" Summer in the Garden "

                                      " Summer in the Garden "

   Today it rained all day, but inside with the blinds drawn and the doors closed it was summer
in the garden. I straightened the house and pulled out the painting I had started yesterday and just
played. Flowers danced in the sunlight and flowed from the tip of the brush. I imagined that a breeze was blowing and the iris' were dancing . For a few hours I found my happy place and some quiet
after a busy 2 months of summer fun spent with the  grands. Listening to the light rain as I put away
my paints., I feel like it has been a good day., and I am so thankful for each day <3

Crayola Color Wheel

   This week in classes I am teaching a bit about color theory. I thought I would start with crayons. A search of the web left me frustrated  so I bought a new box of 24 crayons.  I  quickly realized  that my yellow crayon cannot be mixed with my red crayon to make orange or my blue crayon to make green.....which led to a class on color bias and an hour of coloring and color mixing..
Needless to say my students did not want to use crayons; they decided to use pencils and I had to put together another color wheel with colored pencils lol but I now have a color wheel for future reference and they had a good time. I hope that someone else might find this useful.

   Yes I am an artist and teach art, but no, no I cannot draw a straight line or a circle..even with aides..
So forgive my lopsided circles and my wavering lines...

                  Primary Yellow is a mix of   Yellow + Dandelion
                  Primary Blue is a mix of   Cerulean + Blue
                  Primary Red is a mix of   Red + Violet Red
           
                                       Happy Coloring My Friends!!

      

               

Happy New Year

    Happy New Year!! Yes, I am a bit late..I have had a rough start this year but hopefully I am back to normal :) It is an absolutely gorgeous day today!! The sun is shining..it's not cold..I had a great walk and I am feeling spring may just be right around the corner.
    The weather has been so dreary this year . It has rained so much I creak when I walk ...
But..I have been painting and have enjoyed every minute of class time when I haven't been trapped inside. Mondays have been filled with hours of fun with a group called the Parish House Painters.
They poo poo their work sometimes but it is some of the best watercolor work I have ever seen and they are so welcoming and friendly!! One painting I worked on while there started out as a wooded scene and bored ended up with  a bigfoot in it !!
                                                                     
                                                                     

 

This painting was completed using two colors..Prussian Blue and Brunt Sienna

It is watercolor on watercolor block

 

I was feeling playful one day and painted this little lady.

Watercolor on coldpressed WC block

This painting was inspired by the birds at my feeder. I love when they

show up.

 

 

This painting was my second attempt with Brusho. I fell in love

with the bright rich color and the spontaneity of the medium.

 

 

This is my latest watercolor. One day while shooting

pics of my best friends flowers I caught a shot of a  thirsty little moth.

He was beautifully lit by the sunlight and his tasty meal

was a gorgeous pink zinnia.

 

The weather has been really messy and I have been trapped inside but

would I have painted if I had been busy at work?

I think I needed a break just to play in my paints..

Have a beautiful creative day my friends!!

 

 

 

What Am I Doing Today???

  Its that time of year..paint is always out ..paint brushes loaded..cards cut..now breath!!!!!!

I have been painting little snowmen for a few years now. Every year I say to myself I will start this process in August and at the latest September. And once again it is November and I have practically nothing done. And it's not for lack of ideas..no, they are always buzzing around like annoying little bees, buzz buzz buzzing! Screaming paint me! Paint me!! No , it is the distractions! Halloween monsters and pretty decorations..fall in the air with the smells of wood fires wafting from chimney tops, TV shows digging up memories from my childhood and all kinds of treats, from candy apples to whoopee pie cake!! Snickers bars and pumpkin pie <3 Hot cider and hot chocolate <3
When did I add all of these food sites to my facebook page???????? Do I still have friends? all I see is cakes, pies, and cookies!!

  What am I doing today? Mingling..hanging with my artsy friends! Preparing for the Small Works Show and Sale coming up in almost 2 weeks! Am I prepared??!! No!! but I can feel the excitement bubbling from my heart to my toes! Will I be ready by show time?? Probably not!! But I can't wait!

    In case you are wondering what sale? It is the Small Works Show and Sale hosted by the Community Artist League in beautiful downtown Athens Tennessee. You can find us at the E.G. Fisher Library on November 14th 2015 from 10 am to 5pm. There will be numerous vendors and light snacks and drinks will be provided. I hope I see you there!

                                                            " Painting with Friends "


 ps......this painting was inspired when my friend Lisa and I spent the day painting at
Pumpkin Town. It's always a good day when you are painting with friends :)

" I Want Chocolate!! " WIP ( Work in Progress )

    I have been absent more than intended... blogging is hard..for me anyway. I want to share as much as I can because everything I have learned about art I have learned online from some great people willing to share freely with me and others, from books and magazines and from practice!! Lots and lots of practice!!
    So here goes my first WIP or work in progress. I tried to remember to take pics but would get lost in the painting soooooooo...I will try harder in the future :)


   This painting was a commission for a very dear friend. It was titled by another friend in jest but I loved it. So it stuck.
                                                    
                                               The Beginning
       I have sketched out the photo and picked my paint colors. One of the first things I do is pick
     the paints. One problem here though, I forgot what I used..sorry..I will do better next time.
     I also masked off the areas I want to keep white. I am going to guess that I mixed two blues
     possibly  Manganese and Winsor for the head and wings and Quinacridone Burnt Orange for the
     breast.

                                                       

                                                                                

            Here I have added a few more details and began the background with a wash of blue
          followed by some sap green.
                                                                              

 

 

 

The baby bird is very vocal :) . I have mixed blues and orange to make a brown.

 

Here is the finished painting.

I worked on the background adding more blues and greens.

The branch was a mix of orange and blues.

" I Want Chocolate "

 

 

 

 

A Mixed Media Experience

  Im not sure who all reads my posts but I realized some may wonder who I am as an artist because of my title A Mixed Media Experience. I knew very young who I was ..I knew deep in my heart that  I loved art. Not just any one specific medium, but everything...I loved paper..all paper!! and pens and pencils! I loved the color blue as it washed across a sheet of  white crisp paper. I loved brush strokes and the feel of clay ..I didn't love pastel on my hands but on paper ..it breathed. I have stood in the presence of a Monet and wept. I worked for seven years with graphite until I learned all I thought I could learn and still learn something new everyday. I have photo albums filled with images and tell myself they are all reference pics! I loved it all and still do! Without art I think my soul would shrivel up within me.
 
                                                                    

                                                                               
                            
  Today I may feel like watercolor and tomorrow I may drag out glue and paper and work on a colorful collage.

 

I usually have my camera in hand just in case I spy a pretty little bird or an interesting landscape or

even an odd little scrap of something lying in the grass.

                                                            

                                       
  I hope if you have dropped in you come back to visit...if you have any questions feel free to drop me a line or if you see something you like let me know . Share your story or just say hello..
from one artist to another..have a blessed and creative day!

Mixed Media Experience with Vickie Blair: Organic Geometric Triad in Watercolor

Mixed Media Experience with Vickie Blair: Organic Geometric Triad in Watercolor: This has been a busy busy week and I needed something relaxing and fun to work on., so I gladly accepted my friend Lee's invitation...