After a surge of positive energy this past weekend, the brush made it to the paper. I need to stop pushing my painting to the bottom of the “to do” list.
Motivation.
It’s probably the weather, but I’ve picked up the pen and brush again. Maybe it will be on the wall by the end of next week…
It’s been too long
After what seems like an eternity, I’ve started working again. This is just the begining of a new watercolor painting. The only ink work will be the front daylily. I’m anxious to see the final piece. Please comment and leave ideas/feedback…
It’s finally done!
After many many hours over the past few months, it’s finally finished! The original was dropped off in its frame an hour ago. I have copies (:
Very happy with the results. Can’t wait to start the new one. Thinking cherry blossoms this time.
Long overdue update.
Five or so hours into the ink process. Only about 20 to go. Ha. Should be finished in no time. (-;
Latest Watercolor
I’ve decided to try and reverse the process. I’ve started with watercolor this time, and intend to go into it later with the ink work. Here’s the process so far. It will be finished by the end of the weekend. Hopefully.
Mission accomplished
It’s finished, and I am completely satisfied. (!!) (-:
The picture is a little dark though…maybe I’ll take a new one later.
Snow Day = Painting and Baking bonanza
The thing I’d have to say I love the most about teaching is the unexpected (PAID) vacation days that go hand in hand with crappy weather. These fantastic winter weather days give me nothing but guilt free time to paint myself into a giddy coma. And time, of course, to bake cookies so my boyfriend doesn’t get too jealous of my time off ( ;
So far today I’ve managed to finish the daylily that I’ve been working on for a few months. All that is left to tackle is the background. I hope to get it finished today so I can send it to the frame shop. I have a wall spot waiting, so I’ve got to get things rolling.
It's almost done!
JAC wines.
So my boyfriend and his buddy decided to go into the wine production business. The project for the night has been logo creation and what not. This is when I wish I went into graphic design as a field concentration. Don’t get me wrong, kids are awesome (even on their smelly days) but nothing beats being able to navigate through editing software with ease. At least that’s what I’m told.
Preliminary sketch / outline work:
begining sketch idea for logo design...
I still have a lot of work to do…so I’ll get to it.
Update
So I’m finished with the scanning, and the editing…and the screams of frustration with faulty equipment. Now it’s time to focus on the NEW stuff! I’ve tackled the logo a little more. I like the basic outline and think it will work, but the lettering is driving me crazy. Can’t seem to get it right. That’ll be the project for the night. I’ll try and post the result later on.
And so it’s later…
The “c” isn’t right…and the leaf resembles too much of a maple at this point. Can’t seem to keep myself from making pointy edges. (insert frustrated sigh here) Oh well.
I missed the weekend.
Sorry folks, but I was busy being pampered for my day of ages. Missed the whole weekend and, yes, I guess I missed this post/blog thing. I should be working, so I’ll be short and send thanks to all of my wonderful friends who made me feel incredibly special and loved this weekend.
ALSO…I’m still trying to figure out the whole blogroll thing…in the meantime, please check out my friend’s blog page (angelahartmann.wordpress.com) she’s an incredible writer and person. Her words are definitely worth experiencing. (-: XXOO
Black eyed update
So we have the before…
Pigma micron with water color wash
and background wash aftermath…
as always, it will remain as is until I decide to “finish” it. But, being how I am, we all know that day probably won’t come anytime soon…
Mission G.Cert: complete
After a few weeks…it’s done. (YAY)
Visit Kettle to Keg. It’s a pretty sweet place if you’re into beer and brewing.
Front:
Back:
Now it’s time to tackle some labels.
Bring it!!!
Christmas is coming…
I was made aware of the fact that I haven’t been posting by some loyal friends. So, here I am.
(….sorry)
It’s been a little crazy with the holidays coming up so fast (where did the time go?) so the artwork production has been kind of slow since the gift card was completed. I did however, manage to do a colored pencil rendering of a brook trout for my great uncle, who’s an avid fisherman. Have also laid down the preliminary sketches for a much overdue painting for some really awesome friends. The colored pencil drawing was fun. Probably because I haven’t really worked with them for a long time. It’s always nice to work with a medium that you haven’t touched in awhile…reminds you of the fun of working, and inspires new ideas to pile onto the list.
It’s a good thing I’m on vacation. Maybe I’ll use this opportunity to finish more work on a regular basis. In the meantime, here’s my brook trout. I was fortunate to find some really nice reference pictures to jump from. (sharper graphics)
Pigma micron and prismacolor pencils
Hopefully I’ll have more soon.
Happy Holidays (Merry Christmas)!
Picturing Writing
So for the past few days I’ve been at a workshop/graduate course called picturing writing. It’s all about this creative method for incorporating picture analyzing skills and descriptive writing techniques. The program is amazing…tons of fun too. Soooooo, as part of the course, you’re required to develop you’re own story (winter based) utilizing crayon resist techniques with watercolor paint. I’m posting the pictures of my story because I think they were a blast to make. This process is fun and easy to do with kids. I know my classes absolutely love it.
