watercolor painting Archives - Page 5 of 19

Morning Painting Session

Pushing resistance out the door, ironing out the kinks, keeping my fingers crossed that I can work on this latest watercolor painting with strong momentum behind me.

I can dream, can’t I?

Another session on this latest work

Funny thing is, I usually don’t paint early in the day when I know I have other things to get done. Today I had plenty of morning time with not much to do.

Granted, I’ve been awake since 5:30 AM. Wide awake at that.

Dressed, did the breakfast thing, read my news, checked email and all cyber stuff, kicked the family out the door, wrote the Morning Pages, straightened out the house, all before 9:00. Now what?

I painted. It might be a good thing, too.

The question is: will I come back this afternoon to finish?

So, let’s just say I let Mr. Resistance stay a couple of days longer than I would like. Let’s just say, he made himself kinda comfortable here and decided he might help a little around here. Let’s also just say, I needed someone to kick me.

Resistance mode is not pretty, but this new work might be

It’s a nice thing to volunteer for the church, work hard, have a nice time with friends and fellow volunteers. It’s quite another to lose all momentum on the creative front just because I wasn’t painting for a week.

Being an artist is not easy at all.

Coming out of resistance mode is like climbing out of a deep crevasse, I just don’t want to have to cut my arm off to come free.

In the depth of my blah-dom, my don’t-feel-like-painting mood, while the new work sat waiting on my easel/desk, I wasted more time by surfing the internet. Bad.

Yeah, I get on, promote my stuff, spill some thoughts, share others. Blah blah blah. Knowing I’d get a little help from artist friends online I shared that the weather is rainy, there’s no motivation, maybe I should read a book, and would someone just kick me. Wouldn’t you know it, that’s exactly what one artist did. He commented: Here’s your kick. I love it!

Funny thing though, it worked.

Thankfully, the new work was ready to go or it would not be pretty.

New Finished Watercolor Painting

Yes, friends, another watercolor painting is off the block. And it’s a happy day.

Sunburst ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis
14×20 Watercolor, Arches 140lb cold press

Let me tell you what I’m not sure about. I’m not thrilled with my photo taking skills. I have tried bright natural light, and sometimes it’s too much light.

Then I tried softer daylight, with a sheer curtain, still no good. Today I took this photo with the flash on, all quite by accident, and it’s not all that bad. I think I lost some color in there somewhere, but the photo without flash was dull. Am I going to need to take a course, or what?

Almost finished photo, no flash, bright desk lamp

A photographer at the art event asked me if I knew how to take photos of my work by zooming in on the painting first. Yes, I knew that, but I should’ve asked more questions. Better yet, I should have asked him to take the photos. I wonder if that would be a good idea? Next time, my brain needs to work faster.

This might be the only work I get done this week. Our big, fat Greek festival is happening this weekend, and you know what that means? Craziness. I’ll try to update you.

Finished, and Unfinished on Friday

Now that my excitement of the art event has died down I can get myself back to the real world and work.

Recently I downloaded this fun painting application to my iPad called Artrage. It allows you to paint a virtual painting in any medium, with any type of tool you desire.

While investigating this app I found out there was a stylus coming out for sale that can be used as a paint brush, called Sensu. As soon as it was available I ordered it and it’s wonderful. I love it.

Pillow on Chair ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis
Oil on canvas with Artrage app on iPad
using Sensu brush stylus

I painted a work using the Artrage program before I received the brush stylus, using my finger to manipulate the paint. Now I can actually paint in oils with no clean up! Great tools.

New work- real watercolor on real paper!

Take a look at a real, live watercolor painting I’m working on. If I could get myself away from painting on the iPad, maybe I can finish this latest work and move on.

Technology is a an amazing thing. Now let’s get back to the easel, shall we?

Sold! The "Art" of the Art Sale

Thankfully, the art event on Sunday was very laid back and casual. Originally, I thought that was strange. I’ve entered work, and was rejected a few times, to events that charged a fee for each entry, was a juried event, and the organizers earned a small percentage of sales. They usually want an artist statement and biography, among other requirements like size of art, submission in pdf form, CD, photo. Plenty of stressful things.

This event had none of that, and it had me a little worried. What kind of thing was I getting myself into? “Call the organizer” was the info I got after I saw all they wanted was my name, number, and “Art”. Should I do it? Should I not bother? It ended up being just the right thing for me. The venue was relaxed as well as the chairpeople.

Just show, sell, or not. Great.

The other artists were fun to meet. This photographer, above, saw things in this postcard of my painting of a pepper stem, that I can’t repeat. She asked if it was a subliminal message. The word “hermaphrodite” came up. Really? Wild. I still see just a pepper stem.

This artist standing with me at my booth was an amazing cartoonist who made a cartoon book about the heroes of the Greek Revolution. Amazing work.

Here I am packing up a sale for a lovely show attendee. She came by my station and we talked about my work. We discussed my process, my motivation, the subjects, and my background as both a person and an artist. This lovely lady ended up buying two of my Greek landscape watercolors.

