When life gives you lemons, draw them, 11 x 14 inches dry pastels, graphite on paper

"When life gives you lemons, draw them." (Nikki)

"Color! What a deep and mysterious language." (Paul Gauguin)

mixed media

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Zen Garden 08

Monday, May 12th, 2008


 

Pebbles / Zen Garden #8, 24 x 24 inch stretcher with woven canvas strips. Phase 2, work in progress. Pebbles / Zen Garden #8, 24 x 24 inch stretcher with woven canvas strips. Phase 3, work in progress.

The Emerald Tree Boas is out in one work-area, the recently started Maple Leaves in another, and in the afternoon when I feel less like thinking but still want to keep the hands busy, have started painting Zen Garden 08.

Valentine

Sunday, February 10th, 2008


 
Hey, remind me to buy my wife a card for Valentine’s Day.”

Graphite drawing, scanned and detailed with digital pen.

Windswept Cypress, NC

Thursday, January 31st, 2008


 

Windswept Cypress in North Carolina, 24H x 18W inches oil pastels and colored pencils on paper
Windswept Cypress, Kitty Hawk, Outer Banks, North Carolina – 24H x 18W inches mainly oil pastel on paper, graphite, watercolor pencils, white mat. Detail images:

Windswept, NC - top detail
Windswept, NC - bottom detail

Windswept Cypress, NC – phase 2

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008


 

Cypress, Kitty Hawk, NC - 24 x 18 inches graphite, oil pastel, watercolor pencils
Windswept Cypress, Kitty Hawk, Outer Banks, NC  – partial image of 24 x 18 inches graphite, oil pastel, watercolor pencils, mixed media experimental, work in progress. Low light conditions today, so the photo below left, is a little dark. Plans now are to erase some of the color, then see what happens when painting lightly over some of the watercolor-penciled areas; there will be some resist because of the oil pastel base.

Cypress, Kitty Hawk, NC - work in progress, phase 2   Cypress, Kitty Hawk, NC - scanned detail; accurate colors (work in progress)

Windswept Cypress, NC started

Sunday, January 20th, 2008


 
Windswept Cypress, Outer Banks, NC - work in progress

Windswept Cypress, Outer Banks, NC, USA, 24H x 18W inches on paper, work in progress: Sculptural, windswept cypress are common ornamentals in yards along the Outer Banks, North Carolina. This started as a graphite drawing, then added some energy with the use of oil pastels, which were mostly scraped away before continuing with watercolor pencils. Hoping to see the effects created by mixing oil and water mediums.

 

 

Nature Insists

Sunday, January 13th, 2008


 

Nature Insists, growth through rock, North Carolina - 9 x 12 inches Graphite, W/C pencils, Dry Pastel

Nature Insists, growth through rock, North Carolina – 9H x 12W inches graphite, watercolor and graphite on 40lb cold-pressed premium watercolor paper. Framed size 26H x 22W inches.

Polypore Fungi finished

Thursday, November 1st, 2007


 

Polypore Fungi, 58H x 41W x 2D inches acryilcs, modeling paste on canvas, wrapped sides painted, narrow frame

Polypore Fungi  finished – 58H x 41W x 1.5D inches, acrylics, modeling paste, plaster on canvas, wrapped sides painted, narrow frame

One of the goals for this painting was to see if a composition could remain balanced with the main subject offset to the right. With Petra’s suggestion there is more contrast, also scrubbed some paint away for more background to show through.
Mushrooms, bacteria, molds, lichen and other non-flowering plants are lesser appreciated life forms that help maintain the healthy life cycles of forests by aiding the decay and conversion of plant and animal matter into nutrient-rich soil.

Polypore Fungi, detail #1 - fungi are carved modeling paste, plaster

Polypore Fungi, detail #2 - fungi are carved modeling paste, plaster

‘Tis the season

Tuesday, October 30th, 2007


 

Hey Baby, how’s it goin’?

“Hey Baby, How’s it goin’?”

Changes to Polypore Fungi

Monday, October 29th, 2007


 

Polypore Fungi created with modeling paste, sanding, scrubbing, scraping and carving

 
Polypore Fungi - detail 02The 3D fungi idea was fun to try. The canvas absorbed moisture from the modeling paste, so the faux fungi are permanently incorporated and will not fall off. It was carved after drying, being too goopy to manage while wet. The paste was applied then built gradually, dried before applying more, sanded, scraped and carved to define areas. Commercial modeling paste does not sand well, so a tiny bit of plaster helped to tidy it.

Polypore Fungi, work in progress

Monday, October 22nd, 2007


 

Modeling paste creating 3D effects

Polypore Fungi, 59H x 41W x 2D, acrylics on canvas, work in progress. Started in June, hung and studied in the loose-phase state; cautious about overworking it. Plans this week: most everything will stay out of focus, with details only on the fungi using a little modeling paste to sculpt. Modeling paste is applied in layers, drying in between, becoming permanent and adhered well to the canvas. Applying too thick at once creates cracks and unstable structures.

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