Get those Values Working for You -Painting & Drawing Tips

Have you ever finished a painting and felt it just looked flat?

There is no life to it.  Yet, you planned, worked hard and tried everything.  

Where did you go wrong?

Bright Bold Poppies - One of my favourite things to draw.  Especially in Ink.

Take your painting, photograph it and then turn it into a gray scale picture.  (You can do this easily with the Edit feature in Photos on your phone or Ipad.  It's a great little feature.)  When you see the picture in gray scales, without the distraction of colour you have a much better feel for the values that are in your work.  This is where the Magic happens.  It is the strength of the values that can turn that flat shape into a Dense, 3 Dimensional Mass that really seems to come to life. 

Seeing Values in Action - The MAGIC Element of Art

Here is a drawing of the poppies from the last post (see here)

Take a look at the poppies you worked with in my last drawing post.  In that post you completed the line drawing.  The drawing gives a sense of Depth and Mass because of the layering; petals in the back, the center, petals in the front, stems and little leaves and flowers layered on the page. I love the look of ink but adding graphite (values) can make it even more interesting.

Add some values - I used a pencil but you painters can use paint.

Here is one of the poppy with one value on it.

Yes, this poppy looks pretty 3 Dimensional, but not because of the shading.  It is more the work of the stem and the little leaves that gives it Volume.  The graphite almost flattens it. It is all one value.   Cover up the stem area as you look at it and you will see what I mean.

Here is my Poppy Reference. If you want to try the drawing, Contact me if you would like a better reference file to work with.  I would be happy to send it to you.

Now study the picture reference and add the values.  (I used a 6B pencil for the darker areas and 2B for the lighter areas.) Work by layering your graphite.  Using circular strokes build up your darker areas, always blending them into the lighter areas.  Yes, you can use just a 2B pencil to put in your values and use lots of pressure to get the darks.  I prefer to use a variety of pencils to get my darks as it requires less pressure and I get more texture on my paper.  I am not flattening the tooth of my paper with lots of pressure.

Some things to note: 

You have a value scale of 1 to 10.  1 is white and 10 is your darkest dark.  There are no 1's or  10's on the petals.  You need to keep your values inside of that range.  The white (no. 1) needs to be saved for the main poppy on the right.

When shading the light petals: the petal on the far left is the lightest, the one on the far right is next and the light petal off the center at the back is next. 

When shading the dark petals: the front petal has the darkest areas and the back petal is not as dark. None of the petals has a full Value of 10. 

The only 10 is just where the flower, leaves and stem meet.  Notice how that really grounds the flower and gives it that sense of life you are looking for.  You can see the same affect on the lower poppy where the darks have been done in ink.

Poppy with full Values

Now this is a POPPY.  The darks and lights of the graphite really give that Poppy mass.  It definietly looks alive, open to the sunlight. 

As you work with your drawings and paintings you need to always be comparing the values; who is lighter, who is darker and who is the same.  Go back to that gray scale picture of your painting/drawing.  How do those values compare? Punch some of them up and drop some of them back.  You have a scale of 1-10, make sure you use all of it.  Working on pencil drawings really helps to sharpen your sense of values. 

 Working in colour really doesn't change anything.  There is still values to be modulated only now it is done with your colour choices rather than graphite.  Often artists comment that it is really not the colour that is important it is the value.  As you can see from the two painted pictures I have included their volume is developed with the values of the colour.  I even played around with colours with my gull to emphasis that.

READY FOR MISCHIEF - 5 x 7 - $135 (Matted, unframed)
Note how the dark values create his Mass, your eye totally accepts the strange colours (green, orange, purple) When the value is right the colour is not important

Looking for other drawing information, See the previous drawing posts:

How to Find Your Starting Point in a Drawing
  4 Ways to Grow the Sketchbook Habit
Time to Meet Your Drawing Friends
Ready to Start Drawing - Get Your Materials Together

Next up: Working with Blenders - the secret to the soft touch of Graphite.   See you next week.

 Etsy Shop now Open: WendyMouldsArt  Come on In!! 

Special Offer: Free Shipping with your order of 5 or more  Christmas Doodle Cards or buy the Digital Down Load Cards and print as many as you wish.

