Other Paintings

It is all about the paper. This painting was done on a stretched slightly rough surface.This one was not stretched and had a slightly textured surface.
This painting was completed on a very rough, hand made paper.

Poinsettias

I Have Been Painting and Teaching

Over the last four months I have continued to paint and teach. I paint in the morning and head off to teach my 1/2 grade classroom. A joy to do both. I have been teaching my students to paint and they have been successful. In the last few months my painting is maturing and I am beginning to understand what it is I do to create my watercolors. My biggest success is I have put the pencil aside and use only the paint brush. It is wonderful to pick up the brush and just begin painting on a fresh piece of paper. When one does this technique you have to be willing to let go of the detail and look at the whole composition. Enjoy some of my new creations.

Accepted

My swan painting and water lily painting got accepted in the fair. Both are miniatures. I am happy.

Geese Painting

This painting combines the idea of the miniature and motion.

Minatures

The Water Lily painting is entitled: "Clara's Lilies.

Fuschias

An abstract representation. It was framed with a black matte and black frame.

The Fair

Yesterday I took 4 pieces of my art work to the Puyallup Fair. It took all year to get ready for this opportunity and I was ready. . . almost . . . I misunderstood the instructions for entry on the miniatures and I had to go back home and get the correct size. Fortunately I was ready for anything. I surprised myself as I drove back to the fair with my art work. I am motivated by putting things up in a display. Of course there is no guarantee that I will get in to the fair.

I even surprised myself when I put my Fuchsia painting in a frame it was beautiful (the Colors of Pink). It is an abstract interpretation of the flower. I will enjoy having it in our home that is if someone else doesn't want it. I am going to work on another one when I get home. My Fuchsias are doing very well right now and they are inspirational.

I also put in a different type of painting which is 16 distinct paintings that make one. It is of geese floating on the Columbia River. I will put the pictures up later. Then the 2 miniatures are of Lilly Pad and the other of a swan. I like both very much.

Any way I am off to explore Seattle and get more inspiration.

In the Rose Garden

I was in the rose garden at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle and thought about the colors and sizes of the roses. What will I do with these thoughts I do not know but the thoughts blend with other experiences and art is produced.

Looking Wherever I am for Inspiration

At the Beach

When I go to the beach, or to the zoo I am looking for inspiration. I saw the beach umbrellas and noticed the colors. The relationships of distance and space between each umbrella then I wondered. What if beach umbrellas just came to the beach by themselves? This thought inspired this painting. 

Home and Painting

Arriving home on Saturday was good. The weather had turned cool and is cloudy and rainy. This has given me the time to weed the flower garden and tie up the tomatoes. I am currently entertained by face book where I keep in touch with friends and family. It is a lot of fun and easy to upload pictures to the site.

I have been finishing up my paintings I started in Hawaii and starting new miniature ones of fushias. I enjoy sitting down and painting exactly what I see. This morning I looked at one of the small paintings and it looked like I had created letters using the flower.

I enjoyed the trip to Honolulu. We saw some new things as usual. The rest and relaxation is rejuvenating for all.

Hawaii Beautiful

Traveling around Hawaii I have been carrying my sketch book. I have been attempting to draw what I see using black ink. The plan when I get back to the mainland is to get some special color crayons and add the color to the book.

Hawaii

Peacocks, Peonies, and Goslings

Goslings in the Columbia River, peacocks from the Seoul Zoo, flowers in shades of pink found in the Metro Station in Seoul, and white peonies from a friends back yard. All inspirations for my art in the last 3 months.

Traveling brings you to many interesting sites. These beautiful flowers were brought home to my daughters apartment in Seoul where I proceeded to paint several pictures of them. The funny part was they were not in a beautiful flower stall, or even a shop but deep underground near the train station. A visit not soon forgotten.

The peacock began to intrigue me as I uncovered and studied the various colors they display. They are a cocky bird who appears very territorial. They walk around the zoo strutting their finery and displaying a grandeur unlike another. 

The peonies are a very difficult flower to paint because they have so many petals that define its beauty. I will continue to work on this flower for many years to come.

It Has Been a Year

We are back in Hawaii. I brought my paints, paper, brushes and pencils to paint. This year it seems easier after painting the entire year. I have been painting but not blogging. Some of my new ideas came from visiting the Seoul Zoo where I was up and personal with all kinds of birds. My favorite at that time was the peacock which I have chosen to paint numerous times. A trip to the Tri- Cities during the spring allowed me to photograph baby goslings. A flock of over 50 allowed me to take pictures for about 20 minutes. I have also been working on various flowers such as the iris.
As you can see I never stopped being an artist I just took a break from blogging. So lets put some pictures up and get caught up.

In Korea

Korean Wedding Ducks

The duck is carried to the new home of the bridal pair and is displayed where they can easily see it. If the couple quarrels, one will point to the duck, which reminds them of the peaceful wedding, and will stop fighting. Traditional Korean weddings always include a pair of Korean wedding ducks. Mandarin ducks mate for life, are revered by the Koreans as symbols of loyalty and fidelity in a marriage. After the marriage, the wedding ducks are placed in the home of the newlyweds, if the ducks are facing each other, nose-to-nose, then the marriage is happy. If the ducks are facing away from each other, tail-to-tail, then the couple is fighting.

Visiting The Artist Section

Seoul

Visiting Korea

More Flamingos Join the Flock

The day the flamingos arrived it snowed and there were 4 in the garden and 4 in the car. Now there are 6 in the garden and two that stand and stare out the window in their box waiting to find their place in the group.

Flamingos Come to Visit

My birthday arrived and so did the flamingos. This past year I have painted many flamingos based on visits to zoos and various places that have flamingos as exhibits but now I have my own flamingos in my backyard to look at every single day. Thank you Alan