Making a Color Chart

This watercolor class I will be taking had a supply list with specific tubes of paint. Since many are new to me, I thought it would be a good idea to get acquainted with them and do a color chart. These are all Daniel Smith brand. I can see how the artist likes certain mixtures since they look like wine bottle colors, and olive oil. From left to right they are: Quinachrodone Red, Quin. Magenta, Transparent Red Oxide, Moonglow, Indathrone Blue, Sap Green, Cobalt Blue, Nickel Azo Yellow, Transparent Yellow Oxide, Quin. Gold, Transparent Brown Oxide.

Sketching bottles

I'm attending a watercolor workshop next week with Karen Honaker (http://www.karenhonaker.com/). We will be learning how to paint glassware and bottles and the reflections and transparencies of them. This is very timely for me! Not only is the subject a challenge for me, I also would like to learn a little more about still life (like, what arrangements and shapes and sizes are good, and which are boring or don't work). Anyway, I need to assemble my materials and practise sketching bottles from photos, so I can concentrate on those complicated refracted light shapes.

We have cool temperatures today! (a high of 73). It is a very welcome change from the high 90's. I finished my socks the other day and blocked them. (I don't plan to wear wool yet, but I'm getting ready for winter!).

Hey, where did these guys come from? This is what I do with left-over yarn and fleece. I make funny little sheep ornaments.

Upward Climb - Watercolor with Rice Paper

It's done. That was fun.

Working with Rice Paper

I cut a piece of rice paper a little larger than my painting. Then I mixed equal parts of clear gesso and water, and brushed it over the rice paper. The gesso mixture soaks through and bonds the rice paper to the artwork. It also made some of my purple watercolor pencil lines bleed and become way too purple. I then let it dry completely.

Then I began to paint over it - to bring out the dark areas more, and liven up some of the rocks. I increased the contrast in the digital photo to show the texture of the rice paper more. But in person it is more subtle.

Not bad so far....

Experimenting with Watercolor Pencils

This watercolor of the granite cliffs is one that I want to experiment with. After laying in color in the second half of the picture, I next did some textural lines with different watercolor pencils. I also wanted to deepen the cracks and crevices. I stopped before I did every rock! (An old habit of mine).

And then touched or lightly brushed the pencil areas with a brush dipped in water. Some of the pencils when wet turn out to be a screaming color - way too wild. Either I have to dab it off with a paper towel or not wet it.

Next, I plan to do something with rice paper on top. Stay tuned...I have no idea how this will come out!

Snippets of Time to Paint

I don't usually paint this way - from one side of the paper to the other - but that is what it is turning out to be. I just got back from an over-night at our house in Truckee. I was there such a short time I left my painting in progress at home on the kitchen table. So, before dinner and later before dessert, I did a little more....

We've had wonderful thunder and lightning storms in both Truckee and Reno. Last night around 11pm I was awakened by the clap and rolling thunder and bright lightning lighting up our room. I couldn't see bolts - just flash through the tall forest. Then the pitter patter of rain. It went on for about 30 minutes.

Tonight, just as we were sitting down to dinner (in my outdoor studio canopy!) outside in my garden, we had a thunder cloud over us and some rolls of thunder, little pitter patters...then a downpour! The canopy is not water repellent! So we dashed inside with plates in hand.

Granite Cliffs Watercolor

I have a photo that I took from the gondola that climbs the snow-topped mountain at Palm Springs and Palm Desert area. So I thought I would paint it in watercolor. My sketch was to block in the dark, medium and light shapes, and to make sure it worked out. My patience didn't hold out to finish drawing on the watercolor paper. A very nice CD was playing and I just felt like doing wet on dry - just being interpretative and loose. Not much to look at right now.

Yesterday my husband and I drove up to the meadows at the top of Mount Rose Highway. We did a little hike. I took lots of photos - I'll share a few here. We enjoyed the cooler temperature (it has been in the high 90's for a while now). Then we drove along the North Shore of Lake Tahoe and had lunch on the deck of Garwoods, then took in the arts and crafts faire at Kings Beach, (where we bought some mugs from our favorite Potter, Sue Fox). Great day!!! What summer is all about.