Pink tulips.....

With all the floral paintings I have done over the years, it's funny that this is my first tulip painting! This was done as a gift for a friend, and I was happy to paint these
beauties! The only reason these grow for me is because they are planted underneath a weeping cherry tree, surrounded by a ground cover that provides a great barrier for the rabbits that would want to have these for a snack!
To begin with, I took many photos of them, from as many angles as I could.
The painting is a composite from several photos. This is one huge benefit of
digital cameras. You can take a ton of photos of your subject and not have to worry about film costs!
After the drawing was completed, I first put down a glaze of Windsor Lemon on each tulip. I also used Windsor Lemon as the main yellow on the leaves and stems. Once dry, I then used Rose Madder Genuine, Dragon's Blood, Alizarin Crimson, and some Vermillion (discontinued....arg!) for the blooms. I always like to add some of the flower color to the leaves and stems, for whatever flower I'm painting. It helps to make the stems and leaves look more realistic.....rarely are leaves and stems just a solid color. Because I wanted the tulips to really stand out with full saturated color, I kept the background cool and simple. The actual background was brick with blue forget-me-nots surrounding the leaves. I thought simple was better here. These tulips are beautiful and regal and deserved to stand alone.

An approaching storm....

The way our weather has been lately, I am so very glad we keep our camera out and ready to go at a moment's notice! Two nights ago, we had tornado warnings and my husband got some gorgeous video of the black clouds rolling in. No tornado, but for half an hour the wind was pretty remarkable! This morning, I was awakened by more wind gusts. When I looked in our backyard and saw the sunlit trees with a backdrop of storm clouds....it was a race to get the camera. The sky was actually more multi-colored that it shows in the photos! So if I were to do a painting of these scenes, I would definitely show that!

I love how, in both of these photos, the trees look as though they are glowing against the stormy sky. And now.....20 minutes later....the sky looks nothing like it did just a short time ago. The storm threat seems to have dissipated...in just a matter of minutes. Very glad I keep my camera at the ready....you never know when that one glorious "photo op" is going to happen!

Toronto motorcycle show....

I'm having a fun time working on a commission at the moment, so I can't post photos of that piece. However, I decided to put up some photos of the motorcycle show I attended earlier this year. For anyone with a love of bikes....this was the place to be. The custom cycles were absolutely magnificent. So much work went into each and every one....I cannot imagine how long it took to not only build each one, but all the airbrused artwork on them took my breath away. I love the photo on right! The lighting on the bike is so dramatic that it makes for a wonderful photo....and hopefully a painting in the future.

The bike on the left has some wonderful airbrushed artwork. The portraits of Jimi Hendrix and George Harrison are beautifully done. Doing a portrait is challenging enough....I can't imagine how difficult it must be to do one on a bike!

Motorcycle madness nearing the finish line...

Yes....the end is in sight!! It looks like this painting WILL be completed before the snow falls! *sigh of relief*

I left the tire and the black glossy floor until the painting was nearly done. I knew those areas were going to be difficult, but I needed to get the chrome of the bike firmly established with the correct perspective first. The painting wouldn't work if those areas were done incorrectly. The deep black of the tire and the black glossy floor had to look a different "black" than the black reflections in the chrome. I wanted the tire to read like it was made of rubber.....to be made of a different material than the other black surfaces. Not an easy task, for sure!

So I mixed a deep black, took a deep breath.....and laid down the color. I did wet the surface first to help the paint flow....and worked quickly to prevent backruns. I wanted to include the reflected gold color in the tire...I loved how it looked and it helped prevent the tire from looking like a dead solid block of color. Then I used a similiar mix of deep black and laid down the glossy floor. After painting those sections....I set the painting aside to dry....and to give me time to just look and see what to do next.

Now that those sections are done....I can see that I need to deepen other sections of the bike to balance out the values. For one....I want to deepen the red flames. They looked so bold earlier....before the deep blacks were painted. Now they look pale in comparison.

So I am not done yet........but I will be done very soon!! And no snow!!!

The madness continues....