Great DIY Christmas Project:  Make Your Own Christmas Cards 

Christmas Card Doodle Classes Happening in November

Kitten and Puppy are happy to be featured on Your Special Cards

You will make some Great Christmas Cards for those Special People using my friendly little kitten and pup.  We should make a least 2 cards and you will feel confident to make more.  $35 all supplies included.
Classes: 

Sat Nov 18, 10:30-12:30 or 2:00-4:00  Art by Wendy Studio, North SurreyThurs Nov 16, 2:00-4:00 or 6:00-8:00   Art Expression Gallery, Maple Ridge.Wed, Nov. 22, 3:30-5:30 Gardenworks at  Mandeville,  South Burnaby 

 Contact Wendy Here to register. 

Time to Move Inside and Draw
Drop-In & Draw: Tues, Nov. 7 10-12pm & 1-3pm
January Dates: Tues, January 9 & January 23, 2018
Expressions Art Gallery, 227 & Lougheed Hwy, Maple Ridge.  
Choose a morning or afternoon session. Bring your sketchbook or your project and come draw.  I will be happy to give you a few pointers as you work on your drawing.  $15 Pre-Register Required. Contact Wendy Here

Be sure to like and share my posts.
 You won't miss a single one if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page. Keep up with all the art events by joining my email list (see sidebar on my blog)

 Have a great artful day,
Wendy

How to Find Your Starting Point in a Drawing - Painting & Drawing Tips

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

THE FIRE DANCE - Ink & Watercolour - Purchase Info

Your Ready to DRAW. . .

But HOW DO you START?

As an artist you are attracted to many things: light falling on a rose; an eagle soaring in the sky; the profile of a young child.  You know what you want to draw but how to get started is a big problem.

Many books and tutorials say, start with a basic shape.  I certainly can see that with a child's face. An oval would be a good starting point. But sometimes I find the shape does not work for me.  I like to have something that will give me Reference Points to move out from.  The large oval or rectangle gives me the size but no help in locating key elements within the subject.

A 'Line of Action' gives me more information.

Poppies are so much fun to draw, I love their flowing lines

When you study the poppy on the right, you can see some very strong lines that define the shape.  For me the strongest line with lots of information is the line of the petal coming forward.

This line gives a sense of size and shape.  It acts as a reference point to other important lines.

Once this first strong line is placed on your paper you now have a point of comparison.  All other lines will be longer or shorter than this one. It also gives you a reference for the the angles of the other lines.

The 2 secondary lines

Drawing in the two secondary lines defines the whole structure of the flower.  Each element builds from them.  By comparing the length and angle of line you draw to your structural lines, you can complete the drawing of each petal.

Hard to believe this is the SKELETON of the poppy!

Once you are happy with the length and angles of your 3 lines you are ready to roll.

Drawing the first petal

Drawing that first petal gives the structural lines meaning.  Once the petal is in place, it is possible to place the stem.  (I have included the other flower in the reference picture so you can also add the little flower pod leaves.  Those little things give your drawing character.)

As each petal is drawn it gives you a reference point for the next one

After the first petal is drawn, you can now see where the one to the right fits in.  Move around the flower drawing each as you go.  Hint: I found it better to draw the area on the left side before drawing the area at the back.  Once your layout is finished, you can go back and refine areas and add your shadows and directional lines.  You can see my finished line drawing here. 

Using Strong Lines is not the only way to start a drawing but it is a GREAT Tool to keep in your Bag of Tricks.  Here is another example:

This strong line gives the shape, the size of the flower and a reference point for placement of the two main petals.

If you would like to have a larger file of these reference pictures to draw with, drop me a line and I will be happy to send them along.

Do you have another way of starting a drawing?  Do you see other strong lines to work with?  Lines and shapes attract us in different ways, there is no one right way to see.  I would love to know what you 'see' when you draw these flowers.

DRAW this POPPY LIVE - Saturday, Oct 21, 2017 
 Opus Arts Supplies, Langley, BC. 
  Registration Information Here
 2 Hands-On Drawing Sessions 11am and 2pm. 

