Artworks in Progress

Can I create a short update?

Is it possible?  I'm not sure how long you've been hanging out here at She Must Make Art, but it shouldn't take long to notice my posts are usually lengthy.  I am giving myself a new challenge to stick with this year.  There's a lot happening with my 2019 goals, including working toward a new website.  I've got new work completed and in frames, now displayed in my art room.  I will host a photographic tour soon.  Today, I have a quick look at some of the new work that's in progress or just completed recently.

The watercolor artworks are smaller, what some would call "littles" and I am able to finish them more easily.  My hours spent on art are broken up often with life's meetings and appointments not to mention family time.  These artworks are loosely based on photographs.  I am stretching myself to be more willing to paint intuitively.  That means that I am seeking to paint without being held tightly to what the photo is describing by itself.  

I have new pigments and brushes so some time is needed to become more familiar with those new supplies.  Pigments have their own qualities of transparency, granulation, warm vs. cool and how they mix with other pigments.  It takes time using new brushes to feel more confident in the marks they make in my hand.

I've got several new artworks just recently completed but today I am sharing only two of them.  I'll have more to share soon.  These are smaller which is so nice for shipping off to new homes.  They are easy to package up safe and snug, even in a frame, and much less worry in the process.  I pick up about 4 frames at a time.  I've found where the style of frames are well suited to my liking and affordable, too.  It's a wonderful thing having artwork framed and on display where I do the creating on a regular basis.  These two are now in frames so I'll add a photo of them at the end.  Hold your mouse over the photo to see the titles and sizes of each one.

Okay, so that's all for today...thank you for dropping by to see new watercolors and be sure to stop back again soon.  I'll be here, painting away and thinking about what to share.  Have a great rest of your day!

-Christy

She must make art.

Hollyhocks Blooming on Paper

I've got an attraction to hollyhocks and it started quite a while ago.  Years ago...before I was a mom...I painted with a group of artists.  It seems like another lifetime, really.  On one of our artist get-togethers, we met at Pat's place.  With art supplies and lawn chairs, we scouted out our subject for the day.  We sat out in the sun, sketching and painting while we visited together.

The subject was an old house on the property...with hollyhocks in the front garden.  Unexpectedly, I found delight in painting the hollyhocks.  They weren't detailed but more of a suggestion, their form and creating them was so fluid.  They were more effortless than I imagined they could be.  This was a nice change from my need to be so detailed and exact.  Turns out, this has been a theme in my creative time...letting go of exact.

Reflecting on days spent with artist friends.

This very painting now hangs in my art studio and it's dear to me.  A little house with so much charm that's been maintained and cared for...like a little bit of quaint beauty that takes the viewer back to a different time.  There was so much about it that I loved, which is how I hope it is described it on paper.  A lovely day with artist friends, captured here, has a lot of sentiment attached.
Do you see the hollyhocks all loose and fresh as they welcome you onto the front porch?

I was just walking along, minding my own business.

Fast forward quite a number of years to summer of 2015.  I was walking down our alley and there are reseeded hollyhocks in all shades of pink.  They just grow untended along the backside of a storage shed.  I remember how the view affected me.  The tall stalks and blossoms against the weathered wood out building with full sun.  I quickly retraced my steps back home to grab a camera because this was perfect art reference material!

Undeniably, I am an artist.  It's a crazy process.

I have been able to find more time and energy for my love of watercolor.  The art studio is no longer an abandoned place without life.  My life, in my mind, is described in seasons tied together with whether I was able to spend time with watercolor painting.  Does that sound crazy?  I was created with this deep desire to create and watercolors just hit the target like no other medium.  When I must place it further down on my priorities list, I feel it deeply.

I have been all over the place with several different subjects.  Hollyhocks, a black beach on Maui, and several mountain landscape views.  The hollyhocks keep drawing me back to study them, capture them with paint one more time.  There's been joy mixed with frustration.  In certain moments, I was tempted to toss the current one aside and call it unsalvageable.  Sometimes, I would rather start again than keep making more effort on the same painting.  It's hard to say which is the wiser option.  I've learned that it's worth pushing through and seeing what another hour's effort will do.  Undeniably, I am an artist.  It's a crazy process.

I am trying to communicate through my brush what my mind wants to communicate.

