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.

Peace for Sandy Hook

As a mother, my heart aches for the children and family of Sandy Hook Elementary.  How can we reverse time?  There are so many questions, so much pain.  I pray for peace for the families of those children and for all of us.  

#26 Acts of Kindness, (read more here), Ann Curry's idea.  Do 26 acts of kindness, one for each fallen victim of Sandy Hook Elementary.  

Dreaming of a White Christmas, in white linen that is

11x14 watercolor

sold

Is it as warm where you are as it is here?  We are experiencing mild weather, highs in the 70's-80's.  As one friend put it, "we have two seasons in dallas, winter and summer and sometimes within the same week."

The painting above was just picked up today.  My client is going to give it to her husband for Christmas.  This is a home in Highland Park.  Although, I took the photos in November when the commission came in, my client preferred to have the azaleas and crepe myrtle in bloom.  I do love painting the gorgeous architectural details, but, what is most fulfilling is how pleased and appreciative my clients and recipients are of the painting I have done for them.

That's my painting framed.  Wow, what a difference a frame can make.  I am honored that she hung it in a prominent space in her dining room along with some fabulous art by other women artists.  I posted that painting last year here and on facebook.  The woman next to it saw it on facebook and replied to buy it.  I happen to be dressed for a costume party in this photo, so hence the red hair.

Hope you are able to slow down and enjoy this holiday season.  

Aspens in Every Season

close up detail

A Year of Aspens

each 7.5 x 22"

First a huge thank you to everyone who has "liked" the Southwestern Watercolor Society facebook page that I have started for SWS.  I truly appreciate it.  If you have any thoughts on what you would like to see on it, please let me know.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving for the Americans out there.  For us it is always nice to spend time with family and see our kids play with their cousins.

I had started doing these aspens a few weeks ago.  The idea first came to me while hiking in Beaver Creek, Colorado.  I took so many photos trying to capture what it was like to be surrounded by so many aspens.  Did you know that the aspens are actually all connected underground by their roots and that they can actually smother or deprive another tree type by surrounding it and drinking all of the water.  Also, aspen trees have a very low flammability rate so they actually help prevent forest fires from spreading.  

Back to my inspiration.  After taking photos and different times of the day and catching the sunlight in the morning, backlit trees and evenin sunset, I couldn't decide what time of day I wanted to paint.  The more I thought of it, the aspens through out the year came about.  Like my Sea of Sails paintings, I wanted the viewer to feel as though they were surrounded by aspens, hence the exagerated horizontal proportion of the paper.  I think I will still do another winter scene with pine trees, too.  To see close up details and the process, visit my facebook page.  The fall close up got the most comments with the yellow a close second.  

I plan on showing these in my spring show as one piece.  I will have all four framed together. 

Let me know what you think - good or bad.  I love hearing your suggestions.

Calling All Watercolor Artists

Watercolor Artists, I just wanted to let you know that there is a great new resource for you, the Southwestern Watercolor Society on Facebook.  Artists and collectors, please visit the facebook page (not the group) to see the latest info on workshops, speakers, competitions, paint outs, art....

As the official SWS Facebook Chair, any feedback you have on the page would be much appreciated.  Please show your support by pressing the "Like" button.  As soon as I see you all on there, I will stop blogging about it ;).

 Sunflower Trio

15x22 watercolor

by Liana Yarckin
buy here

4x6 Spirit Cards made from last weeks painting

Sunflower Trio was done using a spirit card as the design for an under painting.  The second photo shows the painting from last week cut up into 4x6 "spirit cards".  This is a technique explained in Douglas Walton's book.  I used one of the spirit cards to create the under painting for Sunflower Trio by painting exactly what was on the card on my 15x22 paper.  I selected a card that had opposite movement or design than what my composition of the flowers.  I thought this would create both tension and interest.  Some of the under painting ended up getting lost though because I used a non-staining color.  You can see remnants of the under painting where I used staining colors.  So that is a lesson I learned.  

Another thing I learned, whether I use spirit cards or not for an under painting, creating the first part of the spirit painting was an absolute great way to let loose and have fun.  If I am ever having a painter's block, I think I will just set out to make spirit cards to break out of my block.  Making that initial painting really took me to another place in my head.  Without preconceived ideas I was in a wonderland of just following my instinct and responding to what felt right.  Then looking at the invidual spirit cards gives me ideas for interesting patterns and compositions.  

At this point, I have abandoned underpaintings because I want to save my white.  Do you use underpaintings?  What is your way to get creative and loose?  Wine?  Music?  Post to share with everyone, don't be shy.  

p.s. don't forget to like the Southwestern Watercolor Society facebook PAGE, please.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

Flowers, Spirit Cards and Goblins

 My goblins dressed for Trick or Treating

Spirit Card before cutting

Flowers from a Friend

11x14 watercolor
buy here

Oh my, I feel like it has been forever since I have been able to paint.  Life has been busy this past month or so.  My baby turned 5 today.  We celebrated with a party this past Saturday.  I just have to tell you how adorable he is because I know these are the last days of experiencing the total innocence of a toddler.  One sample of adorableness, "Is Santa watching me when I am looking through the Lego catalogue?"  In the top photo, my 3 little goblins are dressed for Halloween.  An NFL Patriots Fan, Sensei Wu (Lego), Scream and our dog as the Headless Horseman.  I love the challenge of coming up with the most clever costume and I must say my baby was the only Sensei Wu.  If you want to see my husband and I in Halloween attire, you will have to go to my facebook page.

