" 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...

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 ..

Winsor & Newton Watercolor Markers

    I was shopping this week at  Michaels and  I found a new toy... Winsor & Newton
 Watercolor Markers!! I was dubious at first and walked around them , picking them up,
putting them back, back and forth with should I ? should I not ? Well I ended up buying
one six pack of markers and then went back for another...today I went back for the primaries.

                            I am posting some of my little paintings from an afternoon of play.

 

 

The pics posted were painted using Winsor & Newton Watercolor Markers

Cadmium Red Hue, Cerulean Blue Hue, Alizarin Crimson Hue,

Sap Green, Yellow Ochre, and Burnt Umber.

 

I tried them out on several types of paper but found they worked best on Arches

Cold Press 140 lb. They work well with a  water brush but I liked using water and a paint brush best.

I can see packing these for a trip to the mountains or the beach :)

 

 

Happy Painting My Friends!!

 

 

 

 

Working with Midtones and Compliments

   It has been awhile since I have posted ; I have been busy working and painting. My latest
painting has been a project  taken from the latest Watercolor Artist magazine August 2014
The project was under Watercolor Essentials and the featured artist was Judi Betts. I don't think I got it quite right but it was fun!!

   In the article Judi tells how she sections off her paper and paints each section with a light wash, then after it dries she draws her subject. Judi then paints each section with a complimentary color paying close attention to the values. I had a great time with this project and hope you check out her work and maybe even give this technique a try. Here is my finished painting ..hope you like :)


                                                                        

                                     You can check out more of my work at artwanted.com/vicklyn

                                                                                      Thank you for stopping by
                                                                                                                           vickie
                                                                 



                                           

Working it Out

Long time no post...I have been overwhelmed with life. My Boo ( miniature schnauzer) has been sick..protein levels high and dementia. I thought I was loosing her but a diet tweak and prayers and she has perked back up! Right now after a long hard day ,she is sound asleep.

 

I have been taking a little break from painting and drawing . I have been working

with  wooden letters; collaging and painting a few of them for my family and

friends.It started out as a project for one of my art students but I find them slightly

addictive.

Here is the first one I did..the letter " J "

 

 

Another Letter I recently finished is " B "

All Dressed up

 

 

As I said , they are addictive ...only three J's and a G to go

Then Back to the drawing board :)

Have a creative day my friends ..goodnight

 

 

Roses in Watercolor

   This is number 2 in the watercolor series titled  Roses in Watercolor

I have always had a passion for roses and my favorite color is orange..so there may be a

few roses painted orange :)

The painting is 4 " x 4 " and for pricing info you can contact me via email at

vlblair@bellsouth.net 

Thank you for looking my friends



                                      

 

" Breathless in Orange "

New Watercolor Series

   I have started a new series of paintings that I am excited about!! I have been painting Roses in
watercolor on 4" x 4"  Ampersand Aquabord. Aquabord is  acid free and absorbs watercolor like fine
paper. Watercolors on aquabord can be sealed and framed without glass or displayed
on an easel, keeping colors and textures true to life.

    First in this series is a pink rose titled " Pretty in Pink "

" Pretty in Pink " is displayed here on a black easel. The painting  has been sealed with Krylon UV-Resistant Clear Acrylic Coating. " Pretty in Pink " is available for sale for 50.00 US plus shipping and handling.
If you are interested in purchasing one of my roses contact me at vlblair@bellsouth.net
for more information.
  

Totally Confused...What is Art?

          I am hoping that this post will not get me in hot water... but....
I am totally confused and need an answer...what is art? What is good art? Who decides what is art and what art is not?

        The reason for my questions?? I have viewed several art competitions over the years and have seen countless beautiful, thought provoking, scary, questionable, amazing, breathtaking, even ugly work and the winners are almost always the " what the what "????? Seriously a stick with a string on it?? A wooden block with yard sale stickers?? Now don't take this the wrong way if this was one of your pieces..I do not begrudge you the win..I was not in the competition..but I did see young artists shake their heads and question their own work..heck I question my own work!!
      If judges are only passing out prizes in this category, lets call it " Modern "(because I don't exactly know what it is)  then what happens to the artists who are called to  abstract, realistic, impressionistic..etc?? Why enter?? I have heard many an artist make the remark " why enter? I can't win?  I can't compete if I don't understand the rules."
And they enter and are so discouraged.
       It may just be me..and as I said earlier I do not begrudge anyone a win..but I think if you have a competition then state in the rules what the judge is looking for or at least have separate categories for each style. I can hear someone saying now "not everyone gets a trophy..somebody has to loose " but I think in this situation everyone looses.
     And I am not a bitter person who is jealous because I haven't won an art competition..I have won several first place awards..I am just  a person who wonders " what the what " is art to you.
    