In a frustrated state, I'll state out loud to no one in particular, "I guess that flower does NOT want to be in this painting?!"  And I regroup.  I rethink where I would like to go with this effort.  It happens.  It happens often.  With time I have gotten over thinking this isn't supposed to happen.  I can shrug it off and start again more flexibly than my younger self would have done.

Sometimes I'm just loving where the brushstrokes are moving and mixing on the paper.  Other times, I'm wondering what just happened and how should I move forward next.

Artists may work in a way that appears to be easy.  From an onlooker's point of view, the artist may seem to do it so well that we suppose they never struggle in the process.  That's just not true.  If it were, we'd probably find the art process very boring.  I don't think the level of skill matters...artists will continue to strive for improvement in their skill.  Artists want to develop and grow and capture more.  Artists have an intense need to communicate what captivates them better than they did in the past.

I've been working on Yupo synthetic surface and watercolor paper both.  I'll share my results with you.  There are pockets of joy in the results.  There are areas of struggle.  Petals and shadows that I didn't fully capture to my satisfaction.  I didn't describe it all in the way it affected me.  I'm growing in my ability to change up the composition and the forms.

Something exciting is happening.

These next artworks show something changing...I am not sketching at all.  I am letting myself have freedom from being so married to the art reference photo.  Get the music playing, spray down the palette and then I explore the emotion these flowers draw out.  Their shape, the space they fill, the colors created by sunlight and shadow.  What is a pink blossom in the sunlight?  What is it in the areas of shadow?  What type of yellow green captures the leaves and stalks?  Add some water for a bloom and then some spatter of color.

The learning comes in the doing.

If you are itching to pick up a brush and have a go with the watercolors, do it.  Go.  Don't hesitate.  You'll find a joy in the movement of pigment across the paper.  There are so many opportunities for learning now.  Order a book.  Watch a YouTube video.  You will fight fear and hesitation.  The learning comes in the doing.  The doing brings a peace and relaxation.  It's a therapy.  You will grow and understand it a bit at a time.  You'll never master it.  That's okay.  You'll be excited and challenged and alive.

What subject or art medium has hooked you so strongly?  What have you felt you must try creating one more time?  What do you desire to capture on paper, on canvas, or in clay?


-Christy

She must make art.

Pigment Choices That Last

Watercolor pigment is a major player in this artistic adventure!  In the past week, I found myself exploring the Diane Sutherland Botanical Artist blog.  Her work is just beautifully detailed.  In her post, About Watercolor Paint, she talks about the pigment labeling and what it means.  I was enjoying her post so much, picking up some great tips.  Then I read what she shares about lightfastness.  She gives links to other websites (I'll share at the end of this post) where test results are given for many watercolor pigments.  I had to go dig deeper.  Next thing I knew, I was sorting through my stash of watercolor tubes.  This had me wondering about my own supply of paint!  I can say I was not in a panic.  This is not an emergency.  It is information I'd like to understand.  I want to be informed for future art supply purchases.  I want to use this knowledge as I add to my pigment supply.  Here's an artist's point of view on quality of materials.

In the past year, I've been making a transition to all professional grade watercolor pigment.  I was so frustrated with myself for realizing I'd recently purchased two more tubes of student grade watercolor pigment.  That had not been my intention.  Mistakes happen, I guess.  I'm trying to make a commitment to all artist grade because it matters to me.

In my research, I found I have three tubes in my supplies that are questionable for fading.  Now, anyone who has artwork they wish to protect will most likely not hang it in direct sunlight.  That makes sense, right?  Watercolor artwork should be matted and framed behind glass and hung out of direct sunlight.  It's still wise on my part to reconsider using pigments that may fade or change over time.  The time spent choosing and mixing pigments, along with the time spent applying the individual layers of that painting...pigment choice matters.  I invest so much of myself that it's worth making changes to which pigments are on my palette.

Palettes at Every Turn

With the arrival of spring, I'm thinking ahead to summer.  Summer in Montana and weekends in the mountains mean packing an art supply bag.  For so many years, I've been faithful to pack the supplies and hauled them with me as we traveled.  I've not spent very much time using them.  We are so busy, not taking much time to stay in any one spot for long.  There were times I made an attempt to paint for that brief 15-20 minutes.  Then it's time to pack it all up and get on with another activity.  Those camping trips were full of activity with young kiddos.  We took them hiking at 4 and 5 years old, their hooded jackets tied at their waists and a little water bottle of their own.  They loved it from the very start.  We'd stop to dip our toes in the lake or stream, such icy cold water.