The madness continues, yes....but Oooooo so slowly!! The differences between the last post and this one are slight, but they do exist....promise!! The detail work on the gorgeous chrome wheel spokes, if that's what they're called here, is quite time consuming. Each one has a different reflection....and I wanted to take the time to get each one just right. I also take the time to adjust the values on the already "done" sections.....the done in quotes, because a painting like this is constantly needing value adjustment. You can think that a section is done, but then once the paint settles in and you complete another section near it, it can suddenly look not quite right. So with a painting like this, it's important to set it aside, and take the time to really look at it. Then what needs to be done.....shows.

For the flame work on the bike, I'm certainly not matching that line for line. The bike artist did free form flames, and I will do that also. When it comes time to do the tire and the black glossy floor.... the whole entire look of the painting will change. And I will need to adjust the values on the entire bike.....most definitely. You want the whole piece to jell.

I'm hoping to complete this within the next few weeks......hoping?? Fingers are crossed!

Motorcycle madness continues.....

Like they say on American Chopper, the bike is coming together!
The detail work on a piece like this is amazing....sometimes I will work on it for hours, and swear that it almost looks the same as when I began that day! But that's all part of the process.
I've been putting a lot more darks in, which always helps to pull ths shape together. The cloth underneath is various washes of vermillion, alizarin crimson, and dragon's blood....with a bit of lemon yellow underneath to shine through. The black on the bike will take layers and layers of Payne's grey, sometimes with some Indigo added. I really like how the handlebars came out....when I saw the bike in person I kept thinking about how difficult a bike like this would be to ride! The most unusual handlebars I've ever seen!
The work I have left to do will be quite challenging! The tire is a deep black blending up to a deep grey, and the platform it is sitting on is a very shiny deep black. Oh boy. I think it'll be best to tackle all that in the morning when I have all day to spend in the studio.....'cause I think it will take many hours to get it all looking like I want it to! This will end up being quite a dark painting, and won't look much like a watercolor at all, I imagine. And I hope to finish it, like I said, before the snow flies!! So I'd better get busy!

Motorcycle "madness......"

Does it only seem like forever that I've been working on this bike? I do like seeing the progress I've made, especially comparing how the painting looks now to how it looked a month ago! I knew this painting would call for a deep background. In the photos I took of the bike at the Convention Center, the surrounding colors of the Center were reflected in the chrome of the bike, so I had to stay true to the photo to accurately do justice to the painting.
Once I had laid down more color on the bike, I knew it was time to tackle the background. I put frisket on the outer edges of the bike, even on the already painted areas. Then I gritted my teeth, and laid down the wash. Boy, I was not happy when it dried! I recall one of my teachers saying that all paintings go through an ugly stage. Man, she wasn't kidding! After a few days of staring and it and debating about tossing the whole thing out, I grabbed a brush and added another deeper wash on the background. That saved the day. The deep background was what was needed to pop the bike and really intensify the areas I have already completed.
Major crisis averted.....now I just need to finish the bike itself. Many challenges await...the tires....the tiny details on the engine...refining the handlebars....!
Will it be snowing when I'm done????

Some progress.....

After working on other paintings, I'm back "on" my motorcycle!

This painting is going to definitely challenge me!! Most of my motorcycle paintings are not filled with so many different colors as this one will be. From the bright vermillion cloth underneath to the various golds and glowing blues, this will for sure be a departure from the others!

One thing I have decided is the background will be dark. I'm not sure yet when I will lay in the dark background colors, but I do want to get more of the bike done before I tackle the deep background. Once I lay the background in, I'll have to adjust the values of the colors throughout the piece. It is unusual for me to be working in reflections with lighter colors, and not the normal deep grays and blacks that I've used for most of the other motorcycles.

Man........I must have felt like I needed a challenge! Well, I've got one now!!

Pink hollyhocks....

