Warm Snow Scene Watercolor Painting

Every Monday is a class at Spokane Art Supply where a group of people are welcome to attend and receive instruction on different watercolor painting techniques demonstrated by Shirley Bird Wright, a local artist.

I enjoy the laid back and friendly atmosphere of this class and most of what I know about painting, I learned from Shirley.

This particular piece was yesterday's project interpreted as I imagined.  My journey, in the last couple of years, has shown me that I tend to lean toward the use of warm colors in my art work, so it seemed natural choosing the colors for this piece....and when Shirley dropped the reds into her demo piece, I was a happy person!! 
The deer came to me as an afterthought as well as the snow that I added to the branches.  

Might become a Christmas card... maybe.  

For those in our local area, be sure to put the Deer Park Craft show on your list of todos for tomorrow, Dec. 7 from 10 to 4 at the Deer Park Elementary School.   For more information check this link...

https://www.facebook.com/events/615748438464154/

Mike and I will have a booth there with mostly fused glass.  And we accept credit cards..   so come do your Christmas shopping and avoid the long checkout lines....

Girls like Pink!

Okay, It's confirmed.  Girls love pink.  This set sold right away but I sure can make more...

This a little Holiday piece we did in Shirley's Monday art class.  My interpretation..  I added background color, texture, and snow.  Might make some Christmas cards out of them...

Latest set I posted on my Etsy shop...  I really like doing this style...  

I struggled with this project even in class.  There was something missing on the first picture that I just couldn't quite put my finger on...  a tip received from a friend on FB, gave me the incentive I needed.  Go darker and perhaps some shading.

Shirley is always telling her students, and namely me, to "Go darker".  It never fails to make a big difference.

                              

This is a watercolor tip from Sterling Edwards..  I think I will frame it for my art room!!

 "One thing that I had a hard time adjusting to when I was learning to paint with watercolors was the unexpected dry back of colors. They looked so rich and intense when they were applied but then they dried back considerably lighter in value. So now what do you do? Do you go back into that area and redo the color and risk getting mud or looking overworked, or do you just leave it alone and live with the lighter value? One of the principles that I teach at workshops is what I refer to as "go dark, then go darker". This gives you an opportunity to create additional shapes and at the same time add darker and richer values to your painting.""

Lakeside Greens  a beautiful mix of frits..  lots of depth

New listing of beautiful beads on my Etsy..

I have been doing a lot of glass work lately... fusing, stained glass and here is the latest venture with the lampworking...   Beautiful set....

Calypso Glass Beads... boro

Etsy store  
     I am not really crazy about yellow but this set turned out much prettier than expected. I love the swirls of blues and greens. There is some trapped air in the bicones which actually capture and reflect the light surrounding it. And there is real silver encased in clear to provide some extra bling. All are made on a 3/32 mandrel and Momka's borosilicate glass.     

Just posted this pretty set of boro barrels onto my Etsy site.  Really nice colors and some hints of silver.  

New Glass and copper work.....

I have been dinking around with copper etching, hammering and flame coloring.  The mix of glass and copper in any form appeals to my natural tendancies toward organics.   And you can't beat copper and red.  Great combination and they come together in this beautiful bracelet and matching earrings I have recently posted in my Etsy shop.

Copper and Red Bracelet on Etsy.... 

Trail Ride at Fish Trap Mother's Day weekend..  Lots of fun with great friends.  There was approximately 300 riders on the ride.  Weather was awesome.  Click here to see pictures on my FaceBook page.         Fish Trap Trail Ride

More organic etched beads and wire wrapped bracelets.

Did a different shape on this..  Look at the bead on the left.. I love it, I do.  

And this bracelet is to resemble organic cubes of turquoise wrapped in wire.  

I liked the first one so much, I made another...

There is just something about copper and handmade lampworked etched beads.  Some of the beads have bits of real silver incorporated into the glass.  These are actual glass beads I etched to provide the soft feel of lapidary stone.  Added interest in the form of a small charm at the clasp.  

Lampworked etched beads and copper wire bracelet..

I get so wrapped up in other networking sites that I tend to forget about my blog pages.  But I honestly love what Google's Blogger has to offer...  

I had a watercolor painting class yesterday but had more fun laughing than I did painting.  I enjoy the commeraderie of this group.  Several of us went to lunch and enjoyed the sunshine by eating outside also..  

Managed to get in some torch time, riding time and made this bracelet last evening.  I love it and might just have to keep it for awhile before I offer it for sale...  anything I post here is usually for sale if you could just send me a msg.  

Cadillac Cowboy Watercolor Painting

I took the picture of this fine gentleman at our local restaurant one morning.   It was a candid shot I have wanted to do for about a year now.  There are a couple of things I mean to change, minor.  Like the amber straight line in the background for one.  And maybe soften the hard line under his eye but all in all, I am glad it turned out.  

Now to locate him which shouldn't be too hard.  Probably a local.  He drove off in an old Cadillac, hence the name "Cadillac Cowboy".  

Painting is 12x16.    

My latest painting.  I was trying out a technique used by Charles Reid which I have always admired.  Painting with your format in an upright position allowing the water to mix your colors.   This one I am pleased with.  It is on 300 # Arches and is 11x14.     

I did this watercolor  painting a couple months ago but don't believe I have ever posted it on the blog..    watercolor art of an old truck.  We actually did this in Shirley's class one day.  It was fun and I gave it to a friend that owns a farm in North Dakota...

I saw a picture of this old cabin on FaceBook posted by Sky Delight.  He allowed me to make a painting of it ... 
I love old barns, cabins, farms and the texture and depth in this was inspiring.  I used some pen and ink for details and changed some things to render it a better watercolor painting.. 

This succulent, hen and chicks, I did last week.  Seemed like it took me forever.  Maybe it is because I am not really into doing florals and this is pretty close.  Plus this is a bigger picture than what I am used to painting and doing "bigger" is much harder to do...  It was a good study.