Figuratively Speaking -Baby Steps 9 &10

5"x8" acrylic on Yupo, $50

5"x5", Pentel markers on Yupo, $50

These two little paintings were done during hurricane Irma.  I do not live in Florida, but I was a bit obsessed with with the whole thing because I know a lot of people who do reside there.  They both reflect Irma's influence on me.  The top one, #8, has the dark, broken branch, blowing in the wind look (all unintentional)  and the second one is my tribute to Florida.  It is my interpretation of Floridian colors and I made the rudbeckia look like Palm Trees (kind of).  The shoes represent the peninsula and the lace holes like little tornadoes or hurricanes.  I am grateful that the damage wasn't quite as bad as they had predicted and everyone I know is out of dangers' way and starting to assess the clean-up.  I hope the reports turn positive quickly.  In the northeast we are having a gorgeous day...and weirdly...I feel guilty about that. Go Figure!

Mia Loves Maizie

This is a watercolor sketch for an illustration for a children's book.

My art group went to Peter Huntoon's studio today for a demo.  It was so much fun to see how he loosely begins his work and turns a scene which may not be particularly exciting into an athletic and stunning work of art.  Peter has recently added oil painting to his repertoire of watermedia and he approaches it very similarly as he would a watercolor painting, with lots of drips and splashes and interesting tools.  He is one of the quintessential Vermont painters.

Butterfly Zentangle

5"x10" watercolor and ink

I have been wanting to try zentangle so here it is. I know I didn't follow "the rules" but then, I never do. It was fun, but very time consuming. It is meditative, but I think most of creating art can be that way. Not always, but frequently.

A Crowded Room

3"x7" original mixed media

I went to a workshop with abstract artist Mareva Millarc.  She utilizes the "left over" materials from her husband's workshop.  He is landscape painter Peter Huntoon who does beautiful watercolors and oils.  Mareva's method includes, music, mixed materials, freedom and identifying the interesting shapes and lines needed to make a statement.  Mostly it was just a lot of fun to try out someone else's method.

He Is watercolor and ink 5"x7" #279

Sometimes all one can accomplish in a day is to do sketches and sometimes the best one can do in a day is a sketch. This is one of those days.

fast sketch water marker #239

Roots II oil 4"x4" #222 and FemSumo ink #223

This is my second rendition of roots with moss and pine needles, my homage to an early spring. I am going to do a tryptic of them. The second image is from my life painting group. I haven't been since mid Dec. and I could really tell. I was out of sync. I wasn't happy with the materials so I went to find a crayola marker and a kid's paint brush and this drawing turned out pretty good. I called it FemSumo because she reminded me of Sumo wrestlers. I looked it up online and there is a whole sport of female Sumos but I couldn't find a specific term for them.

Ink Portrait #170 ink 6x6"

Headed home today. Parked the car in the road so Carl could snowblow the drive and walkways. I came in, built a fire, turned on the thermostats and baked potatoes and brownies in the oven to facilitate warming up the house. Life is good and this relaxed pose reflects that.

mug shot 6x6 ink #169

This isn't really a mug shot, but Karin Jurik is doing a series of 100 4"x4" portraits from mug shots and I think this one kind of looks like it could be one. The model almost fell asleep during this pose and it was a short one...which is why her eyes look so droopy!