Mike Bailey's Watercolor Beyond the Obvious

WBO #4
22x30
watercolor

WBO #3
22x30
watercolor

WBO #2
22x30
watercolor

WBO #1 - Stressed out!
22x30
watercolor

Original still life

Hello There!
I've been busy with a new class I started a couple of weeks ago called "Watercolor beyond the Obvious" taught by Mike Bailey.

Wow, this is a super class and beyond what I anticipated in learning. What I mean by that, not only am I learning design principal's, I am learning about ME, and my thought process, and self imposed boundries, and on and on... Whoa, I didnt think I was going on a adventure trip through "Sheila's Overactive Brain" land or the "Worry Wart" ferry ride but it's been a enlightening experience and I'm loving it.

The class is structured that you will setup a still life at home and each week you will learn a new design principal and then go paint that for the following week. Overall you will paint "a" still life twenty times, the same still life that you can't move, or change the perspective. The purpose of the one still life is that you'll be challenged to do it differently every week and you will start to develop your design knowledge. Sounds fun right!? it is, and Mike is a really, really great teacher.

The first week, I was so stressed out trying to figure out what still life I would want to paint 20 times, so I didnt get to paint it till Sunday, the day before class! I had so much energy built up that my first painting was YUCK! but I had to keep going because I needed to have two paintings for the class the next day. My second painting I did much better and it was more realistic, which I'm use to painting, so I was happy with it.

Last week I had to come up with something and the lecture was on "Line". I was trying to figure out what I would do and going through my sketch book. Mike is big on sketching and carrying your sketch book with you everywhere to capture those great ideas you have in random places. So I was sketching and thinking, sleeping and dreaming, eating and thinking, ugh! non-stop.
I finally settled on doing these two, one is based on a Mandala and the other one has a southwestern feel to it.

Anyway, I will be posting onward my next 16 paintings!

FTM Challenge 10 - Robert Henri

Indian Girl
7x10
watercolor

I follow Michelle Burnett "Following the Masters" blog and this month's challenge is the works of Robert Henri. See his work here and if your inspired, join us at FTM blogsite. It's FUN!

Sax Player

I deepened up the pants and added more color to his skin.

Sax Player
10x14
Watercolor

Took this picture last summer at a craft fair. I've been wanting to do a painting with a musician and the funny thing is that my hubby is a guitarist! I've got some ideas about what I want to paint and what compositions but I've got to get him to model for me, which shouldn't be to difficult, he likes being in front of a camera :-) He also has a few guitars I want to take pictures of and do some paintings for.
Last year we went to a guitar show in Marin, California and I was surprise to find a artist there with some of his paintings of guitars and I thought what a great venue to sell, maybe I'll have to do that. ;-)

3 dudes and a big ol' fish

"3 dudes and a big ol fish"
5x7

I had fun painting this fishing picture for a birthday card for my bother-in-law Greg. He's a really great guy and I wanted to do something special for him.

Cuppa Joe x 2

Cuppa Joe 1
7x10

Cuppa Joe 2

9x12

Original

Took this picture at breakfast the other day and had fun creating the two paintings. I don't know if I should paint in the "half and half" writing on the lid of the creamer, what do you think?

Opera's Orchid

Opera's Orchid
9x12

I had a tube of Holbein Opera that I bought when I took Tom Lynch's workshop last year and I thought I'd give it a try on this orchid painting. At first I thought Yikes! this is very bright! but after it dried, I really liked it.
I wanted to get outside and shoot this in broad daylight, (but time got away from me) so it's shot in the late afternoon sunlight. I always wonder what the neighbors are thinking when I run out there with a painting and a camera and taking pictures.... they dont know I paint. Oh well, a little mystery is good!

DaVinci wash brush for free?

Happy New Year!

What a DaVinci wash brush for free?

Finally able to look at my artist magazines, now that the holidays are over, and on the third page of one of my favorite magazines "Watercolor Artist", was this ad and coupon.
If you purchase a 3/4 wash brush for $19.95 and tax, you get a 1.5" wash brush for free!
So I'm going to give it a try and order it and I thought I would let my blog buddies know too!
Here's the link: http://www.gregdaniels.com/wash