Work in Progress: Pretty in Pink

I have been working on a new piece this week inspired by my daily walks on the verdant grounds of the Marriott Ocean Club on Maui. We traveled to Hawaii in May, returning for the first time since we moved back to Florida seven years ago, and it felt like we never left. One of my favorite tropical plants is the Ti plant, a showy specimen that grows in any temperate climate, but seems to be everywhere in Hawaii. The vividly colored leaves silhouetted against the clear blue sky always make me smile. I read an interesting article in the airline magazine about the many uses of this plant. It is used to make ropes, hats, shelter, and medicine. Hawaiians utilize the Ti plant in their spiritual practice as well.

"Pretty in Pink" (36" x 24" watercolor on Aquabord) - in progress, day 2

This new painting is on Aquabord, a clay coated surface made by Ampersand Art Supply in Austin, Texas. I started using Aquabord several years ago when I was introduced to it by Karen Vernon, a fantastic painter from Texas. I really got into it once we lived in Kauai, where a lack of air conditioning meant that my Arches paper never really dried due to the humidity. I love it because it acts like watercolor paper (most of the time) can take repeated washes and lifting of color, and be sealed and displayed without glazing. That is the very best part!

An Artistic Encounter in Paris

I emerged from the Rennes Metro stop and looked around, trying to orient myself to the bustling neighborhood of the 6^th Arrondisement in Paris. I was on a quest to find the apartment of two American artists living in Paris whom I had met through their blog on the internet. Laurie and Blair Pessemier are living their dream as artists in the City of Light, and I wanted to see what their life and art were really like. I arranged to visit their home studio and perhaps take home a treasure or two.

The top floor apartment was very easy to find, and the Pessemiers were so warm and welcoming. The place is tiny, painted bright yellow, and filled with paintings – on the walls, on the floor, stacked against the fireplace.  I knew it would be difficult to choose only one. As we drank café au lait and chatted about their artistic life in Paris and beyond, I realized that it not easy to pick up and move to a new country. Dealing with a new language and different cultural expectations, not to mention the impossibly illogical French way of doing business would stress out anyone, especially when you have the added pressure of supporting yourselves with your artwork.  Laurie and Blair manage to pull it off with flair. I left feeling so inspired, and hope to paint with them the next time I am in Paris. Oh, and yes, I bought two small paintings. 

To read their blog and see their work, please visit   http://artnotesparis.blogspot.com/

It's Hot in the Tropics

So, it’s hot in North Florida – just like most everywhere else, and all I can think about is tropical breezes, lush and verdant jungles and bright flowers. That is where the art is headed this week. I am working on two bird of paradise pieces, one of which focuses on a gorgeous dying leaf above the bird. The tentative title is ‘Seeing Red’ – not sure if it will stick.

I also have a commission to start. It will be the largest painting I’ve ever done (39 x 50 on cradled Aquabord – scary) and I can’t wait to start!

Jungle Blossom Completed (finally)

After several days in the cool mountain air in North Carolina, I finally finished one of those pesky banana blossoms. Hope you like it. I took this photo in the Allerton Botanical Gardens on Kauai, a magical place if there ever was one. Remember the huge rooted trees in Juriasic Park where the dinosaur eggs were? Those trees are in the Garden.

I am having trouble deciding on backgrounds, and want to try doing a botanical piece on a white ground - no details behind it. I saw a British artist named Sarah Graham's work and this is how she depicts her subjects. It is very clean and bold.

I have several other pieces to add to the blog...more in a bit.

Blue Iris

I wanted to paint a quick piece - so here is 'Bill's Blue'. I have an artist friend, Bill McKeown, who has a wonderful garden full of irises, which as my favorite non-tropical flower to paint. This was done quickly on 11 x 14 Aquabord with 2" birch supports - no need for a frame!

Reworking the Roses

I have been revisiting two works that I abandoned a few months ago to see if they could be rescued, and I think I have accomplished that. The first one, 'Dancer's Hands', reminds me of the graceful hand gestures made by ballarinas. I break a basic rule with this one: don't put your subject in the center! What the heck, it is my painting and I think it works ;) The background probably needs one more glazing of a dark neutral, and it will be complete.....

The second piece, Golden Afternoon', bugged me because the two roses were competing for attention. I glazed back the upper one and added white highlights to the main rose by gently scrubbing off paint and adding a bit of white goache where necessary. I love the background on this one!

The banana blossoms will rise back to the top of my work list.....sometimes I have to leave paintings to their own devices for a few days and go back to them with a fresh eye.

Back to Work

After a wonderful mini vacation over the Fourth of July weekend, I am back in the studio. I am working on the banana blossoms - still in that tropical vibe. The larger one is on hold for a few days, while I stare at it and figure out what it needs. This smaller one (16 x 20) is coming together rapidly, and I should be done with it tomorrow.

Challenged...

I have made some progress, but I still have a loonnnngggg way to go! This is the stage in the painting process where I absolutely HATE what I am working on, and and want to throw it away and start over. But, I have to get over my frustrations and make it work!

Goin' Bananas

Been working a lot this week on the Banana Blossom, as well as giving the Coco Palm piece a final look before I seal it today. I keep wanting to add darker values to the Coco Palm, but once I look at the image in black and white, it seems to have enough value contrast.

The banana piece is giving me fits - I can't seem to get the baby bananas right. Luckily I can scrub off my mistakes and start over (Thank you, Aquabord!).

Here they are...

The Beginning of Blogging

I am not sure yet what to do with this blogging stuff....but it looks like fun, so here goes! I am painting today in the studio. It's WAY too hot to work outside, and I have to be near the kitchen to keep an eye on the marinara sauce. Hubby gets stuffed meatballs for his Father's Day Feast (yum!).

We sailed in the BVI last month, so I have a ton of tropical inspiration to work from. I was able to paint a few small (5x7) coco palms and papayas on board the boat, as long as the seas were calm. I finished a huge coco palm piece on aquaboard once we got home.

I just started a 22 x 30 Banana Blossom, and will post in-progress photos later on. I love the contrast of deep reddish violet against yellow green and turquoise.

More later...