I’m looking forward to our local pool opening and swim team practice starting. Practice is early morning before the pool is open to the public. It’s pretty quiet while the kids are practicing. I usually sit and read. I’m a little shy about painting in front of others, but it would be the perfect time to sit and paint, with inspiration all around! So, you may be seeing less flowers and more blue in the coming weeks!
illustration
Goodbye Spring!
This Spring I’ve been inspired by so many beautiful flowers! Here are 15 of the flower paintings I’ve created:
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Paint what’s in the fridge!
Even with all the flowers in bloom – I’m pulling things out of the refrigerator to paint!
This is something I’ve been doing for a while. Great color and textures to be found in the fridge. 🙂
See past food paintings:
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Learning with each painting
This Hydrangea was definitely a challenge. But whatever the outcome of a piece there’s still a takeaway – I learn something. When I multiply the number of sketches and paintings I’ve done since committing to my creative resolution (prob. between 315-400) and think of all I’ve learned (big and little things) – I am amazed.
While working on this piece, with all the little details of the flower, I thought, “This is hard.” But, it’s good to try hard things, it makes us better. And sometimes a piece isn’t about the final product, but about the process and the takeaway.
Here are my steps:
Wash, Ink, More Watercolor, More Ink
I worry that I overworked the final – too much ink. What is my takeaway from this piece? Hmmm. As I struggled to capture the dome of the hydrangea, I studied the photo, again and again. Should I have planned the piece out more from the beginning? Studied the photo before starting? I’m the girl who doesn’t read the instructions. Who dives right in and then tries to figure things out.
From the start I was fixated on the details of the flower petals – the shapes. In addition to this “detailed” thinking, I should have pulled back and thought about other “overall” elements before starting.
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Poppies & Practice
A few years ago, I went with my husband to MOMA (The Museum of Modern Art) to see an exhibit of Georges Seurat’s drawings and sketches. I was amazed at how many “studies” he did before he painted the famous “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.” He painted the lake and the lady with the parasol separately several times. He also did many sketches of the people in the painting.
Yesterday I painted a pattern of Poppies in my sketchbook. Then I did one Poppy on watercolor paper. There were things I wanted to change and improve upon, so I did another version (above) of a single Poppy. I’m really happy with it which shows me that sometimes you have to study and practice a subject to get it right.
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Please vote for my Sandcastle pattern in this week’s Spoonflower contest! Thank you!
I would be so grateful if you took a minute to vote for my pattern “Sandcastles on Long Island.” Just click here: http://www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=306
Uploading a pattern to Spoonflower is something I’ve wanted to do for years, since I first read about Spoonflower in Country Living. I used their Sandcastles contest as extra motivation to finally upload a pattern. I’ve ordered a yard of the fabric and can’t wait to show you when it arrives!
Thank you so much for the support you have given me all along, and for casting your vote for “Sandcastles on Long Island.” 🙂
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Sandcastles (My May Pattern)
Sandcastles is the theme of my May pattern (I know, I know it’s already June). I’ve been working extra hard on this pattern because I’m entering it in a Spoonflower contest. This week’s theme is sandcastles and it’s so fitting this time of year!
With Memorial Day behind us, I can’t help but think of beach days! We are counting down to the end of the school year and making our Summer plans. We are lucky enough to live 10 minutes from the ocean. I grew up in a nearby beach town and as a kid, I spent my entire Summer on the beach. When I was old enough to work, it was as a ocean lifeguard.
When I saw that Spoonflower’s pattern contest was a sandcastle theme, I had to give it a try. You know I’m obsessed with creating patterns these days! This would be my first entry into a Spoonflower contest.
Below is my first draft. I made some edits, because I felt there was too much sand and it needed more details. Voting opens Thursday (spoonflower.com). 🙂
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A Second Try – the painting redo
It’s happened to all of us. You get inspired by something, you sit down to paint, you finish, and then you look at it and see the mistakes. Ugh. I have to admit, sometimes I don’t notice the mistakes until I take a photo of the final piece for Instagram. For some reason seeing it as a photo, gives me a different perspective on the piece.
So…you made a mistake and you aren’t happy with your painting, now what? Do you dive back in and try again or say “Oh well.” For me it depends. A big factor is how long I worked on the piece. If it was a quickie, like the Gerbera Daisy below, I’ll dive back in. I also weigh how big of a mistake it was. I’ve learned over time, that I’m very critical of a piece right after finishing it, because I’m still “in it.” Several days later I’m much less critical.
For me, the mistake of adding 2-3 extra rows of petals was too big to ignore. I was so happy with the painting until I “saw” what I had done. I had gotten carried away. I immediately started another version.
I’ve had this dilema before and wrote about it, here and here. What I realized back then, is that painting a piece over doesn’t ensure success. It doesn’t ensure a better version. I might correct some mistakes, but lose other good things about the first version.
Do you paint a new version when you make a mistake?
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Thinking of a Summer Project
Memorial Day, the unofficial start of Summer! As I figure out what my kids will do to keep busy this Summer, I realize I need a Summer project too! And it comes at a good time for me. I could use a jolt of motivation. As I look back on all the things I wanted to try in 2015, I’m proud to say I’ve tackled most of these items.
My list for 2015:
- Linocut.
- Lettering. Did online workshop
- Online workshops. See lettering above.
- Painting on dark paper. Used with lino.
- Doodling. Have filled a whole sketchbook in the shortest time to date!
- Video. Have done short ones on Instagram. But, still on my list! Would like to play more with stop motion.
- Patterns. Have created one a month.
- Maps. Haven’t done much with this.
- Digital Brushes. Have been working digitally.
- Watercolor Parties. Have painted with friends.
Some were great to try, like lino, but another craft to learn – which takes time! Other items on my list, like patterns – I’m even more into, than when I started the year. I feel like this is progress. That I can try new things, eliminate some, and decide to pursue others further.
Last year my Summer project was drawing figures. Last Summer I created my first watercolor/ink piece – in the style that I feel like is me. Let’s see what this Summer brings!
mycreativeresolution.com 