I will be drawing this Poppy for the demo. As you draw with me the focus will be on relationships within a drawing and lines and edges to bring your poppy to life. Throughout the process you will learn how to fine tune your observation skills so that you will begin to see more structural and spatial relationships in your subject. This improves your overall drawing skills.

Register early as these Demos will fill up fast.
$15 Includes a small Starter Kit

If you are just starting your journey into drawing see my first post in this series: Ready to Start Drawing for ideas on basic materials, Time to Meet your Drawing Friends to learn more about your pencils and 4 Ways to Grow the Sketchbook Habit to really get that drawing happening.

Special Note: I will not be posting next week as I am off on a very EXCITING Art Adventure. I will be spending 6 Days with Robert Bateman!! I will report back on my next Post.

 Etsy Shop now Open: WendyMouldsArt  Come on In!! 

Special Offer: Free Shipping with your order of 4 or more  Christmas Doodle Cards or buy the Digital Down Load Card and print as many as you wish.

Special Event:
Artswest Fall Art Show Oct 2-30
Reception: October 14, 1-3pm
Newton Cultural Centre, 13530 72nd Ave, Surrey, BC

Viewing Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9:30-3:30

Looking to meet and see works by local artists?  Wild abstracts to take you into new places, a crow pensively perched on a log, or mist slowly raising off the water, this is the show for you.
My picture: Crow: The Giver of Light, will be part of the show
To learn more about Artswest see here

Time to Move Inside and Draw
Drop-In & Draw starting: Tues Oct 10, Tues, Oct 24, Tues, Nov. 7 10-12pm & 1-3pm
Expressions Art Gallery, 227 & Lougheed Hwy, Maple Ridge.  

Come for 1 or all 3, choose the morning or afternoon session. Bring your sketchbook or your project and come draw.  I will be happy to give you a few pointers as you work on your drawing.  $15 Pre-Register Required. Contact Wendy Here

 Be sure to like and share my posts.
 You won't miss a single one if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page. Keep up with all the art events by joining my email list (see sidebar on my blog)

 Have a great artful day,
Wendy

Disappointments!!

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

The picture isn't quite right!

You put in tons of time but  . . . . .You are not happy!

Disappointment!!

That is the story of “Standing Tall”. 

Standing Tall - 11 x 14 - Watercolour

I love the poppies in our yard and I love to draw and paint them when they come into bloom.  Their lovely lush colours and beautiful folds and curves; such beautiful colour so early in the year. 

I think I must have fallen in love with the process when I created this picture.  The texture!  The shapes! The colours! They blinded me and yet they motivated me.  I started first with molding paste to get strong texture and movement throughout the space and then worked diligently to finish it. But somehow the finish wasn’t there.  I left it for a bit, then framed it but still I wasn’t happy.  When I found myself reluctant to take it to shows I knew there was a problem.

I put it away. 

It has been a few months now and time to decide – can it be fixed or should it be chucked!  I find that time helps me distance myself from a picture and I am able to look at it more objectively.  This process often results in success for me but also helps to weed out the ones that need to be gone. 

When I looked at “Standing Tall” now, I can see that the flower is too centered, the interesting stamens have become a “big blob”. I decided to try cropping the picture to move the flower from the center.  As soon as I did that I could see the textured background came into play and the flower became much more interesting.  My blob became interesting flower parts again; my beauty and mystery had returned. 

New and Improved - Standing Tall - 8 x 10 - Watercolour

How do you handle your “Disappointments”? 

Have a great day and happy painting,

Wendy Mould

Sunshine on Dick Island, Texada Island, BC

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

First Picture from our Trip to Texada Island

Sunshine on Dick Island, Texada Island, BC - 4.5 x 6.5 - $130

 

Do you find it rejuvenating to look at the water? I love to sit and look out at the ocean.  It is always changing and certainly not always blue!!  You will notice that I was experimenting with different blues.  I do love Ultra Marine with a little Burnt Sienna to give that feeling of distant mountains but this time I tried Phalo Blue.  It gave a lovely glow to everything and also an old English country feel.  It must have been one of their standby colours in the old days. 