With all the summertime busyness....I was so thrilled to be able to finish another painting. Not a biggie, but one that is a favorite of mine. I have done a couple paintings from these beautiful hollyhocks that were growing in my friend's yard. So gorgeous! I can picture these growing in many an English cottage garden, along rustic stone walls, or bordering white picket fences in the countryside.
I began by laying down a very light wash of Windsor Lemon, then I used layer upon layer of Rose Madder Genuine. I know that many artists prefer Permanent Rose or Opera, but I adore the specific texture and hue of Rose Madder. One of my favorites, and one the captures the color of these beauties to a tee!
The stem and leaves are Sap Green, along with some Windsor Blue and Lemon Yellow. I also like to throw some Dragon's Blood in the stem and leaves for some interest and contrast.
Now if only I could grow one like this in my garden!! Veggies I can do.....flowers I seem to have more trouble with!

A new hollyhock.....

With the summer art festivals in full swing, I haven't had as much studio time as I would like! With the outside temperature reading 92 degrees right now....I'm happy to be ensconced in my air-conditioned home studio!

The painting in progress on the left here is a commission. A few years ago a client purchased my "Hollyhocks II" to hang in her townhouse in Las Vegas.

She came to my recent show in East Aurora and wanted a smaller companion piece to hang along side the original. SO happy to oblige! I love to paint hollyhocks, and it is so wonderful to know that she loves the original painting so much that she wants another to hang right along side it.

It is about 3/4 done here. Washes of rose madder genuine make up the petals, while my favorite sap green -Maimerblu- is the "go to" green for most of my the stem and leaves. I used some dragon's blood and some burnt sienna as well, in the leaves, stems, and for some of the deeper shading on the petals. I will be finishing the stem and leaves, then adjusting the values to make sure the flower looks as 3 dimensional as possible.

It's wonderful to know that soon this will be going to a new home!

A new custom cycle has begun....

I couldn't wait to begin a new motorcycle painting. That huge cycle show we attended in Toronto this winter was so inspiring! The difficulty for me was choosing which bike to do. I have so many photos of the Toronto Maple Leafs bike, with it's phenomenal airbrush artwork all over....that I almost went with that one. However, I just couldn't stop thinking about the bike I chose to do. I have barely begun to lay down some color, as you can see in the photo on the right. The detailed drawing took quite a long time......with mechanical objects rendered in a realistic work of art you have to make sure to get an accurate representation down. This bike was a custom cycle done for the Blade movie, I believe. The words Blade were airbrushed in various places on the bike. I won't place the wording in the painting, though, as I want the artwork to appeal to anyone without it being tied to the film.

I really liked the coloring used throughout here......silver mixed in with golds and some fiery reds along with the black colors on the motorcycle. I love the custom styling on the bike....the handlebars that resemble weapons, for example! This will be fun to do. And as I am beginning the piece....I'm realizing how hard it's going to be! And I thought the previous custom cycle painting I did was tough! Can I finish it before the snow flies?? I wonder!!

Irises in all their glory...

Ohhhh how lucky I am to have a neighbor with a touch for irises!

The highlight of Spring for me is when I can take a simple stroll down our street and feast my eyes on the results of her green thumb. With the intense heat we are experiencing, these beauties won't last long, so I've had to drop everything and get the photos while they are in their glory. I've done a number of paintings from her iris garden, and I can't wait to tackle some more!

I like the white irises on the left here....painting white flowers of any kind presents a challenge, especially in watercolor! These will be a lot of fun to do.....rendering the shadows and leaving the white of the paper as the brightest, sunlit parts of the flower.

I'm anxious to get back to painting! The Spring gardening chores have eaten up a lot of my time...but once those tasks are completed, I can get back to my brushes. I'll have a lot of fun sorting through all the beautiful iris photos... and saying thanks to the neighbor with the green thumb!

Kauai's Polihali Beach....

I've been working on a series of smaller paintings lately. Getting ready for the summer art festival season (and as I say this, there are frost warnings for this weekend)! The painting on the left is of Polihali Beach on the island of Kauai...the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I wanted to show just the vast expanse of beach here. People always focus on the NaPali cliffs, that are behind me and off to the right. And while spectacular, I wanted to paint just an empty stretch of beach, so this is the view looking out over the water. The island of Niihau, or sometimes called the Forbidden Island, is off in the distance. This smaller sized piece was fun to do. This is a painting that someone can buy as more of an impulse purchase....for themselves or as a gift for someone. Someday I will tackle a painting of those glorious cliffs! But boy....that will have to be a very large painting to do them justice!!

