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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.

Thoughts for Thursday

“If you wait to do everything until you’re sure it’s right, you’ll probably never do much of anything.” ~Win Borden

Back to Painting the Sunflowers

First twenty to thirty minute session

So yesterday’s painting sale was fun. Now back to business. Back to the drawing table. The sunflowers await. Twenty to thirty minutes of painting time is all I allowed myself on the weekend. It was just enough to get something on the paper. Something is better than nothing. Yesterday was a bust.

On my Sunday session, while the painting dried, I played with my beads. That’s always fun too. I had to get away or I would over do the work. Even if I use a timer, my brain just ignores it and I keep on going. Bad idea most times.

But then I can become distracted by so many other things that I never go back to the painting. I’m on a schedule here. I have 100 paintings to get done!

Today’s twenty minute session

Today I was determined to get to it. Maybe someone can explain it to me, but while I am painting I really don’t like what I see. Yeah, it’s the process I keep telling myself, but shouldn’t the end result be somewhat pleasing after all that? I’m not just mindlessly drawing in a coloring book, there should be real art at the end, right?

After I photograph the work for all of you to see, I am surprised by it. I don’t dislike it. There are areas I need to push, but overall it looks better than I thought.

Let me know what you think.

Painting a Garden Gate

Garden Gate 7×10 Watercolor on Canson paper
©2000 Dora Sislian Themelis

The post I planned for today was thrown out of the water when I awoke to find out a watercolor landscape painting in my Etsy shop sold over the weekend. Allow me to bask in my glory for a moment.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure I would even get to paint on the latest work during the last few days. There was so much going on besides the usual running around. I’ve decided to change the color of the foyer of my house, and when is that going to happen? Why do I do these last minute things?

Anyway, I’ll tell you what I did to the latest painting tomorrow. Right now I have a SALE! Yay for me!

In the beginning of my watercolor journey, after the horrible intro to watercolor class a while back, I was determined to push myself to learn. The paints I was using were student grade, and the paper wasn’t much better. Besides, it was all new to me. What did I learn at that class? Nothing. Imagine my guts, taking myself to paint in watercolors en plein air? What was I thinking?

Well, I did ok. Watercolor painting is difficult enough and I had to be outside with it.

Near the end of that summer, I took my kids to Old Westbury Gardens and Mansion near my area. It’s a beautiful Gold Coast of Long Island, NY mansion and formal gardens. The gardens alone are breath taking in size and variety of flowers. The house is so large I could put my house inside the living room.

The weather that day was beautiful and we really enjoyed roaming around. While my guys looked around the garden I sat in a spot by this garden wall with it’s intricate wrought iron gate and tried to sketch the scene. I was pleasantly surprised to find I liked the outcome of this. At the time I really wanted to push myself to paint more, what did I know about process?

A few paintings are in the Etsy shop I have, along with the bead jewelry I make and some small knitted items. Etsy may not be the right venue for fine artwork, but until I get myself together with my own website, some items have a home there. Imagine my surprise when I saw a notice that I had a sale.

It’s a small work, but it will make another someone happy. I’m already thrilled, once more.

Resistance to Painting is Ridiculous

New painting

After a morning of errands, and plenty of procrastination, I kicked myself into gear after lunch to start working on a watercolor painting of the last of the sunflower photographs. I remembered I had a 15×20 pad of Canson watercolor paper and decided I didn’t need to shop for paper after all. Not today.

The only thing about this paper is that it’s loose sheets, not a block like I’ve been using. To work with sheets of watercolor paper I needed to tape it to a surface so that when it dries it lays flat.

There was no board this size to use as a surface so I taped it to my art table. You know what that means? It means I painted in my little studio. Can you tell I had the desk lamp on? It’s not the best light, but it will have to do.

Today I had a plan. After a brief pencil sketch just to place the flower heads on the paper, I wanted to use only the brush strokes for the petals and leaves. I tried to use just enough water to put the paint where I wanted it to go, using color for the lights and shadows, without drawing them in pencil.

Other times when I pencil in my composition I indicate where the shadows should go. Not this time. The brush stroke was dominant and the color choices developed the shadows. Watercolor is a tricky medium. But I guess every medium has it’s tricks. It’s up to the artist to discover how to use them.

Twenty minutes was the allotted time, but I may have painted past that. I didn’t use a timer today. When I felt I was too on top of this work, I stepped away to look over my table with jewelry supplies to distract myself. That was fun. More colors to look at, rather than ruin this painting with overwork.

When I said I kicked myself into gear, it was an understatement. There’s no reason for me to put up road blocks. It’s not laziness. It’s not boredom. It is resistance. I dragged myself to paint, with the little inner-child-artist having a tantrum and holding her breath until she’s blue.

It’s so ridiculous.

Thought for Thursday

“Day, n. A period of twenty-four hours, mostly misspent.” ~Ambrose Bierce

To Beat Resistance: The Timer Is My Friend

Here is the last of the sunflower photographs I took during the vegetable share season. It’s kind of Vincent van Gogh-ish. When I get a chance to buy larger watercolor paper I will be painting from this photo. Did you see I said “when.” And “when” will that be?

