Horse ~ Symbol of Independence and Power

"The wind of heaven is that

which blows between a horse's ears."

Horse Spirit ~ Graceful Strength Day 18 Freedom ~ Respect ~ Finesse  ~ Sensitivity 8.5 x 6.5" Hand Painted Watercolor on Yupo Paper Matted and Framed to 10" x 8"

Horse Spirit ~ Graceful Strength

Day 18

Freedom ~ Respect ~ Finesse  ~ Sensitivity

8.5 x 6.5" Hand Painted Watercolor on Yupo Paper

Matted and Framed to 10" x 8"

Painting Options

painting only $99.00 USD art matted w/ backing $105.00 USD art matted + Framed - Med. Wood $135.00 USD

People seemed to enjoy yesterday's progress shots, so here are some more of today's painting. I really can't believe I remembered to stop a couple of times and take pictures two days in a row! Wow, is this turning into a habit?

First Step - Paint the eyes.

Second Step - Put in light mid-tones.

Third Step - Put in darker mid-tones.

Fourth - Add the background wash.

Finally, the painting is refined and detailed

by taking pigment away with a damp brush

and adding a little darker mid-tone here and there.

Horse Spirit -  Full frame/ Uncropped

I tweaked this painting quite a bit and here is what it looks like now.

Before          After

Thanks so much for stopping by and for

your friendship, comments and feedback!

X ♥  O

Owl ~ Symbol of Clairaudience and Clairvoyance

"The owl teaches us how to tap into intuition

and to understand and trust subtle perceptions."

Owl Spirit ~ Feminine Mysteries Day 17 Magic ~ Wisdom ~ Illumination  ~ Healing See painting price and specifications here.

Owl Spirit ~ Feminine Mysteries

Day 17

Magic ~ Wisdom ~ Illumination  ~ Healing

See painting price and specifications here.

Below are some progression shots of my painting process today. I can't believe I actually remembered to stop a couple of times and take pictures! 

First Step

One of my goals for the 30/30 was to get more proficient at painting eyes. I like to start my animal with their eyes. The eye can make or break a portrait. And if painted first, it's easy to wipe off on Yupo paper if not satisfied with it. Yesterday, I left the fox's eyes for later, which was a mistake. I was not 100% sold and was forced to keep them because it would have been a real hassle to wipe them back at that point. After some fiddling, I decided to keep them, especially since I didn't hate it.

Second Step - Put in mid-tones.

Third, the background was added with thick dark pigments.

Owl Spirit -  Full frame/ Uncropped

Fourth, the painting is refined and detailed, mainly by taking pigment away with a damp brush.

I am really thrilled with all the new friends I've been meeting online.

All your awesome work has been inspiring me through the 30/30! 

Your friendship, comments and feedback are keeping me pumped!!

I hope the magic is with you today.

Thanks for stopping by!

X ♥  O

Fox ~ Symbol of Observation and Camouflage

"The fox's ingenuity teaches us how

to acquire that which we desire."

Fox Spirit ~ Cunning Survivor

Day 16

Invisibility ~ Reasoning ~ Planning  ~ Attainment

See painting specifications and price here.

Tip of the day:

I've got a real easy one for tonight! Store your tube paints in plastic zip-lock bags and separate them by color family. The colors make them real easy to locate and if there's a leak, it's less of a mess. I think the bags also keep the paint fresher. 

Store your tube paints in plastic zip-lock bags and
separate them by color family.

You can store all the bags in one or two large gallon size zip-lock bags and all your colors are handy when you need to lay out or replenish your palette. 

You can store all the bags in a large gallon size zip-lock bag

Thanks for all the comments from old friends and new!

I hope you are having a great day.

Thanks for stopping by!

X ♥  O

Crow ~ Symbol of Magic and Protection

"The cawing crow reminds us that

magic and creation are calling out to us everyday."

