MY WATER COLOR CLASS

We're still working on flowers.  I'm hoping that "aha" moment kicks in soon, where I really get this technique and it comes to me easier.  I feel very fortunate to have a great teacher.  I think I only have 4 more sessions with her and then she takes a break during the holidays and starts up again in the spring.  Yesterday, we were painting wet on wet.  Water colors have a mind of their own!  They were running and blending....and, I have to say, with water colors, the quality of the paper is really important. 
So what did I do yesterday....I went out and purchased a few more tubes of paint....and some more paper.  I will be practicing during our hiatus from class...

BREAKFAST and WEIR FARM

I have a couple of things to share from my week.  One is the sketch I did of my breakfast....

BREAKFAST

Water color and Ink

I continue to try and sketch whatever in my sketchbook journal.  Yesterday, it was breakfast.  Actually, the same thing I had today.  There are also a couple of flowering items I picked along my walk with Boomer.  The little book on the bottom left, is a pocked-size prayer book with a bright orange cover that I also found on my walk.  It looked brand new and has no name written in it.  I couldn't leave it there to be ruined by weather....but since I walk this same route a lot, maybe the person who lost it does as well and I may be able to return it.  As for the art, I love wobbly plates and bowls....

After breakfast, I headed out to a national state park that is 10 minutes from my house....Weir Farm, once home to Alden Weir, an American Impressionist artist.  I toured the house and grounds and studio....what a beautiful place.

I'm embarrassed to say I've never been there before!  A couple of photos....

When I went home, I ended up doing paintings in my sketchbook...This is the view on one end of my house.

  Below is a Koosa Dogwood loaded with berries.

 KOOSA DOGWOOD

Next time I head out to Weir Farm, I'll take my sketchbook and paints with me.  They encourage you do to that there.  They actually provide art supplies you can borrow while you're there.  Happy 100th Birthday to our treasures, the National State Parks.

LOVE LOVE LOVE October

Sketchbook

Water Color and Ink

I've been busy working on some side projects, but I can't let October go by without painting at least a pumpkin!  So yesterday afternoon, I started drawing in my sketchbook.  Here you have a dried corn husk, a leaf from my deck that hasn't changed colors, the remnants of Black-Eyed Susans, some bittersweet, a pear, some corn straw and, the two pumpkins.   I might have included an apple, but maybe I'm not done yet with fall/October art. 

My water color class is a challenge...a very different way to using water colors than I am used to, as in the pumpkin painting.    I am enjoying it and hope I can get this technique....

I ran into problems and then went over areas too many times.  Have you tried painting a bouquet of white daisies?  Oh my.....it's all about leaving the white and painting the negative space with the right values.   Have to wrap my brain around that and sort of convert the way I approach painting this way.  Looking forward to the next class!!!