100 Day Project: Days 13 to 17

I had hoped to make more art objects in the week after my return from vacation. But then I decided it’s better to keep posting what’s done than wait for more progress.

If you are following this subject, you know that I am working with husband Bill. He selects the photos, I make art objects inspired by them. This week I selected five photos that feature interesting textures.

Day 13: Mosaic floor in Roman church

What struck me about this image was its illustration of single point perspective. As you look down and away, the medallions morph from circles to ovals. I started by drawing two straight lines, narrowing towards the vanishing point. For my texture, I went with Zentangles.

Fun and meditative drawing with Micron pen on bristol smooth paper

Day 14: What would you do with this object?

In case you can’t tell, it’s beachball floating in a pool. I found myself drawn to the reflection in the northern hemisphere of the ball.

Using pencil, I did my best to draw the shapes. Next, I combined it with this photograph of an orchid.

Day 15:

I added the orchid to the lower right corner of my pencil drawing, overlapping the edge of the circle. Then I dropped in color washes to the sphere. After that dried, I painted the orchid with darker shades.

Day 16: Ghost leaf

This is one of Bill’s favorites. The light is from behind, filtering through the oak leaf. The back leaf, peeking out between the lobes of the large front leaf, is casting its shadow.

I adore the color and texture of this image. It was impossible for me to do justice to the lacey network of golden veins. Instead, after painting on a golden wash, I lightly tapped the surface with a sponge dipped in masking fluid.

I also intensified the color of the background using orange’s complement, blue. The two hues side-by-side seem to throb.

Day 17: Shells

This photo was chosen for making a quick study in my sketchbook. I drew the shells free hand using a watercolor pencil in a neutral brown. Using that and other watercolor pencils, I added detail, color and texture. Finally, I dissolved and blended the pigments with a wet brush.

I recently read Painting Light & Shadow in Watercolor, by William B. Lawrence. Inspired by his work, my next set of photos will be chosen for the presence of interesting shadows. I’m excited to see what happens.

100-Day Project: Days 6 through 12

For this week, I worked with a very nice selection of Bill’s photographs.

I was drawn to this one by its lines, texture and geometry. To bring those characteristics to the fore, I used pen and ink to render the cross.

DAY 6:

Day 7: Adding Sumi ink wash.

Photograph Two

In looking at this photograph of waterlilies, I got the impression that the leaves and blooms rising above the water line looked like actors on a stage, with the flat lily pads as the audience. To emphasize this impression, I used mostly pencil, and a cool wash to the background; warm, bright paint to the subjects.

Days 8 and 9:

Photograph Three.

Bill’s close up of a wood duck was begging for another paint swatch study. So that what I did on Day 10.

First, I brightened up the image using photo editing software. Using my watercolors, I discovered that it took eleven different pigments to match all the different colors of this bird. And after I finished the swatches, I was in love with wood ducks. So, I proceeded to paint him.

Days 11 and 12:

That finished out my week. Looking back at what I had done, I noticed that most of the work was realism. I’d like to challenge myself to try for more abstract images in the next week.

100 Day Project: Days 1-5

Last Wednesday I wrote about my 100-day project, during which I will collaborate with Bill in making artwork or fiber objects inspired by his photographs. These three are the subjects of my first week.

Back in 2017 at the Kansas City Zoo, Bill has a close encounter with this lorikeet. In his image you see plumage in colors that, impossibly, co-exist on one bird. I accepted as my challenge to swatch out this feathery palette in watercolor paint.

Day One: Samples

Day Two: I turned it into a color wheel.

In 2010 we visited The Louvre. While I wandered around, Bill found this sculptural fragment in the Antiquities gallery.

My initial idea was to do a simple drawing using Micron pen. To get a better look at the details, I edited the photo, brightening up the shadows, then printing it in monochrome.

Day Three: Drawing

It actually took me two days to finish the drawing because I chose to stipple.

The next photograph was taken while vacationing in the Caribbean, but I am unsure if we were in Barbados or Belize. I really love the wave action and the colors.

My brain must have mashed up the last two photographs because I ended up superimposing the face onto the water.

1st Week Final Note: Searching my yarn closet, I found scraps to match up with the Lorikeet plumage. Today I used them to knit this swatch in fingering yarn.

What do you think of the combination? Would you wear it on a hat, scarf or vest?

See you next week.

Meditative Mark-Making

Drawn in a trance-like state. Water soluable pencil over watercolor paint.

Sketching Sunday: Inflight Study

This week I practiced drawing and painting sandhill cranes in flight

This study will be part of a larger landscape that I am planning. I used cerulean and phthalo blues, raw sienna, burnt sienna, yellow ochre and a bit of Payne’s gray on Arches cold press paper. My reference photo appeared on the MPR website and was taken by Ben Hovland.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2022/11/13/record-flock-of-sandhill-cranes-at-sherburne-refuge