#9: Watercolor Hibiscus & Bougainvillea

8.5"x 5.5", 140# cold press, watercolor & ink

A visit to Florida gave me the opportunity to pull out my travel watercolor set and paint some flowers.  I sketched the hibiscus several times prior to get a handle on the petals.  This is a double hibiscus, and more of a challenge than the typical kind.  It was great fun.

I've been wanting to do ink & wash for the longest time, and finally jumped in and experimented.  I love the Pigma Micron 005 pen, as I wanted a delicate line.  There were some obstacles here that might not be readily apparent.  140# paper is not too much fun to work on.  There was no ability to stretch it, and so when I tried to do the wash on the table, it pooled in ways I wasn't happy with.  I also had a Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolor kit, so the colors were extremely limited, and I only had one #4 brush that was falling apart as I was using it, leaving bits of the paint coating from the brush itself on the paper and in the water.  Yes, I could upgrade my materials, but I am quite cheap, and once I've used up the paint, I'll probably upgrade.  I can definitely tell the difference between student grade and artist grade, as my usual supplies are artist grade and I have a penchant for 300# hot press.  Nevertheless, it was fun and I might develop this into a more finished work.  I took lots of pictures and to have the ability to get it the way I want it is very compelling.  Stay tuned!

Without further ado, here's the rundown:

What I like about this:
- LOVE the orange hibiscus with hints of pink (still on my orange kick)
- LOVE working with ink & wash
- like the composition (I always seem to...hmmm)
- love the color

What I don't like about this:
- I messed up the glass
- I messed up the table
- I forgot the light source--arrgh!
- I don't like the line in the middle of the handle
- don't like the upper right bouganvillea blossom--shouldn't have colored the stamens (?) in with ink

Overall, it was a great diversion.  Onward & upward, as my dear Mom always says!:)

#8: Daffodil Solo

6" x 6", oil, 3 hours

This lovely daffodil was blooming in my garden, so in it came to star in my latest still life project!  I again tried to push myself not to overdo it, and was somewhat successful.  Quinacridone magenta, cad yellow medium, cobalt blue + titanium white were all I used, along with a teeny bit of Neo Megilp.  I like the cohesiveness of the color I get when I restrict my palette.  I toned the canvas with a wash of Quinac Magenta and Gamsol, as the Quinac is transparent.  It was a pretty pink ground when I started to paint over it.

Things I like:
- love the color (still on my orange kick)
- the vase came out really well
- relatively happy with the composition
- did a few sketches and a value study for a road map

Things I don't like:
- the daffodil petals are overworked
- hmm...not a whole lot else!

I'm pretty happy with this one.  I think I knocked the background back enough.  Pretty good for #8!:)

P.S.  Click on the picture for a closer look.

Painting #7: Tangelo Tango

Oil, 6"x 6," completed in 2 sessions

I'm attempting to loosen up and paint a bit faster, focusing on the big shapes, and using a bigger brush.

What I like:
- composition is relatively interesting
- the tangelo--I feel like I achieved some turning of the form
- some of the folds of the dishcloth

What I don't like:
- the lemon: for some reason it was pretty difficult for me
- the rest of the folds
- the background is too green & competes with the subjects

What I learned:
- my first time using Neo Megilp for a medium & liked it
- to knock back the background, gray it down
- take the time to do a quick value study beforehand
- practice drawing folds to get familiar with them
- try to relax, lol!

Onward & upward!:)