Purple iris is done!

I just finished another one of my smaller "floral portraits." This iris was absolutely gorgeous,, and I couldn't wait to paint it. As I look at the photo on the right, the colors don't look as vibrant in the picture here as they do in the actual painting! Oh well.....guess you've got to see it in person!

For the purple, I used Winsor Violet......such a true and beautiful purple.

I used Rose Madder Genuine for the pink....with a little Alizarin Crimson for some of the deeper values. Indigo and Winsor Blue were mixed with some of the Windsor Violet for the deep purple/blues. I used some Vermillion (boy, I'll miss it when I finally use all of my stash!) for the center, along with Winsor Lemon. The green is mostly Maimerblu's Sap Green, with some of the yellow mixed in.

It's exciting to me to see the iris leaves poking up through the mulch. I can't wait to see the irises again....and to get more photos.

A new iris has blossomed.......

With the summer art festival season rapidly approaching, I have been working hard to complete as many smaller sized paintings as I can. Paintings that are more of an impulse purchase.....something that someone might see that they know would be a great gift for someone.

I recently completed the single iris painting on the left. I took the photo a while back, and I just love the colors here. The top petals are a pale, bluish white, while the lower petals and center are a gorgeous yellow, coppery, coral. This was a lot of fun to do.

When I do larger paintings, I cut the paper down to fit onto the plexiglass I use as my backing. I save every last scrap of my watercolor paper (I use Windsor Newton paper exclusively). These smaller leftover pieces are what I most often use for my little paintings. Love to use every last piece!! For the blue, I used light washes of Cobalt Blue, with some Windsor and a little French Ultramarine. For the coral color, I did a wash of Lemon Yellow over all the coral sections, let that dry, then washed over with some Vermillion (discontinued.....waaaa!!!), some Dragon's Blood, and maybe a touch of Alizarin Crimson. For the leaf and stem I used mostly Maimerblu's Sap Green with some Windsor Blue and some Lemon Yellow.

One thing I always have trouble with, with these little paintings. They often sell quickly, so I don't get to have them very long! I actually miss them!

The beach at Poipu, Kauai......

The calendar says March, already. Yikes!! Where has the time gone?!
With the summer art festival dates coming up sooner than I'd like, I realized I needed to paint some smaller sized paintings. I had a lot of fun going through all my photo references, and I finally settled on an image I took from our trip to Hawaii in December.
I drove into Poipu all by myself on one of our last days there. I was very familiar with the area, as we stayed there for 2 weeks on our first trip a few years back. This is part of the beach front at the Sheraton Kauai. Very beautiful. I love the dark lava rock jutting out into the ocean, and the gorgeous palm trees along the grassy bank. I did a quick drawing right on the watercolor paper, and then began putting down washes of color. I did the sky very quickly, and except for a few little additions of color, left it alone.
The water is very dark here, and I used French Ultramarine, with some turquoise added for that tropical water feel. The lava rocks I used Payne's Gray, some Sepia, and some other lighter touches of Burnt Umber for contrast. The palm trees I used a lot of Sap Green with Windsor Lemon and some Burnt Sienna. The trunks of the trees I used various browns and blues to give them some contrast. One of the worst things one can do is to use the same color for every tree trunk...same as for every rock or every leaf. Nature is more colorful than we think....and if you really look closely you can see so many color variations everywhere.
Back to work!!

Pit Stop

Wow.......so glad to have finally finished my latest motorcycle painting! And I'm quite happy with how it turned out. Since my last post, I concentrated on refining the piece. I added some detailing to the leather motorcycle jacket, plus deepening the shadows in the folds. The engine of the bike required lots of fine detail work, and believe me, a biker will notice if I make any mistakes! So I work really hard to do the best job I can to get it "just right."

I like my bikers, too, off in the distance. I imagine they're discussing their ride, and planning out their next trip.

Now, with the weather finally breaking, I'm sure I'll see motorcycles on the road again. It's been a long winter!!

A motorcycle nearly completed.....

