Now why hadn't I tried this before?

Gouache seems to be the best of two worlds and for some reason I never really explored the possibilities.  The convenience of watercolour with the ability to do fine detail and work in layers

like oil paints.  I originally thought I'd work with them for illustrations but am pleased that I can

do more fine art work with them as well.  

Boheme

A new local event that was most successful (a little rain at the end of the day but it was a welcomed, warm summer rain).  Fun to do but now it's on to planning the next which take place the third week of November.  I often question my planning tactics as I approach a deadline but realize that I can 

never be completely in control because all the good stuff happens from the creative frenzy that takes place.  Good ideas just seem to abound and I have to take advantage of them as they appear.

Watercolor Alphabet

I've been enticed to take many classes with Skillshare and this is one of the latest.  A simple exercise in water-colour to create an alphabet and vectorize it in Illustrator.  I never tire of seeing the capillary action of water-colour so creating this two tone alphabet was a fun diversion.  

Painting Local Scenery

A few years ago I thought I'd try my hand at painting in water-colour some buildings in and around

my hometown.  This building housed a wonderful clothing shop for many years.  Before that it was a hardware/antique store.  And now there is a boutique of handcrafted items that helps to fund a charitable organization that builds homes, wells and provides educational material for villages in Peru as well as providing an outlet for local artisans.  On the second floor is a furniture and antique boutique and a caterer/café on the main floor.  I love this village that I live in!

When not to listen to myself...

Scissors on Patchwork

Watercolor on

8" x 8" Clayboard

Repeating this one in watercolor so soon after painting it in oils left me unimpressed.  It's hard to compete with the richness of color of the oils.  But I did have this sample of Clayboard by Ampersand that I wanted to try and do find it interesting.  For example it is easy to wipe back to pick out highlights that were lost.  But that does make it a bit tricky to keep it from getting muddy.  But all the while my conscious brain is saying I'm not enthralled my

subconscious is saying "I wonder if I have more of these boards to keep playing?".

I haven't priced this one simply because I'm not sure what my framing options will be.  For example, I've read about varnished watercolors but I haven't explored this possibility and now would be the time to try it since it's on clayboard.  This means framing without glass which is another benefit.  If anyone has experience with varnishing watercolors, I'd love to hear about it.

A new year and a new painting...

Daisy

9" x 12" Watercolor

$125

We are well into January already!  Those first weeks after Christmas I use to

delve into more new books, thumb through the magazines I didn't have time for before, plan new projects, dream my way through Pinterest (I love Pinterest), but all of a sudden I wake from this reverie and realize it's time to create!

Last year at this time I was just beginning to learn Adobe Illustrator and use more of my digital drawing apps (there are so many!).  Well I put my new found skills to good use and created fabrics from my sketches.  That was exciting and probably the hilite for me for 2012.  I have started to lay a foundation for textile designs and want to learn more, so I will be creating more fabrics for 2013.

But after all this I realize what I was missing were my paints and brushes.  I'm even thinking this image above may end up being printed on some cotton sateen!

I love to paint but I like to cook too.....

Woohoo!  They Draw and Cook just posted my entry to their fabulous website.  I'm so excited!

I started out without a clear plan other than I knew I would do some watercolor illustrations of the main ingredients which is when I discovered a plan is exactly what I needed.  This is a combination of watercolor and digital art.   A fair bit of time playing with the layers in Photoshop adding shadows and
tweaking the artwork and I finished anxious to start more.  Great fun!

Next on the Drawing Table...

This should make a nice little watercolor.  I'm using the new
Olive Oil from Tavola Mia as the center of interest.

Tadaaa!

Last year I posted some photos of olive oil labels I did the artwork for.  Maria Loggia of Tavola Mia imports them under her label to be distributed in and around Montreal at gourmet food shops.  The bottles have been delivered and I'm so excited to see the finished product!  I couldn't wait for sunlight tomorrow so I took the photo in low light outside and I'll post a better photo tomorrow.

Back to.......cooking school!

I occasionally do some graphic designs (which I enjoy) and this is one of the projects I've been working on lately. In my side bar you'll see a link to "Tavola Mia". A wonderful cooking school run by Maria Loggia here in Hudson, she has imported these olive oils under her label (designed several years ago). There will be four new designs for four new flavors of olive oil laterthis Fall and I've been working on the watercolor illustrations this past week. She will also have a cookbook out later this month. I've seen the book in stages over the past year and have just seen the "hot off the press" hardcover final. It's fabulous! Maria's attention
to detail in every aspect of the book is obvious. The recipes were wonderfully photographed and the book is full of beautiful imagery. I'll be posting the launch of the book here in my blog as soon as it's available.

Painting my way through summer....

I've literally had to dash out into the garden on these super cold and rainy days to pick the tulips and lilacs before they're gone.
But once the flowers are inside, I get busy photographing them and forget what's happening outside. After the paintings
of flowers from Easter and Mother's Day (see the Bonne Maman and Rose paintings from earlier posts) I am now able to use
what grows in my garden. I have lilac trees but the one I planted three years ago was my favorite. A Burgundy color with
large florets that begged to be painted. I was so disappointed when they failed to bloom for two consecutive years and so last
Fall I dug it up and moved it. That did it....this Spring I had eight clusters. So I have my photos to last me until next year (minus the glorious scent). I think I'm done with painting tulips for the moment in favor of the aforementioned lilacs and Irises that I have yet to photograph. I do enjoy the silhouette of Irises.....they're so distinctive....and as I'm looking out the window, I'm thinking that I should arrange them with some white bleeding hearts.
Pictured here are tulip paintings new and old......

The pink watercolor tulips are almost finished. A format that I enjoy, taking photos from above on an assembly of objects
patterns and textures. The framed red tulips were just delivered and is in the same room as the painting of red tulips
on the doors of their armoire. The white tulips were painted with acrylic in a favorite vase, and the final pic is of a still
life in my temporary studio in the village. A studio I've had since February and will have until the end of July.

....and I thought the Fall season was busy!

I'm half way through my Spring and Summer Studio location at Galerie Mouche on Cameron. A little hard to get into the groove
working in a different location away from home but a change is good. I've been more productive which is what I'd hoped for.
I started with watercolors because they were easier to transport and set up, even though I'm doing a lot of mixed media work at the moment. A new flower shop has opened across the street and I purchased some beautiful roses the week before Mother's Day and immediately set up painting them.
I love the "Bonne Maman" jams and jellies and often use the empty jars as a vase because I like the calligraphy. Tricky though
trying to translate that in a painting which I'm about to do with the Rose one. Here is another version using daisies....
And now the garden has produced flowers which I try to capture as they come and go.....Tulips, my favorite and soon the lilacs.