This is one of my favourite views from Shelter Point, Dick Island to the left and the Coastal Mountains on Vancouver Island in the distant.  Notice the Forbidden Plateau Glacier is in this area of the mountain range as we are almost directly east of it.  The Glacier looks down on the Comox Valley where both Steve and I grow up.  Yes, the water was that calm.  We had many days when the wind was silent and the water was just like glass. 

 

As always cards and prints are available for all my pictures starting at $3.25 for a card.

 

Have a good day and more of my holiday pictures on my next post.

Back from a Successful Painting Holiday

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

This summer we headed up to our favourite spot, Texada Island and the Sunshine Coast, on the West Coast of Canada.  The weather was great, the scenery was fantastic and our little adventures were many. 

Rusty

Yes, our little boater had a good holiday.  As many of you know he had some pretty major surgery in June and we weren't sure how it would turn out.  But he had a good trip and is ready to celebrate his 17th birthday tomorrow, Aug 8.

Steve with his Crab Trap

He had a wonderful time, he loves to get out on the water and play around, crabbing is one of his things.  13 in this trap but only 1 keeper - enough for us to enjoy!

Rusty and I go along for the ride and enjoy the scenery

Me painting - Oh I had a wonderful time painting, drawing and trying new things.  Some things turned out great but I must admit there were a few things that, well let's remember they were an experiment!!  I will share some of my pictures with my next few posts.

Have a great day and enjoy our sunshine.

The Changing Tide - Miracle Beach, Vancouver Island, BC

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

The Changing Tide - Miracle Beach, Vancouver Island, BC - 10.5 x 15 in.  $500Unframed

To residences in the Mid-Vancouver Island area,  Miracle Beach is a beautiful place to visit any time of the year; lovely warm waters for swimming and beautiful sandy beaches that seem to stretch out for miles.  As kids a trip to the beach was always an exciting adventure.  The campsite at Miracle Beach is large and very popular in the summer and we often stop there when we are headed up island.  There are deer in the area and last year in the Spring I saw 3 of them wading in the water while the tide was out. It was really neat!  I love those little brushes with nature. 
Enjoy the view and if you are heading north of the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, take some time to visit the area.
Have a great day,
Wendy

Dancing in the Sunshine with my computer

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

DANCING IN THE SUNLIGHT - 7 X 10.5 - Watercolour

 

     The sun has been shining lately, yes, it is freezing out but somehow I can forget that when the sun shines.  It is a great inspiration for painting flowers dancing in the sun.  My poppies in our front yard are a great source for reference material; they are those great big ones in a lovely orgie-red colour.  I have photographed, drawn and painted them numerous ways.  I just never get tired of their wonderful lines and shapes.  This is my latest.  (Notice I even changed their colour this time!)
     Can you live without your computer? I wasn’t sure I could but I did find out this week.  My son took mine for “an upgrade” for a few days, it turned into 6.  Yes, I can live without it, had lots more time to paint and draw but I feel so behind with that other part of my life and business!!  I can definitely say my computer is an important part of my art business, how about you?

This was an earlier miniature poppy painting that was one of my favourites: http://www.artbywendysblog.blogspot.ca/2009/05/great-news-with-my-miniatures.html
Long gone now.

As always, cards and prints of any of my work are available starting at $3.50.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Big Man On Campus - 5 x 7 - $130 unframed

A beauty eh??  Isn’t he gorgeous, well in a rooster kind ‘a way.  I was out to Kilby Historical Site, near Harrison Hot Springs and this fellow was wondering around on his own, looking for the hens I guess.  His walk and manner just seemed to say “I am the head honcho” and of course I had to photograph him.  It was great fun drawing him.  I was working on him down at the Painter’s Square at White Rock and I guess it seemed a little funny to be drawing a rooster at the beach but you know sometimes you just have to do that drawing no matter what . . .  !

If you are out in the Fraser Valley, check out Kilby Store and Farm, it is a reminiscent of the early 1900’s and actually built in 1908.  The store is on stilts, probably more than 10 feet in the air as it was a train station for the Harrison Mills area and had to be up high because of the yearly flooding of the Fraser River.  Today of course, with the dike systems,  it doesn’t flood.  I have been involved with Kilby for 7 years now, they use a number of my pictures for their promotions and I have a nice display in their gift shop and café.  http://www.kilby.ca

As always matted prints are available of all of my work starting at $7.

