Credit card trees

I made a new journal that measures 12" by 4.5" using 140lb watercolor paper.  I'm calling it my tree journal because that is all that I'll be painting in this journal.

For my first illustration, I used a credit card dipped in watercolor paint and scrapped out the trunk of the tree using the side of the credit card.  I had to run the credit card a couple of times to create the tree trunk making sure I left some white of the watercolor paper showing.  Once the tree trunks were dry, I then started to add the tree foliage. I made sure that the tree foliage  was dry before I started tweaking the painting.

A view of the ocean

 

You know when I start to paint ocean scenes from my imagination, it's time for me to go to the beach for a visit.  Hopefully, if we get nice weather this weekend that's where I'm heading.

 

 

How I spent Valentine's Day...

A day at the Santa Barbara Zoo.  I've been wanting to go to the Santa Barbara Zoo for a while now.  With the unbelievable sunny warm days,  Valentine's Day was the perfect time to go.

I took my art supplies and my husband took his camera.  While he took photo reference photos for me, I sat down to do some Plein Air painting.

Plein Air painting does not come naturally for me.  I'm always afraid that people will look over my shoulder and see my paintings and make some snide remark.  But this year I plan to change all that. 

Santa Barbara Zoo was a test run for me and the supplies I carried.  I took a hand made small journal that is 7"L x 4" wide.  When open I have a full page that measures 8" wide.  Because I wanted to keep the journal small and compact I only had 4 sheets of 140lb watercolor paper which gave me 16  half pages to complete.   My other supplies I took were: a water brush, paper towels, pencil, sharpie, 8 Faber-Castell watercolor pencils, eraser, and a set of 18 Daler-Rowney watercolour quarter pans.

My first painting was of elephants walking around and being fed.  I found a bench to sit at...that had a high wall in back of me.  This was perfect because I could paint without anybody looking over my shoulder.  Now the fun begins...juggling my supplies, my journal and water brush.  I initially started to drop paint in for the elephant, but was so frustrated with the watercolor set of paints I took (had to keep on referring back to my color chart).  Out of frustration I grabbed 3 watercolor pencils and did a quick sketch of the elephant and his surroundings.   Once I had a basic idea of how I wanted the painting to evolve I was able to mix and add watercolor to the painting.  I think I worked on this painting about 5 minutes.

 

Across the way was a Cockatoo.  After painting him, I went back to watch and paint the elephant being feed.

 

 

 

 

It was a good day at the Zoo.  Not only did I get to see all the lovely animals,  I got to spend the day with the love of my life.

 

Tomorrow I share more watercolors that I did at the zoo.

flower collages

 I recently discovered www.creativebug.com.   It's an online website where you can take classes for $9.99 a month.  Classes from watercolors, knitting, paper crafts, baking, sewing and much more.  They offer a free 14 day trial period where you can explore the classes.  So I signed up and took my first class with Lisa Congdon.  The class was Sketchbook explorations.  Exploring different tools and techniques to keep a sketchbook.  I really liked the way Lisa really simplified the use of tools and techniques. 

This is what I  worked on in my sketchbook.  Creating a collage border on the bottom of my sketchbook and then adding line drawings of flowers.  I added color to my flowers to complete the drawing.

I don't often do collages, but after seeing Lisa's videos I think I'll be adding more collages to my sketchbook in the future.

 
 
 
 

Unfinished watercolor journals

I spent the weekend tackling those unfinished journal pages.  Like every artist, I have lots of journals that aren't complete.   I'm trying to be better about completing one journal before I start on a new one.  So that means I can happily shelve two complete journals.

 

 

 

Plein Air Watercolor Painting in Santa Barbara

French bull dog...Pretty as a picture

I love French Bull dogs and hope to own one some day.  Until then, I paint them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dreaming about the ocean

 

We've been having such nice weather that I've been dreaming about the ocean and wanting to go to the beach.  Instead I pulled out a photo of my last trip to Ventura, California.  I guess this is the nearest I'll get to the beach for awhile.

 

 

 

DIY Watercolor Palette

I recently made my first video of me making a small watercolor palette.

Poodle amoung the flowers

 

 

I forgot to post this yesterday.  This is a painting that I plan to use on the front cover of a art journal that I'm binding. 

 

 

 

 

I love bulldogs...

I've been wanting to paint a bulldog in a picture frame for awhile.  I found a photo and this is my take on that photo.   I thought he was so cute licking his chops after a treat!  Holbein gouache and some acrylic paint.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy

 

I saw a dog just like this today and his name was Happy.  I'm already thinking about spring so I thought I'd paint in a field of spring flowers.  Gouache and acrylic paint.

 

 

Golden puppy

Playing with gouache paint today.

 

 

 

Day at the beach continued

 

I was able to paint another watercolor while at the beach in Santa Barbara.  Daniel Smith watercolors and 140lb watercolor paper.

 

 

 

I finally did it...

I finally opened up a Society 6 store front to sell my art:

 http://society6.com/justcrazyaboutdogs

So good and check it out and tell me what you think

Day at the beach

 

Two weeks ago we had unbelievable nice weather...it was about 73 degrees in Santa Barbara; I packed my supplies, packed the dogs and off we went to Santa Barbara to do some  Plein Air painting.

 

While I was painting my husband was filming me for a short video.  Plein Air painting isn't something I'm very comfortable doing. Usually you can find me in my studio painting, with all my supplies around me. So this is my take on what I saw that day at the beach.  I used Daniel Smith watercolors and 140lb watercolor paper.

 

 

Daily painting of flowers

I'm really enjoying working on my daily gouache paintings.

 

 

Peonies

I love going through old photographs of things I love.  Since Peonies only are in bloom for a short time, I try to buy as many as I can and them take pictures to capture their beauty.  Gouache painting in sketchbook.

 

 

 

 

Fall colors

I finally have gotten around to scanning watercolors that I did last fall.  Daniel Smith watercolors on handmade watercolor paper.

 

 

 

A meadow of green hills

Meadow of green hills on handmade watercolor paper.  Daniel Smith watercolors.