Several cameras have been taken along to record it all.  I've been watching for the art reference photos and the priceless family memories at the same time.  Now, they're teens and needing to take their own photos.  Whether it's on a cell phone, tablet, iPod, or an actual camera...we are all taking our share of photos.

My fingers are itching to start packing it all up again!

Last summer's art supply bag and gear.

Here a palette, there a palette, everywhere a palette!

One of the key items I'll pack in the art supply bag is a watercolor paint palette.  I was thinking about purchasing yet another new palette for travel when I realized I have plenty of palettes.  Digging through cupboards, I gathered them all up.  I chose three to clean up, removing old dried paint, and they are like new again!  I found my travel palettes and am considering using them this year.  They are stocked with plenty of watercolor pigment.  One needs to have the mixing area cleaned.   For some reason that I cannot describe, I am not comfortable using them.  Maybe it's just because I haven't had a lot of time using watercolors while we are away from home.  It's an awkward, unfamiliar experience.  I always long for my big palette.

Travel Palettes

The Rembrandt travel palette is a mix of luxury and space-saver.  It's petite paint pans and travel paintbrush are tucked in a sturdy case.  The navy blue velvet bag just tops it off!  I've used it a bit as you can see.  This was a pricey little bundle, purchased before children...  I'm looking forward to having the time to break it in soon.

The metal travel pan came empty and I filled it with the pigments years ago.  It has a thumb hole and is easy to position on my forearm.  In the past, I have not painted while standing but it would be a great habit to start.  I'm not sure I'd still choose the same pigments.  I've got a better understanding of pigments now.  When I filled this, I selected pigments on a whim.  Adventurous and spontaneous, I didn't conform to the all the standards recommended.  There are several in the metal palette I might not select this time around.

The plastic palette was another attempt to find a way to be comfortable painting in nature.  It's got more room for pigments than the Rembrandt and takes up less space than the metal case.  This one has a thumb hole.  It also has smaller holes to hold paintbrushes.  Here again, I'm not so confident about my pigment choices but I think it would be a fun challenge to make them work!

Studio Palettes

So, take a look at my usual "Old Faithful" palette.  It is the oldest one I own and has been well used and abused.  It's had cracks repaired with hot-glue seams.  It mixing area is still a mess!  All those areas of mixed pigment...instrumental in completing many paintings!

Now here's a look at the one that replaced it and you'll see a lot of similarity.  This style of palette is my go-to standard routine for painting with watercolors.  With large wells, plenty of pigment means less interruptions with making refills.  The center mixing areas are roomy and the lid doubles as another mixing area.  Labels for the pigment wells make the mixing easier.  Whether labeled with a permanent marker or a label maker, it's worth the time.

Yet More Palettes

Some palettes I use for more pigment that won't fit on my main palette.  You're probably thinking this just sounds crazy.  It's really not that crazy at all!  There are core pigments needed for the best mixing results.  There are other pigments that aren't needed very often.  They are needed in select paintings, depending on the color scheme.  The pigment names are written on with a fine-point Sharpie marker.  When it's time to clean off the writing, a magic eraser does the trick!

In the past several months, I've changed my method for single pigments that are used less often.  Small plastic cups with lids are perfect for keeping pigment.  The name of the pigment is written on the lid with permanent marker.  My work table is crowded enough most of the time.  These little cups save me from needing to make room for another palette.

The other three palettes are clean and white!  The enamel butcher's tray has a lid.  It works best for mixing up a large puddle of watercolor pigment.  The two plastic trays have plenty of areas for mixing while keeping mixed pigments separate.  I think taking one of them for travel would be perfect; the mixing areas in the travel palette is extremely limited.

I may not have convinced you it's necessary to have this number of watercolor palettes.  Or have I?  Aren't they wonderful?  Just to me?  Aren't you at least a little tempted to purchase yourself a travel watercolor kit?  They are such a treat!  I'm sure there must be some way to pack a small bag of art supplies.  I haven't been able to manage a small bag in a long time.  How do I choose what to leave behind?  I'll compile a basic list of items to take for art in nature and share in the next few weeks.

If for some crazy reason, you're been searching for a watercolor palette like one of these... just ask me for more information.  It's been a long day so I'm not going to be super descriptive with specific brands and links.  You want any of that, just comment and I'm glad to help!

Thanks for letting me show & tell today with the palettes...

let me know what you're curious about related to watercolor art!

-Christy

she must make art.