Scarborough Faire, Schererville, IN

watercolor


Some painting days are better than others. This is a painting of my friend's restaurant "Scarborough Faire" in Schererville, IN. This is a night when he and his band were playing their music.
When you see your painting sized down for the blog, you can see what you need to change. I need to go and change the window. I am going to tone it down a bit. It is coming forward too much. Infact, that is one of the first things that I see...I darkenedd the bright window to push it back more. (top frame) Putting people into my paintings is not an easy thing for me. But we must challenge ourselves.
I think I will go back to painting some flowers.
If you want to see my paintings up close, they grace the walls at Scarborough Faire.

watercolor 13 x 20

Well, my garden is now in bloom and I have begun taking photos of my flowers. The lilies are open and unfortunatley, they will not last all summer...But they will last by the photos and the paintings that I do of them. I have 3 or 4 different types of lilies but I do not know their names...other than pink, red-orange, orange, and white...Enjoy...don't forget to water them.

Cafe' Fredrico

watercolor 16 x 24

I thought I would do some scenes of cafe's. Maybe I was hungry when I thought of it. This is one of a cafe that I had a photo of and then I went and made it up to my liking... You know, add some stuff and leave some out. It took a long time to draw it out and then to paint it... I call it Cafe' Fredrico. Yea, I made that up too. I have some more ideas to come...stay tuned...dinner is being served!

Self-Portrait - Now

I did a portrait of me now...over 30 years later and X-amount of pounds heavier. I really do not like to do portraits...they have to look like the person you are drawing. I would rathber paint a tree. But here we are and now on to something else.

Self Portraits - Then

I am in a paint-off with some friends from California, India and me, in Indiana. We were to do a self portrait of ourselves. I do not paint portraits but I was game for the challenge. This was taken from a photo that I found of me over 30 years ago. I weighed a lot less back then. lol. The eyes don't look right. You can't even tell that they are blue, oh well. I think I will try another one of me at this stage in my life. I hope I have enough paint.
We will have another blog just for the portrait paint off. I will send that address soon.

Last one for Snow...for now

watercolor 5 x 7

Ok. I am going to take a break from painting the snow scenes. I just needed a selection for the art fair next month.

Sundown

watercolor 5 x 7

Same subject, just a different time of day. Today I was supposed to go to an art fair but woke up with an extreme headache. I haven't had one like this in years. I can't seem to shake it. Maybe I will go to the studio and get my mind off of it. Art is the best medicine...did you know that?!!

Still another

watercolor 5 x 7

Just another. I think I need more frames!!

More snow

watercolor 5 x 7

Working on those minis. It is 85 degrees out and I am painting snow. I hope it doesn't melt!! Think I will go and take a break and pull some weeds.

More snow

watercolor 5 x 7

After looking over all of the paintings for the July 18 & 19 show, I realized that I did not have many snow scenes. These are the ones that sell the most for me, especially the winter Dunes. So I guess that is what I will be painting for a while.

Yesterday's workshop went well. I had them working so hard. We all painted a half hour over the end of the class and none of us even noticed it. Some still stayed on to work a bit more after that. Great people.

Snow??!!

Top painting...
While working at my mom's trying to pack up her house in order to sell it, I found some of my old watercolor paintings. Oh my! They are over 30 years old. I sure painted differently back then...or now.
This is a very limited color palette and the painting is overworked and really muddy. This photo makes the painting look better than it is. There are some things that I like about it and some...NOT.

The second one is one I did last night. I thought I would be able to whip it out, but I detailed all those little trees in the background. I thought I would experiment a bit and I used some white opaque. Maybe the next one will be one where I try to paint it really loose. We shall see....Maybe the next one the snow will have melted.

Yesterday's Rocks and Water Demo

watercolor 12 x 19

This was the demo that I did at the art center yesterday. Just a basic, simple rocks and water. They all had fun and came out with some nice paintings. I had some good students in the class and they had the desire to learn. Two of the students even did a preliminary value sketch. They'll catch on to that if I keep at them. Would you bake a cake without a recipe? I wouldn't !!
Now I am getting ready for my technique workshop that is this Wednesday here in the studio.

Today's Workshop

Thought I would send you all some photos of a few of the students who took my workshop that I did today. Tomorrow I will post a photo of the completed painting. It was all on Rocks and Water.

Where am I?

Wondering why I haven't posted a painting for a while? I have been busy matting and framing all of those 5 x 7's that I painted. Whew. Almost all done. Now to clean the studio so that I can get serious and PAINT! I have a workshop this Saturday and then one on Wednesday. I will be working on those before I get to paint. Stay tuned....

Merit Award

Today I won a merit award at the Chesterton Woman's Club 58th annual exhibition. There were many awards and even though this was a small award, it was the only watercolor that won. Most of the winners painted in that other medium...oils :)

Park Full of Art

watercolor 17 x 28

Ok, here is a full sheet of paper. One this size takes a lot longer than those little 5 x 7 paintings that I have been doing lately. This is the art fair that will happen in my town on July 18 & 19. It has been going on for 35 years, and I am one of five people who have been in it every year. I started when I was four...yeah, right. It is usually the hottest day of the year.
Hope to see you there. Mark your calendars...I will remind you near that date.

I was really surprised when I received this award from Mega Chhatbar in India. Thank you so much. You can view her work on http://Art-on-Sketchbook.blogspot.com Mega, you will have to tell me how to send a link to your site. I have a passion for painting, not for computers.

I am supposed to list seven things that I love.

1. God who has created all that we have to paint. I thank Him daily for the ability
to share this with everyone through my work.
2. My dear hubby. For the last 33 years he has supported and encouraged me to follow
my dreams
3. Watercolor!!! Yes, I love to paint in watercolor and I love teaching the thrill
of what happens when paint and water hit the paper
4. Music...I love to listen to it on DVDs in concerts. I have to play them when I
am painting or when I am just in the studio.
5. My friends and students.
6. Shopping.
7. Good motivational books.
8. Chocolate.
9. Humor
10. Gardening
If you want to know more, then take me out to lunch and I will tell you.

7 people who I think should get this award. You have to check these people out..

1. peter fiore at landscapes a day
2. milind mulick.blogspot.com
3. david lobenberg.blogspot.com
4. jacqueline gnott at daily painters.com
5. steven Magsig at postcards fom detroit
6. anurag mehta.blogspot.com
7. everyone at daily painters.com

More Daisies

watercolor 5 x 7

These were some daisies that I got from one of the students on the last day of class. Wasn't that thoughtful of her.
I was also really surprised and shocked when another student who is a dear friend of mine went and ordered me Milind Mulik's 3 books and DVD. WOW! Do I have nice students or what?!!
Been painting for the last 4-1/2 hours. It is a full sheet of paper so it is a big one and takes a bit longer then these little 5 x 7's. Enough for tonight. In fact...it is am and the birds are already out. Man do they get up early. I sure don't. I will look at my painting tomorrow with a fresh eye.