Rhododendron

 

Every year since we moved into this home, almost 10 years ago, I have been wanting to paint some flowers from this bush. This year I kept saying for a week how I needed to go out and cut some off and bring into the studio to paint. Louis surprised me by going out to the woods and cutting a couple of branches off the bush and bringing them and putting them in a vase. Finally, I finished this little watercolor. It has been sitting on the easel for over a month. The photo isn't very good but at least it is done and posted. 

Pond Tree

In my attempt to fill this sketchbook, I painted another mini gouache landscape yesterday afternoon. This one measures 2 1/4" by 3 1/8". My new easel from Cups Easels in Canada arrived today. It is actually made in Canada by a small company. It will mainly be used for gouache. I also ordered an additional palette for watercolor paints. Excited to try it out.

 

Meadow Spring

 

Another mini gouache painting I did in my Fabriano sketchbook. This little painting is 6"x2". I need to do 3 more then the book will be finished and I can place it on the shelf and call it done.

Art Nouveau Madonna

I did the sketch for this little gouache painting in my Moleskine 5x8 sketchbook weeks ago. Today I finally took the time to finish painting an collage. It is another in my art nouveau series which is based on Gustav Klimt's Hope II. My purpose in studying and the artists from this period is to take ideas and techniques of these artists and add what I really like to my own work. The background is gold acrylic; the clothing is pieces of my gel plate prints cut up and collage onto the figure; the face and hair are painted in gouache. The hand was much better until I started fiddling with it to make it better but who hasn't destroyed something trying to fix it? Still, I relearned something I have known for years––always mix up more paint than you think you would ever use. Not sure if I am ready to move on to a new project yet are just move this series to the back burner for a bit.

 

Celtic Knots Lesson 4

This was the most difficult lesson so far in Valerie Sjodin's class on teachable (https://valeriesjodin-courses.teachable.com/). It reminded me of high school geometry which was the first math class I have ever taken that I really enjoyed.

 

This is my attempt at the third lesson in Valerie Sjodin's class on Celtic Knots and Illumination. The shading around the 3x3 knot patterns is made using a graphite pencil. I was concern about the transfer of graphite from this page to the facing one so I added a velum tip-in to protect the second page (lesson 4).

 

Pointed intertwining ribbons

More playing with the ribbons intertwining. I also added a diagram on the opposite page to help me remember how I made the design.