Happy New Year!

Maybe it is appropriate that my last painting of this year is of a crow. According to some legends, the crow can be a sign of change. We are changing from the old year to the new, and that always comes with the expectation of changes, hopefully for the better.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year full of wonderful changes, new beginnings and the comfort of things that we want to stay the same. Family, friends, and home.

Patty

A Sign of Change

5" X 7"

Watercolour, ink, coloured pencils
(Click on picture for larger image)

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Joyful New Year!!

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday!

It's Me!? ~ Watercolour Wednesday

I've been participating in the Grumbacher Art Swap, where every month a new theme is chosen and artists create a small ATC (art trading card), send it in to Grumbacher and they swap it with another artist's card and send it back to you. They give you a punch card, so after every three swaps you receive a reward of paints or brushes etc. The first one I did was very fun and I received a nice card in the mail the other day.

I was excited when they announced the new theme until I saw it was SELF PORTRAITS!!!! OMG!!! I have never done a self portrait, unless you count the time in a drawing class I took and that one was promptly destroyed! But I thought this would be a good way to stretch myself outside of my comfort zone. It sure is doing that! Not only is it a portrait, which I haven't done for a long time, but a selfie! And not only a selfie, but a teeny, weeny, tiny one! So....after a couple of attempts which I won't show you, here is something that kinda resembles me! I think. Maybe. (My glasses look a little different, my hairstyle is more like how I wish it was, and several other things are off.) But I figure, who ever receives this card doesn't know me, so I guess I could have painted anyone!

Me

3.5" X 2.5"

Watercolour

Christmas Goose! ~ Watercolour Wednesday

I seem to paint a lot of geese...I just find them so comical! This was a fast, little tiny painting, done this morning. I added a bow to this guy and he looks so proud!

Christmas Goose

Watercolour and Ink

2.5 X 3.5"

(Border is computer generated)

Find this cute goose in my Etsy store!

"My Darling Clementines" ~ Paper Collage

The whole time I was creating this collage, I couldn't get the song "My Darling Clementine" out of my head! Now I've probably put it in yours....sorry 'bout that! This collage started out with a much different composition and I wasn't happy with it. The nice thing about collage is that you just have to "collage" over the parts you don't like! You'd never know there had been a third ugly clementine, and a much higher "horizon". I think I'm finished now, if only to get the song to stop!

My Darling Clementines

6" X 6" X 1.5"

Paper Collage on Canvas

$45

Check this out in my Etsy Shop!

Dandelion ~ Watercolour Wednesday

I was having a hard time thinking of what to paint today. Then I remembered that I hadn't done one of these little dandelions in a while. So here you go!

Dandelion

2.5 X 3.5"

A Flash of Blue ~ Collage

We've had more Blue Jays around our feeder than we ever have, and even though they can be a bit loud mouthed and bossy, I just love seeing that flash of blue! And I swear they can see me putting out peanuts from miles away!

This collage is a bit different from most of the others I've done.  I created monoprints of backyard leaves by using my Gelli® Printing plate and embellished them at the end with some watercolours. The bird was done with my regular method of applying all sorts of coloured bits of paper. I'm still not sure I like it, but it is growing on me!

A Flash of Blue

12" X 12"

Watercolour Wednesday ~ Remembrance Day

Lest We Forget

Watercolour Wednesday ~ A Little Late!

Around here, summer has returned and is staying a little late. We're not complaining! Yesterday was so nice, I got distracted and sat outside reading instead of painting my Wednesday watercolour.

Here are a few little watercolours that have been hanging around from the summertime that never got posted. Next week I promise to be on time! (Maybe...)

Daisy # 4

2.5" X 3.5"

Pink Rosebud #2

2.5" X 3.5"

Yellow Rosebud #2

2.5" X 3.5"

"Crabby" ~ Watercolour Wednesday

I've decided to join the Grumbacher Art Swap, (See info HERE) where artists trade art cards. This time the theme is Signs of the Zodiac. While my sign is Capricorn (goat), the first image that popped into my mind was of a little blue crab, for Cancer. We saw many of these tiny creatures on the beaches when we were in Nova Scotia. This fellow was very interesting to paint, as he was so different from what I've ever done. It was like painting an alien!