Finally, today, I got to paint for 5 straight hours!  I went to Pat Kochan's class and spent the day creating and working with spirit cards.  The second photo shows my painting before I cut it up into several 4x6 spirit cards.  We used a method explained by Douglas Walton.  Fill a page with abstract marks and strokes in varying sizes, colors and shapes.  Then use a 4x6 mat to map out the rectangles all over the back.  Cut out.  Then select one of the spirit cards to create the underpainting of a painting.  I will post the cut up spirit cards and the final painting next post.  

Flowers from a Friend - this painting was inspired by a gorgeous bouquet of flowers I saw at a friend's house.  Yes, I started taking photos of the bright peonies, roses and pink hydrangeas.  I couldn't resist.  

Oh!  I forgot the biggest news.  I casually mentioned to someone that the SWS (Southwestern Watercolor Society) should have a facebook page..... well that is what has consumed my time.  You are looking at the new SWS Facebook Chair.  Note:  be careful what you mention.  All kidding aside, I am very excited to be a part of this project with the SWS.  I hope you will all show your support by "liking" the Southwestern Watercolor Society Facebook page!  Please pass it on to all of your watercolor friends.  Big thanks!!!!!!!

Have a great week.  Check back for the finished painting from the spirit card.

More City Scenes

Summer Stroll

11x14

by Liana Yarckin

Value Studies

I hope everyone is enjoying their fall.  I am certainly enjoying this cool weather.  I almost went plein air painting today, but, the building I wanted to paint is in shade now.  I had to get out there earlier to have some sun on it.

Above is a painting I did with my new goal of capturing sunlight.  I think I need to make the shadow of the railing a little darker, but, right now I am in love with light colors and the way they mix together.  However, I do believe with the building in the back being so dark, I need to darken the shadow to make it work.  The photo was a sidewalk in Maui.  The ocean is just to the left of the painting.  Can you believe I left that out?

I posted a group of 4x6 value studies as well.  These are helping me to keep my focus on value.  I always start doing them and then I get to anxious and just skip and jump right into the painting. But, this time around, I am going to try to stay focus on a value study for every painting. 

In closing, here is a fantastic Chihuly Sculpture.  Right now there is a Chihuly exhibit at the Dallas Arboretum.  It is amazing.  Go soon, it is well worth it.  I enjoy it as much in the day as at night.  Oh, and my 5th and 6th grade boys loved it.  They took so many photos and posted them on Instagram.  They asked if we could go again.  You know that was music to my ears!!!!

Tom Francesconi Workshop

Figure Study

by Liana Yarckin

Late Lunch

by Liana Yarckin

Call me last minute Liana.  I lucked out and got to take Tom Francesconi's workshop at the last minute.  I knew I wanted to take it earlier in the fall, but, I thought my schedule was too busy so I did not sign up.  Then, the morning before the workshop I emailed asking if there was a spot for me, if so it was meant to be.  I was so happy to open the response with the words, "it was meant to be, we had a cancellation."  

Not only is Tom an awesome artist, he is really a great teacher.  The light bulb went off for me so many times in his 3 day workshop.  The above two paintings I did in his class.  I had a lot of "likes" on Late Lunch on my facebook page, less on the figure study.  Ironically, the figure study is what sings to me and what I am striving towards.  My husband asked why do I want to paint like that.  I am really attracted to the light in the painting.  My eyes keep moving around completing the picture in my head and never getting tired of the things I see.  

I do like Late Lunch, too, however, in comparison to the figure study above it, my eye just keeps going to the figure study.  Do you have any thoughts?  Which one are you drawn to, if any?

Have a great week.  I appreciate eveyone's thoughts and emails.  

Dallas Scenes and a nice surprise

Bridge at Exall Lake

11x14

by Liana Yarckin

How lucky was I?  My preschooler did not have school on this past Monday.  As I drove him to his friend's house, I saw a group of artists painting on Lakeside.  After dropping off my child, I went back to talk to the artists.  I asked them if I could please paint with them, it was a gorgeous breezy day and painting alone is so lonely.  I blew off my errands and ran home to get my supplies.  

Not bragging, but, I am so pleased with my painting - it is the fruit of plein air painting.  What I love about plein air, aside from being outdoors, is that you have to be quick as the sun is moving and the scene is changing.  I feel like even in plein air value studies, the feeling of the scene is captured.  This painting sings to me and encourages me to want the feeling of this result more.  So calling all Dallas artists, who wants to plein air paint on Fridays?

The surprise for me.  I knew I was going to be one of the artists in the book, Visual Language I, 2012.  When I went to the website and previewed the book, look what I found!  My painting is on the inside cover page of the book!!!!!!  If you want to see it, press here and go to page 4 of the preview.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support and encouragement, both artists and friends.  I feel like I have had so many blessings, one of the blessings is you.  Connecting and sharing with you is the reward.  Have a great week!