painting and thumb nail

Hi Phoebe and the girls, here is the watercolour painting I completed using the thumbnail as my inspiration. I did a few thumbnails but felt this one was the one I wanted to use. It is a snowy river scene and maybe quite nice to see now that our warm summer days are with us again. I found some more thumbs I did last year in my art drawer and hope to share those with you soon. I hope you are all enjoying your summer painting time.

Thumbs from Bayou Drive Salt Marshes

Hello everyone!

It's been too long since posting but I've been working on NINE paintings from the April Art Workshop with Deborah Paris. Since indirect painting is so new to me, these paintings are Research and Development so if I have the guts to post them at some point I will. Right now they aren't even half way done and there are many more layers of glazes to go.

But today I was bound and determined to do a couple of thumbs before the sun went down. So here they are. They are from one of the most beautiful places I've seen in Florida, Bayou Drive in Hernando Co. There are salt marshes on each side of the road. On the north side you can see a thin strip of the Gulf of Mexico in the horizon. To me they are so inspiring to make endless designs from these marshes. IF I were a fabric designer or jewelry maker I think I would move there just for the inspiration. Can you only imagine?? I wanted you to see the photos of the marshes so you have some idea of where these thumbs came from.

Happy Thumbing to you!

Back from Clarksville Texas

It's hard to believe the April Workshop at Deborah Paris' studio is already over and I'm back in Florida. The eight days were extraordinary to say the least. I'll post some pictures for those that are interested.

One of the many great things about being in Deborah's studio was access to her library of art books. She encouraged us to study the tonalist artists landscape compositions and glean from them. The top page of thumbs were studies from one of George Inness's books. His compositions draw the viewer in and there are many things to look at before you leave the painting. Whereas the Hudson River painters have the viewer come up to the edge of the painting, stop and observe what is there. You don't feel a part of it as you do with an Inness painting.

The second picture has gesture drawings of cows that were in the pastures bordering Deborah and Steve's property. They were beautiful; a variety of colors. No two looked alike. But they were very hard to draw! Much like clouds, they move all the time. The thumb on that page was used to make a dry point. Our last day in the studio one of the students asked Deborah if she would show us how to do a dry point. She showed us the entire process THEN we could do one ourselves. I LOVED IT!! My dry point is en route via FedEx along with all my supplies so that will be another post when I get it.

The third photo are of thumbs for two posters to be used this weekend at an event. The fourth photo are pastels which will be the background for the posters. There will be text that will go in the center of both. The one on the right represents sunset colors as the one on the left is sunrise. They aren't very accurate and I had to get them to the printers early this afternoon so time was short but they will work fine. They will be on the wall in the back of the podium on stage.

That's it for now. If there is any way any of you can get to the workshop Deborah is having in Florida March 2012 it would be the highlight of the year for you. She is a Master Artist and a Master Teacher. No one else is teaching tonalist landscape painting. She has a vast knowledge of the subject and is able to communicate it in a way that you will be challenged to evaluate why you paint, what you paint and how you paint. She talks of poetry; it can either be so boring as words on a grocery list or it can be words arranged so well it is a beautiful thought provoking poem. Same with a painting. It can be a painting of just what you see or it can be arranged in a beautiful thought provoking emotional way as you put your heart and life into it. I can say from spending the eight days under her teaching I know myself so much more as an artist, I'm clear on the direction I want to go as an artist and I've never been so excited about painting in my life. The other four students had amazing experiences as well. Thank you Deborah!

two studies of a conifer tree

Hi Phoebe sorry to be away so long, I have had to settle into coastal oil painting for now so the trees are quietly taking a break! However Ulrike who has been visiting our area came out with me to a lovely beach with a wood by it. Ulrike settled into painting the beach while I took the opportunity to sketch a conifer, it was such an untidy wild looking tree that I had to really edit what I was seeing or not seeing as the case was! It was wonderful to be back drawing my dear friends the trees though I must say I am finding my coastal painting very peaceful and enjoying using the colours and skills learned with Deborah on her courses.

The sketches here are not really on a blue back ground the light outside is incredibly bright, yes the sun is shining in Scotland! so I took the photos inside but it is not a great success but you get the general idea!

Ready for Texas

the top four thumbs are of the same scene on Honeymoon Island. I edited them in different formats and chose one for an underpainting below.

The second underpainting is an idea from the JG Ranch when the blueberries were growing. The sky will be the main point of view.

It's time to start thinking about shipping my Underpaintings and art supplies to Texas for Deborah's eight day art workshop at her studio. This will be an opportunity of a life time for me. You can be sure I will bring a stash of Bon Bon's for the future Bon Bon breaks that will be needed during the steep learning curves coming up! I think it will be like the "Indy 500" in the artists world. Life in the fast lane. I will put on my helmet (straw hat), fasten my seatbelt and enjoy the ride! ;>)

Thumb and Result

Yes, Phoebe, you're quite right. I've just done some pastels and more or less by chance there was a thumbnail for that I did during the course.

And here's the pastel result.

18 x 13cm

Thumbs, Thumbs in Use, and a Neat Quote

First the quote by Edgar Payne. I started reading his book "Composition of Outdoor Painting". The context is "art talent":

"To say that the artist is born and not made, is only partly true. Actually, while it (talent) is an important qualification, there is no proof of real worth in talent until it has been developed and expanded by a tremendous amount of serious study and plain hard work".

SO TRUE!

Yesterday I returned to Eagle Lake anxiously wanting to see if it was spared the tornado and severe thunderstorms that swept through this area late last week. Largo, where Eagle Lake is located, reported damage from the tornado so I was concerned about the Canadian Geese nesting on the little island that I've done in thumbnails several times. Also I sketched two Moorhens "on their honeymoon" last month in the same area. I was thrilled to see the Canadian Geese guarding their nest AND the two Moorhens taking their four babies for a swim. The Moorhens are known for walking on the vegetation in the water - and, sure enough, the four babies were learning how to walk on the water lily leaves. It was a real sight to see. Eagle Lake was spared any damages which was a great relief.

So here is the latest work and I feel it is paying off to consistently be thumbing it. While observing nature I'm much more aware of what would make a good thumb. I'm getting more comfortable with editing, and seeing more of "the essence" of an object rather than every minute detail. Although there is beauty in the details, I just don't have to relate each one!

To all you thumbies, don't just sit on your thumbs! Start thumbing it on the highways and byways. People with give you a lift! Or we can give each other a lift when we see those thumbs. Before you know it, you will have a "two thumbs up" from the rest of us.

I'm just saying... ;>)