Crabby

2.5 X 3.5

Not for sale

Black-eyed Susan ~ Watercolour Wednesday!

There are still a few hardy Black-Eyed Susans in my garden. It's lovely to see a few pops of yellow in among the fading greens and browns.

The language of flowers was used in Victorian times as a means of communication in which flowers were used to send coded messages. Each flower had a special meaning. The Black-eyed Susan meant "Justice." This ACEO is part of my Language of Flowers series.

ACEOs are tiny 2.5 X 3.5 inch works of art to collect or trade. They look great in a frame, or put them together to make a great coffee table book! Perfect little gifts for the art lover.

Each of my ACEOs are signed or initialled on the front and signed and dated on the reverse. They are shipped in a protective plastic sleeve. Check out what I have available in my Etsy shop HERE.

Black-Eyed Susan "Justice"

2.5" X 3.5"

Scaredy Cat ~ Watercolour Thursday!!

Okay, I've been slack with Watercolour Wednesdays, so slack that it's Thursday and I'm posting one.

Hallowe'en is coming soon, so here is a little Scaredy Cat. Really little, it's only 2.5 X 3.5 inches! Not my very best work, but those eyes are less than 2 mm wide!

Photo reference courtesy PaintMyPhoto

The Fishing Tug

Seeing these sturdy little "fishing tugs" in the waters of the Great Lakes reminds me of summers along the shore of Lake Erie. We were always happy to see these unique boats and the hard working fisherman bringing up catches of Yellow Perch, our favourite summer meal!

This collage incorporates pieces of maps and navigational charts of the Great Lakes (mostly Erie), and other fun stuff related to fishing and fishermen.

The Fishing Tug

18" X 24"

on Gallery wrapped canvas

Watermedia Wednesday ~ Abstract Flowers with Clear Tar Gel

I've been working on a collage, but  I've been going back to the Clear Tar Gel when I need a break. These are great because you can do a lot of the Tar Gel designs ahead of time and then bring them out when you feel like playing!

This is one I've been working on a little bit at a time, and I don't think I'm finished yet. I like where it is going so far. The camera has emphasized the darker purple parts a bit, but I kind of like the look so I may darken some more of those passages. I'll post again when it's finished and I have a better photo.

Abstract Orange Floral

20" X 15"

on Illustration Board

WaterMedia Wednesday ~ Fun With Clear Tar Gel Medium!

Sometimes when I'm stuck for what to do in my studio, I get out the Clear Tar Gel Medium. What is this stuff? Well on the container of the Golden Clear Tar Gel, it says it "Generates fine lines by dripping from a palette knife or other tool." Here is a little demo I did a couple years back that shows how you can use it. CLICK HERE FOR DEMO. One of these days, I'll learn how to set up a video demo, but for now you are stuck with photos!

I have a few of these on the go right now. Here are two funky flowers! Each one is 20" X 7.0" on Peterboro Illustration Board. I used Fluid Acrylic paints.

Yellow Flower                    Pink Flower

And here are some closeups:

WaterMEDIA Wednesday ~ Playing with BRUSHO®

A good friend of mine introduced me to Brusho® Paint crystals the other day, and a group of us tried it out. It sure was fun experimenting with it and figuring out all the ways that it can be used!
What is Brusho® you ask? Click on this link from  BrushoSecrets.com and it will tell you all about it. Basically it is powdered pigment crystals.  You can sprinkle it on dry paper and then spray with water, or sprinkle the dry powder on wet paper, or mix with water and paint like watercolour. Each method gives you a different effect. When the crystals react with water, they burst with colour and spread out in interesting patterns.

Out of the several experiments there were only two that came out worth posting here. For the first one, I drew the shape of the flower and then painted it with plain water. I then sprinkled the water with Brusho®. I ended up with quite a wild Coneflower! I did add very small touches of watercolour when I got home. I really like this one!

