I wanted to try the geometric glazing technique that I used for Belize Memory on another subject. This is an image of an agate in the collection of the Natural History Museum, London.
I thought it would work well as a subject for the technique.
I started with an ink drawing showing the major lines in the striations.
Next I created a color swatch and a gray scale to guide my work.
With a lot going on today, I had to stop working. Here is my agate painting with initial washes and a few details.
At this stage, I’m encouraged. Perhaps I can finish up tomorrow.
Micron pen on watercolor paper with raw sienna, burnt sienna, quinacridone red and Payne’s gray.
I drew this one loose and fast, but took my time inking and painting it. It’s on Bristol paper, not watercolor paper, so I got some waviness. Quinacridone gold, transparent orange, cerulean blue and Payne’s gray. My pen was a Pigma Micron 05.
Today I finished my first attempt to capture a feeling in watercolor.
On December 12th, I wrote this entry in my Belize journal, describing the boat trip back from the reef after snorkeling there:
“On either side of me the sea rolled by, with bright, transparent turquoise water punctuated by amorphous, dark green forms of sea grass and coral clumps below the surface. After the first several miles had passed, I began to detect bits and pieces of the shoreline. They came in the form of striated horizontal lines, looking like a slow fade from one color to the next. First sea green, then turquoise, followed by the strip of land separating the bay from the lagoon. The land was dark, with bumpy forms of vegetation. Beyond and above that was a cool blue strip of atmosphere. Was it mist, fog or ordinary clouds? I couldn’t tell. Eventually I detected the purplish forms of the mountains, overlapping each other and rising from the mist.”
I’m relatively happy with this painting. It captures the way I felt about what I saw that day. Working abstractly was an experiment. I might try to paint the scene again using a more organic style.
This is also my first painting on Arches hot press paper. It took a little getting used to. Pigments used were Winsor green, Thalo blue, Prussian blue, quinacridone gold, quinacridone red, carbazole violet and Payne’s gray.
As the snowflakes drift gently down – and blow slightly sideways – across the backyard, I thought I would take some time to review projects I completed in the past year. No, dear reader, I won’t drag out all of them. Instead, let’s focus on the best loved, by you, in each category.
KNITTING
I wanted to start with knitting, because it seems I spent a lot of time doing just that. I even ventured into teaching knitting, just a little bit, for my local arts association.
It seems there was a three-way tie for the best knitting project of 2021. So I have to go with the most charming one. And who better to model it than little LL?
Runners up were Gentle Curves Shawl and Woodsmen’s Socks
DRAWING
I was pleased with the progress I made in this medium. It helped me to take classes from Ross Meyer. His lessons on getting high values using graphite were most informative. I also began to develop a more personalized style with casual portraits using ink and watercolor washes. The winner in this category is my sketch of H as a toddler sitting with Cat.
Also strong contenders: Happy Father’s Day and Hummingbird at Fuchsia.
PAINTING
My personal goal for this year was to improve my watercolor paintings. At the beginning the year, I painted a little bit everyday on paper the size of postcards – a very doable goal, which lasted only one month. I put my money where my mouth was and paid for in-person lessons. This helped me a lot.
Surprising to me, the most successful watercolors were some of these small experimental ones. A post called “Back to My Routine” got the most attention for this 6 x 9 painting of a stormy sky.
In the early months of the year, I spent time making quilts. I gained skills by following along with a group that was sewing Stay-at-Home Round Robin quilts. Not only did I learn a lot but I was really happy with my finished object.
EXPANDING UNIVERSE LAP QUILT
Two other quilted objects of note were this art quilt……….
CATBIRD SINGS
and a twin sized quilt made for LL featuring dogs and cats.
ANIMAL FRIENDS
And that’s a wrap for 2021. What does the new year hold for me and my art? I haven’t come to any conclusions yet. But whatever I choose, I’ll make it worthy of my time and effort.
Since Sunday, I have painted several sample palettes for the imaginary Belize waterscape. I have also completed my first watercolor sketch. Its subject is the mountains and sky, including a little of the shoreline.
This type of work helps me learn how the different paints I have chosen behave in the mixing and glazing process. I also have narrowed my choices of colors.
And I’ve come to the conclusion that hot press paper will give a better result with this technique, so I’m off to the art supply store in search of same.
Daily Fiber 