Happy Finch

Just a snippet of a 6x8 I did solely for me the other day. I'm trying to experiment with painting lifelike water, but still have some things to figure out. ;)

Watercolors, blue ink, and white gouache on watercolor paper

Ivy and Nala

Project for a friend! Unfortunately I'm the type of person that gets hung up on little things and trends to forget about my 'first love', watercolors. With a brush in my hand, the window open to the surprisingly warm Seattle weather, and all my mix mediums in front of me, I was so relaxed and ''in my element''. I haven't felt that way in a long time, it seems to always be tense when I 'get down' to work on drawing. Do you ever feel like you take more self-doubt or crap from yourself more than anything else? I feel like I'm my biggest ball and chain. And critic. Oh the life of working alone. ;)

What's your worst 'enemy in the studio?

And what helps you?

Let's share because we are a community of fellow artist of all different backgrounds and styles. We can take advantage of it!

Much love and blessings!
-Bethie

Tromping friends

Medium: Watercolors on 140lb watercolor smooth paper

Oi! Where has time gone - it's nearing the middle of JULY! *jaw-drop*

Two little sweet 'ums for today. Many blessings all.

(I'm looking into obtaining a camera... scanner doesn't truly do the best job with the original colors. Looking, looking, looking =)

Tribute to Alaska

Medium: watercolors

Hurrah! I actually took pictures while painting, so that you can see my techniques and general craziness of going about things. I got this idea to do a tribute to Alaska when I was looking at pictures of different moose, and sketching them (they are so fun looking!) and just kind of thought it would be fun to sketch my favorite mountain of Alaska behind it... (Pictured below) And than this just kind of... came to be. =)

Flattop mountain (my pic)

Here's the simplified sketch on 140lb cold pressed watercolor paper that was my start after compiling different elements from my sketch book (not shown)...

I first off used some fisket (masking fluid) to preserve the most important whites and areas that I didn't want the possibility of smudging or me just messing it up=)

Painting wise, I started with the sky first (I go back and fourth with starting or not starting at the top - just matters on the mood that I happen to be in at the time). Wetting some corners, letting it all run together and then using a paper towel to slightly dab away at the more intense edges to make them softer.

Moving onto the mountains (flattop is real, while the one behind it is just put there simple for the purpose of the artist quality for the painting)...

And than I created a heavy mist between the mountains and the loose evergreen tress (wet on wet).

After the first layer of trees dried completely, I added detail to the closer ones... as well as put a medium ground in (wet in wet again).

Adding mud, grass and small rocks (it is Alaska people =)...

I then cleared all the fisket out, and layered in another layer of foreground, as well as the distant field.

And on to the MOOSE! Did the legs, then added in my deepest values...  Added depth to the piles of snow...

Mr.Moose almost finished, layer two and three...

And than - Finished! Added some last minute details and am calling it a night...

13x8

My desk afterwards - not all that bad actually. =)

EDIT:

I'm so excited, and yet at the same time kind of sad. I just sold this painting, my first ever painting to ever be bought...
Let the new chapter begin!

Waterfall

Medium: Watercolors (16x12)

First off, I just want to dedicate this post to the Artist behind it all at the Blue Chair Diary Illustrations. Much love and prayers Alexandra.

This is another something that I did in a class I'm taking at the local collage - lets just say it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. To prove it, here are my two demo's (aka epic failures) that I did at the beginning of class:

(sorry 'bout the dark lighting - I live in Seattle area!)

Here's the value picture I roughly based the painting after...

And then the close ups.

Thanks for coming by!

Fierce

Medium: watercolor

Wondering if I'm not the only one who talks and gets giggly/scared at some drawings... I've seen brown bears up close at a rescue zoo in Alaska (see post here... scroll towards the bottom)... relived some of those memories while sketching and painting this out. =}

Most of the time as artist, we only portray the beauty - because it's almost easier. And I can say that because I do - sometimes all I want to sketch out is a pretty girl, doing something epic and exciting. But at times to stretch yourself and start climbing higher up the ladder of experience - we have to put ourselves in situations, and our characters and subjects, into something that's not always pretty.

I never want to be someone who just stop making things that I think are pretty, beautiful and lovely - but I also want to be able to do things that don't fit into that category. Anywho - just rambling here.

... darn... I forgot about daylight savings - technically it's midnight right now.. =P urg.

Arctic prayer

Medium: watercolors

Finally pulled out the paints after a three month break (this being the second one I've done, the first is hardly noticeable - nothing in it holds any value but I might post it sometimes - learning by mistakes is the best way to move forward!) - I'm still using student quality watercolors (except for one tube of Danial Smith Brunt Sienna that I use in the blanket) so trying to get the look I want is a challenge - but a interesting one as well, I feel myself growing with each new breakthrough that I encounter. =P

Feel free to critique this - I want feed back and even though all of your wonderful comments of how you like what I've done is great and all that (makes me smile) I would also love it if you had something to share, either the way you work your way through something or if you have something that could help me along.

Merry Sunday!

Merry Sundays to you all!

