Spirit Guides

I have been working on channelling Spirit Guides. We are all born with a network of guides, or Angels, to help us lead our lives. I'm just trying to capture their likeness on paper. 

Spring is here

Spring is finally here. Not that you can really tell in Wisconsin, but soon the daffodils will be up. Karen challenged me to paint something springy, so while I was out back playing with the girls, I noticed the daffodils were pushing up. 

So I grabbed my travel kit and my Stillman & Birn sketchbook and put pen to paper. I used my Lamy Safari filled with Noodler's Lexington Gray to outline my design, then painted in the colors. I used my favorite M. Graham watercolors, some stolen from Karen's stash and finished up in time to push the girls on the swing some more. 

I really need to paint more, but the three girls keep me from having any time to myself. I even blog surrounded by children. At least they aren't fighting. For the moment. 

Cherry blossom girl ~ wip

There is something about watching Heroes on Netflix that makes me want to draw. So after the girls went to bed the other night, I grabbed my little 5x7 pad of hot press paper and my pencils and came up with this little sketch. 

I was definitely inspired by Hiro's time in 1671, but we'll see if my cherry blossoms can get up to snuff. I'm definitely not feeling Alizarin Crimson or Pyrrol Red for the pink so used my tube of Daniel Smith's Garnet that sparkles (I'd go read the name, but my lap has been taken over by a cute little snuggler). Unfortunately, the tube of M. Graham's Quinacridone Rose I bought wasn't a watercolor tube, but gouache and tends to take over any washes and I haven't had a chance to replace it. 

These are just the first few washes, but I'm enjoying how it's coming along so far. 

You are amazing

I have been in this horrible funk lately. It's the time of year, and the fact that my dad has been gone for ten years now. Ten! Sometimes I forget. So, while the natives are napping I just decided to pull out my sadly neglected paints and whip a little something up to remind myself that we are all amazing. 

Mermaids

For Christmas a couple of years ago, my in-laws did a homemade Christmas. While I cannot hammer in a nail to save my life, I can do whimsical creatures. So I decided to paint some fun little mermaids for my sister-in-laws.

I think my favorite part was the detail on their tails, after drawing them of course. I love to doodle and sketch, I actually got into a lot of trouble in school because all my papers (seriously ALL) had doodles in the margins. I can't help myself, I need to let them out.

So, since we can't seem to keep this little blog current, I'm just going to post some old stuff and have at her. I am fairly certain I painted these with the Reeve's watercolor set that Rob bought me for Christmas one year, that set was full of color, and I loved it. Until I found out how awesome M. Graham paints are. World's apart, my friend, worlds.

Here you go with "The Pearl" and a few mermaid dances, honestly my favorite is the redhead, which did not come out right in photos. No matter what I do, she still looks yellow, which is so unlike the actual painting, but my scanner hasn't worked in years. It's disappointing to say the least.

My sweet little helper

This is my little helper. While I managed to obtain my travel brush from her, my prop disappeared in record time. I was using my Schmincke travel watercolor tin that I have filled with M. Graham paints. Soon I'll post my little travel set that I carry around. Karen and I can even compare our "necessities" since we work differently. I think creating art is an ever evolving process and what I may have used last year or five years ago has changed into what I use now. 

I also may get a shot of this finished page and perhaps a scanner that works, but we will see. 

Crooked rusty barn

Karen and I met in downtown Portage yesterday to have some much needed child free painting time. We walked quite a bit until finally deciding on this lovely barn. I set up my travel palette and cracked open my brand new Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook. I quite enjoyed this paper in the recent sample pack I received and had hopes a whole sketchbook would deliver fun results. Karen had her travel palette as well plus let me borrow her cerulean, a blue that I currently do not own, but have been thinking of making it a new addition. Anyone feel free to chime in on your thoughts on cerulean!