Wednesday, February 18, 2009

MOUNT FAIRWEATHER ON FAIRWEATHER DAY


Busy, busy, packing and doing all the last minute stuff before we leave tomorrow..... still lots to do. But this being just about the nicest day in months, I had to get out and paint. I did this of Mount Fairweather just before the sun went down. I live in this most beautiful place.... on a day like today, I don't want to leave. As luck has it, tomorrow it will probably be snowing and the planes won't be flying.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

TWO LITTLE PAINTINGS FROM KIM'S



I ran in to a my friend Kim this afternoon and invited myself to her house to paint. She has fabulous views from her windows. This is out towards Icy Strait with the Salmon River in the foreground. I painted it in my book from Florence with the Fabriano paper and am liking the paper. I have decided to take the book to Florida. Did I mention that I'm leaving tomorrow on my way there? We will be staying for 2 months.

I did this one today too...same view on Arches 140# cold press, the paper I must often use.

Monday, February 16, 2009

MY GAS STOVE AND A NEW BOOK


This gas stove replaced our oil range about 15 years ago. It has a great little oven, but we use a stove top on our counter for other than baking. I was a little over confident with my drawing with pen, and frustrated with the bleeding ink when I added the watercolor.

I started using this book today for painting my postcards. I bought it in Florence last year at Il Torchio Legatoria Artigiana It was handmade there with beautiful Fabriano watercolor paper.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

TWO ALASKA SHELLS


More snow and at a loss for something to paint. I put off painting all day, finally forced myself to pick up some shells and start drawing them . Once again I am reminded that inspiration is not necessary to do a satisfying sketch, and I'm finding that since I've started drawing and painting every day, I rarely use an eraser and get what I'm after in a lot less time than before. I can't remember what these shells are and am too lazy to get out my book and look them up.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

BACK TO THE BEACH

It was a low energy day after playing dominoes and cards late last night. After working at the library this afternoon, I drove down to the beach to paint from the car again. Sun was above the clouds and shining brightly, but behind the cloud when I painted. Colder than yesterday, in the high 20s.

Friday, February 13, 2009

BEACH TREES

I never tire of painting these trees at the beach. It was another mostly sunny day, so I once more headed to the beach in the car and was able to pull of the road and paint this and another one of the same view in gouache that needs some more work.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

PAINTING FROM THE CAR


I drove down to the beach and painted a couple of views looking North..... this is the best of the two. It was so enjoyable painting this.... so good to be out of the house on this rare sunny, beautiful day. And the painting came out half way decent.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

YET ANOTHER VIEW OUT THE STUDIO WINDOW


This is done with gouache and smaller than most of my postcards..... 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches, and painted on a dark gray piece of mat board.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

PINCUSHION AND SCISSORS

I made a dress for my grand daughter, Alyssa, today. It was the first garment I've made in years.... my sewing for the last few years has been on quilts and mending. I think I'll paint this arrangement again, and put some pins in the cushion.

Monday, February 9, 2009

FEBRUARY 8TH AND 9TH

I've really been at a loss for something I want to paint lately. I'd really like some flowers around. This cactus, which I've painted before (seems like I've painted everything around the house at least once ) seemed a little more interesting than most things. I first drew with pencil then painted the green with watercolor followed by the spines with gouache. Then I outlined with a silver Jelly Roll pen. I painted a Mexican sort of design pot which looked goofy, then glued over it wit a piece of paper that I had previously painted and stamped. It was fun.
Monday mornings are busy... I work at the local second hand store until 12 or 1. Today, I took my paints with me, intent on going somewhere afterward to paint, and ended up at the Wing's building at the airport, got a sandwich and prepared to paint the trees and mountains from the window, then Doc came and parked the snowplow right in front of the window and came in and talked while I managed to draw part of the plow above the railing, even while 3 other guys joined us all talking guy talk.

I got tagged by R. Gerriot who is a fabulous painter and who has a great blog with information about photoshop that you can go to by clicking here. The result of being tagged is that I am suppose to list 7 unusual things about myself. So, here's my list.

1. I cut with scissors backwards... I'm left handed and cut with the scissors pointing towards me rather than away. Always have, dispite numerous gifts of left handed scissors.

2. My first trip ever out of Florida where I grew up was when I was 20 and went to California on a Greyhound and worked at Yosemite for the summer.

3. I lived without electricty for most of 8 years.

4. I lived on a one acre island for 3 years.

5. I live in Alaska and never voted for Sarah Palin.... and I always vote.

6. I never voted for Ted Stevens or Don Young either.

7. I've never eaten a Twinkie.

Now I'm suppose to send this to 7 bloggers. But since most all of the blogs I read have already done this I'm just going to list 7 here that I like to read, and hope you will check them out too.


http://lindablondheimartnotes.blogspot.com/

http://makingamark.blogspot.com/
http://pharmwife.blogspot.com/
http://ninajohansson.blogspot.com/
http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/
http://rozwoundup.typepad.com/roz_wound_up/
http://foxyartstudio.blogspot.com/

Saturday, February 7, 2009

FEBRUARY 4,5,6, AND 7

Its been a busy week and I've been derelict with my blogging duties. I spent most of the last week making a woodblock print for the Baren Forum Year of the Ox exchange. You can read more about it on my other blog here. Also derelict in painting on Wednesday, but since each of the 70+ prints were printed by painting on the block with watercolor, I guess I can get by with a print counting as my post card for Wednesday.
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Painted on Thursday, these are the last of the tomatoes, and I took a little longer to paint them this time. Not so happy with the arrangement on the cloth. I painted it upside down from this, but like this better, and maybe with my signature in the right bottom corner it will balance out more to my liking.

I painted these yesterday..... brush and the baren used in my woodblock printing.

And tonight, I painted this of my husband Van, watching a movie.... MEN IN BLACK

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

FEBRUARY 2 AND 3


These tomatoes are the brightest things around now. Wish I had some flowers. I've been painting the still lifes after dark while I prepare dinner.

It was quite windy today, from the west. A bit of sunshine and more snow.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

FEBRUARY 1, 2009




Yet another paper.... Lenox, in one of my handmade books. The sun came out this morning, and I put hand warmers in my boots and gloves and went out with my paints. When I got out beyond the trees, I realized the wind was blowing quite hard. I found some shelter on the smokehouse porch. This was done very quickly with too large of a brush for my liking, looking across the river towards P. Island. The sun was so bright that I couldn't see much color.... the scanner couldn't either.