      Goodnight my friends ..may your dreams be filled with color

CSCC Portraits in Pencil Class

    The class at Cleveland State made and we are having a great time!! It is a beginning portrait class for ages 18 and older. We were snowed in last week and had to miss a class but no one missed a beat..homework was complete! This week we drew noses...right side up, upside down,long noses ,old noses,young noses and baby noses and we are ready to move on to drawing hair ...fun fun fun :)
It doesn't get much funner...

    Wish you could join us...we have a great time :)
    If you are looking for something to do during these cold winter evenings, check out your local
college. You might be surprised at what they have to offer. I took a photography class last year and
learned quite a bit about how to operate my digital camera.

   Getting ready for classes tomorrow..I love my job :)
   Have a creative day and goodnight...


                                                 

Art and Tomato Soup

   Monday has become a day filled with art, food and laughter. Today we looked at different ways of mixing color so that the color would glow. Next week we will apply what we learned to a painting of an iris. I cannot wait!

   After we worked on circles of mixed color we had a delicious lunch! Faye brought homemade pimento cheese, crusty bread and a delicious frozen chocolate pie. I volunteered to make tomato soup and have to add that it was really good for my first time. I thought I would share what I came up with and if you try it let me know what you think :)

                             

  


                                                                      Tomato Soup

                                                1 14.5 oz can of Diced Tomatoes
                                                1 14.5 oz of Italian Style Tomatoes
                                                1 small onion diced
                                                1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
                                                1 Tbsp of Butter
                                                1/4 tsp of pepper ( or more or less to taste )
                                                1 1/2 cup of Low Sodium Chicken Broth
                                                2 Tbsp of sugar
                                               A dash of cayenne pepper ( or more or less to taste )

                               Over medium heat sauté onion in the olive oil until transparent.
                            Add tomatoes, sugar, seasonings and chicken broth. Bring to a boil
                            and simmer for about ten minutes. Cool and puree. After pureeing
                           return to pot and add butter. Reheat and serve.
                              You could also add 1/3 cup of cream for a creamier soup; if you
                           do, add with butter and warm.
                               I added a Tbsp of parmesan cheese to mine..it was yummy.

                     I also said Mondays are filled with laughter. Today was a dreary cold day
                 but we still had a great time. Christie we missed you!
               
                                               " Art was fun but the food was funner "
                                                                                                  June Johnson

Snowed In

   Well, snow day!! Wasn't supposed to snow but within hours the streets were covered and cars were wrecking everywhere. The weather man got it wrong today. I tried to paint but could not get into it ...to much going on outside. Car after car tried to make it up the hill and failed. Someone ordered pizza and my son had to go help the poor guy back up the hill. He had to dump the pizza and  use the pizza box  for traction..so sad..
  
   I ended up watching a cardinal trying to keep warm in the dogwood tree outside the living room window. He was so cold he didn't move when I pulled out the camera. he was the bright spot in my day...enjoy :)
              

                  

Weekend with a Cold

    Well, here I sit . I have been sick  for four days....
    
     I pulled out paints and paper Thursday ...the painting has been staring at me. I don't think I have painted anything purple in a very long time..so....if you like then let me say thank you so very much..if you don't then let's blame it on the meds ...
   
      I pray you are well and have not been touched by the flu or a bad cold.
      Stay warm my friends and have a great weekend.

Hello It's Monday Again!!

    I cannot complain about Mondays...they are filled with friends, art, laughter and good food. And when I say good food I mean great food..Faye made some chicken and dumplings that were out of this world delicious!
    Silent moment as I remember the dumplings..........

    This week we picked back up where we left off last Monday..we could have moved on but I wanted to have the ladies to experiment using more pigment in their paintings. I think they liked the result.

      The paintings above were done by my friend and artist Christie Crawford. Aren't they gorgeous!! You did a great job...everyone did!! I love this technique. The salt was applied to the damp paint and once dry left a fabulous texture. I thought it  looks like leaves. I can't wait to see this finished!
       Colors used in this painting were Prussian Blue, Burnt Sienna and Yellow Ochre

       Hope your day was filled with love, laughter and art!!