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!

Quesadillas

Here's a little sketch I worked on before dinner the other night. It's just a quick little sketch in my pocket Moleskine watercolor journal done with my new Lamy Safari fountain pen that I filled with Noodler's Lexington Grey ink. I love the pen and ink combo. The ink dried really quick, I was surprised because when I used the Bulletproof Black in this book and then laid down watercolors they smeared after I thought they were dry.  

Different pen, different ink. I did some fast and loose watercolor washes, laying in more color to the damp areas. I'm really happy with the results. I even took a shot of my painting in progress, enjoy!

 

Oranges in the window

I am going to make it a goal of mine to try and do a little sketch every day. Every single day. I doodle, but don't take the time to sit and sketch, there are always a million things running through my head. I'm going to sit back, relax a little, and work on loosening up my sketches. 

I started today. The oranges on my semi clean countertop were just begging to be painted, so I sat down with my two girls (no mean feat at that, it's surprising I truly got anything done) and worked on a quick pen drawing with loose washes of watercolor.  

I've been ogling over several urban sketchers blogs lately and I love how they can make their sketches look so put together just using loose watercolor washes over an ink drawing.  I need more practice, it's a good thing I've got plenty of supplies.  Some day I may even man up enough to go to an urban sketchers event, so far I'm too chicken. 

I leave you with "oranges in the window".

Sheep

Sheep on the Isle of Wight, a photo by briemarie on Flickr.

During a little virtual exploration on the Isle of Wight, I found these adorable little sheep and had to do a quick ink rendition with washes of watercolor. I'm just wishing I could have been there in person.

Sizzle

IF - Onomatopoeia, a photo by briemarie on Flickr.

I painted this for Illustration Friday, the topic was Onomatopoeia. I painted outside in the front yard, while the girls cavorted around me, J on her bike and Z scooting across the grass.

Blue

I won't be posting my version of the red train car. Brie, yours just blows mine out of the water. So I'm going with blue.
Cold blue. Snow and sky. This is from a reference image, but it could have been painted anywhere near here lately. Cold and blue. Too cold for outside. My water would freeze to the paper.

Advertising in Red

Here's an oldie.

Last summer, Karen and I went out to the circus, sans children. Any parent will understand how freeing it is to go somewhere by yourself. Not that we wouldn't normally take the children to the circus, but we went to paint, and do a little plein air work. We found this amazing red advertising car and just had to capture it. As you can tell, my trees need some work, but hey, we never claimed to be good at this, right? We only claim to a love of creating and our current medium of choice is watercolors.

This little guy is still a work in progress, I still need to paint in the letters on the side with some white, either acrylic or gouache, but I feel like the gouache is still awfully light. Perhaps I add too much water? Some day I might figure it out, I've got a whole tube to use up.

It's hard to believe how fast two hours flew while we painted. Well, scouted the rather sparse grounds and then set to painting, which required filling water, looking for lost water containers and getting comfy on the rocky ground. It's always fun to sit and chat with someone that can finish their own sentences as well, and that won't try taking the paint brush and adding their own creative flair.

I'd love to say there is more to come, there is, truly, but as two busy mamas, I think this little blog is a bit on the back burner. Hopefully once this unnaturally cold weather has moved onto another state, we'll be able to get together and make a mess for you to see.

Cheers!