watercolor painting Archives - Page 2 of 19

Plein Air or Daily Painting?

In the last few months of my art journey, between listening to Mr. Resistance and trying to fend him off, I was intrigued by two kinds of art processes: the daily painting and plein air painting.

As I would love to be one of those intrepid daily painters, I’m not sure I can hack it.

Yes, I’ve been painting in twenty minute segments and getting work done that way. But real daily painting? And to be responsible enough to post that work? Hmm, maybe that’s not me.

Then there’s the plein air painter. Also an intrepid bunch of folk, some of who trudge out to remote locations to paint the scenery. I would love to be one of those artists, and I have done that, but not really equipped the way some are. I am working on that though because I think I could be one.

Then again, I do get anxious thinking I’m all alone somewhere, which I like, but it’s scary too. Anyone one could be lurking about, with little old me happily painting away unaware.

I had an opportunity to join a local group of artists who meet once a month to paint at a local plant and garden nursery. That was great fun to see flowers, tractors, fall scenery, and a rocky waterfall.

I particularly enjoyed the waterfall, and the tractor which I already showed you here.

Take a look at the waterfall sketches I did in my Moleskin notebook:

Quick sketches in micron pen with watercolor washes, and straight watercolor work without pen sketching. The idea was just to get something down on the paper, the feel of the subject, some color and light. That’s it.

Imagine, I did three sketches outside! Next up, I’m investigating outdoor painting easels and pochade boxes. Maybe if I am well equipped I can make the plein air thing happen more often, but nearby, in full view of civilization so I don’t get scared!

A Productive Painting Morning

This was the most productive morning I have had in quite a long while. Working at my art making had taken a back seat to the mundane, every day stuff of life. What else is new?

Today you can pat me on the back because I beat Mr. Resistance at his game!

Making the most of a pretty wide open morning, I made my way to the studio space and worked on the latest larger piece. I had been putting it off, painting some small still life works, and ignoring this one.

At 18×24 it’s large for a watercolor painting, but the small pieces were 7×10.

Big difference in working space.

Laying in some nice darks on this 18x24 watercolor — Laying in some nice darks on this 18×24 watercolor

Twenty minutes and I had some really nice darks going on with a lot of color for interest. There’s some things I’m not so sure I like, but overall this work is coming together nicely.

Another art event is soon approaching on Memorial Day weekend, and I hope to have fresh, new work to show. Updates will be forthcoming, unless Mr. Resistance shows up and drags me out of the studio by my feet.

It could get ugly.

New Painting for Monday

Monday is my favorite day of the week. The open-endedness of the weekend is too much for me. It seems I need structure. Or maybe I like peacefulness, something I can’t enough no matter when.

On Monday, if I’ve been good, I get to show you the latest work from my easel.

Using a photograph as my starting point, I sketched a scene from our Greece visit in watercolor paint on a small size paper pad. Just enough space to work quickly and get something down.

A quick watercolor sketch of boats at Amorogos, Greece

Again, I was using the Marabu watercolor paints I resurrected. Now that I know they’re “vintage” paints, I would like to preserve them for times I feel like using something special.

At least I got some work done. Now if I could figure out this website business, I can get back to work on a regular schedule. Otherwise, I’ll have no hair left on my head.

Working Past Resistance and Something to Show for the Effort

The amazing thing about studying getting past Resistance is how it really works.

Yes, I will raise my hand here, I have been slacking on my work. I was on a roll, and now I’m at the point where something has to happen or I am so firing myself. This is no way to run a business.

Subscribing to Steven Pressfield’s newsletters have been a great resource as well as his books. The other day I picked up Do The Work and read a passage that smacked me across the face, hard. It said to read some statements about what we want to do our art, and if we chose one of the lame statements we should just stop right then and throw his book in the garbage.

Wow. But you know what? That’s the thing that made me paint something. Anything. Just do the lousy work already! Process, something great can come of just the process.

