Fresh Vibrant Floral

"With experimentation 

comes surprise and discovery." 

~ Kim Lee Kho 

Magenta Blossoms

Magenta Blossoms

Purchase information here

I've been quiet here lately because I've been obsessed with painting and learning the ropes of Alcohol Inks. This is one I did yesterday. 

I hope you like it.

Thanks for stopping by. 

As always, your comments are appreciated.

X ♥  O

Blooming Iris With Newborn Vigor

"How can one help but shiver with delight

when your hot fingers close 

around the stem of a live flower, 

cool from the shade and 

stiff with newborn vigor!"

~ Colette

Iris Blossom

Iris Blossom

Purchase information here

Sometimes a few minor adjustments can make a major improvement! I finished this alcohol ink painting yesterday, but wasn't quite happy with it. After looking at the photo of it for a bit, it became obvious what needed to be done.

Before tweaking the painting -

Today I did a little rework; lightening the stem to bring it forward and darkening the leaf to the left to push it back. I think it reads much better now. Don't you agree?

The sun is shining! What a drastic change from last week's winter blast. It's 58 degrees out and tonight we "Spring Ahead". Yay! Finally the days will be longer!

HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!

Thanks for stopping by and for your comments.

X ♥  O

Hibiscus Blossom in Alcohol Inks ~ SOLD

"The artist is the confidant of nature. 

Flowers carry on dialogues with her 

through the graceful bending of their stems and the harmoniously tinted nuances of their blossoms." 

~ Auguste Rodin

• Hibiscus Blossom
SOLD

Purchase information here

I am loving exploring the cheerful colors and unfamiliar properties of alcohol inks on Yupo paper. I hope today's Hibiscus Blossom brings you a smile and adds a little warmth to your day.

Thanks to all my online buddies for stopping by 

and for your comments on my last post!

X ♥  O

Sunny Summer Sunflower on Yupo Paper

"The first week of August hangs

at the very top of summer,

the top of the live-long year,

like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel

when it pauses in its turning."

~ Natalie Babbitt

SUNNY SUMMER DAYS

Signed and certified by the artist.

~~~~~~~~ 

See purchase information here.

The weather here has finally cooled off a bit and we haven't had any rain for two whole days! The summer is speeding by faster than ever. I can hardly believe that tomorrow is the first day of August. The past couple of months have been a very busy and happy time for me. 

In addition to my demo at the Dick Blick Grand Opening event scheduled for 2 - 4 pm on August 22nd in NY, NY, I'll be doing the Third Thursday Art Demonstration at the Arts Center in downtown Hammonton, NJ on August 15th from 7- 9 pm.  It's Yippee For Yupo - with a Hot, Hot, Hot Salsa theme! It's a free demo and salsa tasting event. What a great combo! Open to the public, it is sure to be a fun and entertaining evening. Hope to see some of you local people there.

I will also be holding a Yippee For Yupo - Watercolor Painting on Yupo Paper Class - at the Hammonton Arts Center every Saturday during the month of September. Participants will discover a looser, more forgiving way to work in watercolor. This fun class will be a  jump start to watercolor for beginners and can add excitement and variety to the skill set of more accomplished painters. I will provide a link as soon as class information is posted on their website.

Below are a couple of the work-in-progress shots I took while painting "Sunny Summer Days".

First a background wash was added, wet- into - wet.

The second step - adding the stem and petals.

And a little tidbit unrelated to art - Yesterday I placed 36th out of 10,000 entries in a slot tournament at Borgota Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. My prize was $150. in slot dollars.

Not that exciting of a prize, but Jerry and I were very pleased with my placing! 

Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by. I look forward to your comments and truly appreciate every single one! 

X ♥  O

Sizzling Summer Sunflower

"Chase down your passion

like it's the last bus of the night."

~ Terri Guillemets

Sizzling Sunflower

7.5" x 5.5" hand painted watercolor on Yupo paper

A.F. Double Mat w/ Backing in sleeve - 8" x 10"

Signed and certified by the artist
See purchase information here.

A photo of the above painting in progress.

Here, the background was approached differently.

It was applied with a 3" roller, then over painted with thick pigment.

I really like today's quote. As time hurries on, it seems as though I have to run ever faster and harder to catch that speeding bus! It's even a recurring dream I've had since childhood. I think all my marathon chasing is starting to pay off though. 

I'll be doing a drawing and painting demonstration at the Hammonton Arts Center during the town's Third Thursday Event on September 19th and also have drawing classes and a Watercolor On Yupo Workshop scheduled there for the fall. I'll post more details here as soon as the dates are confirmed.

I'm planning on going up to NYC next week to do my dry run for my grand opening demonstration. I'll meet with Marc from Legion Papers and then go to check out the Dick Blick Store where I'll be demonstrating Painting on Yupo Paper on August 22nd.

This set up is working out well.  I'm using the laptop to view lessons online
and the desktop computer to follow along and do the work in Dreamweaver.

The online website course from Timothy Training is going well and I'm more than half way through it. I've started to organize 15+ years of online / website files and feel pretty confident that it will soon all start to come together. It feels good to finally be making some headway in that department.

Jerry and I are busier than ever taking care of the businesses, our place, the horses, the cats, the wildlife and the hummingbirds. We are going through about a gallon and a half of nectar every day now. I guess we have used about 40 lbs. or more of sugar so far this season. It's kind of hard to calculate though, because the sneaky sugar industry changed from 5lb. bags to 4lb. bags this year. I guess they thought nobody would notice! That reminds me, I'd better go and check those hummingbird feeders. I forgot to fill them at lunch time and I'm sure they are empty.

I hope your summer is going well and you have found a way to stay cool!

 Tell us what you've been up to!

Thanks for stopping by!

X ♥  O

Sunflower Spirit ~ Capturing the Essence

"Capture the spirit

and essence of your subject

and show me why it is important to you."

~ Keith Bond

Sunflower Spirit

SOLD

Today's FineArtViews article by Keith Bond was about impersonation and authenticity. It is a subject very close to my heart. Originality in the interpretation of my subject is something I strive for everyday. Keith writes, "Don’t be an impersonator (and slavishly copy a subject from life or from a photo). Be authentic. Be real. Be yourself. Create art that means something to you, so it can also mean something to the viewer." For me, it is the only road to happiness and the key to finding my true inner voice as an artist.

"If you observe a really happy man you will find him building a boat, writing a symphony, educating his son, growing double dahlias in his garden, or looking for dinosaur eggs in the Gobi desert.  He will not be searching for happiness as if it were a collar button that has rolled under the radiator.  He will not be striving for it as a goal in itself.  He will have become aware that he is happy in the course of living life twenty-four crowded hours of the day." ~ W. Beran Wolfe

Wishing You Many Blessings and Authentic Happiness,

X ♥ O