Wow, time flies!

I knew it had been a while, but didn't realize how long it has been since I wrote.   Well, we spent that time in Tennessee with Mary, and then came Christmas and then New years and, well I couldn't find the supplies I needed out here and had to get them off the internet, and then I wasn't sure how to start my new series and then......of well.  You get the idea.

Well, now the supplies have come.  I bought some great new sable brushes and arches watercolor paper, my favorite brand.   Well, actually I had started earlier, but hated the paper I could find out here and I piddled around and sketched, then I changed it, then I thought maybe I should start with an easier version.  So then I started with what I had with the original drawing.  Then I wasn't happy with it.  Then I put some color on it to see if it would work.  Then I didn't like it.  Then...well you know how it goes sometime.  So I left it alone for awhile.

So, then all the family left.  It was great seeing everyone.  Now it's great, well good anyway, and I can get back to work.

So I pulled out some new paper.  Then I didn't really know where to start.  Then I finally sketched it, and made some changes, then some  more changes.  And finally one day, I began to paint.  Well I love the new brushes, but, it has been 5 years since I painted in watercolor.  And I need a new shoulder from standing at my easel and using the brush at arms length for s few, well, really many years, and they don't want to operate on it  and I don't really want them to either.  So I got a shot.  Well, you know I broke my right arm around labor day and had that operated on (no choice that time) and my arm got real shaky.  So I went to the accupuncturist to see if he could help my right hand.  And he has, sort of, so it only shakes when I use it.....

Well now it's January and I am really painting.  It's a little harder cause my hand isn't as steady as it was, but I'm working on it.  And I find it is getting a little easier as I get in the swing of watercolor again.  Now, I have  it about half done and it's not as good as it should be.  And the decisions about how to go about it are some what resolved.  And I hope to finish it this week.  And if I think it passes inspection I'll frame it.  And if it doesn't, I'll start over.  If I do that I may start on an easier idea.

So, tomorrow when the sun is up, I'll put a pic in just so you can see where all this has led to.  But I will finish it regardless so I will know what to do next time.

And a very Happy New Year to you all!

Vacation

  Hal and I spent the last 2 weeks in east Tennessee helping our daughter and son in law screen their porch.She bought a 1932,  and is gradually working on things.  The porch looks very nice.
The area was at the height of fall color....really beautiful. We were with them for our 49th anniversary so that was special  for us.
  Did a little sight seeing in Jonesboro, the state's oldest town.  They celebrate story telling each year.  That sounded fun to me and hope to go next season.  We did find  a lovely small gallery and bought myself a necklace and earring set,  An interesting little town.
  My right hand is still very shaky, but went to my acupuncturist yesterday and hope to see some improvement.  I will give it a real test this week when I start painting from one of my sketches.
At lease I won an award on a watercolor at a small exhibit here so I have some hope on things.  Next week I'll find out how it goes.
  Last night I went to a debut exhibit for Sara Beth Baca at the Imperial Arts Gallery in Rosenberg.  It was a nice showing and a nice artist.  I hope she does well.
  Til next week.......

Sketch

My computer and I haven't been speaking this week, but got a photo (not necessarily a good one) of a possibly usable sketch for a painting.  The printer is not speaking to the computer either, so I had to take the pic with a camera outside and download it to here. 
But it rather obviously is a relationship between a couple and their server.

I will be off the computer until I get the bugs out, so will be back in a couple of weeks hopefully.

I realize it's kind of hard to tell what's going on.  So thanks for looking, anyway.

back to the beginning

Time this week has really sped by and I have been so busy reworking my studio I have gotten much else done.  But I wanted to tell a little bit about how I decided on this "relationship" series.  It was something that had I had on the back of my mind for years, but hadn't worked out how to translate to paper/canvas.  We went out to dinner and this young man came up and "My name is Jimmy or Janis and I will be your server tonight.We smiled politely and said hello and maybe placed out order and didn't think about it anymore except when our food was put before us.  I don't know about you, but I doubt if I could remember his face or even his name by the end of the night.  He was almost invisible.

    Do you see him in this picture?  I guess he really is invisible.  Look for him soon.

Step 2 in my sketch/painting.

'With this Ring"

This is my working sketch for the finished painting.  I will add a few minor adjustments

when I paint it  In a small sketch it's hard to apply small accents.

Development of an Idea

Newest sketch for my relationship series, it's called simply "wedding vows".  I was taken by the joy and love these two young people felt at their wedding.  But, how much do they really know about each other,  As a long married woman, I am very comfortable with my husband and love him dearly.  But there is an inner part that neither of us will truly comprehend about the other.  We have learned to accept these strange (to us) parts and can sometimes anticipate reactions, when out of the blue he can come up with a truly unexpected thought.  And  there is always that little masculine or feminine reaction that the other can never quite decipher.
So I decided to include the young, romantic in this series.
This is a first sketch.  I thought you might be interested to see how it progresses from here to finished painting.

Relationship Series

"Siblings"

I don't know why this is blue, but it doesn't really matter.

This piece is a bit more obscure.  I was just so taken by the pose that I hope you will be, too.  Of course, I know the real relationsip between these two.  But I want you, the viewer, to find one of your own making.

This sketch may need a bit of refinement, but over all, I think I got what I wanted.  I hope you enjoy building your own interpretation.

I have another idea in the making. That is, another slightly "obscure" one.  But then in a series I have to give myself a little room to expand. But this is a series a long time in the planning.  Kind of a hoping I can figure out how to translate my thought's into 2D.  Painting them is still vague in my mind.  I feel it lends itself to watercolor more easily  I haven't worked in watercolor for awhile and my little finger is still tingly.  The last time similar to this a really challenging commission and I was under the gun because I had broken my arm (same right arm as now).  Actually I found working in watercolor was great therapy for my wrist.  That painting was a success though, so it gives me courage.  I think I'll work on more ideas first.  It's funny how once you make a jump into the first one, find a road into your mind so to speak, it's like a sieve, for a little while anyway, and new ideas keep dropping out.  Of course there's always the danger of running dry. So I break it by drawing and let my brain catch up.  Otherwise, my brain gets too crowded and I feel overwhelmed.

Somehow, now that I am old, I have become acutely aware of all the jokes about us OLD guys, who can't remember things (true, sometimes) and know I can't let that interfere with creating.  And so, I will just keep on keeping on for now and hope I don't lose sight of the few things that don't change too much.  Hence, relationships..

Thanks

  I appreciate so many of you responding to my sketch. It is interesting to see the different conversation it had with people, but they all seem to embrace the concept.
   Now I am debating whether to do these pieces small in watercolor, or medium size in oil. My right hand is still pretty shaky and not helped by a tingling little finger.
   Funny how once I got started the ideas are coming fast.  I better get to work.

Thinking about my Challenge

This is a pencil drawing which I didn't photograph too well.  I was thinking about a guy whose car was in the shop and had to ride a bus for the first time. The woman in the foreground is the closest and thus has more detail.  I would love to have some comments on this first conception.