SOME LINGERING MEMORIES OF TEXADA ISLAND, BC

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

WHO'S THERE - 4.5 x 6.5 - $130 unframed

“WHO’S THERE?”  is another drawing that reminds me not all our days were sunny on our holidays.  Not to take it in a bad way, sometimes it is nice to just curl up read a book, drink hot chocolate and draw.  When you are camping there is no housework calling nor computer work, it really is quite relaxing.  I thoroughly enjoyed working on this picture and I loved “her look”.  

TIDLE POOL - 4.5 X 6.5 - $130 unframed

When the sun was out I was back at it, I settled into another spot along the beach and painted “TIDLE POOL” in my more conventional way.  Don’t get me wrong I do love this picture and I really like what I accomplished in the sky and the shoreline but I had the urge to do something different.  That night I put colour on my paper – Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine and just pushed it around.  The next day I went back to the same area and drew my picture.  Then came hours of work: lifting, looking, dabbing and using a bit of white charcoal to finish it up.  A really challenging picture and one I was ready to give up on so many times but then a new idea would spring to mine and I was back at it.  Certainly a lot of fun!

EVENING WATERS - 4.5 x 6.5 - $130 unframed

Caught up on things and ready to start new projects , have a great day and good luck on your summer projects.

As always all works are available in matted prints for as low as $7.00.

WE ARE HOME!!

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

WIND OFF THE POINT - 4.5 X 6.5 - $130 unframed

Back from Texada Island and quiet days painting on the beach, watching the deer wonder in the field, eagles screeching overhead, and sun shining on the water.  How can it be over??  Needless to say we had a great time, Steve got his fill of seafood: crabs, oysters and clams and Rusty enjoyed his usual quiet days and nights.  He wasn’t that thrilled at being out in the boat but he sure wasn’t going to be left behind! It was a good relaxing holiday.

DRIFTWOOD VIEW - 4 X 3 - $110 unframed

Painting was of course one of my activities most days and I completed several small works.  “Wind Off the Point” was an early piece when the weather was cold and often wet.  The skies were unsettled; black, blue, gray and changing.  The winds were blowing from the south and it was not a good time for boating.  “Driftwood View” was another cold day, I settled down among the logs, tried to get out of the wind and worked away.  When the rains came I retreated to the trailer and worked on my graphite.  “Summer Sun” was a great way to spend those days. 

SUMMER SUN - 3 X 4 $110 unframed

Still catching up on things so I will post more in the next few days.  Have a great day and enjoy the summer days, they go by too quickly.

All works are available in matted prints for as low as $7.00

Hi from Texada Island

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY We are camping on Texada Island, just off the coast of BC near Powell River. I wanted to share some pictures but not sure how to do that yet with the iPod. We are right on the water, there are several eagles around, they must have a nest close by. We watch the daily play between them and the smaller birds as they try and keep them away from their nests. It is amazing how a few small birds can pin the eagle to the bank and drive him away, he is squawking and squealing the whole time. Of course I am painting every day, there is so much to choose from for subjects iwillhave lots to share when I can.

Miniatures Make It to THE SHOW

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

SUNLIGHT ON THE TRAIL - 3 x 4 -$140 framed

My miniature pictures are headed for the big time!  I am one of the featured artists at the Federation of Canadian Artists Gallery on Granville Island for 7 weeks! I am very excited to have such a wonderful spot for my miniature art. I have 15 pictures there but of course not all will be on display at once.  I tried to put in a mixture of sea and forest life here on the coast so hopefully there will be something for everyone. Sunlight on the Trail will be part of the show. The show runs June 26 to August 12 so lots of time to catch it.  The gallery is open daily, 10-6 Tues-Fri, and 10-5 Sat-Mon.  (Gallery: 1241 Cartwright St., at the opposite end of Granville Island from the Market)

Marketing week in Kelowna was a super experience.  I met some great artists at the Gallery Art talk, I presented for an hour and then we discussed more for another hour.  I really felt we connected and ideas were flying.  We had a great group for the all day workshop and I must admit the day just flew.  I am sure the synergy we started there will carry all of us for some time.  I do have a few people to thank: Sea Dean of www.facebook.com/BlueSkyRedEarthGallery , did a fabulous job organizing everything and found us a great spot to stay;  Petrina McNeill, at Lake Country Gallery,  who did a great job setting up and supporting the Art Talk and I am looking forward to working with her again; Dan and Carolyne, the place where we stayed, they have a wonderful suite with a view over the lake, a great place to stay if you are in the area. 