Crow Spirit ~ Ancient Voices Day 15 Sentinel ~ Knowledge ~ Creation  ~ Magic ~ 8.5 x 6.5" Hand Painted Watercolor on Yupo Paper Matted and Framed to 10" x 8"

Crow Spirit ~ Ancient Voices

Day 15

Sentinel ~ Knowledge ~ Creation  ~ Magic

~

8.5 x 6.5" Hand Painted Watercolor on Yupo Paper

Matted and Framed to 10" x 8"

Painting Options

painting only $99.00 USD art matted w/ backing $105.00 USD art matted + Framed - Med. Wood $135.00 USD

Tip of the day:

I use a Tube-Wringer to get the most out of my paint tubes. I got it at one of the major art supply stores online and have had it for years. The company claims, "You'll get up to one-third more for your money from every tube with the Tube-Wringer®." I don't know about 1/3, but I'm sure it has paid for itself several times over. The U.S. made wringer keeps tubes much neater and prevents them from splitting too. 

~~~ A Tube-Wringer helps squeeze out every last drop! ~
 ~~ 

Hope you're having a magical day. Thanks for stopping by

and for your comments and emails! 

X ♥  O

Hawk ~ Symbol of Visionary Strength

"In order to carry a positive action,

we must develop here a positive vision.

~ Dalai Lama 

Hawk Spirit ~ Dare to be Different

Day 14

Imagination  ~  Courage  ~  Stamina

Tip of the day:

Use clear acetate print bags to store small paintings or drawings inside file folders. This is especially helpful for Yupo paintings, because they can be easily smudged before fixing. The sleeves make the paintings easy to find, see and use. And they are well protected from damage.

~~~~  8.5" x 6.5" watercolor  paintings on Yupo paper  ~~~~ 
stored in clear acetate sleeves in file folders.

Hope you're having a great day. Thanks for stopping by!

X ♥  O

Watercolor Palette Cleaning Tips

Today I'm sharing a few tips with my artist friends,

mostly learned through trial and error.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've learned the hard way, that sometimes there's a reason that I'm not getting the results I am seeking when my painting looks like crap is not so successful.

A less than ideal working palette is a definite hinderance. Especially when it is as disgustingly crusty, globbed up, dry and dirty as mine was.

Case in point.
UGH!

When using a covered palette with tube watercolors,

if you don't let it get this bad, fresh pigment can be added to the semi-hardened paint. Then the two consistencies can be stirred together with a smidgen of water to reconstitute it.

However, I have been neglecting my palette for months and there was not much I could salvage!

I had to scrape out the old stuff that was inundated with hard globs, brush hairs and dirt. Then scrub the crust from the wells and start with fresh squeezed pigment.

I used a butter knife, bristle brush, water and lots

of paper towels to accomplish the job.

When I finally got all the wells clean, I squeezed out new pigment using my Tube-Wringer which helps you get every possible drop out of the tube. As you probably already know, if you are still reading this, pigments can get expensive.

It's a real money saver and a big thumbs up from me.

Ah, now doesn't that look totally inviting?

Palette Colors from top left clockwise..... Cobalt Blue - Nice medium blue - has white in it Cobalt Violet - Nice non-staining violet - has white in it *Cadmium Red *Alizarin Crimson *Ivory Black *Burnt Sienna *Yellow Ochre *Naples Yellow - love this color, use it often *Titanium White - just started using this with my Yupos *Lemon Yellow *Gamboge - nice bright color - instead of Cadmium Yellow *Olive Green - Lukas - love this - color varies by maker Hooker's Green Dark Phthalo Green *Turquoise - American Journey or DaVinci- love this! Turquoise - Lukas - color varies by maker *Phthalo Blue *Ultramarine Blue * Colors most used (*Update - 2017 - See the small limited palette I am currently using here.)   The supplies shown above are my current choice for a thorough cleaning and a total palette makeover. They are a paint tube wringer, bristle brush, butter knife, water and pliers (to pry off caps and squeeze the very last splotch of paint from tube). You will also need plenty of paper towels, water and a spray bottle. My palette is a covered Robert E. Wood. When not painting for a couple of days, I uncover, spritz the paint with water, let it breathe for a while, respritz then recover.  Pigments My color choices have changed recently due to working on Yupo paper. I am now using more pigments with white in them as they seem to bind to the synthetic paper better.  I prefer DaVinci and Utrecht brand tube watercolors for their consistency, quality and price but I have also used Windsor and Newton, American Journey and Lukas. See some tips on working on Yupo paper here. Brushes The idea in my approach is to use the biggest brush you can and still get the job done. The bristle fan brush is occasionally used for texture and spattering. For my rounds, I use a lower quality synthetic brush that comes to a good point, but doesn't lose it's hairs. A word of advice don't let your palette get so grungy. This project took me hours! I hope you found a tip or two here that may be of some use to you. Happy creating!