Inktense Pencils and Hydrus Watercolors



Low Lake Level in the Cove, inktense pencils on clayboard, 5x7

Like everyone else, I hate finishing and framing.  Two of my paintings--The Blue Man and Caution--were finished some time ago and just sitting on my easels.  I've read that watercolors on Ampersand aquaboard can be varnished and framed without glass, but what about inktense pencils or hydrus watercolors on aquaboard?  I decided to test with this small drawing of maybe a willow tree behind my neighbor's house (sometimes it's in the water--sometimes not).  This is from a photo I took as Willie and I checked out the cove; I liked the colors--the orange and yellow parts are usually filled with blue water.

A Walk IN the Cove January 2013, photo

Two weeks ago we actually walked IN the cove behind my house (though I do have a fear of quicksand); it was 70 degrees that afternoon and not much water--my dock was on dirt.  I looked for arrowheads and found a couple of smooth round rocks.  I considered taking my metal detector down but it rained the following day--and for several more days.  The Lake's back--and it's a 50,000-acre one.  I can see the water from my upstairs window and I don't need to walk down; the weather has turned cold.

Hot Feet, hydrus watercolor on clayboard, 6x6

Just a sketch to test the varnish.  I suppose I could have just painted squares or lines but what fun would that have been? 

Okay, today I gave everything several coats of varnish.  I set up a varnishing station in the workshop bathroom--covered the toilet with large pieces of cardboard and turned on the exhaust fan--ran in and sprayed; ran to the porch door and breathed.  Nothing disappeared and it passed my Q tip test--dipped it into water, then rubbed the painting--no color came off and no lines were smeared.  I used Golden archival satin varnish.  

Out of the Blues



Holding Back the Drought?
Speech of the Era?
Encore?

OR

Descent?
Hydrus Watercolors on Aquaboard, 12x12

I played with these watercolors--dripping, scrubbing, painting over, spraying with water, etc., until I had an underwater scene.

I can't pinpoint the source for the remainder of this painting:  I watched a Lakefest Idol contest at our local Fine Arts Center (my old elementary school), I was mesmorized by President Clinton's speech at the Democratic Convention, and my brother has a wonderful 4' tall wide-armed blue man sculpture whose eyes watch everything.  All of the above.  When I walked out of my studio a few minutes ago, I saw long hair instead of shadow in this and glimpsed Mona Lisa--made me laugh.

I've been AWOL from painting and blogging, and was gambling in Atlantic City last week (once every five years can't be considered a habit).  I picked my lucky machine at Trump's Taj Mahal and sat down to either spend my money or win a $500,000 progressive jackpot.  I was winning when a stage nearby opened their show.  LOUD music--I tried sticking my finger in my left ear and playing max with my right hand.  After an hour of deafening music and machines, I cashed out (at a profit) and went up to my room, read Vanity Fair on my iPad.  I overslept the following morning so no time for gambling--I brought most of my money back home; I guess that's a win.  I saw the Atlantic, the Boardwalk, and lots of Jonathan Livingston Seagulls.  During the 800-mile roundtrip, I saw Richmond, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Annapolis, and Amish country in southern Maryland.  My studio is now looking very inviting.     

The Fortune Teller



Sister SoLean, w/c on arches, 14x10

I went to Sister SoLean
Who sat against the wall 

Her table was tilted
Her hand covered the ball 

And I saw what she saw
Lillies--yellow and bold 

"The future's iffy" she said
"You've reached the age OLD" 

I put down my dollar
and jumped out of her trailor

Then went to the Pub
and danced with a sailor.

Today I am 70.  I thought I'd be depressed.  I'm not--I am just as semi-sane as I was yesterday; nothing changed.  I will admit to eating just Mrs. Smith's Blackberry Cobbler for dinner.

I've been playing with this watercolor for some time because I couldn't spend quality time in my workshop.  I was undecided--paint the faded Good Will photo of a tiny lady or paint my photo of a yellow lily on a blue bowl.  I chose both and tried everything you shouldn't try with watercolor.  Then I needed a story.

My husband's having out-patient back surgery on Monday so I may be "on-call" for a while. 



Bugged



Bugged, watercolor on Arches, 13x14

Five years ago I dreamed I was at a party; a huge bug was attached to my back, and no one noticed.  I thought the dream was odd; I sketched it while half-asleep.

I found the sketch tucked in a drawer and began the painting three weeks ago in a playful mood.  I thought I'd try a bit of everything with watercolor--masking with torn painters' tape, washes, scrubbing, glazes, muddy colors.  As the painting progressed, however, I realized the subject wasn't really funny--that I was painting my life.  I'm always bugged by something but I smile or joke my way through--so how would anyone know I'm upset?

Art--cheaper than psychiatry.  Now I'm really bugged.

The woman looks a bit like Miss Kitty from Gunsmoke or Margaret Thatcher and has quite a long arm reaching for that wine.  I don't think wine will debug me--don't like the taste or the headache.  I'll just have to keep painting; it usually helps.

He Walked



He Walked, watercolor on arches, 10x12

I picked him up about ten miles outside town.  It was shortly after the 9/11 attack and I had been listening to CNN coverage on my car radio.  I said, "It was terrible what happened in New York."  He said, "I didn't do it." 

He didn't want me to drive him home so he got out of my car at the traffic light in town and began walking west--he had seven miles to go.  Maybe he got another ride; maybe not.

I miss seeing him on the road.  I imagine he still walks but no longer needs his cane and his back is straight.

