SWS 50th Annual Members Juried Show

Shadow Dancer

11x14

I cannot believe my painting got into the SWS member show.  After I saw all of the entries online, I didn't think my entries were as strong as some of the others.  There were so many interesting techniques, subjects and compositions.  I can't wait to see all of the paintings that were selected.

Something that does concerns me is that the competition is open to water media on paper, including yupo and acrylic.  These do make interesting pieces, but, when one is working with  yupo and acrylic, the possibilities are much different than watercolor alone.  The SWS is a watercolor group.  As an artist that likes painting with transparent watercolor, I wonder if it can compete with acrylics strong colors and the option of being able to paint white on top of other colors.  I know that one can get very interesting results with acrylic on yupo that simply cannot be done with watercolor on paper.  

What is your opinion?  Do you feel that watercolor competitions should be limited to watercolor only?  I realize that there are many more entries when the competition is open to all water media.  But, will a traditional watercolor on paper technique be able to compete?

Homeless in Austin, Texas

Work in progress

I think he was going to ask me for money, but, I started talking as he approached me and my husband.  I immediately took out my camera, said I was an artist and if I could take a few photos so I could paint him.  He talked some gibberish and did all kinds of silly poses and gestures, but, did not ask me to stop taking photos, so I just kept taking them.  My husband did ask me to stop and for us to move on.  We did give him some money and I came home with this awesome photo of him.  He is smiling a mischievous smile in the photo.  I hope I can make that happen in the painting. 

See me on Face book at:  Liana Yarckin Watercolors
Website:  www.lianayarckin.com

Patio in Austin, Texas

Inspired by a patio on an Austin street.  Loved the blue chairs and the chrome frames.

Searching for a name.  Any thoughts?

www.lianayarckin.com

Liana Yarckin Watercolors on Facebook

Big, Bright Flowers

work in progress

22x30

I hope everyone is enjoying this Memorial Day weekend and that we all take a minute to remind ourselves and our children what Memorial Day is about.   

I have a little more work left on this painting.  It is a full sheet of watercolor paper, so the yellow zinnia is pretty big.  Like most artists, we all love to paint flowers.  I was attracted to the shadows that were in the photo.  I have the step by step progress photos posted on my Liana Yarckin Watercolors facebook page.  Any thoughts on the name for this painting?

News:  City Cafe is having a last hurrah party this Wednesday, May 29, 6-8.  This party coincides with the closing of my show.  It has been a great success.  I have hung new paintings in place of those that sold, so if you already went to the reception, there are new things to see.  

Thanks for visiting and thank you for sharing your thoughts with me!

Spring in Dallas, Texas

Home Portrait

11x14

Versailles Park 

11x14

Gorgeous Azaleas 

My Rose Topiaries

The weather has been amazingly gorgeous here.  I feel like we are in California.  Mild temps and the flowers are loving it!  And also, I am so distracted by this gorgeous weather.  I have spring fever.  I just want to be outside, whether working in the garden, hanging out at the garden shops (and even running into fellow artists at the garden shop), bubbles with my dog, sitting with friends, taking walks or doing nothing at all.  So I find it hard to stay inside and paint.  Normally, I take my paints outside and plein air paint, but, this year I have not.  

The above painting was for a local realtor, Shirly Cohn.  She gives these as closing gifts to her clients.  I took the photo on a sunny morning and I am pleased that in my opinion, the painting reflects that gorgeous morning.  The next painting is of a popular neighborhood park, Versailles Park.  I took the photo of it hanging in it's frame at City Cafe.  One of the last Highland Park paintings that I have left.  Perfect Mother's Day gift....

Then I had to share with you photos of flowers from this spring.  The photos don't do it justice.  The one of the azaleas I see all of the time when walking my dog.  When I come to this part of the walk, I love the feeling here.  There are azaleas up the driveway and also coming down the other side of the house wrapping into a sweeping curve along the sidewalk with trees overhanging so low.  I have taken several photos, but, I can't capture the feeling or the beauty.  

