Phlox in the Garden

Phlox in the Garden
Watercolor on paper, 7x5
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Using the tinted watercolor paper again today, and the shade is oatmeal.  There are three other shades that I will eventually get to - eggshell, cream, and grey.  The tints are all very light, just not white.  If we would just continue to receive a good amount of rain, these phlox would remain beautiful until frost!  It has only happened a couple of times in all these years.  So, I am "making hay while the sun shines" and capturing their beauty while I still can!  This painting is 608 in as many days.

Butterfly on the Trumpet Vine

Butterfly on the Trumpet Vine
Watercolor on paper, 7.5x5
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These trumpet vines were planted by my grandma on our cellar, and every year they yield these perfect orange trumpets.  They have migrated to a few other locations, one is right outside the kitchen window where I can easily paint them.  The hummingbirds and butterflies love them, and in the last few years, we have hummingbird moths that also flurry around them. This is the first time I have painted them in watercolor, instead of my usual oils or acrylics.  I've lately been thinking of trying out my pastels, too.   Hmmm, I love to experiment!  This painting makes 607 in  607 days.

Old Glory in Fish Creek

Old Glory in Fish Creek
Oil on panel, 9x12
Fish Creek, Wisconsin - plein air

Late one afternoon, I started this painting at the Allen Home in Fish Creek, Wisconsin.  The garden was full and abundant, and their flag waved proudly from the porch.  It was such an inviting scene, like a step back into a simpler time.  With only an hour and a half to paint, I blocked in quickly - careful to mark the darkest darks and lightest lights.  I would soon be joining my artist friends for a fish boil - and I could not be late!  I knew I would probably have to set up again the next day at the same hour, but I could not count on having the same light, therefore it was very important to get all prominent colors and values in, however rough the edges.  I did have to return the next day, something I almost never do - but I needed to finish from life.  I had spent most of the day in the same location, painting the glorious flowers, until it was again 3:00 in the afternoon - time to resume this piece.  Working the edges, this time at my leisure, it was an easy task to bring this painting where I wanted it to go.  Just a little slice of vintage America and painting number 606 in as many days :)

Lazy Susan and Butterfly

Lazy Susan and Butterfly
Watercolor on paper, 6x4.5

I have been plein air painting for 9 years now, on a regular basis.  I first started in acrylics, and stayed with them for years.  About three years ago, I moved into using oils in the field - and have loved them.  They feel very natural for me.  Now, I have started with watercolors, and the question stands before me - do I compete now with this new, experimental medium?  They still feel so unnatural, but I get so many comments in the field when using them.  It is a bit scary to move into uncharted waters, but maybe I should give it a try.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained!  Painting number 613 in as many days.

Midnight Sunflowers

Midnight Sunflowers
Watercolor on paper, 8x6
sold

Today - I am tackling a nocturnal flower painting in watercolor!  I am painting on a 140lb non-cold pressed Winsor Newton paper block, and I like it.  It seems to behave very much like the cold-pressed I have tried.  Have I gotten too bold on the color?  New on the palette today are quin. magenta and viridian - both Daniel Smith, and I really like the magenta!  It seems almost electric when used without diluting!  Once I had this painted, I felt like cropping off an inch on the left would make it so much better than the 9x6 size I painted.  So - I cut it off, and I have never done that before!  Trust me - this is better!  Painting number 605 in 605 days :)

Pink Phlox

Pink Phlox
Watercolor on paper, 5x7
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I am trying a new paper today.  Digging into my hidden trove of watercolor papers, this one is a Daler oatmeal tinted Bickingford 140lb paper.  I know, quite a mouth full!  The tint is subtle, yet lends a warm shade to all areas left unpainted.  I wish the paper were thicker, but that is my personal preference for the 300lb showing.  I like the texture, you can plainly see the tooth in the photo.  I have used four different violets in this, cobalt violet - which was rather opaque,  perm. violet, perm. violet bluish, and perm. violet reddish - which is an absolute favorite!  For highlighting colors, I went to an unknown pink shade - unknown because I didn't write it down, but it is lovely and clear.  I am longing for a variety in the greens, so I must soon see what I can find in my box of watercolor paints.  I don't really care for olive green, have used sap green quite a bit, and yellow green is nice, but I think there must be something wonderful out there that I just haven't tried yet.  The garden phlox is still going strong - even with this August heat!  Today is the birthday of two of my amazing children, one is 15 and the other 18.  We will soon be going out for their "Birthday Dinners"!  Yum!  Painting number 604 in 604 days :)