Working with watercolors with Marabu pan paints

At my desk looking at an old set of pan watercolors in a tin box my Pop gave me years ago, I thought I’d just try them out. Just a small Arches pad of paper would be enough for a sketch in paint, I figured. I never thought I’d love these old Marabu watercolor paints, but the colors were surprisingly vibrant. By the time I decided I’d done enough I ended up loving my “job.” The paint just flowed on the Arches paper, nice mixtures of colors mingled together within pleasing shapes. All in all, a nice, satisfying effort for the day’s work. Yeah, well, let’s say a half hour’s worth. Sometimes, if I’m in it, that’s all I need.

RedPeppers — Red Peppers ©2014 Dora Sislian Themelis 7×10 Watercolor, Arches paper

Could it be that reading the butt kicking work about dodging Resistance helped? I think so.

Now, get to work!

Thought for Thursday

Rocks ©2012Dora Sislian Themelis, 10x7 Watercolor — Rocks ©2012Dora Sislian Themelis, 10×7 Watercolor

There are more valid facts and details in works of art than there are in the history books. ~Charlie Chaplin

Resistance is the Devil?

The Dark Apple Hides Shells ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis, Watercolor, Arches paper

There comes a time when working at the easel becomes a chore, rather than a comfortable experience. Maybe that’s what happens when you turn pro?

Oh, so now it’s a job? Well honey, it is most definitely a job! A happy, fun, exciting job when it all works the way it should.

For a good long while I was whistling my happy tune, sort of, and painting away comfortably. Every day the Muse came by to drop some really good ideas right into my head. Mr. Resistance was nearby, but he was busy doing his own thing, thankfully leaving me well enough alone.

Lately he’s been pestering me to do other things instead of visit the easel. Sure, he says in my ear, painting can wait. Go read another email, check the internet one more time, do some laundry while you’re at it.

Mr. Resistance is the devil. And now I have proof! Wonderful Mr. Steven Pressfield says it, so it has to be the truth. I trust that guy 100%.

His newsletter whooshed into my inbox one day and his words just smacked me upside my head! Bam! Where would I be without him? In the gutter I tell you, with my paints and brushes!

It’s title alone hit me, How Resistance Proves the Existence of God. Hallelujah! He was writing about a pianist who wasn’t playing the piano, doing everything but, and deeply feeling the pain of not being a concert pianist. Pressfield explained in the newsletter that this was the definition of Resistance, that this man was “operating as an amateur.”

Suddenly, he goes on, something snaps in this man’s head, and he does absolutely nothing else BUT practice piano, losing himself in it and every other thing he had in his life besides, like a crazy person. Pressfield says that this proves there is a God.

First given: Resistance is a universal phenomenon of the human psyche.
Second given: Resistance’s sole object is to prevent you and me from becoming concert pianists, writing bestselling novels, founding the follow-on to
Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity.

In other words, Resistance’s purpose is to prevent good from entering the world.
Ergo: Resistance is the devil. Ergo: If there is a devil, there must be a God.

I read this and it took my breath away. Not only is Mr. Resistance the bane of my own existence, he’s the devil besides! OMG!

What a light bulb moment as I read, and re-read Steven Pressfield’s newsletter. I knew it wasn’t so easy to shake off Resistance. This knowledge is powerful stuff.

My thought process on this has certainly changed with this information. I’ll be doubly watchful as I go about my work from now on.

Mr. Resistance Overstays His Welcome Yet Again

The newest watercolor painting is waiting to be finished

Mr. Resistance has been overstaying his not-so-welcome welcome. Work is just not getting done. This painting has been hanging around so long. I just can’t get to finish it.

And, as I have learned, catching cold after cold, (or is it allergy attacks?), it is due to Mr. Resistance. Let me be honest in saying I’ve been letting him get his way.

I’m not happy about it and the Muse is not happy with me either.

Which leads me to believe I must be coming close to an important break through in my painting. Man, I just can’t get back to work for anything!

Here’s what I think: Lately I’ve been dreaming about painting in oils again to work larger than I’ve been recently, and how it would be cool to have a gallery/studio space outside of my home. Of these ideas, renting a space is the most costly and may be out of the question for now, unless I can find some other like minded artists to chip in. It’s just an idea. What do I know about gallery stuff anyway? Nothing.

Apparently, deep down inside, the inner artist-child must be scared to death of these ideas because everything is happening so that nothing happens.

Does that make sense?

