Feather on Black Watercolor Paper

 I try to work on my art each day and enjoy the challenge of experimenting with new products. I recently got a new feather stencil, a product from The Crafters Workshop. 

Here's my process:

1) Sprayed the back of the stencil with Pixie Spray.

2) Centered the stencil on black 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper.

3) Used a make up sponge to cover the stencil with white acrylic paint.

4) Removed the stencil from the paper and let the paint dry.

5) Cover the white painted surface with Posca Pens: Aqua green, Silver, and Black. The black is used to cover and clean up edges.

I love the finished piece and look forward to doing more projects with this lovely stencil.

Challenges:

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2022/08/challenge-082022-anything-goes.html

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2022/08/202208-august-2022-anything-goes.html 

The Reluctant Dragon Mixed Media

 

 The Reluctant Dragon is a mixed media, from a tutorial in Tamara Laporte's book, "Ever After." I enjoyed this painting very much. I love Tamara Laporte's artistic style and enjoy using so much of my art supplies to paint one picture. I used Caran d'ache Crayon's, Tombow Markers, Posca and Micron Pens, Prismacolor Pencils and Jane Davenport watercolors. I painted this picture on Canson 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper.

Challenges:

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2022/08/challenge-082022-anything-goes.html

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2022/08/202208-august-2022-anything-goes.html 

https://mixedmedialovers.blogspot.com/2022/08/nieuwe-challenge-mixed-media-16.html

https://thefairyandtheunicornchallenge.blogspot.com/2022/08/august-2022-challenge.html 

Window Flowers

 This painting is from a tutorial by Sarah Cray for Let's Make Art. Instead of using my usual tube watercolor, I used Dr. Ph. Martin's Hydrus Set 1, liquid watercolors. I enjoy these paints and mixing them is fun to do.

This is a take off of some easy urban sketching and a delight to do without a template. I made my 5x7" painting into a birthday greeting card!

Giraffe in Mixed Media

 This Giraffe is from a tutorial by Tamara Laporte. I used an assortment of scrap booking papers for the collage, after tracing the outline provided.

I used two colors of Daler Rowney acrylic inks and a Speedball Ink to paint this beautiful animal. I added some liquid watercolors from Dr. Ph. Martin's Hydrus set 1. I enjoy seeing the words on my collage papers thru the inks.

I added design elements with Posca and Micron pens.

I decided not to paint the background.

I love my finished painting!

Challenges:

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2022/08/challenge-082022-anything-goes.html

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2022/08/202208-august-2022-anything-goes.html 

https://mixedmedialovers.blogspot.com/2022/08/reminderpost-challenge-mixed-media.html

https://carabbiemomentsofcraft.blogspot.com/2022/08/challenge-237.html 

Meet Me in Paris

 

                                                                                   

Well that's how the saying goes and I did! In the fall of 1971, my husband Sandy had just completed a job for Pan Am Airways and we arranged to meet at Orly Airport, outside of Paris. I was working in New York City, planning my flight to meet up with Sandy and see the sights of Paris, France. I actually met him at the escalator. We took a cab to the George V hotel. From there I actually wore out the heels on my new boots, waling so much and saw so much. To name a few: Eiffel Tower, Champ Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Sacre-Coeur in Montmarte.

It's time to reminisce about those memories in my art journal, but here are some photos of that trip.

 Challenges:

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2022/08/challenge-082022-anything-goes.html

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2022/08/202208-august-2022-anything-goes.html 

http://pearlysparkleschallenge.blogspot.com/2022/08/challenge-76-anything-goes.html#

https://carabbiemomentsofcraft.blogspot.com/2022/08/challenge-237.html 

https://aperfecttimetocraft.blogspot.com/2022/08/a-perfect-time-to-craft-open-challenge.html

Ink and Floral Watercolor

 This lovely Ink and Floral watercolor painting is from a tutorial by Sarah Cray for Let's Make Art.

Instead of my usual Winsor Newton Cotman watercolor tubes, I used Dr. Ph, Martin's Hydrus liquid watercolors. They are brilliant, transparent and light fast. They will not fade over time. Since Hydrus is permanent, I decided to give myself variety and bought the first set.  Beside the watercolors, I used both a black Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen and a black Micron Pen. I used a light box and the painting is on Canson 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper.

I love the finished piece and look forward to using these paints often!

Scotney Castle, Line and Wash

 This watercolor painting is of Scotney Castle from a tutorial by Paul Clark. This painting was certainly a challenge. I learned a lot and love its outcome!

I used graphite paper to transfer the outline onto my Arches 140 lb. watercolor block. I used Winsor Newton Cotman watercolors with a bit of white Holbein Artists' Gauache for highlites.  I used a Micron 01 for the line.

I'm really loving the work I get to do on scenes from Paul Clark's tutorials.