Bold Geraniums

Bold Geraniums
Watercolor on paper, 7x5

Working completely off the top of my head today, I just started painting without first composing.  I let the brush wander where it would, dropping in extra color as needed.  It is freeing to paint in such a way, like "seizing the day" with my brush!  As always, I painted three different watercolor paintings at once, allowing of dry time between the first layer and the second.  I like the way these colors mingle and pop - I should use that permanent blue more often!  Today's paper of choice - a 140lb cold-pressed.  This makes painting number 603 in 603 days :)

Coneflowers and Butterfly

Coneflowers and Butterfly
Watercolor on paper, 7x5

As the end of August approaches, I  feel the winding down of the garden.  The days are numbered for these bountiful blooms, and once the frosts come, there will be no more blooms to paint.  So, today, I am painting while I can - and capturing one of the many butterflies in the process!  Staying loose and impressionistic, I resist the urge to sharpen the detail on that butterfly!  Squinting, and painting the masses I see - I do not see sharp lines - but instead see gently swaying color in the wind.  I have used 140lb cold-pressed today, but wish instead I had the 300lb.  This cheerful painting number 602 in 602 days :)

Watercolor Sunflowers

Watercolor Sunflowers
Watercolor on paper, 6x4.5
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Sunflowers are an annual favorite of mine - and the birds!  As the heads get heavy and full of seeds, my feathered friends start their feasting!  I am painting on the 100% rag paper again, another of the three I began yesterday.  I work assembly line fashion, not loosing any time waiting for paper to dry.  I work almost entirely wet into wet, only coming in for a little accent when I have rubbed away whatever resist I use.  I like the energy of painting those complimentary colors into the narrow resist lines, letting my intuition guide me.  New on the palette - a wonderful yellow green and a fabulous gold I can't remember the name of!  Painting number 601 in 601 days :)

A Chair Among Flowers

A Chair Among Flowers
Watercolor on 100% rag paper, 6x4.5
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I am trying something new today - painting a street scene in watercolor!  And, I am trying a new paper - 100% rag by Whatman.  Well, let me just say that the paper accepted the paint wonderfully, and I loved the texture.  Then, it came time to rub off the Pebeo, and yikes - the paper absorbed the pale blue shade of the resist!  So, where I wanted white paper showing, I now had pale blue!  Also, the rubber cement remover did not work well, so I used the rubber-like wine cork to pull off this resist - and a little color at the same time!  The cork is a subtle eraser, removing paint without damaging the paper - but I had to go back in and darken areas which had been fine until I removed the Pebeo.  It is pretty unnatural for me to paint a street scene in watercolor!  I have only used oils for this, and the method is SO different!  I think I like the results, and the french flavor of this painting - I'll just have to let it rest and see how I like it tomorrow!  I will not be using this paper for applying resists again - but it may still be a good watercolor paper.  Painting number 600 in 600 days!  Hooray!

Red Poppies

Red Poppies
Watercolor on paper, 5.5x4
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Today, I had a little trouble deciding what my subject matter should be.  After choosing a floral theme, I couldn't decide on which one - so I am painting four at the same time!  I found another watercolor block to paint on - this one in the small size of 5.5x4 inches.  It was among my vast supplies, but without a cover - so I don't know exactly what kind of paper it is.  I like painting on the blocks - no taping the paper to a surface for the painting process, the block simply holds the paper down on all sides.  This painting makes 599 in 599 days!  Tomorrow will be the 600th - wowza!