(My mother taught me that whatever one does on New Year's Day, one does for the rest of the year so I began this painting at 10 p.m. on January 1.)

Inspiration for a Painting



On Watch for Rustlers, gouache & wc on arches, 14x17






First drawing



Inspired by:

My Egypt by Charles Demuth (Whitney Museum)

I was perusing THE 20TH CENTURY ART BOOK when I saw this painting by Demuth.  I didn't see a building; I saw boots and cowboy hat.  I closed the book and made a quick sketch on green card stock--a cowboy and his dog/horse.  Later I read that cattle rustling was on the rise in the West; I took that as a sign I should make a painting, and this one was pure fun--watercolor background and first time using gouache for the figure.

The gun (probably an over-and-under) was an afterthought; I thought the painting needed a vertical.  Later when I looked at Demuth's painting I noticed the smokestack--it was probably buried in my subconscious.  Wonder what else is there?

I always like my first childlike drawings.  I added the grid later just to check placement--I believe that we have an innate sense of where things should be placed and can hit the marks without aiming.     

Cedar at Cedar Grove Plantation

What a Cedar!, w/c sticks on w/c board, 24x18

I began this yesterday, thinking that it would be simple and I'd finish at least one thing during the month of June.  It didn't happen--at midnight I realized there were too many background trees and branches so I'm calling it finished on July 1.

Cedar Grove Plantation (on the National Register of Historic Places) is nearby.  When I visited I found the trees and the cemetery more interesting than the large house, guest cottages, barns, landscaping, and antiques.  I could be called a tree hugger.   "Peace," also a scene from Cedar Grove, is from an earlier blog. 



Peace, alkyd, 12x12 (sold)

Happy Fourth of July!

A Quiet Street

Home, w/c on hot press paper, 24x18

Looks like a Normal Rockwell setting, right? This quiet street in a small town labeled Paradise by realtors will be active for the next six weeks. Town Council elections are coming up--four candidates for three seats. Local elections can be exciting--letters to the editor will fill the two newspapers and porch conversations will be lively.

Home is where the art is, too. I won a contest by coming up with a title for a signed serigraphy monoprint by Don Michael, Jr. My title? Sylvester got Tweety--I saw yellow feathers and blood. Don't worry, Don--the art will look great inside this 1890's house. The interior was gutted and rebuilt in 2004--totally modern inside. Yin & Yang--outside, a cottage; inside, a loft.

About the painting--the Dali-esque tree (this is about half the trunk) is at the top of my street. I have always loved it but it's dying; tree men have pruned, and huge branches have fallen. I will miss seeing it from my kitchen window; I watch crows sitting on it and, sometimes, vultures check out the neighborhood. I had taken this early Spring photo about five years ago--I set up the shot to block all my neighbors' houses. In the painting I eliminated mail boxes, utility poles, and some driveways. I'm still playing with the watercolor sticks. I had bought hot press paper for drawing and thought "Why not just do a large painting?" Here's why. I'm not a neat painter--I spatter, don't follow any of the lines I sketch, and I need more practice at "lifting."
I say "Whoops" often.

(I actually like this painting better cropped and upside-down.)

Cold Winter

Cold Winter 2009-10, w/c on arches, 9x8

It was a long cold winter made worse with sinus infections and swine flu. His grandmother sent him a hand-knit hat.

Playing with water color sticks again, every which way--wet, dry, mixed, straight. This is from imagination--no one I know. I wish I had a hat like this but I can only knit squares & rectangles.

Playing with Watercolor Sticks

Five-petaled Flower, w/c on arches, 9x12

More painting without drawing first. This is from a photo taken by my son Steven; any credit for design belongs to him. I don't know the size of the flower or its name. My thinking: What could be easier than painting a single flower? Ha! When I decided the background should be pale blue, I stupidly thought if I did it quickly my petals would be okay--it almost worked. I learned about color slowly spreading and used that lesson for the lower left. I will now look for my book, The Joy of Painting--I believe it has instructions for every medium. Ignorance, though, is sometimes an excellent first teacher.

Mr. Muffet, w/c on arches, 12x9

Playing at my get-together with other artists on Thursday, I learned the colors of my sticks. First question: What the heck is "New Gamboge?" It's someplace between yellow and burnt sienna--I'll call it dark yellow. Mr. Muffet (who is not suffering from jaundice--just yellow-play) began with two circles which became eyes; he grew a nose; then ears and a mustache; his hair was influenced by the wind outside; then his glasses were added. He had to be looking at something--the spider dropped in.

My art group and I think we know him. Perhaps he walks around town with the sleep-walking nude dictionary lady, A, from my blog entry of February 6.

A Leftover Chicken

What Chicken? w/c on arches paper, 6x6

It was raining today so I played with my new watercolor sticks--they came with brushes but no directions. I pulled out a faded b&w Goodwill photo, turned it upside down, and painted the face, leaving two blank spaces for the eyes. Then I worked right-side up.

Here's what I think I learned. 1. I should probably sketch first. 2. With acrylics, I begin with the background--watercolors might require planning and I should probably begin with the nose or foreground (a bit like sculpting). 3. Dipping the brush in water and swiping it across the end of the stick is no way to control color.

I can't decide whether she resembles me when I was younger or Prince Charles.

This was fun but the beribboned hat was boring. I had leftover chickens from my 2009 painting of Miss Lulu. Why paint feathers when you can paint the whole chicken?