2 frogs

I found this image from the Nature Conservancy. I wanted the frogs to stand out more in color and detail than the flower (and the tip of the flower ended up looking like something unintended, so it needed to be cropped out). I put a light wash behind the frogs.

sean

My first foray into people

More owls

(The black and white was just done using iPhoto editing.)

Washes

I did my first background washes, brushing the paint and water mixture inward, especially helpful for pieces that don't have colorful focus points. The crane was more an experiment, as the bird sort of disappears within the background.

Filling with a crane

This is the largest watercolor that I have done (9"x14") and it was not without much self-doubt. The top one is the work-in-progress. One thing I like is how the watermarks make the crane look like it's glistening.

This is the more finished piece, though perhaps you might want more detail in the feathers and bolder colors.

Flower and barn owl #2

Like many creative (and life) pursuits, it is interesting that you can look at something and think of all the things you want to change or could have done better.

Fat brush

I understand what Eleanor meant by the fact that different brushes and paper will offer different comfort levels. I used her fat brush, which retained a lot of water, and it greatly watered down the color.

In the pot, I didn't leave a dividing white space between the pot and the plate and the colors ran together. In the pot with flowers, the colors weren't very vibrant. The green, in particular, felt too bright and harsh. It also felt like there should be more detail. So I left these unfinished and was working on drawing a bird for my next piece and chinese brush painting. Eleanor said both pieces looked good and that the flowers should not be all painted in.

Confidence is such a fragile thing. Maybe these were just the conclusion to a hard day.

A series of quick watercolors

The first is based on a live still life. The teacher, Eleanor, demoed technique, which was helpful since I have been away from it for awhile; she wanted me to use bolder and freer strokes (less thinking), which made a difference in how the brush felt in my hand. She also used more water in the brush than I had dared and reminded me to carry the colors from element to element. Eleanor said not to worry about messing up and that you could just discard (recycle); I do feel that I want to be proud of everything that I create, and perhaps I am just afraid of "failing."

This second one with the bowl, onion, garlic, carrots and other objects was painted from a photo. Eleanor encouraged me to use less colors; she liked the spoons and the darks in the broccoli. When I started this one, I felt like it was going to turn out less than stellar but with each layering and addition of color, it gained dimension and came together as a piece.

The cup/lemon (photo) was a much simpler presentation, so I wanted to keep this tone.

It is nice to see progress and to be in a safe--yet unsafe--place. Which do you like best?

peppers, iteration 1

Building the colors: The right pepper needs more contrast and dimension and the background needs more work. Timid at first with dark strokes. Trying to remember to paint what you see and not what your mind knows and to break down the image into dark/light values.

I wonder if "talent, touch" can be lost, if not harnessed, massaged, respected. Perhaps.

night owl

shell, iteration 1

Poor lighting, shadows could use some work