Tulips

Pink Tulips

8x10

Tulips

8x10

Right now I am working on 4 small florals.

The two above are painted on yupo.  This was my first time to work on yupo.  Working on it's slick, nonabsorbant surface with watercolor is a very different experience.  The most amazing thing is no matter how much water I put on it, the yupo stays perfectly flat and smooth without even the smallest ripple.  The paint sits on top, it wipes off very easily, even unintentionally. 

 

Paintings from Spring Break

Free of Expectation

11x14

Sundance Run

6x9

My family and I were so lucky to stay at our friend's house in Telluride, CO. over Spring Break.  The very lucky part is that my friend is a fellow artist!!!!  In the craziness of packing, I forgot my paints.  Luckily, my friend had an extra palette of paints that she was happy to lend me so that we could paint together. 

My friend also paints in watercolor.  She paints faces a lot.  She showed me some pictures that she tore out of a magazine and sort of challenged me to paint one.  Now I was painting a completely different subject than usual and painting with someone else's color palette.  I was free of expectations of myself!  We were painting for fun.  That was how Free of Expectation came about.  I had seen some masking tape in one of the drawers and with Flocking Together still being fresh in my mind, I applied similar techniques here.  I really, really like the effect of masking.  I like the crisp edges and sharp contrast and the accidental bleeds.  I am trying to figure out how else to work masking into paintings at a more interesting level.  I am not sure what I think of this painting, but, I did have fun doing it!

I painted Sundance Run simply because I was so inspired by the mountains, trees, bright sunshine and very blue sky in Telluride.  Telluride is truly beautiful and my painting does not at all come close to representing the breathtaking surroundings.

Your feedback really makes my day!  Let me know what you think, good or bad.

Have a great week!

Rememberance of Nana

Geraniums for Nana

15x22

Nana

11x14

 Photo of Nana and me

Nana, my great-grandmother

March 24, 1897 - September 28, 1997

Nana was a very strong and truly good person.  She worked so hard all of her life.  She was giving and a caretaker of everyone.  Widowed very early in her marriage, Nana raised her only daughter with the help of family.  This must be what gave her her patience and what made her have to be strong. 

What I like to remember about my great-grandmother is her laugh, I can still hear it.  She loved us all so much.  She had all of the time in the world and appreciated the simple things in life.  I remember her pointing out the evening breeze and how good it felt.  She said, "This is my air conditioner," one night when we were sitting on the front porch. 

Nana ended up living with alzhiemers for over 10 years.  It was too long to live like that in my opinion.  Below is a poem I wrote in 1986 when I was a senior in highschool (thank you to my teacher, Mr. Joseph Wilson) about Nana and her alzheimer's.

Requiem for Nana and Me

Once I laughed at you
Telling me I was a naughty girl
Pointing that finger at me
I climbed higher, swinging on weak branches to watch you yell and scold me
I knew you wouldn't be mad, though.

But no more can I run and hide from you.
You are too old to chase me
I am too old to play silly games.

Never again can I sit in your lap
You are frail and like dead tree branches for me

I never understood why you worried when I would be a big girl
Always wanting me to stay little.

Oh Nana, I want to spit againso you will tell me that is bad
I want to walk to the store with you holding my hand tight.

I hate the smell of this place
You can't even notice it
You barely notice me.

Nana, this can't happen
But, you can't do anything
Neither can I
Nobody can

Okay, Nana

I'll stop whining and be a good little girl.

Flocking Together

Flocking Together
11x14

Here is a painting I had so much fun doing. I always enjoy painting, but, on this one I used different techniques than I normally use. I am going to show this to the card company. Similar to Love is in the Air and Butterflies which I did specifically with Cards Direct in mind, this image was born. The process of getting a new idea or image in my head is so exciting to me. During my day and talking with other people I am always seeing things to paint or noticing the colors or light on objects. A friend has suggested, " You have to do something with birds." It made perfect sense with the change of season to spring and migration. I used pouring techniques and concentrated liquid watercolor. I think I could do more on this in the ways of adding detail, but, right now I like it as is. Maybe later I will look back and think how naive of me. I have some other ideas that I can't wait to try. If you have an opinion, please let me know!

p.s. i found out who my admirer was and I am not the least bit surprised after the fact.

A Different Kind of Secret Admirer

Friday morning someone left a page from a magazine (top pic.) for me. It is the hopeless romantic in me that has interpretted this kind gesture (obviously from a friend and supporter) as a secret admirer of my art work. The mystery person drove up to my house and asked my babysitter, who happened to be outside, to give this page to me. Who is this mystery person/secret admirer/wonderful supporter? And what do they want for me to do with this beautiful picture of camellias? Clues: a female, drives a tan SUV, has brown hair, they read Southern Accents magazine, they know I like to paint flowers. This pretty picture and thoughtful act was a great way to start my day. I was motivated, intrigued, excited, curious, felt loved and special.

In response to this mystery surprise, I decided to post this video of a painting of mine that is of similar colors and petals. It is of a peony.

I would love to know who this wonderful person is, so please reveal yourself. In the meantime, we can all be secret/or not admirers and offer encouragement and feel goods to those that we admire whether it be an artist, teacher, spouse, child or parent. I know if you are a blogger, you are a great admirer to many and often encourage and support others. I would be such a lonely painter if I didn't have my blogger friends. Have a great week!