Then her friend came by and asked the price for the painting of a marigold. After I told him, he wrote out a check! We were all so excited. I asked them if they would take a photo together with the works they purchased and they agreed. Just wonderful, lovely people to meet.

I sold quite a few blank notecards of my paintings, and near the end of the night, two of my necklaces were purchased. It was fun for me to learn people wanted to buy so badly they went to the nearest ATM for cash!

Painting is a Journey

When I began my watercolor journey I really just wanted to find out how to manipulate the paints. Process first and foremost.

After a while of trial, and much error, I turned to working with photos of my own and from travel books. It was a virtual vacation in a sense, while mastering a new medium.

Admittedly, there is a fear factor there. After painting for a long time in oil paints, watercolor was like being dropped in a dense forest with no compass, and the sun is hiding behind the clouds. Lost.

My thought was this: would I ever learn to make watercolor do what I wanted it to do?

A different style of work..

There is always something new to learn, no matter what the subject. So, okay, this watercolor thing is a challenge I haven’t seemed to get bored of yet. I’ve moved back and forth in my painting journey, from photos to live work, to photos.

Keeping it fresh, interesting and working in the process. It continues.

Looking back at these paintings I can see how far I’ve come along in style and subject. These scenes stir something in me when I look at them, but there isn’t that tug on my creative brain to go here right now. Maybe the next time I am in these places I’ll feel like painting like this.

When will that be? No clue.

The opportunity to participate in a low-key, casual, community based venue has come up and it just might be time to let go.

Word on Wednesday is Abstraction

Well, lookie here, another painting found it’s way out of my brain. Imagine that? How quick was this one? I almost can’t believe it myself. As I was finishing the last still life watercolor painting, this one was calling me to be worked on.

Three Peaches ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis
9×12 Watercolor on Arches cold press 140lb paper

After I found a small section of those photos that seemed pleasing, and as soon as I released the last work from the watercolor block, I started in on this piece. There was a bit of a challenge keeping the white of the paper as the highlight on the fruits, but I did my best. I’m comfortable with the outcome, and painting this was work.

The colors feel different than the last few pieces, as well as the shapes. Something is changing, I can feel a difference. Abstraction seems to be taking hold as the shapes get larger.

I’m just going to go with the flow.

Thankful for Finished Work

Every once in a while I think we have to stand back, take a break, and just do nothing. When there’s too much going on it seems to me the only way I can move ahead is to stand still. The craziness of the last event had me standing still a little longer than I would have liked. Things eventually work out.

The latest watercolor painting I started working on was waiting patiently to be finished while my brain rewired itself. There it was, sitting on my desk, waiting. I waved hello and got to work. Patience pays off in the end, and it is finished, finally.

I don’t know what the big deal was, it’s a small piece after all, but brain cells were missing, having gone AWOL. When they returned, so did the motivation.

Waiting to continue..

And there you have it. I worked on it until I decided I’d had enough of it. Maybe an hour to get it where I thought it should go and then I dropped it like it was HOT.

The thing is it’s finished.

Back to Monday and Painting

Monday could not come soon enough this week. What a busy, hectic few days I’ve had. The traditional Greek dance competition this weekend made my head spin with everything going on. Plus which the kids I teach had to perform, so making sure they knew their stuff was on my mind. They were great, though. I really didn’t need to worry. As they say, practice makes perfect!

And that leads us back to painting! Practice, process, same thing.

The next painting was started last week, when I had a life. Okay, I’m being dramatic, but really, painting is the thing that ends up being pushed aside. Now, I don’t want to get into the “if I had to go to a real job” thing. However, the reality is that painting isn’t the priority, nor am I the person bringing home the bacon with my artwork. Maybe some day, but not now, so it has to wait.

It’s first on the to-do list and it will happen. Just not exactly when I want it to happen. It’s fine.

Another work begins

Here’s the next work on deck. Another still life watercolor painting of veggies. Shapes and colors if I squint at the small section of reference photo.

Darks and lights. Small size, short and sweet. Works for me.

Finished by Friday

After I read The Artist’s Way a while back I knew I was on to something when the author, Julia Cameron, wrote that artists need quiet. Now maybe that statement isn’t as true for some as it is for others. I am one of the others. I need my quiet. Sorry, I don’t even want to hear the radio. My brain has enough noise.

Right now is the calm before the action begins. I’ll take it. I like calm, quiet, nothingness. That’s probably not even a word, but it feels good to say it.

During one of the latest online classes I just took, it was suggested we ditch the paper to-do list for an electronic one. I’ve been using the Notes feature on my iPod Touch thingy and it’s been fun.

“Paint today” is #1 on my every day list, every day, and paint today I did. Process is key.

I found myself thinking about finishing the last work before falling asleep. It is so weird, but it’s been happening more often lately. It’s finished, and it’s a good thing.

Stopping before trashing it was also key. What’s with that? At a certain point I had to stop working on this. I guess when I feel the frustration coming, my insides get crazy and I know I’m done. It worked itself out, is all I have to say.

Yes, there are areas I could have worked differently. I don’t care, it’s over.

Category: watercolor painting