I have lots of this plant growing in shady areas of my yard. Last month it bloomed beautifully.
One sunny morning, I noticed that it had cast its shadow onto the weathered fence.
I have been wanting to sketch this view ever since. Well, truthfully I want to paint it. But I like to do a preliminary sketch before I paint. It helps me understand the details.
And boy, there are a lot of them.
I’m thinking that the scene needs some simplification to clarify its primary point. So I will work on that in another sketch. THEN I’ll pull out the paint.
This week the summer heat has finally set it. I haven’t been posting for the past several days. Perhaps it’s because my energy is sapped, not only by the heat, but also by the unrelenting misery of contemporary human interactions. Wow, I don’t even know what that last bit means.
As a counterbalance I give you a photograph of some non-human beauty.
Ozark Sundropsin front of an old house.
I’ve been working daily with fiber. But nothing that I think is share-worthy. I have two knitting projects underway – a shawl and a baby dress – both are disappointing me. The local art association had another plein air meeting, during which I sketched. But I stopped before completing it, due to the heat.
The one bright spot in my week has been my water color painting. In an effort to hone my skills I made a goal to paint daily. Here are the two still lifes I painted this week.
This one was painted while following an on-line tutorial and a sample photograph.
My photography is not super-focused but I’m pretty happy with the painting.
The next painting was done while looking at a photograph, but I took off the training wheels. I worked out the color mixing and brush technique without a tutor.
Apple on cloth
What I like: The textures of each surface, the highlights and shadows of the apple, the rich mottled color and shaping of the apple. What I don’t like: The shading of the folded cloth. But it does have a sort of abstract appeal.
Daily Fiber 