SPRING COMES CALLING

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

SPRING COMES CALLING  - 5 x 7 - $220 Framed

Wow, all of Steve’s work on our birdfeeder is starting to pay off.  More birds are coming and they are bringing their friends.  Of course we have had our faithful house finches, juncos and chickadees with the odd flicker and starling thrown in but we have been yearning for more.  Our first newcomer was the Goldfinch.  First he came to check things out and then he brought his mate.  We were thrilled.  It was a bright sunny day and his colours just glistened in the sun.  I was quick with the camera and got a few very interesting reference shots.  Because our visitor was so cautious I decided to put him in our lilac tree which sits close by.   That way he could keep watch while his mate visited our feeder. 
It is really fun to watch the birds, right now the chickadees have their babies lined up on the railings as they gather food for them.  It is quite a performance to watch.  As you can expect more material for me!! 

TAKING CARE OF BABY

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

TAKING CARE OF BABY -  11 x 15  Available

Well this little baby is finished; she is sitting preening in the sun with mom watching close by.  The cranes are safely sat up at the Riefel Bird Sanctuary and although the mated pair is free to go whenever they choose they have stayed at the Sanctuary for 3 years now and seem in no hurry to move on. This little baby was from last summer and they are busy preparing for their new baby this year which should be here any day.

On a sad note, I just found out that they didn’t make it into the Drawing Exhibition.  However, my picture of my little chickadee, Out On A Limb was successful and will be part of the Exhibition at the Federation of Canadian Artists Gallery on Granville Island.  You win some and you lose some when it comes to juried shows as we all know.   The show runs from June 12-24.

OUT ON A LIMB - 8 x 10 - $260

Taking Care of Baby WIP at the White Rock Pier

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

TAKING CARE OF BABY - 11 X 15  Available

My baby Sandhill Crane is my next big project.  Steve and I were at Riefel Bird Sanctuary last spring and I got great reference material for the baby crane.  The cranes are used to people being around so you can get fairly close but if you cross that line the parents very quickly let you know!   I have had this picture percolating in my mine ever since. When the Federation of Canadian Artists annouced their Open Call for a  Drawing Exhibition and I decided my baby was going to try and get into the show.

First Day at the Pier - Yes I have on tons of Sunscreen!!

I just got my approval to one of the Painters at Painter Square in White Rock.  I picked up my license last week and I gave it my first go.  It is going to be great!  I really enjoyed sitting down by the pier painting and drawing to my heart’s content and chatting away with the people wondering by.  There is a bit of a breeze at times, which makes watercolour a bit of a challenge (everything dries very fast) but for drawing it is great.  The breeze doesn’t bother my pencil work and people were just as happy to be quietly hanging over my drawings as my paintings.  I haven’t really worked out a schedule, my plan is to go down once or twice a week in the afternoons when the weather is good, of course.  So if you are down there for a walk, check out the artists, it might very well be me!!

Shoreline Visitor

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

SHORELINE VISITOR - 4 x 3 - $140 Framed

My Huron series continues.  I am really excited about this little one as I tried a new blue.  I know I need to get a life but . . . I don’t usually use cerulean blue.  I may add it as an accent colour in my water but never as a main focus.  I was reading about it in one of my books and thought I would give it a try.  I just love the grays I got for my distance mountains and it really brought my driftwood and shoreline waters to life.  I can really feel the wet surface of those logs in the shadows and I love the rich, slick surface caught in the sun.  I will definitely have to use this colour again.

