October 23, 2012 October 23, 2012

We have storms blowing in and rain is pounding outside. Seems like a good time to show you the second little painting I did from a monoprint in Cheng Khee Chee’s workshop. I explained the technique in my last post. Here is the second monoprint I did. Both monoprint 1 & 2 are small – probably about 6″ X 9″.

Monoprint 2

With these colors and the textures and shapes in the middle, I could see a flower garden so that’s what I decided to develop. I did positive and negative painting and also used colored pencils. If you need to lighten an area the unsized paper will swallow watercolor but colored pencils will do the job. Here is my flower garden.

Monoprint 2 – Finished

I actually wanted to spend more time working on this but I had reached the point of diminishing returns. Probably back to my ATC’s. Enjoy some summer on this sodden Fall day!

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October 21, 2012 October 21, 2012

Something a little bit different today… In the Cheng Khee Chee workshop he taught a technique that uses a monoprint as the basis for a painting. You paint thick, relatively undiluted watercolor on a shiny white masonite surface and then place a piece of japanese paper (he uses unsized Kozo paper) on top of it. You can lift it and if you don’t get enough transfer put it down again and spritz with water. You then mount the damp monoprint on a piece of masa and let it dry. Then you LOOK to see what you can find.

In this monoprint I thought I saw the sun peaking through a forest so that’s how I developed the  painting. Again I used watercolor and colored pencil. I did a rough outline on the paper before starting to paint but I wanted to be careful with the paper. I’m not sure how fragile it is. I did find out that the unsized paper is very absorbant. It was really fun to work with. Very different. Here’s the final product. At least final…for now!

Monoprint 1 – Finished

October 19, 2012 October 20, 2012

The maple leaves are falling fast and soon they will gone. So sad because this time of year is absolutely beautiful in Indiana.  I have finished two more maple leaf ATC’s. It has been fun to play with the compositions and to choose a new leaf for each piece. These are on watercolor paper and are a combination of both watercolor and colored pencil. Such fun! I will have to explore the neighborhood to see if the oaks have much color this year. Some years they have beautiful, rich greens and reds and purples but they don’t have the glow and fire of the maples. Enjoy this slice of an Indiana Fall.

Maple Leaf 4 – ATC

Maple Leaf 3 – ATC

October 18, 2012 October 18, 2012

Hi! Indiana apples are here! I was able to complete two more ATC’s for the collection that I send to friends and relatives at Christmas. Yesterday’s leaves were on vellum finish bristol board and I used colored pencils. The apples are on watercolor paper and I used primarily watercolor with some colored pencil. Making progress! Only about 10 more to go. The maple leaves are falling fast so I may have to use pears and oak leaves – or my imagination!!??

Apple 2- ATC

Apple 1 – ATC

October 16, 2012 October 17, 2012

Some of you that have followed my blog for awhile will remember that I give my family ATC’s for Christmas. They get an original work of art with their Christmas card and I have fun creating them. Two days ago I suddenly realized I had not started making my ATC’s (artist trading cards)…not one! Luckily I am immersed in a vibrant, glowing Indiana autumn. When I walked Buffy and Baxter yesterday I gathered a handful of beautiful red and orange maple leaves. They are full of color and vitality and I made a start. Photography exaggerates the flaws since these are so small.

Maple Leaf 2 – ATC

Maple Leaf 1 – ATC

October 7, 2012 October 7, 2012

Today I finished a second painting using the gloss gel technique taught by Cheng Khee Chee. This was entirely on my own and I forgot one important step. After you apply the gel to the illustration board Cheng Khee blots the wet gel with a damp sponge to flatten and smooth out the brush marks in the gel. This gives you nicer texture. Anyway I am happy with this painting. I always struggle with realistic paintings but I feel like I am learning and improving. Hope your team won today. Go Colts!

Gel Exercise 2 – 1/4 sheet plate finish illustration board, gloss gel medium and transparent watercolor

 

 

October 4, 2012 October 4, 2012

I have finished another piece I started in the Cheng Khee Chee workshop. My work is very rough but I was fairly happy with what I learned through this exercise. For this process, he uses plate finished illustration board and gloss gel medium to create texture. He applies diluted gel to part of the sheet to create the foundation for texture usually as part of a landscape. He doesn’t do a drawing but sees what developes when he applies color to the area. The whole process is very organic and he works primarily in earthtones and blues. The gel must be dry before you start painting or you create acrylic paint. He washes the uncoated surface with water and a sponge so it will accept paint better. On my exercise I had gel where I didn’t want it so I have some weird areas but this was fun to work with and, (looking at his work), I can see that you can get some remarkable paintings.

Gel Exercise (sorry for glare from the flash)

 

October 2, 2012 October 2, 2012

Two weeks ago I was lucky to be able to attend a five day watercolor workshop conducted by Cheng Khee Chee. It was a remarkable experience and I learned a phenomonal amount. Each day he taught a new process and over the last week I have been working with two of the processes. Before the workshop, he stresses that he wants you to learn the process and not to worry about creating masterpieces. (Believe me, I did not create masterpieces!) Cheng Khee is kind and generous and brings to bear both eastern and western styles and philosophies. I found his basic philosophy about watercolor to be fascinating. That is that you bring the media to its most natural state so you use watercolor best in a wet-on-wet environment. His work is lyrical, fluid, spontaneous and evocative. You can visit his website here.

The first day when we worked wet-on-wet with a realistic subject I made a mistake by working too small. I have been scaling up and painting large abstracts so I used only about 1/8th of a sheet of Arches. The painting of Eileen Donan castle is small, tight and very mediocre.

Eileen Donan Castle

I followed this up at home with a painting using a quarter sheet and with no preliminary drawing. I had prepped this paper with a green, yellow, gold underpainting with the intention of doing a sepia drawing of a tree. The paper was there calling my name so I painted something I have been thinking about for along time. My house is backed by large, old, sort of raggedy evergreen trees that are very nice for privacy and blocking noise. I watch their tops sway in the wind. Here is my more wet, more spontaneous painting. Much better I think!

Top of the Tree