Wildflower Whimsey on the Konza Prairie

Wildflower Whimsey at the Konza Prairie
Watercolor on paper, 12x9
Konza Prairie

Painting the walking trail at the Konza Prairie today, from the Flint Hills in Kansas, I have pulled out my watercolors.  For the first time, I am painting on a 300lb Arches block.  I have several of these, and they seem like a good idea - especially for plein air painting.    Although, a watercolor friend of mine told me she never uses them, she doesn't like the sizing on the blocks.  I liked it!  I first used the drawing gum to mark off the lights, next painting all other colors, adding layer upon layer until I had the desired results.  Allowing this to dry, I rubbed off the gum, and painted int he light areas.  I love how the paint in the wet sky mingled to achieve just the effect I wanted!  It is always a gamble with watercolors in the sky - I just lay down the paint and let it do it's own thing!  I hope to enter this one in a fundraising auction to benefit the Flint Hills.  I think it is so important to preserve this beauty for future generations.  This painting makes 598 in as many days.

Sunrise at Water's Edge

Sunrise at Water's Edge
Oil on panel, 12x9
Kangaroo Lake, WI - sold

This charming cabin at Sunset Shores was just across the road from the Red Shed in Bailey's Harbor.  Two other times I had walked across to check the lighting, and neither the afternoon or early evening had sun on the face of this cabin.  On the third try, I went over at sunrise - knowing I would probably have enough time to paint it before the girls were ready to leave.  Sunrise lighting was perfect - golden and fresh on the cabin, kayak and across the grass.  It was cold, and I had left my boots in Teddy's car, so I had to wear my fuzzy purple chenille socks with my black beaded sandals - the only shoes I had at the shed!  I am SO glad nobody snapped a photo of that little fashion faux-pas!  Working very quickly to get all the warm color and sunlight in, I next blocked in the darks.  Marking all the color masses was next, all important as I had limited time and could not be sure the next day's lighting would be the same.  Although early, the winds were kicking up on the lake behind.  Sometimes, this lake reflects like glass, but not this day.  There was a beautiful blue in the water, tinted with turquoise.  It is so amazing how the water appears in so many different shades. One morning, it was a warm emerald green in the foreground, and dark blue at the horizon.  I never get tired of painting near the water.  This painting makes 597 in as many days.

Hollyhocks of Fish Creek

Hollyhocks of Fish Creek
Watercolor, 6x9
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After several days of working in the oils, today finds me longing for the watercolors again.  The flowers all over the Door County Peninsula were absolutely amazing this summer!  The weather was so much cooler than the heat of Kansas City, I actually wore jeans and capris each day - normally starting with a couple of jackets, too!  It was way too chilly for me to be out on the beach, but all of the locals thought this was truly summer weather, because they were out in their swimsuits - in the cold water of Lake Michigan!  Yikes!  I like the summer heat before I swim!  The cooler climate and humid weather must be one reason for such abundant and large flowers.  Hollyhocks were at their peak in almost every town dotting the coastline.  I plan on studying this flower, because I think they are challenging!  I have tried them now in oils, acrylics, molding paste and watercolors, and I think their true essence eludes me.  Working more on the lights and shadows on this one, I do like the translucency of the watercolors for the petals.  I wish I had some of these beauties in my own yard.  I had them for years, but eventually the harsh winters got them.  I'm going to put out some more seed this fall, and hope this coming winter is kind.  Painting number 596 in as many days.

