This July, our gardens were part of the local Secret Garden Tour and we welcomed a large group of appreciative gardeners. A week later we hosted another Open Studio here and had a crowd of friends and patrons visit us. These events took a great deal of preparation and I have not painted much over the last several months. I’ve had time to relax a bit and am now ready to get back to painting.

I hope to paint more figures and flowers. Here is a color sketch I’ve begun, to work out an idea for a larger painting. This is painted on Plate Finish heavyweight Strathmore Illustration board. The surface did not allow lifting as it should and it created a granular texture. Sometimes that happens on this surface and it can be frustrating. When I do the final painting I’ll want a board that provides lifting. Despite this glitch, I was able to paint on it anyway with a decent result and it is letting me work out the composition and colors. I’ve used Fr. Ultramarine Blue, Quinacridone Coral, Burnt Umber and Raw Umber, Winsor Violet and a bit of Cerulean.

 

Pay attention to edges; hard edges stop movement and soft ones create movement and flow through the painting. I chose to lose the edges where shadows of different objects melt together; such as where this fellow’s right shoe seems to merge with the shadow of his bag on the ground. I did this in the shadows on his pants too, blending them together. Look for places in your own paintings where this treatment of edges might improve your results.

HIBISCUS
December
Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club 118th Annual Open; National Arts Club, NYC

IRIS
October-November
Mississippi 29^th Grand National

Symphony
October
Pittsburgh Watercolor Society 68^th Aqueous Open Exhibition, PA

Dancing Water
October
Montana Watercolor Society 32nd Annual National; Bigfork Art &Cultural Center, Mt
BEST IN SHOW GOLD MEDALLION AWARD

Morning Vision
September – October
Audubon Artists 72nd Annual Exhibition: Salmagundi Club, NYC

Story Time
September – October
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL 41ST ANNUAL; Foothills Art Center, Golden, CO

SPANISH MOOD
September
Allied Artists Of America Inc. 100th Annual; Salmagundi Club, NYC

River Reverie
Aug-October
Adirondack National Exhibition of American Watercolors;
Old Forge, NY: Received: REALISM IN NATURE Award

INCLUSION IN
THE 2014 & 2015 EDITIONS OF MARQUIS “WHO’S WHO IN AMERICA” 68^th & 69th editions