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...

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 to come  paint with the small group that meets on Mondays. It is always a great time and great people to hang out with..plus its great therapy! This week they were playing with organic geometric paintings using a triad of one red, one yellow and one blue in watercolor. A few of the ladies were painting flowers and the rest of us were painting fish!

I find I can loose myself in this project and paint for hours. My triad for this painting was phthalo blue, carmine and new gamboge. Not only is it a fun project but it also gives you experience in mixing color and  contrast. Sometimes a limited palette can be a wonderful colorful surprise. You are working with organic form so you do not have to stress about whether it is accurate..in detail or color. You do want to make sure that you have balance  with your subject and background contrast. Contrast is important ..it makes your painting pop!


                                                               
                                                          

 

I painted the irises a few years ago..maybe I will do roses next!

Pull out your paints..pick a triad and have some fun!

Catching Up

  I cant believe it has been so long since my last post. So many things have happened ...art has been made..art has been sold. Christmas has come and gone..classes have made and classes have ended.
Medical issues have stressed me out..my Boo is still on her roller coaster ride with dementia. Wow..
just a busy up and down kind of fall and winter and I am so ready for Spring!!!

  Once again classes have made at Cleveland State Community College. Portrait Drawing and Beginning Drawing!! If you have any interest in drawing at all and you are in the Cleveland Tennessee area , you should come by and check us out.

           This week in Portrait class we finished up eye practice and began working on individual
portraits. Some students are working their sketches out on sketch paper and once satisfied with the
work they will transfer to their Bristol smooth. Homework..practice sketching.

    In Beginning Drawing I was impressed beyond words with the finished drawings the students had finished at home using only their sketches and notes to complete!! Bravo Bravo!! Great Job!!
Our lesson Tuesday seemed simple as we traced our hand on the sketch paper but it became evident once we began adding value that we hadn't really looked at our hands in a long time. When did my joints get so big??? Homework this week ...hand sketches..no tracing..

   Im tired tonight but excited that tomorrow is Thursday. I am looking forward to another day with friends and students. I love my job ... so thankful that I can do what I love. Goodnight and happy
drawing ..