Mixed Media: End of the Day

End of the Day 5.75 x 8.25 Carbon Pencil, Watercolor & Colored Pencil on 300 lb Arches paper
Available for sale here.
An experiment with loose, expressive mark making on top of layered watercolor and carbon pencil.

Watercolor: I can run faster than you

I can run faster than you 4.25 x 9.6 Watercolor on Sennelier hot pressed paper
Available for sale here.
I painted this today to list on ebay and I'll donate a portion of the proceeds to the ASPCA. I've been reading about the challenges facing the animal rescue staff & volunteers after the floods in the midwest. It's no longer headline news here, but it's still a nightmare over there. The watercolor is based on a photo of one of our retired racers.

Watercolor & Colored Pencil: At the Beach

At the Beach 4x6 Watercolor and Colored Pencil on Strathmore Cold Press post card paper
This started as a late night doodle, propped on pillows in the sofa bed in San Diego earlier this week. I added graphite and colored pencils to it this morning after looking at photos of faces in bright, beachy sunlight. An exploration of squinty light and face shadows.
Available for sale here.

Watercolor & Colored Pencil: Musical Chair

Musical Chair 9.6 x 4.25 Watercolor & colored pencil on Sennelier Hot Pressed paper
Available for sale here.
I just got back from a few days in San Diego visiting with family. I picked up a block of Sennelier hot pressed paper for the trip, and tried it on this little study of a chair that was in my room. I like the paper a lot; the surface works well with glazing, washes, lifting and colored pencil, and I especially like the format.

Drawing: Venetian Stripes

Venetian Stripes 24 x 48 Charcoal on brown craft paper

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to Gale's Restaurant for the opening reception last night... it was so great to see old friends and meet new ones. I so appreciate your support and enthusiasm.

For interested art lovers, the exhibit will hang at Gale's till Aug 8. Restaurant Hours and Directions are on their web site here. Go there, eat great food and see some art.

Graphite: Clarissa

Clarissa 5x5.5 Graphite pencil on Bristol paper
Aailable for sale here.

A closer look at mark-making.

In process on the patio this morning; Strathmore Bristol paper, a Berol 2B pencil, a Cushi 0.5 technical pencil with soft lead, and a kneaded eraser. And coffee.

Watercolor: Carolina Chickadee on an Allium

Carolina CHickadee on an Allium 10.75 x 4.25 Watercolor on Strathmore Bristol paper
My paternal grandfather was a mechanical engineer & an inventor. The maple trees in his back yard were adorned with bird feeder prototypes, and hundreds of birds, like fluttering ornaments on a Christmas tree. As a girl, I used to hold seeds in my out-stretched hand, and tiny chickadees would grasp my fingertips to eat from the bowl of my palm.

Watercolor: Waiting for the Punchline

Waiting for the Punchline 8x10 Watercolor & carbon pencil on Ampersand Board
Available for sale here.
Experimenting with color and media on gesso coated board.... the reference was a snapshot of a family eating together al fresco, with a life-of-the-party Dad telling jokes all afternoon.



My show at Gale's Italian Restaurant in Pasadena opens this Sunday with a reception from 4-6pm. Gale will taunt your taste buds with delicious hors d'oeuvres and generous goblets of wine, so come and say hello if you're in the area. I've got 50 originals displayed in her lovely space, and I'm excited to meet old and new patrons, friends and family. (P.S. The restaurant will be open for dinner after the reception.)

Watercolor: Monterey Coast

Monterey Coast 10.5 x 13.25 Watercolor and Colored Pencil on Bristol
Available for sale here.
Sold
I've been experimenting again with different media on assorted paper. This was Canson 2-ply plate finish bristol. The watercolors sat on the surface pretty well (see the early washes below) and lifted easily if they weren't staining colors, but the paper was spongey & fragile after a few glazes. I opted to use colored pencil on the dark areas rather than risk pilling the surface with a wet brush while lifting color.

