ATC Flower #30

417

Flowers shaded and unshaded are today's fare. I thought about shading #417, but decided I liked it the way it is. #418, though, was begging to be shaded.

Have a wonderful day!

Theta

418

ATC Flower #29

Enjoy these two flower ATC's and have a marvelous day!

Theta

415

416

ATC Mushroom #16 (and rooster)

413

Two ATC's, one mushrooms and the other a doodled rooster. Enjoy them.

Have a great day!

Theta

414

Sketchbook 2

I have been trying to draw/sketch something everyday and work on my next painting intermittently.

The sketches aren't posted in any particular order and some pages are done over several days. At the bottom are some leaf dragons from the front. Someone in the house commented that all the leaf dragons are from the side and it would be nice to have a different view. I said that is the 'traditional' view... ;)

The painting I am currently working is also from the side, but I may do the next from a different viewpoint, possibly 3/4, as that view can show a lot of personality.

Have a wonderful day!

Theta

11 1/2 by 16 in. Leaf Dragon in Oil with notes

I think it's finished... maybe... I'll hang it o the wall and live with it for a while, but I think it's abandonment time. Besides, he wants his portrait ;)

Some thoughts or things I may have learned:

1. I started out with my background too light on this painting.

2. I do better with layers like in photoshop than wet on wet.

3. Waiting for the paint to dry before putting on the next layer interrupts my creative process and I have to remember what the plan is/was which is problematic since I'm done with it and the project has faded from my memory.

4. If I start out with a general concept and let it grow layer by layer, I'm much better off. Otherwise, I have to make sketches, detailed plans, a mock-up, and then start on the project... I do this with the horses I have painted in watercolor, to some degree. And, that's work.

5. This is supposed to be fun and if I have to remind myself too many times that it is supposed to be, then I need to rethink the process.

6. Once reconciled to the waiting time in between layers, I am beginning to enjoy the process.

7. It is more productive to have several paintings in progress than to only work on one at a time. This creates havoc with remembering which one is for what... I may have to tack notes to them.



Have a wonderful day!

Theta

Sketchbook

This month I have been working on my oil paintings and doing some sketching in my sketchbook. Here are some of my sketches. I am almost done with the painting I began at the beginning of the month. The leaf dragon, second from the bottom, is the one being featured in my painting. He is tired of sitting for me, says it is boring and can't I hurry up. I tell him, too bad, you're the one who wanted to be painted, so sit still; round and round we go...

Have a great day!

Theta

I'm Trying Something New

For my birthday my husband got me some oil painting things. He's been bugging me about painting in oils for years, many years, and when he said he was going to take me to the local art and craft store and I could pick out what I wanted (within reason); I knew what was going to happen. It was a somewhat underhanded way to get me started in oils.

Now the best art store here is sub par, the main one is mostly a mish-mash of craft items, material, tools - sort of an art mercantile. Things are generally organized - the styrofoam is grouped together, the material is all on one floor, and the thread, floss, ribbon, and yarn is loosely grouped in one corner. The trouble begins when you need writing and drawing implements - will they have put them with the school supplies or the art supplies (two different floors), or glue - in the tool area, the art area, the craft area(s), or the school supply area. Things are not shelved logically and many things can be found in two places... It is a very confusing store for me. They carry a few fine art things, but mostly, crafts.

The other main store is a bookstore that carries electronics (computers, cameras, phones, iPads, etc.) and their accompaniments, stationary, art supplies, toys, and books in Arabic and English. They carry Winsor and Newton, Derwent, Faber Castel, and other companies art materials. They have a smaller selection than the other bigger store, but it's mostly fine art and good quality.

We went to the larger store and got some good stuff; then I went to the other store and filled in what I was missing. It worked out fairly well. It was nice going to the big craft store and having time to just poke around - almost a birthday present in itself. I dislike going to it because it is downtown and the traffic is terrible. Every time I go we almost get hit 5 or more times. I'm always really glad my driver has excellent reflexes.

So one of the things we got at the craft store was a Daler Rowney Oil Creative Pot with 6 tubes of oil color, two paintbrushes, 12 oil ATCs, and this adorable 2.5" by 2.5" mini canvas and easel. I actually started on one of the bigger canvasses, but oil paints take forever to dry, OMG, so I did this little butterfly while waiting for the bigger piece to dry. I think I'm going to get some googly eyes and glue them on... When it dries...

Have a great day!
[If my paint dries, I will be ;) ]

Theta

ATC Mushroom #15

#411

White on black mushrooms liven up my blog today. Enjoy them.

Have a beautiful day!

Theta

#412

ATC Flower #28

#409

Two ATC flowers in color to brighten your day on this lovely June day.

Have a great day!

Theta

#410

ATC Flower #27

#407

Two more flowers today. On #408 I used a couple of patterns differently than I have in the past.

Have a wonderful day!

Theta

#408