July Free Painting Giveaway Winner

The July Free Painting Giveaway winner is Kim Roessler. She selected a floral watercolor instead of a pet friend. The next free giveaway day is August 31st. If you are signed up to receive my newsletter you are automatically in the running for all the monthly giveaways. 

Good luck and tell your friends and family to sign up here. HERE

Sun Face

Sun Face 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 inches 

matted 12x12 inches 

This painting can be found HERE

One Way to Paint a Rose

Paint the darkest patterns first.

Start to paint in the mid tone patterns

Begin to lay in the lightest forms on the petals and the mid-tone shapes in the background

Make final adjustments making sure the original pattern shapes are still holding up the structure.

A Rose for Susan

A Rose for Susan 

7.9x7.9 inches 

watercolor 

This "Plant" friend of the day is for Susan S. who is an anonymous donor . She is a singular red rose of a human being.  

This painting can be found HERE

Peony Painting Goals

Peony Painting Goals 

watercolor 

This week I am concentrating on my long term goal of painting the underlying structure of things . Modifying complex forms into simpler value shapes. I think things are starting to come together now.

Peony for Love

Peony for Love 

This painting can be found here

 

I had one of those weird things happen when suddenly nothing I painted was any good. Two days of rip ups and frustration. It happens once in great while. So it was time to paint a peony and get back to basics or back to  "home base" so to speak. 

Heros of the day

There are hero's among us. Today a Jo Mackenzie watercolor fan is purchasing a painting for another fan who's daughter was depicted in this painting. This is a collaborative exchange in three ways. I received the image from El's manning to use, the painting was created and now a donor is gifting it from one Fan to another. I love the giveaways we do each month ad the pop up giveaways too. But I think this illustrates the true power of collaboration. art, kindness, giving and receiving. The donor wishes to remain anonymous . I am honoring that request . I am however giving all of us a "hero of the day" shout out because this page  could not "chug" along without the kindness of friends and fans on a daily basis.

Come Swim with Us

Come Swim with Us 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

Matted 12x12 inches 

I decided to do the summer challenge another time. I knew there was more to learn if I made some composition adjustments. This painting can be found HERE

One Of These Cakes Is Not Lke The Other

One of these cakes was decorated professionally and one was decorated by me. Can you tell which is which?

Let's just say I have a long way to go in the decorating department . The taste however is perfect.

Luckily I paint better than I can manipulate buttercream icing. This is today's effort . I call it The Young Artist.

Aub and waterfalls

Aub and waterfalls 

watercolor 

original 7x10 inches 

matted 11x14 inches 

This is a summer fun time watercolor from a photograph by El's Manning of Aubrey and her fountain of hair in the pool. It can be purchased HERE

Summer Swimmers

Summer Swimmers

watercolor original 

7x10 inches 

matted 11x 14 inches

This painting can be found HERE

This was the weekly challenge response from a photograph supplied by Kaethe Bealer one of my favorite artists and friends.

It's a Buttercream World

I learned how to make Italian Buttercream icing today. Jessica came and taught me how to do it. It is a multi -stepped process but I think I can do it from now on. This is an exciting new skill for me.

Making sure no sugar crystals form.

Mixing the eggs whites with the sugar syrup

There it is my first successful Italian Buttercream. Now I know how to do it after too many failed attempts to count. I guess one is never to old to learn something new.
Now it is time to make a cake to put it on.

The plunge

The Plunge 

waterolor 

7.9x7.9 

Matted 12x12 inches. 

Thank you El's Manning for letting me use this photograph from your swimming pool series 2015. This painting can be found HERE

Peony /Rose Quest 2015

Peony and Rose quest so far this year has been a great one.
Now here is the Jo Mackenzie watercolor pet friend of the day.

This is Molly and she was painted for Viktoria B.

It's an ipad world

It's An ipad World 

7.9x7.9 inches 

watercolor matted 12x12 inches 

this painting can be found HERE

This is my response to the Daily Paintworks challenge for the the week. The challenge was to paint where you feel the most "you " in the world. For me ...I find my world to be more on screen than anywhere else. It is my gateway to other worlds and it brings the world to me.

Treats 2

Treats 2? 

watercolor 

7x10 inches 

matted 11x14 inches 

This cat was a two day process to paint. It is a light gray or tan. That means using lots of neutral colors to create the value shapes. I didn't figure out a good strategy for how to paint it until I realized it was similar to a white peony. So I started with mid-tones and built up my dark masses slowly. 

Below are the steps for how to paint this kitty.The painting can be found HERE
Just to be clear ..it  didn't take me two days to paint this. It took three four  tries over the course of two days. 

Step one ..finding the mid-tone color spots of value. 

Step two...continue with mid-tones ...building masses and using neutral mixes of complimentary colors for continuity. 

Step three...Good. Now go and hit the darkest dark areas. Be deliberate 

Step 4....put in finishing touches and light washes to pump up the colors to make the neutrals pop. 

Calico

Calico 

7.9x7.9 

watercolor 

matted 12x12 inches 

This pet friend of the day can be found HERE

Three Steps To Paint This Fella

Step one ...mass your darks

Step two...begin to add midtones. Nothing in this step can ever be as dark as the pattern shapes established in step one. Make lots of test dabs to check.

Step three...continue to block in mid-tones, using the white of the paper as your lightest light value.

Step 4..put in a background and make final adjustments but stick to the original plan of value shape decisions.
This painting is 7x10 inches , matted 11x14 inches and can be found with many other pet friends here

The Dog for Me

The Dog for Me 

watercolor 

7x10 inches 

This painting can be found HERE

This is the photograph and the final painting. I am pleased with it but I bought an oil painting done by Taryn Day of this same dog. Because the painting kept entering my mind as the best pet painting I have seen . I don't seem to be able to post is here. But here is a LINK

Two paintings for the day

Peony Sunrise 

7.9x7.9 watercolor 

matted 12x12 inches 

I painted this four times this week. I could not pin it down. But I stand by this last one. This painting can be found HERE

The  Errand

 watercolor 

7x10 inches 

Matted 11x14 inches 

This was the pet friend of the day.

3 steps to paint a swimmer

3 Steps to paint a swimmer 

7.9x7.9 inches 

watercolor 

matted 12x12 inches 

 

Step one ....Mass your darkest dark patterns 

Step two ..put in mid-tones. Make lots of test dabs and make sure nothing is as dark as what you put in during Step one. 

StepThree ...put in final washes and make adjustments but don't deviate from the original plan.

Nya Is the Pet Friend of the Day

Nya 

watercolor 

7x10 inches 

matted 11x14 inches 

Nya is the Jo Mackenzie watercolor pet friend of the day . Thanks for playing. This one is for Stacy D. How to play

Time For A "Three Stepper"

Time for a three step watercolor to "wet the whistle".
Step one...mass your darkest darks...

Step two...put in your mid-tones. Be careful not to let color be as dark in value as what you already applied in step one. Make test dabs. Work carefully.

Step three ...put in the  background and make final adjustments. Move on the the next painting of the day.
If you want to know more about this method click HERE