted and it’s this color that you see. We’ll discuss at a later date. There’s too much to say and I have to stop now before I shoot my mouth off. The time will come and we’ll dish, but not until I say so.

Yeah, I like suspense, too.

Finishing Something Else

Every day I try to work on this newest painting. I’ve abandoned the basement studio for the time being to work on this outside, or at my kitchen table, where the light is brighter.

When not working on it I prop up the painting on a mini easel so I can eyeball it as I walk through the house doing my chores. Here and there I can stop what I’m doing if I have an idea and throw some paint in an area that I see needs something.

I usually have my work in progress in my general vicinity when not working on it. It gives me a different perspective and I’m able to live with the work. Then again, it’s nice to work in the studio and leave when done working, leave it all behind and go on to life. But right now this is working for me. It’s keeping me in the game, so to speak, so Mr. Resistance can keep his distance.

Distraction was never my middle name, but it is now. Keeping me in the loop is a tough job and I could use all the help I can get. With a few things working at the same time, all different media, I could be drawn away to any of them and never finish one. “Finish Something” has been my mantra.

Most evenings I like to knit, if I’m not too exhausted. This week I finished something! I was determined to finish this one thing and I did it. I sewed up edges and hid all the dangling yarn ends. The bad thing about finishing this knit is now I’ve got my eye on different yarn and a new project I’m dying to start. Bad.

The good thing is that the yarn I’m eyeing has not been available in the local shop I visit. The longer it’s not available the better, otherwise I’ll never finish anything else.

Back to Work

Well, I started working on this new piece. I thought I would use the watercolor paint in a heavy fashion, but I decided not to. I’m trying to go slow. Keep the highlights clean, work the shadows down. Although I wanted to abstract it I think I will just go with what I see and don’t try for anything in particular. Just paint.

Instead of working in the basement studio, dark and away from everything, I brought the work upstairs near a bright window. What good is a studio if I’m going to be painting in my dining room? Forget it…I know, I have a space, but it’s not ideal. Someday, a loft with north facing windows. I can daydream. In the meantime, it’s back to work.

The Rush of Something New

It feels so good to have the day all to myself today. Yesterday is over and today is a new day. Tuesday is usually an errand day and I hope to get those chores finished early.

When I removed the garden painting from the block it felt great. In the book Walking in This World, by Julia Cameron, I read in one of the chapters to ‘Finish something’!
How does it feel to finish something? I felt relief. The act of closing the book on a work is very satisfying. So satisfying that I get a rush of inspiration. Maybe I felt that way because I was happy to be done with a piece I wasn’t thrilled with? Whatever the reason, I became excited about the possibilities.

No sooner had I freed the painting from the watercolor block, I looked over the latest photos I’ve taken and chose one to sketch onto the brand spanking new paper.

I decided to use the butterfly photo I took a couple of weeks ago or when ever that was. I’d like to work it kind of sloppy, sort of abstract. I might use the watercolor paint thick and heavy, throwing it on the paper, just to experiment with the medium. I seem to be daydreaming lately about oil painting again.

While reading through some of my favorite artists’ blogs I noticed one was doing what I had been thinking to do, which is paint on a small square-shaped canvas. I was writing some random thoughts in the Morning Pages yesterday, yes I’m still doing that, and in the blink of an eye I was looking up at my surroundings thinking I should paint on a 4×4 canvas! Just like that! I thought to myself, ‘You have some weird Artist A.D.D. girl!’ One second I’m writing, the next I’m in LaLaLand and I didn’t know where I was or what I was doing. I had to squeeze my eye lids shut to block out the blur!

So anyway, that might be my next thing, and I didn’t even start this work! I think I have to go back to oils. Something in my head keeps pointing me there. I’m going to have to obey the muse. First I will start and finish this painting. Let’s see where I go with it.

I’ll get back to you on it.

Quietly Closing the Garden Gate

It’s a very quiet Sunday around here. Monday I’ll be driving to NYC again to get my sister back to her apartment and her chiropractor appointment. Since I’ll be running around tomorrow I decided to post today. I don’t know why it’s so quiet outside. It seems as if the whole world went on vacation and left me home. I’m not complaining, I like it quiet, but it just seems unusually low key out there.

I had to visit a few shops, which I rarely do on Sunday since the world is usually out shopping on Sundays. To venture out near those shopping areas and malls is just not worth it to me. I can go any day of the week, but this time a coupon I wanted to use had a time limit. Today was the day. It’s cloudy and cool so we weren’t visiting the beach, the Mr. was out doing stuff, Son#2 laying low and the coupon was starring at me. I went out, did my thing and I’m back. You know what I’m making for dinner? Reservations! Hahaha! So it’s time to post here.

Remember this garden watercolor? I had become frustrated with it and just went on to other things. I couldn’t work on another painting because this was still attached to the block. It had to be finished for me to go on to the next work. My heart wasn’t in it anymore because I felt I was getting too detail-y, if that’s a word. I didn’t like how things were going. I wasn’t pleased with the composition. I was winging it and feeling that out of body-ness of the process. Beside, it became a chore. I ignored it for a while.

Until this week when I decided I had other more interesting things to paint. Rather than go back out to the scene of this particular crime, I worked on it inside. It was too hot anyway (my excuse) so it was back to the studio with it.


(c)2010 DST, At The Garden Gate, watercolor

I’m done. I’m not touching this anymore. Remind me next time to scale down the action, OK?

Painting From Life

Painting from life can be both exciting and nerve wracking, for me anyway. I seem to go into a trance as the action of painting and the colors of the paints hypnotize me. I don’t see what I’m doing. Overdoing the work with watercolors can happen before I can blink and wake up from my stupor.

These two little paintings are the ones that were sold in my Etsy shop. Both were painted on site. I painted Beach Day while at my favorite Long Island beach, Pt. Lookout. This couple were sitting in their beach chairs enjoying the day. I guess they were having a good day, for all I know they were annoyed with each other and just sitting there. Can you tell that I like a good story while I work?

The Greek harbor scene was painted while we were on a short day cruise to three Greek islands, Aegina, Poros, and another one that I can’t remember now. They were all lovely and had different scenes, but at Aegina we sat at a cafe to have an icy ice cream frappe because it was so hot we couldn’t continue without something cold. We were at the harbor and I had time to quickly draw the scene out with a bit of color. I finished it later on, but basically had it sketched with paint right there.

When I started with watercolors I purchased a small travel set that included half pans of basic colors, small brushes, and tiny pad of watercolor paper, and a little bottle for water. It’s like a fanny pack you can clip around your waist, but I never do that. I added pencils and some other stuff I need for painting and it’s the perfect bring along set.

The funny thing is the paints that are included are minimal yet I do my best work using just those colors. The palette at home has so many colors now, but I gravitate towards the ones in the travel set. I think I should pay attention to that and maybe minimize my choices. Whatever I do, I know I like painting from life. I just have to try and stay in the present rather than have those out of body moments.