Rose Garden Fountain

Rose Garden Fountain
Acrylic, molding paste on panel, 16x12
Loose Park Rose Garden - Purchase Information

Some paintings require a little time to find their conclusion.  Wanting to sculpt this garden, I added texture with molding paste and palette knife to the pastel sketched composition.  It took longer to sculpt a whole garden scene than it does for a floral study.  I added a second layer to the first, to really add dimension to the foreground roses.  Laying in the layers of open acrylics, I added a gel medium in between.  I brought it to the place where I thought it was finished, but something felt undone.  So, I put in on an easel where I would see it every day, in different light, coming and going.  Days later, I went back in with a couple more layers of paint, warming and cooling the temperatures of the masses.  So glad I took this extra time with the painting, as now I am happy with the mood and feel of this beautiful place.  When I paint on location, it is important to me that the painting reflects my feelings and experience while in that place.  Now, this painting does that.  Painting number 595 in 595 days, and I will be entering this one in the auction to support our Fountain Foundation in Kansas City.........unless I decide to keep it :)

At the Fountain of Bacchus

At the Fountain of Bacchus
Oil on panel, 8x10
Country Club Plaza
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Again with the theme of nocturnes, today I find me painting the Fountain of Bacchus outside of the Cheesecake Factory on the Plaza.  A beautiful spot to enjoy a meal and soak up the wonderful architecture, this fountain is of the god of wine.  This may be the first time I have not started with a dark toned panel for a nocturne paint.  I feel like I may be a bit too bright with the colors, and probably too tight with the strokes.  Today, I have played a bit more with the new violet, and have used both ultramarine and prussian for the blues.  I have added a different brand of cad yellow deep, another find among my treasures - and it is creamier and lighter than the Windsor Newton brand of cad yellow medium.  I feel like I need to walk away from this one to gain some perspective on it.  Sometimes, just keeping a piece on the easel for a few days is all that is required for those little areas to call out for my attention.  Every day is a learning experience - and every painting, a lesson.  This painting makes 594 in 594 days :)

Moonlight Sailing

Moonlight Sailing
Oil on panel, 8x10
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Michael had a double header this afternoon, and after dining out, I have come to my easel late on this day.  Keeping with my 4 day theme of nocturnes, I had sketched this composition out before leaving the house this morning.  The work starts more quickly with the planning already done.  I had read an article about turning daylight reference work into night, just by changing the light - so here, I am trying just that.  Since I have finished this at night, the glare off the oils is pretty bad, and thus the color is off, too.  I will try to take a better photo tomorrow with natural light.  The sky and water both are much more prussian blue, and the alizarin is hardly visible in this image!  I tried a new violet on this one - another unburied treasure from my endless paint supplies - thiondigo violet.  It seems to be very much like alizarin, but different.  With so much blue-violet in the water and sky, I scattered it's compliment of yellow-orange around the painting in tiny strokes.  I think I may need to emphasize the mast a bit more, but I am letting this one rest until tomorrow.  This painting makes 593 in as many days.

Moon Over the Water

Moon Over the Water
Oil on panel, 12x9
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I am going to be presenting to the Tri-County Art League on Tuesday about painting nocturnes, so I will be painting one a day until then.  I have sold more nocturnes than I have remaining, so I need to boost my supply to have a variety to display.  I normally paint street scenes, where I can set up under one street light and paint what is illuminated before my by other street lights.  Only the very first nocturne I ever painted was of a completely natural scene, and it was a full moon over the Augusta Shores Lake.  Not knowing what I was doing, several of us set up on the deck of the Curry's - and quickly captured the scene.  It was super fun, but certainly not a masterpiece!  It was the beginning of a love of painting night scenes, though. Since then, I have studied under a couple of wonderful artists who do amazing nocturnes, and the real world experience of actually painting them on location in invaluable.  I don't like using the clip on lights, or any light besides a soda lamp or white street light, so I must pick my locations carefully.  A full moon will give you the best light on all you are painting, and clouds will give you an amazing backlit show for your sky.  I have only used prussian blue, alizarin crimson, white, and a tiny bit of cad yellow deep for this painting.  Now, I must get back to work preparing for my presentation.  Painting number 592 in 592 days.

