Color

 Andie's watercolor palette

I took a class all about color with Andie Thrams at SFCB this past weekend. Andie is an bookmaker, and observational sketcher, a nature lover and above all a master of color. When we introduced ourselves early Saturday morning, I said that it wasn't color itself that led to be to this class, but the organization of color. I love things in "rainbow order," for lack of a better phrase. I love to group color with its complimentary, with is neighboring color or just reorganize my colored pencils even though I might be in the middle of a very messy studio. The beauty of color arranged is so, so seductive...

  mixing colors

  pastels arranged by color 

  One of the first known color wheels, this one by Moses Harris. This image is one of many great images found in a treatise on color by Sarah Lowengard. 

Love this image of Crayola colors and their evolution since 1903. And since I'm OBSESSED with this, I have a whole pinboard of images you can oogle, all of things organized and having to do with color. Trust me, these pics bring happiness!

http://pinterest.com/ccerruti/rainbows/

Painting for Tonight

Painting on the backside of vintage wallpaper recently... This particular one has an adhesive or sizing of some kind which cause the surface of the paper to have a slight texture when its wet with paint. It is a bit gummy but dries leaving a soft pebbled affect... its pretty interesting painting on this stuff. The colors are softer, more subdued as well. Not sure if I like this one or not, but its kept me occupied for the last few hours so its working :)

WILD CHILD

continuing to gather work for my upcoming show at Paxton Gate Curiosities for Kids...  Come to the opening July 6th!!!

More Nighttime Painting

So I'm house-sitting for a certain someone and being that I have a limited amount of my stuff  here I've taken to watching Downden Abbey on Netflix streaming and painting these little gouache studies... this is the one from last night.

Recent Work on Paper

nighttime painting

I love painting with gouache, especially on black paper. This is a little painting I did last night.

Miniature a Day

Miniature of the day! Available here.

Heart on a String Miniature

Heart on a String miniature gouache painting. Available for your loved one here.

Miniature a Day

Miniature for the day... The Performers available in my etsy shop!

A Miniature a Day

I'm trying stick to painting a miniature a day. Here is this evening's image. Available in my etsy shop!

Autumn

Autumn is without a doubt my favorite time of year. The shadows are long, the light is golden and there is a sharp crispness to the air. Ruby reds, oranges and golden hues arrive in the color of fallen leaves and winter produce. For me, October clearly marks the transition into cool mornings and cozy evenings at home. Halloween in my favorite holiday and I look forward to preparing a Thanksgiving meal. 

This weekend we went to the John Muir house in Martinez and the grounds were full unkempt orchards of forgotten fruit trees. Old withering grape vines crept low to the ground, their gnarled trunks winding toward one another.  Quince and apple trees laden with fruit drooped with the burden of their bounty. Toward the back of the property, old fig trees reached upward, their limbs bejeweled with ripe figs. I liberated a few of these fall fruits and brought them home to paint. Coupled with rose hips from a roadside bush, I thought these two plants were the epitome of what Autumn has to share. 

I look forward to spending this time of year cooking with my family, making jam and photographing my favorite season.

watercolor melon

Another watercolor sketch. This one of a melon.

Mangoes!

I dropped in on Kate Weese's watercolor workshop yesterday and had so much fun. I could only stay an hour, and just didn't get enough! I picked out a couple of mangoes sitting on the table yesterday and stuck a post note on them "Do Not Eat, Want to H2O Color These."

I had the chance just now to sit down and paint the mangoes. I didn't have any watercolors here, so used gouache instead. I haven't watercolored before, but have used gouache a bit, and prefer it. I was also very interested in using salt which is one of the techniques Kate teaches in class.
I definitely could use some more practice, but I was pretty happy with the process. I need to learn patience and watercolor requires it, so it seems like a good thing to do right now.

Artist Trading Cards

I started making Artist Trading Cards or ATCs about 10 months ago. ATCs are about the same size as a baseball card, specifically 2.5" x 3.5," are used like calling cards, and have become wildly popular over the past few years. I was introduced to them on Flickr, and have been trading on Flickr since my discovery. In the beginning I was a bit shy about my approach, afraid of messing things up, and was reserved and critical about each little image, stamp or drawing. After a couple of hours and a few throw aways, I immediately became addicted. I soon realized, and am now in love the small and manageable size of ATCs. One thing I've learned from art making is that things are never too precious. Working something out is always better than not, regardless of the final image, and often its the process that is most valuable. ATCs are a great way to unblock your creative flow, to get you in the routine of making something, in the habit of drawing or painting regularly, even on a small scale. After you complete a few, you can trade them with other artists.

Imagine receiving a unique small painting or collage in the mail, perhaps sent from a country far away, crafted through images by an artist they may or may not speak your language. Its fantastic! Especially now that I'm an adult (begrudgingly), and I mostly receive bills in the mail, occasionally I'll get an envelope dotted with foreign stamps, a treasure waiting inside.
If you're interested in making ATCs check out flickr and other websites. If you're interested in trading ATCs you can find swap groups on line, on Flickr, or even meetups in your area. If you'd like to trade with me, check out my flickr page, or send me an email!