More Inspiration...and some Art Talk

Did you ask for it? No, but I feel the need to share.

First off, I should probably tell you what I need inspro for. I want to be a illustrator. I lean mostly towards children literature but love every form of illustrtrating at it's core. My love is watercolors, I try to paint every day. But when unable to do that (it does take some time), I try to throw out some sketches. I live inspiration - my dream would be to become a professional illustrator - but I know for a fact I am more in the category of "aspiring illustrator", more so then anything else. But hey - I can hope and dream right?

I like to watch this video with Ira Glass (it's on storytelling but I think it can apply to any form of craft).  Makes me believe that someday I can stop falling short of my ambition to make something beautiful.

The next best inspiration to start creative juices flowing is to look at other masterpieces. I never grow tried of it. Here are some of my favorites (Note - all of these mentioned are done with the medium of Watercolors):

Harold Allanson... is so amazing. Half of my family didn't believe that this was a watercolor. The detail and reality of this painting is stunningly amazing.   {Cape Pine}

John Salminen. The way he captures reality but gives it that flare that is always there gives me goosebumps.

 {Washington Square} (John Salminen) I could stare at this for hours.

Dean Mitchell's {Driftwood} *sighs*

David Cuin  {Echoes of Grandeur} The ingenious of this lighting throws me.

Sara Burrier is another watercolorists hero to me. I adore her style and am a proud owner of three of her prints.

And of course, I could never leave Susan Montague of of any of my inspiration post. Her amazing talent of capturing (seeming to be) passer-bys with watercolor is gorgeous and unforgettable.

♥
Blessings on those who read this and their week.

Step by step: Watercolor life-like Pine Cone

(please forgive me of my blurry photography - I am not my talented sister ;)

A step by step guide... for who ever would ever like to sketch and watercolor a (sugar) pine cone. This project took me about 35 minutes.


First off, the materials. Watercolor card or watercolor paper (your choice - I'm using watercolor paper that I've folded into a card size), favorite pencil (pencil sharpener), kneaded eraser, watercolors, paint brushes, and a jug of water.

Create a rough sketch of said pine cone, something similar to picture on the left. Nothing fancy as you can see. Next, you need to start creating random third dimensional points, don't worry about grouping them together too closely - you need that space between them (better yet - find a pine cone on your land or at the park or even buy some) to give depth.

This is what you should be trying to get (click to zoom). Random and fun.

Once finished, clean up around the pine cone with your eraser (kneading it into points to get into the small openings around the pine cone). Now it's the fun part - pull out your paints. I use watercolors - they are the easiest for me. Either using tubes or a watercolor pan like my pocket/travel size.

With watercolors, you start with the lightest color you will be needing, and then build up on that with dark and darker colors until finished. Here I start with a dark tan or goldish yellow and focus on the side that is highlighted (the part not colored in yet will be in shadow = darker)

Picture on left: Have filled in most of the points - but not the in between yet. Added some brown to the gold to make it darker on the shadow side. Let dry.

Picture on right: Start filling in between with brown and a little rust color red. Go with just under the points at first, (let dry) and then carefully out line them them. After you have done that, and let it mostly dry. mix your brown/rust color with some black (remember! Even a little black can over power a large portion) to do under and to the side of shadowing of the points.

Make any adjustments that you think are needed, more gold or black as you see fit. Each pine cone will be different.

And you are finished! I finished mine off with Pinus Lambertiana scribed in small type around the bottom and created it into a card (which I hope to sell at my local Farmers Market).

This is mostly just for fun - and to see if anyone really even wants step by steps or just the show.
Thanks all for dealing with me. =)

Joyous

Medium: Watercolors

This was given to a beloved women, who spent so many years making sure little ones came into the world safely, she was there for four of my sibs, and was like a grandmother to us all. She was stricken with a life threatening disease that has already almost taken her. To our always joyous Toni, with so much love to a adored women that is loved be her hushband, nine children and hundreds (literally) of "grandchildren".

much love,

A Riddle for you

Here is a riddle.

What is it that everything has?

(No google-ing it either!)


Comment your guesses, and if you have no clue, then invite others here to try their minds at it.
(but please - if you know it - as in you have read it in a book or heard it from your uncle - give everyone a chance)

You just know sometimes...

This is my hand, used as a paint sampler.

Wake Up Call

Medium:  Watercolor

(click to view larger)

Dress up

Medium: Watercolors

I think we all agree, even as we get older or are older then the age of 5, that we love to dress up. Boys and girls alike. This was a lot of fun to sketch and paint.

Go and dress up.

I shall lamely title this as... "bookmark"

Medium: watercolor

"Libraries will get you through times of no money better then money will get you through times of no libraries"

That's the quote that I wrote on this bookmark (if you can't see it -really bad angle, so sorry), along with a detailed sketch of a dollar bill and a quarter and nickle. This was a very fun craft to do and even though it did take some time to sketch out the bill it was well worth the time. This was a gift for one of my dear, and library attending friends for her birthday. ... I think she liked it. =)

Well, I hope this encourages all of you artist out there, as well as writers (make some more quotes worthy of bookmarks!!!).