Painting with Friends...August 4

Last Thursday, the three of us gathered at Marsha's house for a morning painting session.  It was good to see Donna and Marsha.  We always find plenty to talk about between our silent intense spells of painting.  We talk a lot about painting, but we also talk about other things. 

Donna worked from her computer.  (Marsha has WiFi)  The photo on the screen is one Donna took at Meadow View Gardens south of New Carlyle.  She is using acrylics.  I forgot to ask her if she was using Golden Open.  Golden Open is a new type of acrylic which acts a bit more like oil paint. I know Donna likes them.

Marsha is using her iPad for reference.  She took the photo at the Bass Pros Shop in Springfield, Missouri.  Bass Pros Shops have wonderful dioramas featuring animals which have been stuffed by expert taxidermists.
She is working with watercolors on 140 weight cold-pressed paper.

And here I am.  I am using watercolors on 140 weight cold-pressed paper, also.  I am using the wet-on-wet technique, glazing with thin layers of paint.  You can see the ripples in the paper which will disappear when the paper dries.  Taping the paper to a board helps control the rippling.  Above the painting is part of the computer generated enlargement of a photo Tom took at Biltmore Estate in North Carolina two years ago.

After we painted intensely for a little over an hour, we took a snack break and studied what we had accomplished.

All three of us opted to bring  store-prepared snacks from our local groceries. Marsha provided iced tea, cups, plates, and napkins. 


                                    

Then we went back to work again.  Here, Donna is making the lily "pop" by adding a blue-green background.  I expect to see her finished painting on her blog.
www.donnapierceclark.com/blog

Here is a close up of Marsha's painting.  She used mask which is a rubbery liquid that dries to a protective cover over the grasses and the egrets.  She decided not to paint the rocks in the upper left triangle of the photograph but to turn that area into something which resembles sparkling water or a night sky.  Take your pick.  The white speckles were created by sprinkling salt on the wet watercolor. The completed painting is on her Red Bubble site.
http://redbubble.com/people/melliott

Here is my waterlily after the paper dried.  The ripples are gone.  Since I work slowly, and since I am using the glazing technique I expect to be painting on this for a number of days.
www.donnapierceclark.com/blog

Lone Pine...Final

Lone Pine...14 inches by 11 inches...Watercolor on 300wt. paper

After listening to the comments of various people, I added roots to the tree although they were completely hidden by the rocks in the original photo and toned down the foliage on the clifftop. Thank you to everyone who critiqued this painting and to those who thought it was fine as it was.

Having people like the painting just as I have painted it pleases me. That means the possible changes are not immediately visible.

It is always easier for me to see what another artist can change to improve a painting than it is for me to see what I could change in my own work. If I immediately notice something that doesn't feel right on my paintings, I keep on working. I know it is not ready to show to anyone. It's those "maybe yes" "maybe no" changes that are harder to figure out.