Crazy Coneflower

5" X 7" on paper

I really don't remember how I did this one, but I think I started out by sprinkling the crystals onto dry paper then spritzing with water. I know I dropped black into the wet scarlet and it ended up kind of like poppies. I enhanced it a bit more when I got home with some watercolours. I did discover that the Brusho® is easily reactivated with water after it has dried. Very interesting stuff.

 Maybe These are Poppies

5" X 7" on paper

Watercolour Wednesday is Back ~ Fabulous Frogs!

I had taken a break from Watercolour Wednesday for a few weeks...(okay, I was lazy!), but it's back!! I was missing my little green tree frog that was sold the other day, so I decided to tackle a couple others. These guys are really colourful and fancy, and probably poisonous...but I thought they were cute! They are mostly watercolour, with a bit of ink and crayon. And both are available in my Etsy Store.

Feeling Blue!

ACEO

2.5 X 3.5"

Fancy Frog

ACEO

2.5 X 3.5"

(Reference Photos courtesy of Morguefile)

A Slice of Summer!

We've really been enjoying the fresh fruits and veggies at our local produce stand this year! And one of the best things about summer that we've been savouring  is watermelon. So sweet and juicy!

A Slice of Summer

6" X 6" on Canvas

$45

(Available in my Etsy Shop or contact me directly)

Bee Balm ~ Watercolour Wednesday

My Bee Balm plant was abuzz this morning with Bumblebees, which Maggie the dog was trying to catch and eat while I was sketching! I think I got through to her that it wasn't such a good idea!

Here is a quick sketch I got done in between chasing the dog away and dodging bees!

Bee Balm

(from my sketchbook)

Wetcanvas Watercolour Ontario Meet Part 2 ~ Watercolour Wednesday

Part of the fun at the Watercolour Meet was a guessing game. We were challenged ahead of time to paint a watercolour of a scene around the Dundas, Ontario area. There were 13 paintings submitted and it was really tough trying to figure out who painted what! The winner got 7 correct.  That person got to choose their favourite original watercolour from the bunch to keep. Second place chose next, and third after that. Once the first three chose, the paintings  were turned upside down and we randomly got to choose. I was lucky to receive a wonderful watercolour of a waterfall by Ursula (Uschi) Rodrigues.

Here is my submission of a little run-down shed in a conservation area:

These are some of the prints that were part of the game:

(Photo by Sandee McMullen)

And here is the painting that I won! A lovely waterfall.

Wetcanvas Watercolour Ontario Meet ~ Watercolour Wednesday

This past weekend I attended the Ninth Annual Wetcanvas Watercolour Ontario Meet, which was held in Dundas Ontario. This is a bunch of artists who met on the Wetcanvas website over the years and have become good friends. The weekend usually consists of a watercolour workshop and various other demonstrations, lots of good food and conversation, and tons of fun!

This year, my friend Charlene McGill demonstrated how she paints glass jars in watercolour. She is an excellent teacher, very patient with all of us! All of the paintings turned out great. Mine isn't quite finished yet, but I did get over my fear of painting glass!

While Char was teaching, and when people had a free moment, I demonstrated some Gelli® printing, which we also played with the next day to make covers for some fun books Char taught us to make. More on that later!

Here is my mostly finished painting:

Char's Jars

Char demonstrating her techniques:

And the "Wall of Fame", all of our paintings together:

Garden Sketch for Watercolour Wednesday

In between puttering around the pool and garden this morning, I did a quick little sketch of a flowering shrub. I believe it's a type of Spirea, and has lots of little tiny pinkish purple flowers. I had to transplant it last year and I wasn't sure if it would survive the winter, but it seems to have recovered very well!

Spirea

(in my small garden journal)

Pink Sunshine

I have finished my latest little fruit collage, and I'm particularly pleased with this one! It has my favourite turquoise background (although as usual, my camera won't pick up the exact colour), and I just love the orangey-pinky colours of the grapfruit sections.
Available in my Etsy Shop, or by contactim me directly.

Pink Sunshine

6 x 6 x 1.5"

$45

Watercolour Wednesday in the Garden!