Collograph: Plotting a Course

Plotting a Course 4.5 x 6.5 Glue Collograph with Watercolor & Colored Pencil
Process shots begin at the bottom of this post
This is a portrait of TC, from a twenty-year-old photo. We were getting ready to sail the Inter-coastal Waterways in Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay, and he was checking the maps. This collograph was created using the same method as this one if you're interested in more details on the process.

Watercolor: Paso Robles Vineyard

Paso Robles Vineyard 6.5 x 10.5 Watercolor on Canson Bristol paper
Available for sale here.
Sold
From old photos taken in Paso Robles, California. Early morning mist creeping down the hillsides. Winsor Newton watercolor & gouache layered on plate finish bristol.

Watercolor: Dora Waiting by the Hedges

Dora Waiting by the Hedges 5 x 4.5 graphite & watercolor on aquabee paper
Available for sale here.

Watercolor: Cat Sitting

Cat Sitting 4.75 x 6 watercolor on Strathmore Bristol
This one is dedicated to Grommit. Rest in Peace, little girl.

Watercolor: Eucalyptus Canopy

Eucalyptus Canopy 11 x 16 Watercolor on Aquabee paper
This was fun to paint loosely with a fat Winsor Newton 1.5 inch series 680 brush (see process shots with the brush starting at the bottom of this post). I should have used Arches or Fabriano paper because the Aquabee didn't like the brush when the paper was still damp from a previous pass of color. It would have pilled if I hadn't stopped layering glazes.

Starting to add shadows and a path for the eye to follow the lights and darks.

Laying in rough shapes in big paths of color.

Monotype: Dreaming About Tomorrow

Dreaming About Tomorrow 6 x 9 Monotype with watercolor & colored pencil on Arches Cover paper
The reference photos for this series are some of my favorite poses with MKH. The peacefulness and placement of her hands are a pleasure, and the memories of that chapter in time are precious to me. This isn't the last time I'll paint this pose.

This monotype, in the early stages of layering watercolor. After many more glazes of pigment, I let the image dry overnight before adding arbitrary selections of colored pencil to it this morning.

Watercolor: Summit Park

Summit Park 8x10 watercolor on Ampersand Board
This park is about 4 miles from here - tucked into a canyon with homes around the cup of the ridge. It's great for walking - and painting.



Catching my breath after a great exhibit at the Valencia Hyatt over the weekend. You can see images from the show - By the Artists' Hand - on my friend JMC's flickr set here.

Watercolor: Modern Matriarch

Modern Matriarch 3 x 4.75 Watercolor on Bristol paper
Sold
Process shots begin at the bottom of this post.
The reference for this painting was a photo of a friend with three kids. She's dynamic and beautiful. The cool lavender gray wall behind her was a last second addition, to use as a foil for her auburn hair and warm skin tones.

This mini watercolor will be available for purchase at the exhibit this Sunday - By the Artists' Hand; a Four Woman Show (see the post card below). We'll have a special display area where you can select from several dozen original miniature and daily paintings from all four of us.

Watercolor: Watching Closely

Watching Closely 2.2 x 3.3 Watercolor
Process shots start at the bottom of this post

This mini painting will be available for sale this Sunday at By the Artists' Hand - a four woman show. June 8, from 10am-6pm at the Valencia Hyatt. I'll be exhibiting with three wonderful artists (links are on the left): Laura Wambsgans, Nancy Eckels & Lorelle Miller. This is an annual show we host in our area after exhibiting all over the place during the rest of the year. Come and say hello - the event is free and there's plenty of parking. Between the four of us, you'll see almost 200 original paintings and hand pulled original prints.

Watercolor: Bronze Bird & Taste of Art Exhibit

Bronze Bird & Roses 4.5 x 7 watercolor on bristol paper
Available for sale here.
The first yellow roses of the spring were begging to be painted. I couldn't resist the tilted angle of the composition.

Last night, the Taste of Art Fund Raising Exhibit for the AIDS Service Center in Pasadena was a great success. Gale Kohl - the ceator of the event - hosted the show at her restaurant. The whole building was buzzing with delicious food, a myriad of martinis, beautiful art, volunteers from all over the city, and a steady throng of enthused patrons. If you missed it, try to attend next year. :o)

Two big rooms filled with art... every wall was covered, including the corridors.

