For the Birds, PPF and 2 ladies in hats

A Study in Values

Two Ladies in Hats:  Done in my Watercolor Class yesterday. We were supposed to learn about values.  I went very loosey goosey.  Watercolor, Pen and Ink.  7x10 on hot press paper.   Daily Paintworks Auction

For the Birds: On June 1st, I will be posting my entries in the monthly facebook challenge, ACEO TW JUN, auctions on Ebay.  The theme this month is Birds, and they have to be ATC size, 2.5 x 3.5 inches.  Here are mine.  If you want to see lots more, search for ACEO TW on Ebay after June 1.  I cannot post the links until tomorrow.

Confused looking Bird at a Feeder

Folk Art Colorful Rooster

Bird of Paradise Flower, which really looks like a bird

A Bird on her Bonnet, look Closely.

PPF, Paint Party Friday, White Rooster Painting

Paint Party Friday: PPF, White Rooster Painting:  Acrylic, 9 x 12, Framed

Only one day left to bid on this Charity Auction

In honor of "International Respect for Chickens Month" I am offering this painting for auction.  This white rooster has textured feathers, comb and wattle, making it look like an oil painting, but it is acrylic with texture medium added to the paint. There is also a coarse sandy texture in the dirt area creating a 3 dimensional look and feel.  It is 9 x 12 painted on masonite with a hand crafted 1 1/2 inch rustic redwood frame, ready to hang. Original, signed by artist.

100% of the proceeds from the sale of this painting will be given to Animal Place.  Founded in 1989, Animal Place's California animal shelters fills a much-needed niche of farm animal rescue, sanctuary, education and adoption. Animal Place is one of the largest and oldest animal sanctuaries in the nation. We operate a 600-acre sanctuary in Grass Valley, California, and a 60-acre animal shelter in Vacaville, California. Animal Place extends compassion to all life with a special emphasis on farmed animals. This is executed by providing permanent sanctuary, education, legislation and appropriate placement of needy animals.

Animal Place Sanctuary, Grass Valley, California -  Animal Place's permanent shelter is a northern California tourist destination spot - nestled between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, our 600-acre Grass Valley farm animal shelter is a testament to the beauty of the Sierra Foothills. Visitors are invited to tour the sanctuary on self-guided and guided farm tours. The 300 animals at our refuge are permanent residents. 

Starting bid of $9.99 on Ebay

Roosters and Chickens

Yesterday's art class in Sunshine Summit was tons of fun.  While the rest of the class worked on self portraits, I experimented with wet-on-wet techniques with water colors.  It's coming along well.  I think it will be easier when I get the new water soluble oils in the next few days.  I also have my white rooster to work on, and I found a better "face" for him by searching the web.  It's great to have this fabulous resource at my fingertips.  Any subject I want to research or to find a reference photo, all it takes is a couple of minutes and "bingo" - there it is.

Here's a photo of a rooster painting I sold to my friend Nancy for her daughter's birthday.  Kathy collects roosters and her kitchen is full of them.  I have to admit that I started painting roosters because my friend, Peggy in Albuquerque (another artist) said roosters, sunflowers and cactus paintings sell well for her on craigslist.  So I have been doing those subjects more often.  It doesn't matter much to me what the subject is, as long as I get to paint and practice my craft.

I am painting more from mu "head" lately instead of working from pictures.  That's where this landscape I am doing right now is coming from.  I am not sure how it will turn out, but here it is on the easel.  Underneath the ocean scene is a portrait I did in class, but did not like.  So it is the "underpainting" of this masterpiece.


This weekend is the chalk painting en plein aire at Cahuilla Market in Anza. The Anza Valley Artists have invited the public to come and watch.  I think Scott will be able to attend as well.  As long as they have enough hamburgers, he should be fine.  He likes to eat.

Right now he is outside in the shop bead blasting an old cast iron pan I found at a thrift shop.  I want to paint another pan with a fried egg in it.

Painting with Pastels

Another two days of painting.  What a treat!  Yesterday was the regular weekly meeting of our Palomar Painters group with Carol Ravy's watercolor class, only the teacher was sick so we painted by ourselves.  We were supposed to start our self-portrait, but since I had finished mine, I decided to start on one of Scott using pastels, a medium I had never tried before.

This was my second attempt at a portrait and my first use of pastels, so I am pleased enough with the results, even if the "sketch" didn't turn out looking much like Scott.  It shows me where I need to revise the final painting, higher forehead, smaller nose, work on the eyes -- just about everything except the colors which I like.  I also really enjoyed using the pastels and will go get some REAL paper tomorrow.  This one was done on newsprint which was thin and had no tooth, or rough surface, so it was prone to tearing and not much of a cooperative support.  But, live and learn.  I was just making a sketch anyway so it will look entirely different when I paint it in acrylics, or when I redo the pastel portrait on good paper.  But not bad for a first try.  I love expanding my horizons.  He sort of looks Chinese, but he isn't.

Today, I went to Sandy's to paint with the 3 musketeers, Alicia, Sandy and me.  We had a blast.  I painted a floral bouquet in acrylics on paper and started a rooster.  The rooster still lacks feet and he needs more feather work, but the flowers are done, I think., except for a frame and to list it on etsy.

We were only at it for four hours and I was trying to show them a few tricks with their paintings as well.  Tole painting taught me lots of shortcuts and ways of using brushes and flow medium, etc. for shading and making fur.  Alicia finally finished her Leopard and Sandy is working on a landscape with a squirrel that looks a little like a chipmunk.  But everything is part of the learning experience.

Now I am off to add more of my art projects to etsy.com. I am up to lucky number 13 already, with about 20 more to list.

Have fun painting.  I know I do.