Last week I missed Watercolour Wednesday! Eeeek! I haven't done that since I retired. We have had someone in to do some painting (walls) and a lot of "stuff" was "stuffed" into my studio.

Today, it was so lovely outside that I decided to bring my watercolours into the garden. Not too many perennials flowering yet, but I managed two ACEO's and a sketch in my garden journal. When I got my garden journal out, I realized it had been FOUR years since I had last made an entry! I couldn't believe it had been that long. I've promised myself to keep up it updated better.

Weigela

2.5 X 3.5"

Orange Sneezeweed

2.5 X 3.5"

WaterMEDIA Wednesday ~ Playing with the Gelli Arts® Printing Plate

Today I'm veering away from my watercolour sketches and sharing three prints I created with my Gelli Arts® Printing Plate. I had recently purchased some new paint, Golden Open Acrylics. They stay wet longer than regular acrylic paints and I wanted to see how they work with the Gelli® Plate. So,  I went out into my yard to find something interesting to use. Well, something that I have an overabundance of is Dandelions! A couple of these are combined with some fronds of a fern that I have in the house.

I have to say, that I had to force myself to stop after a while! This is way too much fun and ADDICTING!  I really liked using the Golden Opens for these prints.

I think I will try to put together a bit of a step by step demo one of these days here on my blog. Although there are tons of info out there on the net about Gelli® Printing!

Click on photo to see larger

Watercolour Wednesday ~ Colouring!

The other day I posted on my Facebook Page a sentiment that we all feel from time to time. Here's my interpretation.

"In My Blanket Fort"

from my sketchbook

May Flowers

I'm finally done my Big Tulips! I think they are very bright and cheerful, and kinda funky! Now I just have to varnish it and get it ready to hang.

May Flowers

24" X 24"

Mixed Media Collage on Canvas

A Busy Watercolour Wednesday so I'm Cheating!

I'm busy trying to get my tulip collage done today, so I'm going to cheat this one time and post one of the frogs I did as a special order last week.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming next week! (Hopefully)

Wet Your Whistle! Watercolour Wednesday

 It's a really good time to wet my whistle after working in the garden all afternoon with an ice cold beer! Here's another one from the sketchbook...a little wonky, but who cares! :-)

Wet Your Whistle!

11" X 3.5"

From My Sketchbook

"Hoppy" Watercolour Wednesday to You!

I've had little green frogs hopping around in my brain all week! I was commissioned to paint a bunch of tiny tree frogs by a lady who found me on Etsy. So far I've done five 3" X 5" paintings. Then I realized that it's watercolour Wednesday! So I stopped what I was doing and did a sketch of some of the paintings! With my client's permission I might be able to post the originals at a later date.

 It was coincidental that I saw on Facebook today that scientists have discovered a  tree frog in Costa Rica that looks just like Kermit! Real Life Kermit

Kermit's Kousins

From my Sketchbook

3" X 5"

Watercolour Wednesday ~ Easter Lily

A little history for those who are new to my Facebook Page or Blog. I recently retired from my "day job", and have been enjoying spending more time with art. I've really fallen in love with collage or "torn paper paintings", but want to keep in touch with my  watercolour  beginnings. I challenged myself to do some kind of watercolour every Wednesday, just to keep my brushes wet. And then I post them, no matter if they turn out good or bad. It's also a good drawing exercise, as I have been starting to sketch the majority of them from life. 

The Easter Lily that my hubby got for me is still blooming away on the kitchen counter, so I sat and sketched it this morning. I love the unpredictability of Hot Press paper. It is not very absorbent, so the paint sits on the surface a little longer while wet. It tends to create some interesting "blooms" here and there. Especially when you are impatient like me and don't let things dry long enough!

Easter Lily

12" X 7.5"

Arches 140 lb Hot Press paper

Watercolour and Ink

Is it Wednesday Already?? Wishy Washy Sketchy Violets

It's funny how Wednesdays sneak up on me! Thankfully I had done a very quick sketch earlier this week of some of my African Violets. I've never had violets like these that are almost ALWAYS blooming! I love them.

Wishy Washy Violets

(from my sketchbook)