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Sunday, April 6, 2014

Newest Paintings

This is Funky Flamingo, collage.


This is funky lady, Loopy Lulu

This is funky lady:  Phony Phoner

Hmmm, I don't think this painting looks this blue, evening light while photographing.  Will retake tomorrow, or sometime soon.  The paint might still be a bit wet...I've lost the depth of the cave!

I have messed around with the following 3 landscapes paintings, and will post the changes below for comparison.  Did I improve them or ruin them?

Now that the weather has moderated, our group paints en pleine aire in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
I love the rocks and sounds of water, birds, breeze in the trees.
This is Box Elder Creek near Nemo, SD.



In the 2nd version, I darkened the tree trunks, lightened the water and put in reflections. The 1st version now is history.  I took the first photo inside, the 2nd outside at twilight, changes the whole tone, doesn't it?

These two are on Sheridan Lake Road at Spring Creek Picnic Area.  There is beauty everywhere you look!






This the 2nd one I tried to improve, darkened the rock crevices,  worked on the water.  The 2nd photo is taken by natural evening light.  I don't think it is actually that blue.


This one is at Cliff Park on Hwy 44, just out of Rapid City.


May 2, 2014 This is today's funky bird, a Sandhill Crane.  It is 7-1/2" x 11" and costs $45.  It is a smaller piece than the following two birds which are 11"x15".


Here are two of my latest paintings.  These are based on Charcoal Pours I learned how to do from Karen Knutson at her Apr 24-25, 2014 workshop at Jennifer Stone's studio in Watertown, SD.  These are Funky Birds, and I will also post the Funky Ladies I did in the same workshop.  What fun!
The bird I completed in the workshop is a Funky Osprey.  There are Osprey nests built in Silver City and around Pactola Dam in the Black Hills, so I became a bit interested in their habits.  I'm much too scattered to become an expert in anything.  A "bit" is as far as I go.  He is collage and watercolor on a charcoal poured background.

I drove from Watertown, SD after the workshop, arriving home at 9:30 pm, rather than wasting my Saturday on the road.  So, Saturday I made a paint and collage Blue Heron.  Mom loved them as she grew up by the Grand River, their ranch now under Shadehill Reservoir.

Okay, now my Funky Ladies:  
Number One Lady

Number 2 Lady I named, "Hire Me?"  Can you tell I'm anti-piercings?  She is done with marker and watercolor on sketch paper not the good watercolor paper that I usually use.




This is my second attempt at Batik, Turkey Trot.  Next, I'll do a flower, as in Kathie George's book, to see if I can create something lovely, as though pups and turkeys are not!  I'll frame this today.

After drawing for a month with Kathie George, I bought her book Simply Beautiful Watercolors and tried Batik.  Obviously I need lots more practice, but this first effort is of Obi, and will hang next to Shep and Bozo.  Imagine a pet wall!