It has been way to long since I posted an update on my painting! This flu season has sure slowed me down! Hopefully the Kleenexes have all been put away, and I can get back to some long days spent in the studio.....where every artist longs to be!

I have been able to get a lot done on the bikes, as one can see in the photo on the right. The leather jacket has been a lot of fun to do. I was sure that wasn't going to be the case, initially! It's coming out looking like a well worn and well loved leather jacket....I'm so pleased! As all watercolor artists know, watercolor has a mind of it's own, and it can do things you cannot plan or predict. In this case, the watercolor gods were with me!

Much more still needs to be done here. Several sections of the bike need to be filled in, and I need to deepen many of the dark areas with more layers of color....mostly Payne's Gray. Shadows will need to be placed under the people and the smaller bikes in the background, or else they will look like they're pasted on, or just floating in space.

More work to be done, but the end is in sight!

A new year, a new motorcycle painting......

Another motorcycle painting in progress! I took the reference photo of this bike at the Jim Kelly motorcycle run for Hunter's Hope several years ago.

Before the start of the run, bikers gather at a local plaza to check-in, fill out paperwork, get the route map, and just hang out until the official start. I always bring my camera to these gatherings- there is always a great assortment of bikes. Several members of the Buffalo Bills always participate, and Jim usually has a few celebrity friends along as well.

I always liked the photo that I took of this bike, with the leather jacket hanging off the handlebar and the helmet balancing on top. I hesitated to paint it initially......painting chrome is hard enough, especially in watercolor, but painting a leather jacket, too? I wanted to convincingly capture the chrome and metal effects of the bike, but at the same time paint the leather jacket and have it look so much like leather that you want to reach out and touch it. Using a different dark mixture for the leather than I use for the chrome proved to be the answer. I love how the leather is looking "worn"- just the effect I wanted.

The actual painting looks a lot darker than the photo. It's quite overcast today, and I really had to use a flash. Next time I'll use natural lighting.

Back to work!

Waimea Canyon....

More photos from one of the most beautiful places on Earth. On my last free day on Kauai, I awoke to clear blue skies. This would be the perfect day to visit Waimea Canyon. Some visitors to Kauai never get to see the canyon without clouds partly or completely obscuring the magnificent view. Luckily I had gotten to tour it once before in all its glory, but I could not resist taking it all in again.

So I began my ascent. Above is a view from one of the pull-over spots heading up the canyon.

The view on the right is from a lookout point higher up. The colors are spectacular. The Kauai red soil is so clearly evident all over the island, and the canyon is no exception. What a view! No clouds, so the clear blue sky so beautifully contrasts with the red soil, the various greys and browns of the canyon walls, and the deep greens of the trees and brush scattered throughout.

I like the photo on the right, below, in that it gives a real sense of the vastness of Waimea Canyon. So lucky to be there without any clouds! To get to see the vastness in all its glory.

I hope that I can capture this beautiful place in a painting that will do it justice.

Kauai on a motorcycle.......

More on our Kauai trip. On the right is a photo I took while riding on the back of a motorcycle.....something I NEVER thought I would ever do! On Bob's one day off, we met up with a former co-worker of Bob's who lives permanently on the island. Howard and his wife, Sue, so graciously spent the entire day with us and gave us a tour around the entire island. We borrowed a motorcycle from another co-worker of Bob's....and off we went. Helmet laws don't exist on Kauai, however, I was determined we were going to wear them! When the only available helmets to wear are so small that our huge heads won't fit in them, the choice becomes either go helmet-less or don't go at all. We took the risk. People don't ride fast on Kauai- there is simply too much to see, and Hawaii is not a "hurry up" place to be.

I was amazed at how well the photos turned out! I love the image above. We were on the north side of the island- the rainiest side, and it is often cloudy and rainy here. We barely got sprinkled on, fortunately. I love the image here, with the lush trees and and misty mountains in the background. Of course, I love Bob's grey hair in the photo, too!

The photo on the left is another I actually took while we were riding along the road. It came out so well! It was so much fun to be riding along and have these gorgeous views just pop out at you! I never thought they would come out so clear taken from the back of a moving vehicle!

More to come....