Rue du Le Barroux

Rue du Le Barroux
Oil on panel, 12x9
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Thank goodness, one of my Tri-County friends sent me a text reminder about today's workshop!  One of my dear friends was giving a demo - and brought many of her reference shots from her recent painting trip to France!  I did not want to miss this, but alas, I almost did!  Arriving late, I got there just in time to start painting.  Picking out a couple of my favorite shots, I started in on this lovely street scene in Le Barroux.  I painted most of this with my brushes, but did finish off the masses with my palette knife.  New on the palette today - Gamblin's caucasian skin, cad chartreuse, and nickel titanate yellow.  You can see these paints used all over this painting, in the foliage, on the stone buildings and the street.  I think this may only be my second or third cityscape ever, so I still think I need a lot more practice!  Perhaps I will start painting some of the Google Earth street views, as so many other artists do......or maybe I should just get to travel more!  Painting number 591 in 591 days :)

Basking in the Sun

Basking in the Sun
Oil on canvas, 5x7
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Another day, another beautiful cat to paint in oils!  I live in the country, and we always have an abundance of cats.  Some rescued, and a few kittens from our one female cat, they all make wonderful subjects for painting.  I never had cats growing up - only dogs.  I loved seeing them at my grandma's house, and my great-uncle's house in Adrian.  It was always such a treat to find the kitties in the barns and play with them!  Cats are always affectionate, without being rowdy and knocking the furniture over - like our big dogs!  For this beauty, I am painting thickly with oils.  It is a small surface, I paint smaller sizes on those busier days!  I have done so much work in the flower beds this week, that it is wearing me down - also another reason to paint small and fast.  There is something almost intuitive about painting these cats, like the brush almost paints itself. I just mix and load up the brush, and suddenly - all is finished.  Today, it feels SO good to be pulling the brush through the oils.  I just got a few new colors in from Gambin - I can't wait to try out on the next painting!  This one is number 590 in 590 days :)

Fancy Pants

Fancy Pants
Watercolor on paper, 9x6
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Another bright and colorful rooster for today!  There is something so freeing about painting with reckless abandon!  Playing with the watercolors again, I am working wet into wet, letting the colors mingle.  Fighting the urge to get too detailed, I choose loose strokes to form the rooster and grasses.  The sheer experimentation going on with the bold colors is exhilarating!  I was never one to color outside the lines - or even to use these vivid colors, always choosing to stay in those "realistic guidelines".  Well, I have certainly taken a walk on the wild side with this lively painting!  Number 589 in as many days :)

Charlie Cat

Charlie Cat - in progress

Charlie Cat
Oil on panel, 6x6
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Our Charlie is very regal and majestic in all of his movements.  With his long hair and wonderful coloring, he knows he is superior!  He has a very affectionate nature, second only to Wesson in his friendliness.  This is the second time I have painted him - and again in oils.  With that thick, long hair - I need a paint with body, that will hold the brushstrokes well.  I first sketched him out with a pastel stick, and painted his eye completely!  I so often do this with portraits, feeling as if I must catch the soul in the eye before I can continue to the rest!  As you can see by the "in progress" photo, I started with an orange underpainting - for no other reason except this is what I had, and this was the size I wanted to paint!  Laying down those oils with heavy strokes, I worked in the fur - pulling the whiskers last.  Adding some of the background color in small strokes on his coat, I marry the background to the foreground.  With a final highlight on the eye - je suis fini!  My regal cat is the 588th painting in as many days :)

Historic Jolly Mill

Historic Jolly Mill, Missouri
Oil on panel, 16x12
sold

The beautiful old Jolly Mill was first built on Capps Creek in Jollification, Missouri in 1848.  This view is actually of the back side of the mill, so as to capture the waterfall running along side.  This mill has been restored in recent years by the Friends of the Jolly Mill and is now surrounded by park land,  It is also a primary trout fishing location where the waters are periodically stocked with rainbow and brown trout.  Missouri is full of wonderful, historic places like this - and this one was brought to my attention by a friend, John Molloski.  This painting makes 587 in 587 days.