I have been rereading one of my are books on Painting Nature in Watercolour and it does have some interesting colour mixtures that are I don’t usually use.  Wait till you see the next one:  Paynes Gray, Yellow Ochre added to Cerulean Blue.  Really neat grays!  It’s not finished yet but already looking good!

SINGLED OUT IS A WINNER!!

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Singled Out - 4.5 x 6.5 Available

   Very exciting news, I just got notification that Singled Out has been awarded an Award of Excellence at the Blossom Juried Show which is on now at the Federation of Canadian Artists Gallery on Granville Island in Vancouver, BC.
   This little piece came about after our trip to Hawaii this winter.  It is nice to go away and enjoy some warm weather but when you get home you are totally ready for spring!  I was definitely feeling that way and went hunting through my files for flowers to paint.  These little tulips really caught my eye; they just seemed to give me that warm, spring feel. 
  As you can see I started with pouring watecolours onto my paper and just letting things go.  Then I tried to ignore the colour and place my drawing onto the page.  (I find that by trying to place a flower by a certain colour just doesn’t work.)  Once I start to develop each of the flowers with paint,  the undercoating provides happy little surprises that seem to work into the petals.  The results are this wonderful combination of colour that never could have been painted in any other way.  I hope "Singled Out" gives you those feelings of spring as well on this sunny Easter Day. The show runs until April 15, so check it out when you are in the area. 

EARLY MORNING HUNT - Short Eared Owl

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

EARLY MORNING HUNT  12 x 16 Available

My owl is finished and ready to show. This little short eared owl has been a very interesting project for me.  The background is a mixture of layers on top of some light washes as I wanted it not too busy but still give the feeling of depth and open fields.  I wanted that warm glow of the early sun on everything and of course my love of detail comes through in the foreground.  Let me just say I didn't do all those feathers in one go!!

I am thinking of varnishing this little guy and framing him without glass.  I have a few samples underway and I will post them over the next few days.  If you have experience or thoughts on watercolours framed without glass I would love to hear them. 

Home from Yellowknife and Back to the Green

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Dave, Me and Cindy having a Snow Picnic

A winter holiday in the Northern Canada is really something for someone like me, living in the warmer south.  I just returned from a short holiday and I must admit I had a great time.  As my brother said, when I arrived I thought -8 C was dam cold and by the end of my trip I was saying that -13 C in the sun was nice!!

Dave with me at the wheel, flying down the lake!!

I saw the Northern Lights, they are just as beautiful as they say, I had my first experiences on a snowmobile flying across a lake (well, when I was driving we weren't really flying but when my brother was we were!!)  and I experienced a snow picnic at -17 C.  I was amazed how warm the sun is when it is shining .  If you were out of the wind it was wonderful.

One of those ptarmigans, they really blend into the snow

I didn't see a lot of wildlife but the ptarmigans were in town and often in sight.  It was funny to all of a sudden see this snowball start moving and even take flight.  When we were out on the lakes and in the bush we saw lots of tracks so you know lots of animals are there.

At the door of the Ice Castle, it had a wooden door!!

Out on Great Slave Lake, it seems to go on forever!!

At the Cabin, Do I look like a pro??

Sunset on the lake, aren't the colours lovely??

Visiting Yellowknife and Marketing More

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Yes, Yellowknife has called me back!  I was there in the summer last year and I heard so much of the winter adventures I had to return and see for myself.  Already it is my last day and time to go home, where did my time go?  I have been out every day, roaring down the lake on a snowmobile, sitting in the sun having a snow picnic (yes a snow picnic) and of course viewing the Northern Lights.  I went Scottish Dancing and I spent all day as part of the safety crew for the FrostBite 45 cross country ski race.  Lots of fun and all at temperatures I could hardly imagine!!
One of the most artist experiences I had (besides the incredible snowscapes) was to run a Marketing Workshop for a couple of artists here in Yellowknife. Shawna and Lynn are moving forward with their art business and we had a great evening working through the Marketing World together.  Having the opportunity to meet with artists in other areas is such an valuable experience.  To see Shawna's work http://dancingravenstudio.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/thursday-emerging-artist-marketing/ 

I will be home soon and pictures of Yellowknife will soon follow.