Must We Always Start with White Paper? - FINISHED

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Fuchsias in the Sunshine - 16 x 20  - Watercolour

Starting with Colour can be freeing, No White Space!!

My fuchsias were painted on a prepared paper washed with a few colours.  (See my  last post Must We Always Start With White Paper)  As you can see I just painted over the background, using the colours of the wash to make my painting.  Life still had a few challenges for me though: 

1.  I still needed a value plan: I found that the lower section was too light and so I needed to put frisket on the stamens and pour a second wash to darken it. Lots of fun keeping it away from my other area!!

2,  Some of the background became too precious:  I really fell in love with the lovely splashes of white from the coarse salt I put on the first pour.  I really had to be firm with myself and cover some of them up. It was for the best but it did hurt a bit!! 

I was really pleased with the final results, I hope you enjoy it as well.  

Have fun with your picture! Enjoy the challenges!!

The Fuchsias in the Sunshine are up and running, they are now on display for my show May 1-3,  at GardenWorks at Manderville, Burnaby.  This is a very exciting event, my artist partner, Audrey and I will be the featured artists.  We have a full selection of new works to show off.  We are also running a workshop Friday, May 2, 6:30-8:30pm on Travel Journaling.  It is $25 (Pre-registration Required).  We have some great ideas to put excitement in your Journaling and Manderville is kicking in some free refreshments and appies to make it a real fun Art Party!!  A portion of  our Art Sales and Workshop Fees will be going to the Alzheimer's Society of British Columbia.  

Have a great Art-filled Day, 

Wendy

Christmas Cats ready to Shine for Christmas

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

CHRISTMAS CATS - 10 x 16   Available

Ta da!!  I did it!! My cats are done and ready for the show.  As soon as they were finished I was busy photographing them and setting up the cards.  I even cropped the picture and made some Christmas Tags with them.  My little cats were a real hit at the final show of the year and now they are  off in the mail to family and friends.  

I was very pleased with my cats, particularly the background.  I have always found backgrounds a challenge.  I suspect it is because I am so focused on the main subject and where and what I am going to do with it that somehow the background becomes less than secondary.  Working in layers, using the negative and pulling out things really helps me to stay loose and not get caught up in too much detail.  I particulary love the colour that I can introduce to really build my connection with the focal point.  

Well I do want to wish everyone a

Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year. May next year be a very successful artful year for you.

Christmas Cats WIP

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Christmas Cats - 10 x 14 - WIP

Christmas Cats will be my Christmas card this year and yes I am running just a tad late. I am really excited with my picture and really enjoying working on it.  I am trying to be very patient and glaze each layer on the cats to develop their structure.  It is so easy to smack on a wack of colour and then regret it, so slow and steady is my goal.  The cats are white and since they are in the sun I really have to search for areas of shadow to define them.  The background is going to be so much fun to do as I did a variation on the watercolour pouring technique and then I will do some glazing in the negative to pull out different things.   I can see it taking shape in my mind but my husband just looks at it and says "the background is too light!!"

I hope all your holiday preparations are going well, it seems we are full steam ahead for Christmas.  I am still finishing up a few commissions and trying not to panic.  I know things will be done on time.  Good luck with your prep and hopefully I will have the finished picture posted soon.