Sculpted Prairie Wildflowers

Sculpted Prairie Wildflowers
Acrylic, molding paste on panel
Konza Prairie Wildflowers

Summer at the Konza Prairie finds so many different flowers in bloom!  There are more than 60 prairie grasses and a whole page list with four columns - full of flowers and plants which grow on this prairie!  With this painting, I first sketch out my composition with pastel sticks.  Next, I capture the petals and foliage with my palette knife and light molding paste.  It is important to first have a sketch here, so I can be sure and put the paste where I want it!  No willy nilly application when it comes to molding paste!  After this dries, which is fairly quickly, I go in with my first layer of paint.  Using Golden Open acrylics, I thin down with water and regular gel medium - building up the color and value.  Stepping back periodically, to make sure I get a good feel for where the painting is headed, I make adjustments to the diffused background flowers.  I have tried a stiff, semi gloss medium between layers, but will top this off with the regular gloss for the top coat.  Applying a clear medium between layers adds another dimension to the paint.  I hope to enter this painting for a fundraising auction to benefit the Flint Hills.  It is important to do all we can to preserve the beauty of this Kansas prairie for generations to come.  This painting makes 586 in 586 days.

Sunlit Hollyhocks

Sunlit Hollyhocks
Watercolor, 6x9
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On this painting, I am really working to give dimension to the petals of the hollyhocks.  Wanting to define them loosely, I still want to bring out the light and shadow.  I have not been sketching out my compositions in watercolor.  When I start with the Pebeo drawing gum, I mark off the highlights with this, allowing it to dry.  I then go in with my darkest darks, and next the other colors, before rubbing off the resist.  When I use this method, I paint two at once.  This way, I don't lose any time in waiting.  While I wait for the Pebeo to dry, I go to the next one and apply the drawing gum.  While that one dries, I am underpainting the first one.  And then, while the first paints dry, I underpaint the second.  Rubbing off the gum of the first, I then go in with the final watercolors on the same piece.  Next, I move to the second, and rub off the gum and finish the painting.  At the end of this process, I look over both, to see if there is anything else I want to add, or remove with a stiff brush, a little water and a paper towel.  If that little voice in my head tells me, "I'm done", then I stop.  I always listen to this voice, even if I don't want to!  Painting number 585 in 585 days.

Early Morning at Moonlight Bay

Early Morning at Moonlight Bay
Oil on panel, 14x11
Bailey's Harbor, Wisconsin
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On location with fellow artists

Heading out at sunrise, several of us set our easels up on the edge of the highway.  This beautiful landscape is a favorite among artists, and we make it a priority to paint it at least once while on the peninsula.  This morning was very cool - 47 degrees in July!  And, yes - I wore my ski jacket as well as an extra pair of pants!  I had wished I'd had it last year, so this year I was sure to pack it!  By the time we were all finished, it was already warming up, and I could shed one of those pants as well as my jacket. I love this peaceful and relaxing spot, it is a joy to paint in such a place!  Painting number 584 in as many days.

On location

Hollyhocks of Ephraim

Hollyhocks of Ephraim
Acrylic over molding paste on panel, 14x11
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As you drive along the main thoroughfare through the harbor town of Ephraim, you can't help but see these amazing hollyhocks!  Just north of the Chef Hat cafe, these bountiful blooms were just begging to be painted!  I had already painted a watercolor and an oil for the day, so I decided to mix it up with the molding paste and acrylics.  Sketching first with pastels, I next sculpted the petals and leaves with a palette knife and molding paste.  Drying quickly in the strong winds off Lake Michigan, I started the underpainting almost immediately.  I lay down the background colors first, leaving the thickest sculpting to dry completely before layering on the acrylics.  Before I knew it, my fellow artists were done painting and ready for dinner, so I had to pack it up without finishing.  I would rather not eat and finish my work, but the majority wins - so I took this one back to the Red Shed and finished it at sunrise before everyone was ready to head out again.  I keep very long hours on these painting trips - and I wouldn't have it any other way!  Painting number 583 in 583 days.