I could see these sunflowers in oils, too. The oil paints have sat for so long I can’t even think about getting them out and painting with them. Yeah, I know, I need a bit of time to look them over, set them up around the palette, but then there’s the medium to deal with, a large enough canvas to work on. These are the distractions that stop me in my tracks.

Maybe I will do a small and quick twenty minute watercolor? Well, let’s see where it goes.

These are the things I grapple with during my day. The road blocks are my own. Mr. Resistance can wreak havoc on plans.

Watercolor paints are so easy to get out, paint, clean up, and put away. The oils are out, the painting sits wet for days, the air needs to be well ventilated because of the chemicals in the paints and the medium. Unless I sketch quick with plenty of turpentine so the paints dry faster, this could take time.

Do people still use turpentine any more? That’s how long I haven’t painted in oils, don’t tell on me.

Am I making excuses not to paint at all? Gee, let’s see: no watercolor paper large enough, the oils are a pain, I might not have enough time to paint. Sound familiar? Resistance is stepping out into view here.

Now we are on the verge of December, and all that comes with the holidays. How can painting be a priority if there are so many other things to get done?

The thought running through my head right now is this: The timer is my friend. The timer is my friend.

No Thanksgiving Hype, Great

Thanksgiving is one holiday that really doesn’t get much hype. Unless, of course, you fall into that set of people who must shop. I am definitely NOT one of those people. The powers that be can’t sell anything big for this particular holiday except the food items that are needed.

The focus is on Christmas, Hanukkah, maybe New Year’s Eve. However, many stores opened at 9PM on Thanksgiving day this year. In the past, this was unheard of. I think it’s ridiculous. Can’t people go one day without shopping? It’s bad enough the stores open their doors at 5AM.

What? Do people have to throw out their company because they are going shopping at 9PM? Do they say “Sorry, hurry and finish that piece of pie because I am out of here in an hour”?

I like a leisurely holiday. I enjoy the preparations, the dinner, whether in my own house or at family. Here in NY, the Macy’s Parade is televised so if you’re not there you can still see it.

My habit is to catch glimpses of the parade while preparing things for the dinner. It’s Christmas theme makes it the precursor to the big holiday to come. If you think about it, Thanksgiving is not the focus at all. Too bad.

The end of the parade signals the big curtain call, Santa Claus on his sleigh with all the reindeer and elves. It’s really a sight, and he’s usually great. It’s as if he’s a real person, very natural.

I get misty eyed seeing the Santa at the end. Something about him catches me by surprise. Good thing I don’t have a TV in my kitchen since I had it done over, or I’d be all choked up watching him.

I’m sure holidays are heavy for most people. The present is heavy, as well as the past. Is it the traditions, the anticipation, the expectations, conscious and subconscious? The things we used to do, things we still do, things that are new to do, things we must do, the people we did those things with, the stories we remember, and the people we’re doing them with today.

Heavy.

There are things we do and remember a time doing these same things, but the clothes, the era, were different, are different. I’m not that nostalgic, nor do I want to go back in time. I am just aware that things are different and changing.

Am I different? I supposed I am, but in many ways, no, I am not. I am still who I always was. Santa at the end of the parade made me misty eyed as a little kid, too.

Photos for Friday

Here is a small sample of items handmade by me! Visit my Etsy shop and my Facebook page for more items and contact information if you are interested in purchasing anything you fancy.

Hand Knit Baby Bonnet in Red from 6 months and up
$12

Hand Knit Baby Bonnet in Soft Yellow from 6 months and up
$12

Unisex Knotted Bracelet with various Greek Mykonos beads
$15

Women’s Strung Bead Bracelet with Turquoise and Glass beads
$20

Latest bracelets for Men and Women

The Shell Has Company!

Isn’t it nice that my beach shell has found itself in another painting with company? I don’t know what it is about that shell that I seem to paint it so often.

Maybe it reminds me of the day at the beach when I found it? Maybe it’s because of the little bit of seaweed that clings to the underside? Is it because it’s cracked?

Then there’s the apple. I’m intrigued by the different colors I find in every apple I paint. The veggie share gave me this pumpkin-type thing. I like the color of it.

Whatever pulls me, I must oblige.

I had planned to paint this still life set up larger, but guess what? No paper! The small Arches block I was saving to take with me on painting excursions was ready and waiting, so that’s what I used instead. A trip to the art supply store will have to happen sooner rather than later.

Twenty minutes of painting this and I was finished. Damp brush, not a lot of water, and sketching is possible. I used two brushes, a medium large round and a small outline type brush, to paint with. We all have many different brushes, but lately it’s been these two. Funny how we can pare down to get the most out of a minimum of items to work with.

It’s like having a closet full of clothes, and I only wear the same ten or so items all the time.

The same thing with painting. All the colors on the palette and I keep using the same five colors, and these two brushes.

Anyway, I painted. It’s a reason to cheer! Except I won’t because I never know when Mr. Resistance will turn the corner. Shhhhhh.