Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Watercolor Batik - BIRD & BERRIES

BIRD and BERRIES BATIK
Watercolor Batik 8x10

This is another one of my small work batiks and a favorite subject to paint lately - cute little chickadees. I have found that once I heat up and melt my wax it is easier to work on several batiks at once - this last round I focused on 8x10's.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Triple the Pleasure

MOUNTAIN SERENITY
Watercolor 11x15
SOLD

It is always exciting to sell a painting but it is triple the fun to sell three to the same collector. All of these watercolors now have a new home with Pamela in Missourri.
TULIP COLLAGE
Watercolor Collage 11x15
SOLD

Pamela also took the time to write the following "Martha I just wanted to let you know I received the water color paintings and they are simply beautiful. Every bit of what I expected and more. I plan on having them framed in a silver frame and hang them in my bedroom. Thanks for making such beautiful art,sure wish I could paint. LOL anyway just thought I let you know how pleased I am."
WINTER SYMPHONY
Watercolor 11x15
SOLD

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Loose and Free Floral - SPRING GLORY

SPRING GLORY
Watercolor 11x15

I began this watercolor by wetting both sides of the paper and and painting as much of the composition as I could in a loose and free manner before the paper dried. I then added some hard edges for more definition of the flowers and vase. Painting in this manner keeps the paper wet longer and allows you more time to play with colors and shape - and isn't that what watercolor is all about?

Friday, July 27, 2012

Colorado Summertime and Mountain Poppies

ASPEN POPPIES
Watercolor Batik 12x19

My watercolor batik, Aspen Poppies, was included in an Etsy Treasury called Colorado Summertime.  I just spent a wonderful weekend with some of my art buddies in the mountains of Colorado where we saw an abundance of these and other beautful summer flowers in full bloom.
To see more of this Colorado collection click here

Thursday, July 26, 2012

COLORFUL MARSH and South Carolina

COLORFUL MARSH
Watercolor 11x15

We just got back from a wonderful week with our kids in John's Island right outside of  Charleston, SC . I love driving over the causeways overlooking the lowland marshes - beautiful water, tall grasses and wildlife galore!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Spring Iris - New Home in Australia

SPRING IRIS
Watercolor 8x10
SOLD

This is my second painting to be mailed off to a new home in Australia - still VERY exciting! I painted this iris as a class demo, focusing on how to build form and shape in each petal. I love to paint irises with their lacey petals and beautiful colors.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Watercolor & Gesso Sunflower Workshop

SUNFLOWERS
Watercolor w/ Stamping - 15x22

I will be teaching a workshop titled Watercolor & Gesso on Sat Aug 4, 2012 for the Greater Castle Rock Art Guild in Castle Rock, CO. Jumpstart your creative juices and strengthen your painting skills while experimenting with watercolor & gesso. We will use the gesso to stamp shapes that will resist the watercolor, providing an exciting background for colorful sunflowers. This workshop is designed to create a fun atmosphere where personal artisitc growth is encouraged.

Contact Ellie Ludvigsen at 303-660-0856 or creative.pathways@att.net for more information and to register for the workshop.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Hibiscus Batik and Summer Art Tips

HIBISCUS BATIK
Watercolor Batik 8x10
SOLD

This is another one of the 8x10 watercolor batiks that I have painted recently - an easy and affordable size to mat and frame. You can bid on this and other painting at my Daily Paintworks Art Auctions here.

Summer Art Tip - Travel is often a big part of summertime so while it may be impossible to take your art studio with you, you can bring along a smaller project and supplies to work on when you get there. A travel size palette and paints, a couple brushes and small sheets of watercolor paper and I can pretty much paint anywhere. I find that because I am more relaxed on vacation and away from the daily grind that the artistic juices flow a little more freely, resulting in more creative paintings!