The last photo is one from my backyard.  It was such a delight to see "my rose topiaries" in full bloom.  More than 20 years ago I had designed calling cards for myself with a computer drawing of a rose topiary in a pot.  I had no idea that I could ever have such a pretty rose topiary blooming in real life.  This morning I enjoyed the crisp, dry 70 degree temperature while dead heading them.  I have 6 and I am so messy, I just threw the clippings on the ground.  

My show is still hanging at City Cafe.  If you have not had a chance to go by, you have until the end of May.  It has been great.  A lot of paintings have sold and I have received several commissions.  And, several people have asked me to put me on my mailing lists for upcoming shows.  I truly feel blessed with this success and the opportunity to experience this gorgeous spring.

Say hi to me on Liana Yarckin Watercolors facebook page.

p.s.  I have updated my website with new paintings, too.  
www.lianayarckin.com

Tulips from the Dallas Arboretum

Tulips Ablaze

16x20

watercolor by Liana Yarckin

I haven't painted flowers for a while because nobody seems to buy them and "they" say not to enter a floral in a competition.  My floral paintings get rave reviews, but, it seems that everyone ends up buying everything else I paint except for the flowers.  That's okay, because I don't want to part with this one.  When I saw these tulips at the annual Madhatter's Fundraiser at the Dallas Arboretum, I had to take a zillion photos of them.  I took some in the morning when it was about 50 degrees and all of the tulips were completely closed, then at 1:30 after it warmed up, the tulips all opened completely.  I will have to paint another version of them when they were closed.


Below are some of the paintings that sold at my art show.  If you need a gift for Mother's day that is a unique one of a kind - I still have framed paintings at City Cafe waiting to find a home.  I posted a bunch on my Liana Yarckin Watercolors facebook page.  A season of Aspens, Seals in Newport Beach, Cape Cod, Miami Beach, several Paris scenes, a couple of abstracts and 2 Highland Park paintings.

 

I am working on some home portrait commissions right now and entries for the SWS Annual Membership Show.  Thanks for visiting and staying in touch!

Reception - Successful

Karim of City Cafe

The reception for my art show, Colorful Aspirations, was a great success.  Thank you to everyone that came.  I loved the questions and your thoughts about the different pieces of art.  In particular, the story from the couple that purchased "Bridge at Exall Lake".  They said it reminded them of all the times they walked on that bridge with their grandmother.  It was great to hear the memories or ideas that people had from a particular painting.  I truly appreciate all of those that came, old friends and very new friends.  I cannot forget my husband who's support and encouragement is so awesome.  Thank you to my dear friends who helped me set up, took photos and played cashier.  

A huge thank you to City Cafe for hosting such a wonderful party for us.  Great food, wine and music!  I could not have asked for a more professional staff who handled everything with such grace.

To see more photos from the art show and what painting I am working on now, go to my facebook page, Liana Yarckin Watercolors.

Art Reception Announcement

Please join me to celebrate another year of painting and life in general.

Come with your girlfriends, your kiddos or your hubbies for a good time.

City Cafe has special treats for the kiddos - t-shirts with one of my paintings printed on them!

10% of the proceeds are going to The Retina Foundation of the Southwest

For latest info:  Liana Yarckin Watercolors on facebook

That's my baby boy in the painting.  Inspired from a photo I took of him jumping with joy at the State Fair.  It takes so little to make a toddler happy.  It is on display at City Cafe, but not for sale.  

I think I still need to explore this painting idea more.  However, since the subject matter is dear to my heart, I love the painting for now.  If you know what I need to do to make it a competition worthy painting, please let me know.  I want to improve it, but, I am so close to it that I can't think objectively.  I like the idea of one person and then all of the shadows.  I am thinking that I need to make the entire front of the figure dark.   I like letting the shadows be all colors mixing together as they are.  But, I also like the idea of the sunlight on the side of his shirt and body disappearing into the sunlit background.  Or is it suppose to be that the boy and his shadow only stand out from all of the rest?  In any event, I am all ears to your suggestions, even starting on a fresh piece of paper.  That is how into this idea I am.  Actually, any further exploration will be on new paper and I will just keep this as one of the versions.