Challenges:

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2022/08/challenge-082022-anything-goes.html

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2022/08/202208-august-2022-anything-goes.html 

http://pearlysparkleschallenge.blogspot.com/2022/08/challenge-76-anything-goes.html

https://carabbiemomentsofcraft.blogspot.com/2022/08/challenge-237.html 

https://aperfecttimetocraft.blogspot.com/2022/08/a-perfect-time-to-craft-open-challenge.html

Tribute to Vincent Van Gogh Watercolor

 

The students on the holiday painting cruise with Paul Clark got another wonderful piece to paint. They were in the part of France where Vincent Van Gogh spent a lot of his time. Those on board and those with feet grounded, got to learn about Van Gogh!

I painted with Winsor Newton Cotman watercolor tubes on an Arches 140 lb. block cold press. I used yellow and white General's Pastel Chalk Pencils to enhance the piece.

I thought it might be difficult, but I did just fine and love this one!

Challenges:

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2022/08/challenge-082022-anything-goes.html

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2022/08/202208-august-2022-anything-goes.html 

https://morgansartworld.blogspot.com/2022/08/morgans-artworld-challenge-8.html

https://classicdesignchallenge.blogspot.com/2022/08/classic-design-challenge-august-8.html 

https://letscreatechallenges.blogspot.com/2022/08/challenge-186-ag-feeling-distressed.html

Mermaid Haven Journal Pages

 

 

Back in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic, I began looking for some new art to work, that would challenge me and keep me busy. I knew we were into a scary time and wanted to be safe at home.

One idea was to play around with gelli plate printing. I managed to make lovely flat designs, but also used craft foam and carpet two sided tape to make themed printing blocks. You can see them in the circular portholes.

I got into mixed media and found books by Jane Davenport. I learned to draw mermaids with her "Marvelous Mermaids." book. Here they are swimming in brightly colored watercolors.

It's now 2022 and I haven't done anything with the portholes or the mermaids. I do have an art journal where I can experiment on two page spreads.

Here's how I designed the background for the pieces I worked on back in 2020.

I continue to experiment with Dylusions Ink Spray by Ranger.

I sprayed water on the right side page and used two different color sprays over the top

I closed the adjacent page over the sprayed page and pressed it down.

I filled in the blank spaces with ink and blotted with a towel.

I used two different size circular stencils placed in spots around the two pages, spraying water thru the holes creating a ghosting effect.  During the process I blotted the pages with a paper towel roll.

When the inks dried used the eraser top of a pencil to apply white acrylic dots to the pages.

When the paint was dry I adhered the mermaids and portholes to the pages.

I found some cute quotes on Pinterest and wrote two of the journal pages.

French Chateau in Watercolor

 

I was so happy when I saw that Paul Clark's tutorial is for a French Chateau. It would have been just wonderful to have been on an art painting holiday with Paul Clark!

I used graphite paper to put the outline of the chateau on my Arches Block, 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper. I painted the tutorial using Winsor Newton Cotman watercolor tubes and a bit of white gouache for highlights.

It was an amazing picture to paint! I saw it come to life as I worked on it. I love it!

Challenges:

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2022/08/challenge-082022-anything-goes.html

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2022/08/202208-august-2022-anything-goes.html 

https://morgansartworld.blogspot.com/2022/08/morgans-artworld-challenge-8.html

https://classicdesignchallenge.blogspot.com/2022/08/classic-design-challenge-august-8.html 

https://letscreatechallenges.blogspot.com/2022/08/challenge-186-ag-feeling-distressed.html

Eiffel Tower in Watercolor

 

I was delighted, when I saw that one of the up coming painting projects for Lets Make Art would be the Eiffel Tower, from a tutorial by Sarah Cray. It brought back some great memories of a trip to Paris, years ago.

I used graphite paper to put the outline of the tower onto my Arches 140 lb. watercolor block and painted the image with Winsor Newton Cotman watercolor tubes.

I really enjoyed working on this painting.

Challenges:

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2022/08/challenge-082022-anything-goes.html

https://morgansartworld.blogspot.com/2022/08/morgans-artworld-challenge-8.html 

https://classicdesignchallenge.blogspot.com/2022/08/classic-design-challenge-august-8.html

https://letscreatechallenges.blogspot.com/2022/08/challenge-186-ag-feeling-distressed.html 

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2022/08/202208-august-2022-anything-goes.html

Abstract Watercolor Floral

 I found this tutorial on Pinterest by Zakkiya of Inkstruck Studio. It covers liquid watercolor blending with a fun flower illustration using a white Posca Pen.

I painted clear water in a fast n Arches 140 lb. watercolor cold press block. Then I dropped blobs of Dr. Ph. Martin's Hydrus Fine Art Watercolors and let them blend. I tilted the block to facilitate the process. I used a brush to smooth the edges.

Once the paint was dry, I drew flowers with a white Posca  Pen.

I'll have a go at this again one day soon!