Wednesday, September 27, 2017

a willet?





9x12

I'm not 100 percent sure what kind of bird this is ... a willet, perhaps?

Monday, September 25, 2017

more beachgoers



Another painting from one of my photos. And my completed homemade sketchbooks--two with Coptic binding, one with Japanese stab binding.

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Beachcomber

From a photo I took last summer.
Didn't get to the beach much this summer, for some reason. Always regret not having had enough fun when summer ends!

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Beachgoers

Another sketch of beachgoers. Feel it could use some punching up ... But I'll leave it and call it a hazy day.

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Sunday project

Working on making a few little watercolor journals: two with Coptic binding, one with a simple Japanese stab binding.
Also, a little contour drawing. 

Monday, September 11, 2017

Not working ...

I set up a little still life that I thought looked so nice, simple and bright.
But I couldn't translate it to the paper (one mistake was using masking fluid).
So, inspired by Rhonda at Watercolors and Words, I decided to try to fill the space a la Shirley Trevena ... Easier said than done as I don't have her facility with shapes, among other things.
But, I figured it couldn't hurt to practice on a failed painting.
This is how far I got this morning.

Friday, September 08, 2017

Oysterman

From a picture I took of an oyster farmer returning to the dock.
Overworked the dark greens a bit--they kept drying too light. And I was hoping to get more variety in there; when I painted it, I thought I was varying them...not enough though.

Wednesday, September 06, 2017

photo refs

Yesterday was the last day of the summer flounder season.
Didn't catch any flounder, but got a couple of nice reference photos.




Tuesday, September 05, 2017

Bad paper :-(

Didn't finish this little sketch--struggled too long with it as it is--because the paper was not cooperating.
I have this problem with paper sometimes--too old? too much humidity? It becomes absorbent, flattening the color and making mixing on the paper and hard edges impossible.

Monday, August 21, 2017

Cloud study

Once in a while I get an urge to try painting clouds. There are so many watercolor techniques to practice: color mixing, hard and soft edges, wet-in-wet ...
And the subject itself is new daily

Saturday, August 12, 2017

Outside Espanola, NM

I have numerous--beyond numerous, really--photos of NM: Espanola, Santa Fe, and my favorite, Taos.
They always seem too daunting to paint!
But this scene appeals to me so much--I am crazy for pinons!--I decided to finally try.

Friday, August 11, 2017

Jersey shore

First painting I've done in my revamped studio--a very pleasant experience!

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Iris

Another abandoned painting!
I couldn't see my own underdrawing very well and wound up putting a petal where on shouldn't be.
On the upside, my glads are blooming ...

Tuesday, August 08, 2017

Unfinished ...

I've been seeing a lot of great portraits on FB lately, which inspired me to get out a photo from an "old Florida" site that I found a few years back. I just loved this woman's serene and sweet face.
So, I began ... But stopped.
The color's not right--too yellow?
And, I think there are too many hard edges...
Sometimes, for me, it's better to begin again than to try to fix.

Sunday, August 06, 2017

Studio revamp

Though I haven't been painting, or posting, much, it's not far from my mind!
I've been redoing my studio--painting, reorganizing and winnowing, building shelves ...
I wish I had taken before pictures!
The current lack of clutter will, I hope, be conducive to spending more time in here!

Monday, July 10, 2017

Blue poppies

Painting in the darks behind the flowers I ran out of steam!

Benny's Landing, 2

A second attempt made in the comfortable, if hot, confines of my studio.
Houses are still too prominent! May do some lifting, under them especially.
Even with the dark undernesth, the houses seem to be floating!
I think I will pull some of the grass color up into them; perhaps that will integrate them better.

Thursday, July 06, 2017

plein air group

Last summer a few friends and I started a plein air group; this summer we're folding into a larger group with a greater range.
We met yesterday afternoon at Benny's Landing. Beautiful afternoon.

Right off the bat, I messed up the line of houses: it's too big, and the rooflines were mostly at the same height. Also, I began by painting the shadowed side of the houses; should have started with the lighter side, I think--then I might have seen the drawing error and been able to fix it.
Since I wasn't happy with it, I decided to mark corrections on it with a marker, so I could try the scene again.
I changed the roofline, and added more dark shapes along the base of the houses.
When I paint it again, I'll much reduce the prominence of the houses too.

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Roadside lilies

Some naturalized lilies-- my favorite flower I think when they're blooming everywhere--I found in an empty lot on a bike ride. I should go back with a shovel and grab a couple!

Thursday, June 22, 2017

thinking ahead

 (8x10)
Every year when the holidays roll around I kick myself for not having had cards made: not this year!
Here are the three paintings from this past winter that I've chosen to have printed.



Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Sunday, June 18, 2017

More from class

Something different, and fun.
The paper is stained with tea: blot a hot, wet teabag on it till you get the stain you like.
Let dry, then paint.
This is a kind of tea plant.  
The class is 8 Flowers 8 Ways with Val Webb.

Thursday, May 25, 2017

geranium

Spent last week enjoying the warm waters of the Gulf with a friend; this week catching up on my work!
This geranium keeps calling to me, and I'm trying to make time--especially since, now that my irises are done, I regret having put them off.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

St Pete

In St Pete with a good friend for a few days ...
Here's the view from the hotel!

Friday, May 12, 2017

Crocus

I'm taking another online class with Val Webb. This one is 8 Flowers 8 Ways--eight flowers each done in a different technique.

Iris

I've been doing so much work in my yard, I haven't been making much time to paint.
But my irises are almost done, so I've got to make time!
Starting with this drawing ...

Monday, May 01, 2017

Plein air

Visited Fort Dr Soto, a great state park in St. Pete, Fla. A favorite place of mine.
As I always do, I took a small watercolor set and some 5x7 paper.
It usually goes unused, but this time I actually managed to get the paints wet, which makes up, for me, for any deficiencies in the results!

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Daffodils ...

The current challenge at Peintures de Evhi.
A week ago today I adopted three cats. One still runs away every time she sees me, but I'll win her over.

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Magnolia

I have a magnolia that blooms beautifully and briefly. I look forward to drawing and painting the undulating flowers every year. But this year a snowstorm killed all my buds--not one bloom.
So I painted this using a couple of the many pictures I've taken in previous years.

Friday, April 14, 2017

Daffodils

I keep trying. For this one, I tried to keep it looser, wetter ... No drawing.
I need to work on varying the greens more.
Next time.