Easter Greetings

Daffodils I

11x14 watercolor by Liana Yarckin

Yellow makes me think of Easter.  I remember Easter memories from growing up are always filled with spending time with family, going to church, a big feast and laughter from an Easter egg hunt.  It seems there were yellow dresses, yellow flowers, yellow wrappings and of course, the yellow marsh-mellow "peeps".  

These are the first daffodils I ever painted.  They are in my mother's private collection.  She just loved them when she saw them and said I couldn't sell them so I gave her the painting.  

For those that celebrate Easter, I wish you a Happy Easter with family and yellow marsh-mellow peeps.  

p.s.  i am seeing you on my facebook page!  thanks for visiting.  fyi, i can't comment to some of you on facebook because your privacy settings may have "pages" blocked.  i am not sure. i know i can like and comment on some, but not on others.

Children's Portrait

Sisters and Buster

30"x22" watercolor 

by Liana Yarckin

This portrait was just picked up on Saturday.  It was commissioned as a birthday gift for my client's husband.  I took several photos of the sisters with their family pet, Buster.  I painted from the photos in my studio.  Since the painting was so large, it was hard for me to get a great photo of it.  I included close up photos so you could see the details.

Announcement:

The reception for my art show, Colorful Aspirations, will be on

Wednesday, April 17

6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

City Cafe, 5757 Lovers Lane

Last year was great and I thank everyone that came.  Please come by for some bubbly, bring your kids, your hubbies or make it a girls' night out!  Bring your friends, everyone is welcome.  Pass it on.

Abstracts

Flying Free

16x20 mixed media

by Liana Yarckin

Here is a photo of one of my paintings hanging in my show at City Cafe.  It is mixed media created with watercolor on watercolor paper.  I then collaged my own papers that I made with acrylic on collage paper and other found materials.  The papers I made have unique stripes and patterns on them.  Hard to see in this photo.  I thought I had posted the collage papers in my blog, but, can't seem to find them.  Then I painted more on top of this painting by responding to what was needed where.  I saw a bird flying with is wings spread wide so I titled it "Flying Free".  When I posted it on my facebook page, someone said they saw palm trees.  I like that even better.  Now I see the palms and have to look harder for the bird that I originally saw.  What do you see?  

All is going well at my art show.  A portion of the Proceeds will be donated to the Retina Foundation of the Southwest.  My husband and I have been active with this organization for the last 6/7 years.  Their big fundraiser, Racing for Sight is April 21.  If you are in Dallas, consider attending, it is a great day at the races with friends, winnings and art!  

Don't forget to stop by to see my show City Cafe on Lovers Lane and the Tollway map

Have a great week!  Thanks for all of your comments and posts on facebook.  I like seeing your work, too!

Beach Scenes Revisited

A Walk in Kapalua

11x14 watercolor by Liana Yarckin

I did a second painting using my signature color palette of Summer Stroll.  I also decided to change the name.  I wanted to put the name of the location in the painting.  You wouldn't believe how many people buy a painting because of the location.  I have sold many of my paintings because the buyer had been there.  I just like to paint beach scenes the most.  When I am driving around in Dallas, I don't find myself stopping the car, turning around to go back and photograph something for a future painting.  But, this happens all of the time when I am at any beach or beach town.

Since my art show at City Cafe, I have received 2 separate commissions and sold one painting!  I am swamped.  

City Cafe on Lovers Lane and the Tollway map

Visit me on Facebook to see the latest details on the show, what's sold, what people have thought...

Thanks for taking the time to read.  My baby boy is upstairs waiting for me to read him a bed time story, gotta go because soon he won't need me to read to him anymore.

Art Show

I just finished hanging over 40 paintings at City Cafe.  I literally took up every square inch of wall space and I still have a couple of paintings at my house that I need to take up there.  I have already received some good feedback.  One friend even called with several great marketing ideas like table tents and most the map link at the end of my blog.    

City Cafe is going to do another fabulous reception like last time and everyone is invited.  The date is to be determined.  In the meantime, you can have a look when you are in the neighborhood.  I would love to meet you up there any time, just call or text.  If you happen to visit, please let me know what you think.  Paintings may be purchased at any time, you don't have to wait for the reception :).

