September24, 2011 September 30, 2011

I think this is the last of my geranium ATC’s. I wanted to do one for each of the colors I have and this pinkish, lavendar flower is the third and last color. I started this with a watercolor underpainting and then used my new pastel pencils bought on sale from United Arts & Education. I completed a once over but found I did not really have the right pinkish, magentaish color for the flower so I added some watercolor and also some colored pencil work. Good practice. I am not as happy as I am with the others but I learned a lot about working with pastel pencils and a stump. Always a good day when you learn something.

Lavender Geranium - ATC

Well, I have a tour of the African Galleries with 6th graders at 12:15 today. Off to review!

 

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September 25, 2011 September 28, 2011

As you know I am currently painting several ATC’s to build an inventory of them to give to my family with their Christmas cards. I have been working on tomatoes and geraniums and watercolor and pastel and colored pencil. Today I am posting my first abstract ATC. It is inspired by my husband’s current chemotherapy treatment program. I am always torn between the dark aspects of cancer and the hopeful side. I think I always try to find a beautiful way to present the dark and the light of things. Working this small was an interesting challenge! I used my normal method and my normal watercolors and I think the colors I’ve been working with for my latest geranium paintings predominate…must have been subliminal!

Chemo 1 - ATC

 

September 22, 2011 September 26, 2011

A fellow artist and blogger recently posted a message in which he discussed color testing your new paints, inks and other types of pigments. You can see his message here. His results surprised me because such a high percentage (IMO) of the pigments tested failed. Since I am still such a novice I don’t routinely think about issues like this and I really need to start thinking like a “real” artist. I organized all of my tube colors and prepared color swatches for testing. That included all of the colors recently given to me by my retiring fellow docent.

Color Test Group 1 - Not Exposed to Light

I  organized everything alphabetically by color group and recorded the brand name. This is the group that is now sealed away in a manilla envelop so they are protected from the light.

This is the group that is being exposed to ambient light.

Color Test 2 - Exposed to the Light

Watch for the results in September, 2012!

 

September 21, 2011 September 24, 2011

Happy fall to all of you! I know I am a little late. That’s the story of my life right now. If you’re confused by the titles of my blog, let me explain. The title at the top is the date that I completed the piece of art, activity or exercise included in the post. That’s why you may find a post titled “June” in my July archive. Just thought I would clear that up if you’ve ever wondered…

Here’s a new ATC and I am again celebrating the glorious geranium. During this horrible, hot, killing summer they were the only flowers that I could keep alive in a flower pot. They required daily watering – occasionally twice a day – but they made it through and are in profuse bloom. Vive la Geranium!

Pink Geranium - ATC

This is watercolor and I again flocused on painting shapes rather than individual petals. This morning I started two new ATC’s. I put down a watercolor underpainting and am going to do a teeny-tiny Chemo series painting (Yikes – should be interesting!) and do another geranium but this time using some pastel pencils I bought on close out at United Arts & Education. I’ve never worked with pastels and am using watercolor paper so WE WILL SEE…

September 17, 2011 September 21, 2011

I am trying to build up my stock of ATC’s so I have enough to give my rather large family at Christmastime. My latest subject is flowers and particularly geraniums. I’ve been walking around my yard with my camera shotting marigolds, geraniums, zinnas, tomatoes, anything that looks interesting. I’ve switched back to watercolor and am trying to paint shapes rather than individual petals. So far, so good.

Red Geranium - ATC

I do not normally do an underpainting for the ATC’s but in this case I did. It turned out pretty well…much better than a plain white background.

September 15, 2011 September 19, 2011

I have been intrigued by the recent posts that discuss automatic drawing. Leslie’s post is here. Take a look, it is fascinating. Chris Carter has also written several posts about squiggle drawing and this is mentioned in Leslie’s post. This looks like fun to me so I tried it last Thursday when Ken and I were at the Cancer Center for his latest chemotherapy treatment. I’m not showing my first drawing – it looks like a demented skull – but I will show my second.

Auto drawing 09152011

I started with the ball in the lower left and as you can see I had trouble getting off it. Just spun round and round. When I did, I had fun and a vision of two ladies sitting on a park bench talking emerged. Do you see them? Fun, relaxing, destressing. Thank you Chris and Leslie!

September 13, 2011 September 14, 2011

This MAY be my last ATC of cherry tomatoes. I thought I was done but I saw a beautiful cluster on the vine yesterday. The tomatoes are ripening more slowly and this cluster had  yellows and oranges and reds. Really gorgeous. But that may be in the future. Today’s post is another ATC using primarily colored pencil. It is on vellum finished illustration board. The greens in this one started to “get away from me”. Greens are tough…

Cherry Tomatoes 4 - ATC

 

 

September 10, 2011 September 12, 2011

Summer rolls on and the weather here in Indianapolis is wonderful – some light rain, temps in the high 70’s and low 80’s, light breeze. Windows are open and the air conditioning is “Off”. Just great! My garden continues to be bountiful (at least for two people with a few give aways.) I am still enchanted by the beauty of cherry tomatoes. This ATC is done on ATC sized vellum surfaced Bristol Board with colored pencils and a dark gray marker.

Cherry Tomatoe 3 - ATC

For me this is good prectice because I don’t normally work with colored pencils but I am amazed by what experienced artists can achieve with them.

September 7, 2011 September 8, 2011

I painted another ATC in watercolor. I love the color and shape of cherry tomatoes and I have MANY ” models” in my garden right now. Too bad I eat them faster than I draw them! Anyway here is “Cherry Tomatoes 2”. I think it is interesting that I keep typing “Cheery Tomatoes”. What do you think that means?

Cherry Tomatoes 2 - ATC

I also have ATC size paper in Illustration Board and Bristol Board. I think my next piece may be done using colored pencil. I haven’t done anything in colored pencil for quite a while and it should be fun.

September 5, 2011 September 6, 2011

Artist Trading Cards are small wonders. 2 1/2″ by 3 1/2″ originals! I love creating them. They are such a challenge for me but each year I spend time creating about 20 of them to give to family members with their Christmas Cards. I smile when I think about each family member building their “collection of original art”. In the past, I have also given these little jewels to friends who have been kind and generous by supporting me personally or by supporting my art.

My garden is full of cherry tomatoes so those glowing, red orbs with their payload of vitamins and nutrients are my subject today. Enjoy and remember what you’re looking at may be larger than the actual painting!

Cherry Tomatoes 1 - ATC