A Call for Cafes from Around the World

The Place to Be

11x14 watercolor

This is number 5 or 6 in my Cafe Series.  I am telling you, the umbrellas do happen to be red/orange this season.  The original photo was taken in Austin, Texas on a perfect, glorious weather day on Sunday at about noon.  The sun was shining, the temperature in the high 70's and everyone was out enjoying this gorgeous day.

My ideal moments spent is sitting outside at a cafe with friends enjoying our time together and the sunshine.  I would love it if you have a favorite outdoor cafe spot in your part of the world if you would post it to my Facebook page or email it to me!  I would love to paint it and add it to my collection.  Of course, I will credit you and link back to your blog or website.  Wouldn't that be great to see the cafes from around the world!

I can't wait to see your photos!!!!!  Thanks for visiting!
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Continuing with canvas

Summer at the Vineyard

16 x 20 watermedia on canvas

Murphy's Law played a joke on me.  After hanging 25+ paintings and then taking new paintings up to City Cafe to replace the ones that sold, I thought, why can't these be canvases instead of heavy frames with glass!  Not to mention the expense of framing.  So I painted a detail from "Summer Has Arrived" with watercolor and matte medium on a canvas.  How liberating was this compared to watercolor on paper.  I am able to wipe paint off and I didn't have to "save my white".  There is no white paint in watercolor and I am a firm believer that white acrylic, gouache etc. will just ruin the luminosity of transparent watercolor, so all of the whites in my watercolors are the white of the paper.  This means I "saved" them by painting around or using masking fluid.  I still handled the whites / lights similarly.  But, if I lost some of the railing or other lights, I could easily lift it out.

Oh, so here is where Murphy came in.  I single handedly skipped in to hang this painting practically dangling on one finger because it was so light, there was no glass to break, no frame that would get chipped.  Well, a buyer called.  He wanted me to come down on the price.  I told him this was my latest work and I was happy for it to come home with me, plus I have "friendly" prices.  A few days  passed, the buyer called again.  He pointed out that all of my other paintings were framed, but, this one and that he would buy it at my asking price if I put a frame on it.  I explained the reason, but, he won.  So here I painted on canvas to avoid framing and my buyer wanted it with a frame.  Thanks, Murphy.  I do have to add, after I put it in the frame, I think I would have felt comfortable asking for 3 times the original price.  The frame made a huge difference.

What do you think?  Do you prefer watercolor on paper?  Watercolor on canvas?

Thanks for visiting!  Have a great week!

Stretching paper over canvas

Sails at Luxembourg Gardens

16x20 watercolor stretched on canvas

In Pat Kochan's class we stretched watercolor paper over canvas.  She wanted to teach us this technique for instances when your client doesn't want or cannot have glass.  It is pretty easy, but, takes more time or effort than I care for unless, of course I am requested to do it.  Just like stretching your watercolor on a board, you wet the paper on both sides, simply wrap the canvas and staple the paper down as you would on board.  You will have to use a staple gun.  Be sure to treat the corners as if you were wrapping a present by just folding them in.  When it dries, you will have a tightly wrapped canvas.  Once your painting is complete, you must protect your painting with a spray varnish.

I finally got my courage up to paint this from a photo I took in 1998.  This was a very hot day.  So hot that everyone was just sitting around the pond, nobody sailing one of these toy boats.  Well, there was no wind, either.  I took several different photos of this man and his cart.  Another painting I did from these photos was Sailing in Luxembourg Gardens, Paris, France, which is of the children sailing the boats.  I heard that they took the ferris wheel down recently.  Does anyone know if that is permanent or do they take it down every year?

Happy painting!  Have a great week and thank you so much for reading my blog!
p.s.  If you have a favorite cafe scene and you would like to loan it to me for my cafe series, by all means, please email it to me or post it on my Facebook wall.

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Portrait II

Little Sister

11x14 watercolor

Custom Home Portrait

8x10 pen & ink

How is everyone doing?  We have been having amazingly gorgeous weather here.  That has cut into my painting time a little.  I have also been working on various commissions.  Two are above.

The little girl is the sister to the boy I painted recently.  I may have done too much shading under her cheek, but, believe it or not, it was the lightest wash of Winsor Blue and some Cad. orange on top.  A little Winsor Blue goes a long way.

The second is a rendering of a home.  A realtor commissioned this rendering as a closing gift for her client.  This is the home they are moving from so it will make a nice memento for the receiver.

GOOD NEWS!!! My show at City Cafe has been extended until March 22!!!!!  I am thrilled about this.  I have sold 9 paintings so far.  I keep taking other paintings up there to replace the ones that have sold, so please visit again if you want to see the latest paintings.

Last, Facebook has made it so easy and efficient for mobile uploads that it seems I take a photo with my phone and upload right to my page - Liana Yarckin Watercolors.  For the latest paintings and news, please visit my Facebook page.

Thanks of for visiting!  Have a great week.  And thanks for all of your comments and emails.  I really like hearing what you think!  :)