City Cafe on Lovers Lane and the Tollway map

Visit me on Facebook to see the latest details on the show, what's sold, what people have thought...

Beach Scenes

Beach Deck Lunch - Ptown

11x14 watercolor and acryllic

by Liana Yarckin

My latest painting.  The original did not come off like I had imagined.  I got brave and literally "framed" out the parts I liked with blue.  I saved the pieces I liked and kept laying on blue paint.

Should I include this in my show?  I really like it, but, will someone else like it?

If you have a facebook page, let me know.  I love seeing my artist friends' art in my newsfeed.

Art Show Coming Up

I started February with paintings strewn all over my floor in preparation for my next solo art show at City Cafe.  Since then paintings have been taken to the framers and I have gone around town looking for ready made frames that will work.  I wish I could take all of my paintings to the framer and just have them framed, but, wow, what an investment.  Custom framing is so expensive.  So to keep prices low, I will be unloading my car this morning and spending the day matting and framing the majority of my paintings for the show.  

City Cafe will be making t-shirts for my show with the image of the painting I did for them.  They will also host a fabulous reception like last time, too, but something different.  I don't know what, yet, but, Karim, at Cafe said he wants to do something different.  I am so touched by their kindness to me.  

So a lot of work ahead for the March 1 hanging of the show.  My art will be up for the entire months of March and April.  You can stop by any time to see it.  

Thanks for your time and support.  I really appreciate it.  Have a great week and I hope to see you at City Cafe, on my blog or your blog or on facebook!

Bright and Colorful Mykonos

The Colors of Mykonos

11x14

by Liana Yarckin

Inspired by a photo I took in Mykonos and my continued path of painting people in public settings, The Colors of Mykonos was created.  I love having my stacks and stacks of photos and now just tons of digital images of scenes that I want to be in forever.  I have my images and photos organized in categories of:  beach, floral, architectural, people and then other.  When I am looking for something to paint if I don't already have something on my desk waiting or I am just not moved at the moment by what is on my desk, I go through these images until I find what makes me want to paint immediately.  On this day it was this photo of Mykonos.  How could this not have grabbed my attention sooner?  

I will admit that I added more pink bougainvillea than is in the photo, but, I think it was necessary for the composition and the feeling of the tropical climate.  I have underwashes of permanent rose and new gamboge.  

I posted this on facebook and had an instant response of likes and comments.  The key word is instant.  That response inspires me to do more Mykonos paintings.  If you have a facebook page, let me know.  I would love to see your work there.  I love seeing all of the paintings in my news feed!  It is a quick way to see and like and get inspired.

What inspires you to paint? 

Palms, Arches and Color

No, this is not what my surroundings look like where I live.  But, a girl can dream.  My first observation/point I would like to make, look at my old work from 12 years ago and now look at this, that I am soooooo thrilled about.  Can you believe I take workshop after workshop with artists that paint "loose" so I can learn how to paint like this?  I get so excited when I look at these and I can only hope I can do this again!  

This was an experiment that is not complete, yet.  I used a subject that I have used before, The Breakers, a large painting that sold at the City Cafe show.  I like the arches, the gigantic palms, the sunlight and the shadows.  I was going to do 6 variations of value studies using color.  Working with an 8x10 paper size, I first tried with no success to run watercolor paper through my printer so that I would not have to do 6 different drawings.  I did have a goal to let my colors run together and to experiment with colors that are new to me.  

What did I learn?  I have posted these in the order that I painted them.  Can you see how even here, the first one is much tighter than the last.  In the third, using colors new to me, I love how the magenta and quin. gold react.  I love the colors of the 3rd, but, prefer the sharp contrast in the first painting between the white of the paper and the paint.  The second painting, I like how it seems to be just the right amount of dark, light and even fuzzy indications.  The main thing I learned, was that it can be fun to do these kind of exercises at any point in our painting journey to see how we have grown.  Which one do you like?  Can you suggest any exercises that you like to practice in your art?

Here is the original painting of the Breakers with the new owner.  