Red Shed Daisies

Red Shed Daisies
Watercolor on paper, 10.5x7

On the first morning of our Door County plein air trip, I woke up early - just after 4:00am.  Excited to be there, I jumped up and got ready before anyone else was up.  There were 8 of us rooming together in a loft sharing one bathroom, so staggering our schedules was essential!  Our place set back in a heavily wooded area with these wonderful wildflowers right off the patio.  I had to capture them.  It was so much more humid here - that I had to wait for the drawing gum to dry, and then I had to wait on the watercolors to dry.  It took me far longer than normal to finish this, due to the weather!  Once finished, I felt like I could relax.  With the first painting of the day under my belt, I would now be relaxed while scouting a new location with the girls.  I guess it was like warming up for the day!  The watercolors allow me to quickly knock out a painting, when I only have a small painting window.  I don't really know why they are so fast for me, perhaps because I have no preconceived notions of how I want my painting to look?  I just let the colors unfold in their own tale of whimsy on the page.  Maybe, I should get a watercolor journal......this painting makes 581 in 581 days.

Geraniums at Play

Geraniums at Play
Watercolor on paper, 6x9
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Every year, I plant the beloved geraniums.  Every year but this one.  Our new puppy, now 6 months old, has a passion for emptying every pot and container of all plantlife and dirt - no matter how heavy those pots are!  So, this year, I am simply admiring these beauties from afar.  I love the look of dripping watercolor on paper.  One would think that this is a simple process of raising the paper upright, the the juicy watercolors would just drip downwards.  Well, it doesn't work that easy for me!  Last time, I had to blow on the drops to make them fall.  This time, I held the paper upright and tapped it on the table...several times before the drips would fall!  I wanted drama in this painting, so I chose indigo for the shadow areas, pulling some of it back out with a stiff nubby bristle brush and water - blotting with a paper towel to lift the color.  This left a ghostly image of petals in the background.  I need to be careful with this technique, lest I rub some of the paper away as well.  Today, I add scarlet lake to my arsenal of reds, and a little new gamboge for the sun kissed highlights (yes, I am still working my way though my newfound treasure of watercolors!). Painting number 582 in as many days.

Walking on the Wild Side

Walking on the Wild Side
Watercolor on paper, 7x5

Well, its official - I have lost all restraint with my watercolors!  Today, I let the color have it's way with me and am simply following the whim of my brush!  With reckless abandon, I stroke on juicy bits of paint - dropping more pigment into those strokes, allowing the colors to mingle.  I do not mix my colors on the palette before putting them to paper, as I do with all other mediums.  With the water as my vehicle, I drop in the pigments I wish to mix - and let them do their own thing.  Fun, exhilarating, and yes, a little crazy! Loving the freedom of the medium on this, my 580th painting in a row.

Kitten Nap

Kitten Nap
Watercolor on paper, 9x6
Purchase Information

This little kitten is absolutely spoiled!  The new favorite of my youngest daughter, little Captain is my subject du jour!  I have not yet attempted an animal in watercolor, so when I first blocked in the colors, I did so in a realistic manner, as I would in oils.  It lacked vibrancy and pop.  So, one by one, I began introducing and layering different colors intuitively.  I don't know what the rules are with watercolor - so I am just dropping in the fresh colors I want to see, whatever brings more life to the subject.  A little wild and crazy, this painting makes 579 in 579 days.

Fountain by the Roses

Fountain by the Roses
Oil on panel, 16x12
Loose Park, Kansas City, Missouri

This is possibly my favorite park in  which to paint in Kansas City.   I love roses with a passion, and this park has it all - roses, fountains, arbors, and paths.  Twice, I have painted here when a wedding party arrived, and the ceremony performed, all before I had finished my painting!  I set up on the lower level for this one, I have been on the upper tier for my previous two. I wanted to get in a little closer, and more directly in line with the fountain.  I am thinking of entering this painting in the Fountain Foundation Auction - to support the repair and maintenance of our 400 fountains in Kansas City.  Painting number 578 in 578 days :)