The five pages were created in about an hour and a half. The writing component hasn’t been finished yet, but it’s actually sparked my interest. Has me thinking a bit about illustraton and children’s books. Hmmm…
The basics of the story: Set in the arctic, a lazy polar bear is hesitant to swim because the water is too cold. He decides to suck it up as he becomes too hungry to care. He goes fishing, eats and then takes a nap. The story will go under extreme revision because of specific requirements for the course, but you get the idea. I might post the finished book when it’s done. (Might.)
The Setting:
The Character:
It was tons of fun. A new painting idea sprouted from the process too so I can’t wait to get started.
ALSO… I’ve been working on a sketch for a home brew recipe (beer kit) for K2K. Think the name is gravitating towards “Hazy Hefe” due to the whole ‘hefeweizen’ thing…
The idea is developing into a sort of, drippy, floaty haze with some wheat thrown in the mix. Can possibly turn into a transformation drawing with the drips developing into wheat at some point. It’s still under construction and definitely open to suggestions at this point. Hoping to have it finished by the end of the month. (we’ll see…)
Vineyard for Stina and Dan O
Update!
Some very rough, very early pics for the vineyard piece I’m currently picking at. My “two awesome friends” can no longer give me doods for dragging my feet. It’s on its way! Also have a current copy of the beer label available. However, it’s late and I need to finish up so I can be functional at work tomorrow. It’s been a crazy few days…
I’ll post the label tomorrow. But for now, please review and comment away!
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- First stage
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- stage 2
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- Stage 3
As I promised:
Latest version of the beer label. I’ve almost finished the pencil portion. All that is left to do is go through with the pigma and add my stippling, shading and so on. Also need to pay more attention to the bottle. Still have a lot of work to do, but I’m happy with it so far.
Also have phase 4 available from an hour long session tonight. Slowly, but surely…(-:
It’s Done!
Finished with the K2K hefe label… yessssss!
And now I have no reason not to finish the vineyard. (-:
New Drawing
Got a little bored last night so I picked up a woodless pencil and went at it. Finished this morning around 11. Still deciding whether or not to add some color or leave it as is. I’ll worry about it later. (-:
Nick Drake is my hero.
I’ve been painting for the past three hours. With Nick Drake as my companion, I’m getting closer. Feels nice to empty my mind of all the noise that has built up over the past few weeks. Paying attention to nothing but the colors on my palette, smell of acrylic and feeling of calm running through my neck and shoulders in place of their usual burden. I owe a lot to this vineyard, a place that doesn’t even exist.
Pen and Ink
Here’s the latest on the “new drawing.”
Almost finished with the pen and ink addtions, then it’s on to the watercolor!!! (-:
Vineyard
The vineyard is complete! Sweetness.
I’m happy with it. Now the trick is to leave it alone. I can never (ever) feel like a painting is complete. So I guess then, for now, the vineyard is done. Until I pick up a brush again…(-;
Couldn’t resist.
Had to touch it up again. Just HAD to. So, it’s finished. Again. I’m hoping to get it out of my studio before I decide something else has to be done to it.
LinkedIN!
I’ve signed up for linkedin! Check it out and connect (-:
P.S…brought the black eyed susan to the frame shop today and I’m starting the watercolor additions in an hour for the new daylily piece. I’ll have some updates posted soon.
Slacker!
Alright! Ok, so I’ll admit it.
Since the completion of the vineyard I haven’t been posting very often. BUT I’ve been really busy with school projects for the kiddies, so I figure that’s as good an excuse as any. Plans for the night, however, do include painting so I’ll be sure to post it before I go to bed.
Promise. ( ; Thanks for checking in!
and here it is
An hour and a half spent painting and I’m calling it a night. I’m tired. More tomorrow. (;
More Traffic
My blog has been getting a lot of traffic over the past few weeks. FANTASTIC!
Decided to finally compress my art pages into “drawing” and “painting” only, rather than categorize them into four different pages. Hopefully this will make it a little easier to navigate.
Went and had some ink work done at a local Tattoo shop. Looks great and couldn’t ask for anything better. I’ll post a pic so you can check out the before and afters. The artist, Mike Francis, is awesome and takes his stuff seriously, so if you’re local (or not) check him out when you’re in the Manchester area. http://www.blacksmithtattoo.com/
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- Finally getting it fixed after waiting four years…
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- 3.5 hours sitting in the “contraption” isn’t so bad when this is the result.
Change of pace.
Needed something a little different after spending so much time drawing and painting lately. So…I took the cover off the old babylock esante, and made a few cabin squares for my quilt that’s been “in progress” for the past five years. (-:
Seems like there’s always a neglected project somewhere in the house.