Have a great week!

Nature Mix

Sold.

Love is in the Air

Order note cards here.

Do you ever wish for more time and then when you get it unexpectedly you don't know what to do with it?  I am so use to rushing from one thing to the next.  But, all day today I had so much free time on my hands and I couldn't bring myself to paint or anything else for that matter.  My husband having to leave midday on a Sunday for a trip probably has a lot to do with it.  Despite it being a bright, clear, sunny day, I still have the winter blues.  Usually, when I paint or write on my blog I end up feeling fulfilled.  So here is an attempt to send those blues away!

One good experience I did have today, though, is that a family came to pick up Nature Mix.  They selected the painting for their daughter's room.  They were trying to decide between this one and  the giant seal.  Because of the size, they ended up with Nature Mix.  The photo is not as great as in person.  When I pulled out the original, I saw all of the details of the colors mixing together.  Both looking at the original and the enthusiasm the family had for this painting did give me some new ideas for some future paintings, too.  Maybe I will start on one tonight.  

My favorite painting still, is Love is in the Air.  The above is a detail of the original which is 15x22.  You can order note cards of this image and have anything printed on the front or inside.  I would order them with "happy valentine's day" printed in all lower case in the lower right hand corner.  If you order any, let me know how you customized them!  Oh, take a photo of them and post it on my facebook page.  Would love to see it!

Winter blues, almost gone.  Hope you are having winter yellows or oranges.

To a Year of Growth and Peace

New Beginnings

11x11 watercolor

by Liana Yarckin

Work in Progress with inspiration photo

Happy New Year!!!  I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays.  I love the new year because it is a chance to start again and maybe improve on myself.  Last May or June, my interview by Carrie Waller inspired me to set some watercolor and life goals.  I did achieve some of the watercolor goals, but, I forgot what the life goals were.  Oh well, I am going to continue with the watercolor goals - take my art to a new level.  I am studying and working hard at it focusing on composition, value and color.  

Hence, New Beginnings.  I was out of town and with limited supplies so I was forced to work out of my comfort zone.  I used colored pencils.  Inspired by an image of butterfly wings that is not completely formed in my imagination, I attempted with this subject using a color that represents birth, new life, the beginning, growth - green.  I added analogous colors for harmony.  If you know how I always struggle with being a tight painter, then you will understand me when I say I was happy with these free flowing results here.

The next two pictures are a work in progress.  A little late for Christmas, but, it hit me and I was ready to paint this.  The photo was taken more than 25 years ago in my parents home, the home I grew up in. Every Christmas my mother would take out the same Christmas decorations.  We would always have to wait for her to put the lights on the tree before decorating the tree.  My siblings and I could hardly wait. It seemed to take forever.  Christmas music would always be playing while we decorated the tree.  Then on Christmas Eve, all of my family, aunts, uncles, cousins would come over to enjoy the same yummy annual foods and exchange gifts.  In this photo, I see the gold paper-mache reindeer that my mother found on a shopping trip with her sister and would put out every year, the cookies that my siblings and I decorated and those are flowers that someone sent for my mom's birthday.  I remember all of the ornaments on the tree, who they were given by or when each was made by myself or one of my siblings at school.  In the painting, I decided to put a poinsettia for composition and theme.  Also, for design purposes, I kept the ornaments on the tree simple, adding only red bells that were my mom's favorite ornament.  I am pleased with the tree and I hope I can finish the painting with the energy I started it with.

What are your new beginnings for this new year?  

Gratitude

Merry Christmas to everyone!  I would like to thank everyone for all of the emails and comments and support you have given me over the years.  I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such caring friends.  I am thankful for each of you.  Everyone provides something good and interesting for me to consider in my paintings.  

Above are cards from my painting class.  We had a card exchange.  I love looking at each card and recognizing the style of each artist as well as admiring their creativity.  I gave mine blank so that they could be "re-carded", as well as received some blank ones, too.  However, they are all so pretty and personal, I don't think that I could give one away.  I hope we do it again, next year, I can't wait to look and compare.

Thank you and blessings to you and your family.