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?