Friday, July 20, 2012

Red ,Pink and Summer Poppies

POPPY PARADISE
Watercolor 11x15

I love seeing the beautiful poppies blooming in our Colorado mountain towns in the summer months. Bright spots of color around aspen trees and greenery. Poppy Paradise was included in a fun Etsy Treasury titled Red - Pink - Summer, to see more of this vcolorful collection click here.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Koi Fish Watercolor Batik - SOLD

KOI FISH
Watercolor Batik 12x19
SOLD

Seems like I  have been on a watercolor batik kick lately - once I heat up the wax it is easier to work on several paintings at once. I have not painted alot of koi fish but the overall theme of this composition really lent itself to using the batik process on the textured rice paper.

KOI FISH was purchased by Jessica and is on its way toa new home in West Virginia

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Splendor Falls

SPLENDOR FALLS
Watercolor 11x15

I love to paint waterfalls because I can use the white of the paper to suggest most of the water. i also had some fun with colors, playing the greens against the blues and grays of the rocks with a little purple thrown in for fun!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Painting Thru Tissue Paper and SPRING HARMONY

SPRING HARMONY
Watercolor 11x15

This painting was started as a demo for my weekly classes. I began by wetting the watercolor paper and then laying a piece of regular tissue paper that had been crinkled some on top. I then applied the wateroclors as if I were doing a regular wet on wet painting. The paint will soak thru the tissue creating fantastic texure in the underpainting. When all was dry I removed the tissue and finished up the flowers using alot of negative paiting. This is a great way to loosen up your painting style!
You can bid on this painting and check out my other Auction Art at my Daily Paintworks Gallery here

Thursday, July 12, 2012

How Do You Escape?

OCEAN DELIGHT
Watercolor 11x15

Ocean Delight was in included in an Etsy collection titled Scape - how do you escape? You can see more of this treasury here

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Small Works Sunflower Batik

SUNFLOWER BATIK
Watercolor Batik 8x10

This is another one of my small works watercolor batiks. I love painting sunflowers with this process because the warms yellows, golds and oranges really shine on the rice paper

Monday, July 9, 2012

Romance Roses -SOLD

ROMANCE ROSES
Watercolor 11x15
SOLD
This painting of roses in a basket is off to one of my collectors in Pennsylvania. As an artist it is always a wonderful feeling when people return again and again for your paintings. So much of the painting process is a solitary endeavor and it seems we often need that external validation by others!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Watercolor Batik of Chickadees in a Tree

JUST HANGING OUT
Watercolor Batik 12x19

I have painted a watercolor batik similar to this one before with a blue, snowy background. I decided to try a little different color scheme using a warmer, green to suggest the start of springtime and I have to say I really liked the results!

Friday, July 6, 2012

Textures in Watercolor Workshop

SOUTHWEST POTS
Watercolor 11x15

WORKSHOP
Watercolor and Texture - Southwestern Pots
Fri July
13
, 2012 - Greater Castle Rock Art Guild
Castle Rock, CO 9:00 to 3:00

Build on basic watercolor methods while using different ways
to create texture. We will focus on painting southwestern clay
pottery. Workshop will include demos along with individual
help to encourage each student’s own artistic expression.
$45 for members and $55 for non-members
Contact Ellie at creativepathways@att.net to register

I hope you can join me for a fun and creative day. Please feel free to share this with a friend. You can check out my complete workshop schedule here

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Water Lily Pad Batik

WATER LILY PAD
Watercolor Batik 8x10

I have been focusing on painting some smaller size watercolor batiks. These 8x10 paintings are a great because they easily fit a standard 8x10 frame or an 11x14 mat and frame making it easy and affordable to display in your home. Any Michaels or Hobby Lobby will have a great selection of frames in many styles, sure to fit your decor!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Grapes and Passion Purple

GRAPES
Watercolor 11x15

Purple is one of my favorite colors to paint with - a rich, pretty color with cool tones and makes a great dark. You can cool it down by mixing in a blue or warm it up with some pink for a nice mauve.
My watercolor grapes was included in an Etsy Treasury titled Passion Purple - you can see more rich, vibrant purple items here

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Sunshine Bouquet

SUNSHINE BOUQUET
Watercolor 8x10

I began this painting on dry paper and tried to paint it quickly, staying loose and adding detail as needed. Warm shades of orange and yellow as a tribute to the VERY hot weather we have been having here in Colorado - hope you are staying nice and cool at your home!