"Polish Strawberries"

"Polish Strawberries"
10.25" x 6"
(watercolor on paper)

Click here to bid.  Starting bid:  $100

I concluded that this was "finished" over the weekend. The image may look a little dark depending on your monitor.  I'm still having trouble adjusting colors (sigh). This same image, uploaded to DPW looks a little light/washed out, while this one looks dark. In my Photoshop, it looks just right. I can't win. Just know that the brightest whites are basically the white of the paper which may even be a little warm. I don't like to crank up the contrast, because I'm afraid of making the painting look "too good" as the monitor lights it from the back, but there is definitely more bright white in the original than what this image indicates. Oh well.

Happy painting and thank you for stopping by.

(an example of what this painting could look like when framed)

Meeting Goals - Better Late Than Never

Last year one of my goal's was to create an e-newsletter . . . well I didn't.  So I started 2014 with this same goal . . . and the months passed.  I had created a MailChimp account but only sat down a couple of times to try and figure it all out.  Oh, I had taken notes on what I'd include . . . I'd even gotten together a modest mailing list . . . but still, I just couldn't get motivated to make it happen.  Well I finally bit the bullet and over the weekend, took a day to figure it out.  "Summer - 2014" went out on Saturday night!  

My intention is to only send a seasonal newsletter, 4 times a year - nothing too much. I don't want to irritate people (more than I probably already do with my blog and Facebook).  Besides, I don't want to be all wigged out every month trying to put something together, regardless of if I have any news to share. 

So . . . if you'd like to subscribe for future seasonal letters, just click on the image above and it will take you to a form on my website. I'm planning to include some specials on artwork as well as art tips, in the future.  Many thanks.  :)

Meanwhile . . . a few more progress shots from over the weekend . . . 

Have a nice day.  :)

A Few More Steps

Here are a few more progress shots.  Hope you are enjoying your weekend.  :)

New Stuff

I thought you might like to see the beginnings of my newest painting.  You can see the little study and color swatches in my sketchbook above, and the beginning values of the painting below.  I'm going to try to resist getting too fussy with this one, we'll see how I do.  :)  Have a good weekend!

A New Watercolor Adventure!

Polish Pottery and Blueberries
5" x 5"
starting bid:  $75
Sold

(what this painting could look like framed)

Click here to bid


Ok . . . so I've wanted to experiment with Ampersand Aquabord for a while now and I finally did.  Here's the scoop for those of you who aren't acquainted with it.  It is a thin panel (masonite I think) coated with a white surface for watercolor.  The surface is very conducive to lifting color out, which as you know by now, I LOVE.  But what I think is so cool is that you can spray it with a fixative and varnish it to your liking so that it's protected and doesn't have to be framed under glass.  This gives it such a different look.  I opted for an acrylic gloss finish that has kept the colors very vibrant.  You know that look that your watercolors have when they're wet -- well that's what this seems to preserve.  You can read on the internet about what fixatives to use, varnishes etc, so that the work doesn't yellow or get cloudy.  Also, whether this is a method that will withstand the test of time.  I believe I read somewhere that someone's been using a similar technique for 10-20 years and their work has been fine.  If you're someone that worries about all that, maybe this isn't for you . . . but since I don't think I'm the next Andrew Wyeth or Edward Hopper, I'm not too concerned.  Of course I wouldn't want my work to fall apart within a lifetime after someone purchases it . . . I think this is a fine medium to explore and am not worried about its immediate longevity.

Addendum:  I just read that Aquabord is archival.  You can view their website here.

Happy painting and experimenting!