Bowls and flowers

A tea cup (palm size) and small bowl from my last round of ceramics; both use the same two glazes, but the cup got two rounds in the kiln. And the plumeria's blooming everyday now; something to be happy about on week two of 100 degree weather.

Bowls 2 & 3

Okay, almost done with my first ceramics class. Here are the second and third bowl (and three more pieces need firing, glazing, or picking up). I like the differing inside and outside color effect; I'd definitely like to try that again. As for the earthy-tan glaze which has an incredibly long name, way too 70's on its own; definitely needs layering. And a better bowl shape/more texture.

Life drawing and Egon Schiele

This is from Monday, my second week going to a life drawing open studio. I'm trying to keep things as simple (unfussy) as possible, to practice being a little looser and to really concentrate on lines and lights/darks. I used vine charcoal for the first time this week and find it helpful for staying loose.

Then yesterday I started looking through Egon Schiele: Life and Work, which is due back to the library today. Wow. His work is amazing; so loose and captivating and jolie-laide (I don't know if you can apply "pretty/ugly" to paintings, but it seems appropriate for his work...though sometimes it's just straight ugly yet still mesmerizing). Think I'll have to take a black crayon and some watercolors to studio next week and see what happens.

Daffodil light

I set these daffodils on the kitchen counter this afternoon thinking I'd take them out to compost, but a little while later they caught the most amazing late afternoon light. Decided to take advantage of the light and photograph my first ceramics piece (I started a class a couple of weeks ago)...good thing I like imperfection. Actually, turns out working with clay is kind of like meditation, but you get to take home something tangible and utilitarian at the end of it.

Full moon

Rambunctious

The squirrels moved into the attic last week and have been up to fun and games. Nothing like waking up to the sound of squirrel fights.

Autumn walk

So, it is absolutely gorgeous today, and I decided to take some photos on the morning dog walk.

Landscapes

Currently taking a "Luscious Landscapes" watercolor class (couldn't resist the title). Here's last and this Monday's classwork.

Rio Grande vista

Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC (still in progress)

Experimental Watercolor

I recently took a weekend class with Jan Heaton at AMOA school called 'Experimental Techniques in Watercolor: Found Objects'. It was relaxed and fun (we were encouraged to use leaves and objects in addition to brushes to paint). I think the best thing I learned was to work on several paintings at once, layering on color while others are drying. It keeps things loose and unfussy and brings out the best properties of watercolor. Here's some work from the class.

Response to Rumi

Inspire Me Thursday prompt:

Out beyond ideas
of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field.

I’ll meet you there.

When the soul lies down
in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.

Ideas, language
- even the phrase “each other” -
do not make any sense.

Rumi

Happy Birthday

A response to this week's Watercolor Wednesday prompt.

Lion, Tiger, and Bear

Travel Sketching: Ithaca

Sail

So, this is based on a sketch I did a few weeks ago with a little fashion thrown in from 'Girl in Hyacinth Blue' by Susan Vreeland, which I read over the weekend. This is still unfinished, but I just wanted to get it out before the next topic came in.

poof!

One second there was a full bowl of blackberries, the next they were gone...who can say what really happened?

Canned

This might be more tinned than canned, but it's what came to mind...

Foggy

Ink wash sketches

So, trying out ink washes. It's a nice way to think less about what colors work together and just focus on value levels. These are both done from photos.

Seed

So, this is for last week's IF theme, but I made it for mother's day and couldn't post it till today. Birds keep popping up in what I'm doing, and I wanted to add a little 3D element.

Watercolor and ink sketches