Resistance is Bad For Your Health? Wow

Apple with Broken Shells ©Dora Sislian Themelis 7x9 Watercolor — Apple with Broken Shells ©Dora Sislian Themelis 7×9 Watercolor

I don’t know how he does it, but that Mr. Steven Pressfield is one amazing, intuitive guy. Today I read a post on his blog dealing with Resistance yet again, and again, he hits home. I literally hit myself in the head with my hand as I read it.

Where does he get it all?

His post in Writing Wednesdays: Advance Forms of Resistance stopped me in my tracks because I already had an annoying morning of sorta disaster, like he describes in his post.

Tuesday is my day to study with Mr. Resistance. Did I do it? No. Did I post? No. I thought about it, but didn’t act. I did, however, do some work, thank goodness.

Hitting my stride, working out my kinks, feeling okay about the work that’s happening in the studio. I even listed some work in that Etsy shop I have. Yes I know I should be doing that right here, but I have to figure it out first, okay?

Some how I didn’t post yesterday, and today here’s Steven Pressfield, telling me that Resistance is becoming bad for his health! He banged his hand badly, cracked his skull, broke his toe, all as he was nearing the finish of his work.

Amazing thought: he says it’s Resistance! Yikes!

Surprisingly, I’ve been having that kind of stuff going on with me, but not as drastic. Yesterday inside my refrigerator it was snowing. Okay, had to fix that. This morning I knocked over my beloved fresh hot cup of coffee all over the tablecloth, the floor, and inside The Mr.’s shoes. Okay, clean that up. Just before sitting to write this post I put in a load of laundry, was distracted by some other thing and before I knew it the laundry cycle was finished and I didn’t add the clothes to the machine. Yup, it washed nothing.

Just great.

Thank you Mr. Resistance.

A New Moleskine Notebook

My new Moleskin watercolor sketchbook — My new Moleskine watercolor sketchbook

With my discount coupon in hand, I headed out to the local art supplier in my neighborhood for a little Artist’s Date with myself.

I had a mission: buy watercolor paint colors I ran out of, and get a Moleskine watercolor notebook for doodling and sketching.

Mission accomplished! The notebook is one of the smaller sizes. I really didn’t want to commit to something too large so I wouldn’t be discouraged. But you never know, I could be annoyed by using a small book too. Then again, the price of the larger was much higher so I sprang for this one.

The instructor at the NYC workshop I participated in used a Moleskine for her sketching. I thought it might be good to keep me from arguing with Mr. Resistance. Nothing expected by a doodle or a quick sketch, no commitment to a huge new painting, to experiment with brush and paint.

Process, not product.

Just staying in the game, so to speak.

Painting Workshop at Bethesda Fountain in NYC

The Angel on Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, NYC

Needing to keep current here, and as the fall season moves along, it’s time to share one of my summer adventures. Not that my summer was so chock full of adventure or excitement, well it sort of was, but who needs to hear gory details, except for the fun stuff. Right? Of course.

There short of it is like this: We finally decided to visit Greece. I also signed up for a plein air workshop in New York City’s Central Park with an artist I happened upon online, thinking the lesson will do very well as I planned to paint while away. However, I was side-lined and never made the class, almost didn’t make the trip, but I persevered and thankfully, we did.

After our return I was able to make up my lost workshop day and enjoyed painting outdoors in the city. It’s something I had never done before.

The artist/instructor Anne Kullaf, was wonderful, had great info and style of working. She demonstrated her oil paint technique and showed me how she works in watercolors. We were alike in that we both sketch/draw in watercolor paint rather than plan in pencil then add color. And the site at Bethesda Fountain in the middle of Central Park was a great place to work. I had never been in that area of the park before either. It was rather impressive.

Here’s how my day looked in pictures:

72nd and Fifth Avenue entrance to Central Park

Strawberry Fields dedication to John Lennon in Central Park. Lots of hippies and people just standing around looking at this. Excuse me please, can I get by?

Anne Kullaf at work on the oil demo amid the din of aspiring opera singers practicing at the side, rendering me close to deaf. How about shut up? Sorry, I had to rant here.

By the third painting I was hitting my stride, but I was also hot and tired. It was a good experience and something I should continue to do.