Art

genie of the brush: part 1

Let me begin by wishing all of my American friends a very happy 4th of July

Today’s quote is taken from Chapter 6: Making Marks in Tony Smibert’s Painting Landscapes from your Imagination: “There are no rules, no right or wrong ways to use your brushes, and no limitations to your creativity once you release this “genie of the brush.”

loti4vi

I think the genie was definitely released today
as I followed the exercises that combined washes and brush work.

loti4iii      loti4iv

loti4viii

loti4vii

Worldwatercolormonth Day 4

I would like to dedicate today’s post to the memory of the great humanitarian, Nobel Prize winner and holocaust survivor Eli Weisel who died at the age of 87 on Saturday, and to the memory of 13 year old Hallel Yaffe Ariel who was stabbed to death four days ago while she slept inside her house in Kiryat Arba, in a crime that is beyond comprehension. May they both rest in peace.

imbued with possibilities

loti3viii

Todays title is taken from Tony Smibert’s Introduction to Painting Landscapes from your Imagination.  The book is a joy to read and full of a wonderfully inspiring text from which I will take my favourite quotations over the next few weeks. The full quote today reads:

“When a watercolour emerges from the wash, it does so imbued with possibilities.” 

loti3i   loti3ii

This exercise is entitled Sunset over the Valley and combines the various washes from the last two days, namely flat, graduated and variegated.  Adding the graduated sunset wash in the top right hand corner was a quiet revelation.  It involved turning the board, wetting the sky up to the edge of the mountains and then dropping in the red which then charged the wetted area –  oh what joy! Light red was recommended for this but not having any I combined brilliant red with burnt sienna with a satisfying result I feel.

loti3iv   loti3v

loti3vi

Worldwatercolormonth Day 3

I would like to dedicate today’s post to the memory of those who lost their lives so cruelly in Baghdad and Bangladesh.

“Be your own painter…”

Scotsdale i

Arizona remembered I  2.7.16

The title of today’s post is taken from Tony Smibert’s quote in Exercise 3 of Landscapes of the Imagination, which I am working through this month, “Be your own painter and adapt what you want to your own work”. This exercise is all about graduated washes and includes maneuvering the board upside-down as the secondary washes are applied.

loti 2i   loti2ii

loti2iii   loti2iv

The quote was all the inspiration I needed to apply the exercise to memories of our memorable trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, where we stopped before continuing on to that never-to-be-forgotten visit to Antelope Canyon.

loti2v

That night we walked on the McDowell Sonoran Reserve after sunset where the Saguaro cacti were dramatically silhouetted against the evening sky. It was thanks to Laura Macky that we included this in our visit and her wonderful post Painted Saguaro is one that I recommend you all visit. Thanks once again Laura 🙂

Scotsdale iii

Arizona remembered II 2.7.16

 Worldwatercolormonth Day 2

landscapes from the imagination

Happy First of July everyone, and to my friends in Canada a very Happy Canada Day once again. Today is the perfect day to start a new project and what better project could there be than a month of watercolor painting as part of World Watercolor Month, thanks to Charlie O’Shields at Doodlewash.

loti i

This time a year ago I was part way through all the watercolour exercises in the book by the great Australian artist Tony Smibert, Lessons from the Great Masters, which my dear friend and always-inspiring Debi Riley happily introduced me to on her blog. Some of you may well have followed my journey on thechangingpalette through those four weeks last year. I thought for these next four I would work my way through another of Tony Smibert’s books, Painting Landscapes from your Imagination, something which I often love to do.

loti ii

So for Day 1 of World Watercolor month I undertook the first exercises in the book and am now eagerly looking forward to making progress in the coming four weeks.

loti iii

loti iv

I will certainly endeavour to paint everyday, but on those days when I’m visiting my beautiful granddaughter, which will always take precedence over everything else, I will plan to post some of my favourite paintings from last year’s Lessons from the Great Masters. Today’s exercise working with washes was an encouraging start to the month.  I hope you agree 🙂

a bouquet for midsummer’s day

Bouqet 6.16

a midsummer’s day bouquet 20.06.16

The Monday Bouquet makes a special return appearance today
with which to celebrate the summer solstice.

For those of you new to thechangingpalette I posted a bouquet every Monday during 2014
which you can enjoy here at A Year of Monday Bouquets.

the y of yellow

y of yellow ii

…meets the curve of black
whilst red stands
sentinel

A second in response to this week’s Photo Challenge from Cheri who asks us to:
“Find inspiration in the curves around you.”

curve vb

Bon Voyage

Tatia's

Patos Island Lighthouse, San Juan Islands, US State of Washington – 15.6.16

A bon voyage gift to a special someone wishing her every success and happiness
sailing the new seas that lie ahead.

go figure

35
 

In Part Three of The Photinia Story I described how drawing with the photinia branches reminded me of my figure studies from over thirty years ago and led me to burrow through my bottom drawer in the studio and bring out old friends I hadn’t seen in years. It also provided an opportunity to photograph and document them, the results of which I hope you will enjoy.
 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

From Yardwork to Artwork: The Photinia Story Part Three

branch iv

branch lines I 6.6.16

After the success of From Yardwork to Artwork: The Photinia Story Part One and Part Two,  today Part Three will feature the photinia branches themselves that I have discovered make such versatile drawing tools.

branch v

One branch in particular has become a favourite as it takes on so many roles as you will see in the video later in the post.  The wonderful marks it can make depend on so many factors. They can be either broad or fine depending on the angle at which it is being held it, and opaque or transparent depending on the pressure exerted. Plus the extra bonus is the frottage that the underlying wood of the drawing board produces within the lines themselves.

I think I’ll let the bough take a bow.

branch x

Why not find your own branch, buy some drawing ink and paper, and make your own branch lines. Let me know how it goes.

branch viii

branch lines II 6.6.16

branch ii      branch iii

branch ix

branch lines III 7.6.16

over my shoulder IV – the making of branch lines III

If you would like to see more over my shoulder videos here are the links:

over my shoulder I

over my shoulder II

over my shoulder III

Life Imitates Art

The texture of the lines reminded me of figure drawings of mine from over thirty years ago, which I have now taken out from a drawer in the studio and pinned to the studio wall. Here’s a sneak preview of what’s coming next.

figures i

Finally, I’m linking today’s post to this week’s Discover Challenge: Origin Story for two reasons.

First, The Photinia Story Parts One, Two, and Three are all about the origin of an image and the story behind how it is created.

Second, and the main reason with Father’s Day so close at hand, is to dedicate this post to the memory of my late father who set me on the path of making art from a very early age. He was an amateur artist himself and this painting of his hangs proudly in my office at home. It is a constant reminder of the true gentle man that he was.

dad's

Thanks Dad