Tag: inspired by a photograph

Posted in painting

Improvisation inspired by Blue Brightly

Posted on by Laura Kate

This week’s Artist Way focus is on recovering a sense of abundance. Today when I viewed Lynn Wohlers wonderful photographs on the subject of Deciduosity, I was struck by the abundance of Autumn colors she had captured during her recent visit to the east coast. I just had to get out my watercolor paints to respond.

Her images of Shu Swamp inspired me to try an abstract painting of the scene. Grabbing some student grade paper, I started by making doodles with Micron pens in the general shapes observed. The water went in with blues and pinks first, then, without thinking too hard about it, I just began laying in colors, lighter to darker: green gold, yellow ochre, quinacridone gold, and burnt umber.

The whole time I was moving like I was in a trance – I think it is because I was working more abstractly. It was a soothing and satisfying experience, and a welcome break from the pressure of finishing the dog portraits.

I highly recommend that you visit Lynn Wohler’s WordPress Blog.

Prepare to be blown away.

Posted in drawing

Sunday Sketching: for a fundraiser

Posted on by Laura Kate

My local art association is having an art sale in October. The members are asked to use 6×6 canvases to make artwork, choosing whatever media they prefer. At the event, each canvas will be sold for $66.

This is something I can do. This week I picked up three of these canvases. I came up with six ideas for subject matter. To get started, I made some sketches today (really, just contour drawings.) These will be painted with watercolors.

  1. Butterfly perched on my hand. Butterflies have landed on me in real life. Often it’s the little hackberry butterflies, drawn to warm or sweaty clothing. I wanted something with more drama. I chose to sketch a spicebush swallowtail.

My hand was drawn from life. For the butterfly, I referenced a photo from the Audobon Guide to Butterflies of North America, published in 1980.

There were no photo credits in the book.

2. Baby sparrows in a nest: This drawing was made based on a photograph by Bill.

At times, parent birds choose unfortunate locations for building their nests. This nest was located in a door wreath at a downtown business. Here is my contour sketch.

I have something special in mind for this work. Fiber art will be involved, giving this painting more of a 3D object.

3. Two of my other ideas will be worked with fabric paint on cotton. I will recreate some early experiments of mine using the sun printing technique.

I’m excited to get started. Perhaps I will work on color selection later today.

Posted in drawing

Wednesday Sketching: Loon Study

Posted on by Laura Kate

Today’s sketch may also be categorized as the 100 Day Project. I am again working with photographs by husband Bill. Having recently enjoyed spending time with loons while on the lake in Wisconsin, I gained more appreciation for the beauty of these birds. This photograph is a classic loon pose: neck held in a graceful S-curve, head and bill slightly raised. But what I’m interested in for this exercise is the graphic quality of those black and white feathers. I zoomed in on Bill’s picture to examine the feathers more closely.

I started my sketch by drawing strong lines to separate what I see as four quadrants of an abstract view. Using a micron fine tip pen, I drew in the white markings, making shapes with a lot of variety – just like I see them. Then I used a Stabilo permanent marker to fill in around all of the white dots.

I originally wanted to do this art piece in black and white only. But the solid-looking color of the neck suggested an opportunity to try out a water soluable graphite pencil. So, I did and used it again on the lower body.

In the end, I felt compelled to add a little bit of color, in the form of red ink and blue watercolor paint for the water and sky.

I took some liberties with a few red dots. They create some focal points, and echo the bird’s red eye, which remains unseen in my sketch.

My abstract loon was drawn on smooth paper in a 9 x 9 sketchbook.

Posted in painting

100-Day Project: Days 36,37,38

Posted on by Laura Kate

I could have called this post Wednesday WIP. But since I worked from three of Bill’s photographs to create this panel of the dragonfly art quilt, I prefer to focus on the inspiration.

As noted above, I am still working with dragonfly photographs. In this installment, I selected two images of the same dragonfly……….

…….plus one photo of some bougainvillea blooms.

The three images will be combined in a horizontal panel measuring 12 x 24 inches.

On the first day I painted the background. I dipped the scrunched white cotton into two different pigment baths, wringing it out in between soaks. After smoothing the fabric onto my dry erase board, I placed two dragonfly shaped masks, several sprigs of dried leaves, and a sprinkling of dried peas. Next, I dropped on a little bit of purple and magenta paint, then set the board outside in the sun to dried.

It didn’t take long.

I took my time painting the dragonflies. Today I finished up by drawing the delicate wing veins. Next the background got more attention. I enhanced the leaf shapes with color, then painted a long line across the panel – my interpretation of the wire plant support seen in the photos.

A closer look…………

another…….

Again I used Micron pens, watercolor pencils and a little white Gelli pen for the finishing touches.

Posted in painting, quilting

Revisiting a fiber object

Posted on by Laura Kate

Three years ago, I was inspired by this photograph to make a small art quilt.

I had taken this picture while on the drive back home from Wisconsin. The colors and the layers made me think of a strip pieced quilt. In 2020 I used several hand-painted fabrics to create an abstract landscape.

https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/157882254/posts/1737

While I no longer have this quilt, (it was gifted to my god-daughter) I still have the photograph. Using it as a reference, I reproduced the lower right section of this quilt in watercolor.

It was a quick and fun exercise. But it got me to thinking about derivative artworks. What else did I make that can inspire a new piece in a different medium?