It was a Beautiful Day, A Peek inside my Watercolor Journal

My brother, sister-in-law, friend and I were exploring the little hilltop villages of Provence, France last September.  We stopped in the town of Segûret.  The sun was shining, the ochre-colored walls were glowing and the shadows were filled with colorful light.  Every little corner was a painting waiting to happen.  Here is my journal painting of Segûret.  The design on the wall is a note about the ripe, delicious figs that I would find lying on the ground.  We don’t get figs like this in Oregon.  Have you ever had the chance to pick figs ripe off of the tree?

Strolling on a Sunny Day

Mt Hood with Lavender Fields, a Peek inside my Watercolor Journal

Mt. Hood with Lavender Fields

Here is a page from one of my larger journals.  I use the Arches Field Watercolor book.  It comes in 2 sizes (10x7 inches or 14x10 inches)  I uses both sizes.   Here is a link for the journals at Dick Blick Art Supplies:  Journals.  Other stores carry them too.  I love these journals because they are filled with Arches fabulous 140 lb watercolor paper and hard bound with a spiral wire binding so that they lay flat when painting.

The Art Station has announced the dates and times for my 2 classes. I would love to see you there!

Watercolor & Mixed Media for the Traveling Artist
Fridays, Oct 15 & 22, 2010

The Good, the Bad and the Beauty of Color,
Fridays, Dec 3 & 10, 2010

Painting Plein Air, Photos from our Hood River, Oregon Watercolor Trip, 2010

The weather was beautiful and the sunflowers were in full bloom.  We spent the day painting en plein air, which is the French term meaning, in the open air.  The impressionist artists of the late 1800s made this popular because of the invention of tube paint.  They no longer had to grid and mix their own paints with powders and linseed oil.  If you are ever in Paris, France, be sure to visit the Sennelier store where many Impressionist shopped.  It is much the same as it was in the 1800s!

Can you tell me what kind of butterfly this is?

A scruffy visitor to my garden.  I am off to the book store to get a book about butterflies because I want to attract more!  Does anyone know what kind it is?  I may have to paint him.

"Colorful Whites", a Peek inside my Watercolor Journal

Here are some pages from my current Watercolor Journal.  I am playing around with creating colorful whites by adding local color(color from the surrounding areas) in the shadows.

"Why Shouldn't Art be Pretty" a Peek inside my Watercolor Journal

 "Why shouldn't art be pretty?  There are enough unpleasant things in the world."  This is one of my favorite quotes by Pierre-Auguste Renoir.  My goal is to make my art pretty and to bring happiness to those that see it.

"Life is a Journey" - a peek inside my Watercolor Journal

"Life is a Journey, Not a Guided Tour", author unknown.  This quote really speaks to me as you never know what will come your way.  I think it also makes me want to be more adventurous.  What does it say to you?

Meeting about the High Desert Art League

Brand new blog - High Desert Art League
The High Desert Art League just started a new blog.