Artists & patrons discussing methods, locations and the politics of art.

Beautiful Artists!

One of the bars, with art all around.

Watercolor: Roses for Stars

Roses for Stars 4 x 9 Watercolor on Bristol paper
Available for sale here.

Watercolor: Gale's (Pasadena)

Gales Restaurant (Pasadena) 7.5 x 5.25 Watercolor on Canson Bristol paper
Sold

On Monday night, June 2nd, Gale's will host a fund raising exhibit for AIDS Service Center in Pasadena. Artists contributed hundreds of beautiful pieces as a 100% donation to exhibit & sell at this great event. If you're local and interested in attending (great food and a rockin' martini bar) tickets are available... come and say hello!

Taste of Art
Monday, June 2, 2008

Gale's Restaurant
452 So. Fair Oaks Ave.
Pasadena

6:30 - 9:30 PM
Advance reservations $75 per person, $100 at the door
626.441.8495 ext. 241
Exclusive early art purchase and reception with artists 5:30 - 6:30 $200 by advance reservation only.

Watercolor: Porto Fino (Italy)

Porto Fino (Italy) 4.25 x 6.5 Watercolor on Aquabee Bristol paper
Available for sale here.
Sold
I haven't been to this amazing place for many years, but spending a few days there was unforgettable. I still sigh when I look at my photos. I painted this watercolor yesterday as a study for something larger later this summer.

Collograph: Spotlight

Spotlight 5x5 Glue Collograph with watercolor & Colored Pencil
(Process images start at the bottom of this post.)
Available for sale here.
Sold
Now the plate can be cleaned and powdered till the next printmaking session, and entirely different colors can be used. Meanwhile, the print is hung to dry in anticipation of creative whim with colored pencils and watercolors.

After pressing Arches Cover paper to the still-wet plate, pulling the print.

Inky fun; rolled strips of felt, wrapped with masking tape to apply ink to the plate. These are referred to as dollies, and the method of ink application is called a la poupee (with a doll). The yellow ink was skipped along the raised glue areas with a brayer.

Adding a little watercolor to the matboard so I can see where my white on white glue ridges are when I ink them. After the watercolor, the entire plate - front, back and bevels, gets sealed with three coats of Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish. Let it dry over night.

After scraping into the glue, letting the plate dry.

Small sketch on the left, and scrap matboard on the right. Drawing with Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive glue (it has a nice, fine tip).

Watercolor: Pasadena Dome (City Hall)

Pasadena Dome (City Hall) 6 x 6.5 Watercolor & Colored Pencil on Arches Hot Press paper
Available for sale here.

Watercolor: Pacific Coast Clouds

Pacific Coast Clouds 6.25 x 7.5 Watercolor & Gouache on Aquabee Plate Bristol paper
This coastal scene started as a watercolor, based on a photo my step dad sent as painting fodder, but I expanded the sliver of sky in the photo to leave more room for something fun above the horizon.
I let this sit for for an hour after painting the land & rocks, to decide if my original plan for wind-swept clouds would be too similar to the wedged shapes of the coast. I wanted something rounder. A storm moved into our area yesterday, and while the clouds outside my studio looked nothing like my make believe version here in gouache, our muted chalk skies may have influenced my color choices.

Monotype: Margery Knew the Girls Couldn't Hold Still for Long

Margery Knew the Girls Couldn't Hold Still for Long 3 x 9 Monotype with watercolor & colored pencil

My reference for this was two old photos; the girls (my grandmother is the one on the left) were taken in about 1924, and Aunty Margery with the camera was likely snapped a few years later.

I used Daniel Smith oil-based Bone Black etching ink on a copper plate for this one, and added a little calcium carbonate to stiffen the ink before rolling it out. It worked very well to release the ink from the plate under the press, and an added benefit was that it give the ink a bit more tooth to hold the colored pencil. I'd like to experiment a bit more on this in the future.

The monotype, with the first washes of watercolor.

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Big thanks to Katherine Tyrell for posting an interview with me on making monotypes. You can read it HERE.

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