ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE & Foregrounds

ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE

Watercolor - 11x14

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Here are some tips for painting foregrounds:

Plan the Foreground - block in a path of dark to break up the large space

Less is More - keep grasses, flowers and bushes to a minimum. Place in groupings.

Let the Underpainting Do the Work - let the colors of the underpainting show through in the final piece

Don't Give Up - if your foreground isn't working step away for a while and come back with a fresh eye

FALL APPLES - Creative Challenge - Complementary Colors

FALL APPLES

Watercolor - 8x10

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A complementary color scheme is one where two colors that are exactly opposite one another on the color wheel are chosen for your painting. Complementary colors are enhanced when placed next to each other but will turn a muddy brown if mixed together.

For Fall Apples I used the complements red and green with the greens in the leaves and background complementing the red apples. 

HOME SWEET HOME!

HOME SWEET HOME

Watercolor - 11x14

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There is no place like Home!

ON THE RANGE - Creative Challenge - Clouds

ON THE RANGE

Watercolor - 8x10

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Creative Challenge - paint big, full clouds. For On The Range I painted the sky on dry paper - not my usual wet on wet - and saved white paper for large, dramatic clouds. This whole painting was done in a quick, bold, direct style of painting with little fussing over details.

WATERFALL BLUES - Creative Challenge - Moving Water

WATERFALL BLUES

Watercolor - 14x18

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Creative Challenge - paint a waterfall. I have to admit that this is not technically a waterfall - more like a mountain stream that I painted with a vignette, giving it the look of moving/falling water - but you get the point. I wet the water area first and then lightly applied paint and let it flow with the wet paper and run off the page.

FIELD OF COLOR - Original Watercolor Painting

FIELD OF COLOR

Watercolor - 8x10 in

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'A creative mess is better than idle tidiness.'

~ Michael J Fox ~

COUNTRY LIFE

COUNTRY LIFE

Watercolor - 14x20

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There is something so nostalgic about country life in small towns. Life seems slower, people friendlier and you can actually look around and enjoy the scenery. And don't most country songs talk about the simple life?

HOME SWEET HOME

HOME SWEET HOME 

Watercolor - 11x15

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Having somewhere to go is Home

Having someone to love is Family

Having both is a Blessing

Five Degrees of Creativity - Level 1

SPRING DAY

Watercolor - 8x10

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Definitions of creativity can differ greatly but most of us recognize higher levels of it when we see it. Creativity is a human gift but we are not all at the same level. Like many things in nature, creative individuals differ by varying degrees.

Most books use five categories to categorize the degrees of creativity. The first three can be attained by anyone through natural gifts and with motivation and persistence. The last two levels are those folks with exceptional gifts where the creative being is born, not bred.

Level 1- Expressive creativity, as in spontaneous drawings of children.

The first level incorporates the primitive and intuitive expression often found in children and in adults who have never been trained in the arts. There is an innocent quality to primitive art, but also directness and sensitivity. The naive artist creates for the joy of it. The paintings of Grandma Moses are a perfect example.

Country Mail

COUNTRY MAIL

Watercolor - 8x10

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I love driving in the country and seeing old, rusty mailboxes along the way. Add green grass and spring flowers and it is picture perfect!

Art Connects Family

LOW COUNTRY SUNSET

Watercolor - 11x15

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Art is great way to connect with your family and let them connect with each other. When our three kids were small we would drag out the fabric paints and decorate t-shirts or embellish photos for their scrapbooks. 

Several years ago whenI was Guest Artist for the Breckenridge, CO Arts District both Lisa and Scott were able to hang out with me and work on some watercolor batiks. 

It is so much fun to be able to share something that I love so much with my family so I encourage you to share creativity with your loved ones!

Yoga For the Brain

RAINBOW LIGHT

Watercolor - 11x15

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I think we all strive for a calm and balanced life where we are not feeling stressed all of the time. The beauty of art is that it exercises and keeps flexible the part of our brain that is in charge of creativity, light and calmness. In a sense, art is yoga for the brain. Make painting, crafts, knitting, cooking, decorating or singing a part of your everyday life and see how you begin to relax and enjoy the beauty around you!

5 Ways To Get In The Creative Zone - #5

ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE 

Watercolor & Oil Pastel - 11x15 

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My last tip for getting and staying in the creative zone is to stay away from wet blankets. Don't listen to the people that want to tell you that you have more important things to do or don't understand why being an artist is important to you. Surround yourself with like minded artists and creative friends that will support you and your creative pursuits!

A Vignette at the EDGE OF TOWN

EDGE OF TOWN

Watercolor - 11x15

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This month in my weekly watercolor classes we are experimenting with different formats for out paintings and this week we played with vignettes. A vignette is defined as 'an unbordered picture, often a portrait, that shades off into the surrounding color at the edges.' For Edge of Town I faded the foreground out into the white of the paper, leaving the bottom corners unpainted.

Matted and Framed in my Etsy Shop - COUNTRY BARN

COUNTRY BARN

Watercolor - 8x10

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I sell my paintings unmatted to allow the collector the creative freedom to choose a mat and frame in the color and style that suits them. I did finally learn how to show what the artwork might look like matted and framed and now in my Etsy Shop you can see a photo of each of my watercolors framed to give you an idea of what the finished piece might look like. You can check it out here

Rough Paper and COUNTRY BARN

COUNTRY BARN

Watercolor 8x10

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I painted Country Barn on rough watercolor paper for more texture and to add to the rustic look of the piece. It has been included in an Etsy Treasury titled Past and Future in One Set - you can see the rest of this collection here

Newsletter for February and Vermont Covered Bridge

VERMONT COVERED BRIDGE 

Watercolor 11x15

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I love when we get to visit our son, Scott, in Vermont where he is in his last year of college. The countryside is beautiful, the trees lush and the covered bridges quaint - great inspiration for my watercolors!

My Creative Painting Newsletter is out for February full of art and news - you can check it out here

Autumn Leaves as Watercolor Stamps

Every fall in my weekly classes we use real leaves

LEAVES II

Watercolor 11x15

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Every fall in my weekly classes we use real leaves for our watercolor paintings. It is fun to scout around town for the trees with the most interesting leaf shapes - usually oak and maple - and then use them to stamp shapes on the paper as a starting place for our 'celebration of fall artwork'!

When To Walk Away From a Commission

ASPEN and STREAM

Watercolor 11x15

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I don't very often do commission work but when I do it always seems to cause extra stress. I always worry that the final painting won't really be what the client had imagined so I think it tightens me up when I paint. I know a lot of artists who thrive on commission work and others who refuse to do it - when should you walk away from a commission?

The Empty Easel, an online art magazine, recently had an article where they suggested four reasons to say no:
- It’s too far outside your comfort zone
- It is ethically wobbly
- The client is haggling over price and details
- You've just got a bad feeling
You can read the entire article here

AUTUMN WALK and Colorado Fall

AUTUMN WALK

Watercolor 8x10

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We have been having beautiful fall weather here in Colorado with only a couple of mornings waking up to snow. The sun is shining, the leaves are falling and the temperature is mild - perfect for an Autumn Walk!