Loose Work

Today, I played around with painting very loose. I copied (kind of) the painting above from a book I have - and the one below I painted from a photo I took in Kansas City at Loose Park. This is more of the way I would like to paint, but there is still a long way to go!

A Box Full of Ziggy!

9" x 12" Watercolor

I have this wooden box on legs (that used to have plants in it) on my deck. The cats love to lay in it all day -- they seem to take turns, or maybe it's just "Whoever gets there first"! Ziggy was in it the day I decided to photograph. He's such a wonderful, furry, loverboy!

Today was my last class with Pat -- she's taking the month of August off! So, next week, I think I'll try to get into a watercolor class in Ocala on Mondays. Maybe Donna will go with me! I love to take classes -- I seem to get more inspired, and of course, learn a lot!

What, Me Teach?

So, my friend Donna wants to learn to Watercolor. I offer to get her started. We spent the day each painting the same practice piece out of one of my Watercolor books. I'm either a fantastic teacher (NOT!), or she is just amazing! My painting is the one on the left (above). Two totally different points of view! I love that!




Of the landscapes, mine is on the bottom. Again, two totally different points of view! I'm so excited to have a new friend who loves to paint! Yay Donna!

Quick Study

Here's a fast little painting we did in class today. First, we poured colors on the paper and let them dry, and then found a painting within it all. I was hoping it would look a lot more impressionistic -- oh well, it was fun!

Yesterday - my friend, Donna, and I took all my decent paintings to the art store and got them framed. You know, they look a lot better when they're framed!! Even I liked some of them! I plan on putting great prices on them - and hopefully, some will sell during First Saturday (I've signed up for Sept. and Oct.)! I've gotten a lot of my fabric ready to sell, also! This is turning into a really big job - hope I reap some rewards!!

Bookmarks

I've decided to rent a space - maybe starting in September - during Dunnellon's First Saturday Market. (On the first Saturday of each month, people sell all kinds of things on the lawns of the shops in the Historic District) Kinda like a gigantic flea market!

Anyway -- I need to rid myself of a huge quilting fabric stash that I've accumulated during the last several years. So, I'm in the process of ironing, measuring and pricing fabrics. I'll also be selling a lot of quilting magazines and books. And, I thought, why not frame some art and sell that, too! Then, I thought, whenever I go to an art show, I always purchase hand painted, laminated bookmarks (an inexpensive way to remember artists that I admire) - so, I'm making some of them, too! Somehow, I've got to start earning some GAS MONEY!!

So, this is the start of my bookmarks (the two on top haven't been laminated yet - that's why they're so bendy) - I will be making lots more (I need to sell at least 15 - at $2 a pop - to pay for the laminating machine!)

I really think that I just needed to come up with a project to work on -- this retirement is becoming waaaaay to lazy!!

Hibiscus

So today was overcast and dreary all day! I decided to do a little flower study -- I cut off one of my Hibiscus flowers and some leaves and stuck them in a blue vase. Still think it's a little one dimensional, though. Guess I'll live with it awhile and see what happens!

Fresh Cut Barney

9" x 12" Watercolor

I've had this great photo of my dog, Barney -- so I thought I would try to paint him. It's rather tricky painting a white dog! I've still got some tweaking to do, but thought I'd see if I like him on-line! (Sometimes it's easier to see what needs to be done when it's on my computer!)

I Spy

I found this great cat picture online, and decided to try to paint it. It's the first time I've tried to paint a cat, but I think I'll be doing more! I'm sure that I'll be tweaking it after I take it to class on Tuesday for critique - but all in all, I really like it!

Glad that the 4th of July is over -- Poor Barney just spent all day and night panting and barking at all the noise! I think it was worse this year, since the town didn't sponsor a fireworks show. Now, if I could only get him to calm down during thunderstorms!

Bare Branches

This is just a little practice piece from a book I have. I think it's kinda cool! I can see using this same technique for a lot of different subjects.

Not much going on lately. It's been June, which means that it rains every afternoon -- and the lightning here is not to be believed!! Last week, it took out our phone lines, garage door opener and the lawn sprinkler system! I actually remembered to unplug the computer - and to take out the phone line to it! That would not have been a pretty sight!