Day 16

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I think I might be too far behind to catch up at this point–4 days behind! Yikes. No matter, I am going to push on. I read an article that the bats in New England are in trouble. They are so good for catching bugs, sad to see them not doing well. I felt like I was drawing upside down! It’s a little wonky, but it was fun to draw a little baby bat. Casein & graphite on paper.

Along with the #30paintingsin30days! challenge I started a new #sketchbookskool Expressions Klass. The first one is all about lettering…looking forward to that project as well. Maybe I can use it for my next painting!

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The Ninth Day

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Here we are day 9. I am going to throw caution to the wind and use a painting that I just finished to stand in for day 9. I started it weeks ago, but finished today. This was done in oil paint bar with a palette knife on paper–sunset over Maui pastures. I did another piece that I am happier with, but by the time I completed it the daylight was gone…so no way to take a good photo (and my scanner is in a different location. I will post that one tomorrow. I had a great day painting! #30paintingsin30days!

Day 4

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Challenges are in fact a challenge! Day 4 is done, but I can’t say I am super pleased with it. Working small in order to accomplish the work, this is 3″ x 5″ on a watercolor board. I do love the image, and I am grateful for the resource from USFWS. Drawn in graphite over casein resourced from the USFWS Mountain Prairie Flickr website–photo taken by Tom Koerner. #30paintingsin30days!

Tomorrow Day 5! Hoping for a quick early morning painting.

Spirograph Fun!

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Pineapple Conure. 5" x 5"

Pineapple Conure. 5″ x 5″

Well, it’s day 3 of the painting challenge. So far I am doing good. Still time in the day for maybe one more painting (this way I can post that tomorrow, because tomorrow it’s back to the day job!). I bought a spirograph set just after Christmas and I have been eager to try it. They are mesmerizing and truly as the advertising states…endless hours of fun. They do however take some time to perfect.

I decided to pair up my painting and the fun with the spirograph. I think I might do some more of these. This is casein, ballpoint pen and graphite. The casein ground went down first, then the spirograph designs in green ballpoint pen and then a casein wash followed by casein to block in the bird. Graphite over top. I had forgotten how nice graphite works over the casein…it has just the right amount of “give”. #30paintingsin30days!

 

Challenge Day 2!

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I started off with the ambitious proposal to myself of 3 paintings today. I did 2. One was not worthy of posting, the other I am happy with. Maybe tomorrow I will get 3 that work well. I am fearful that in order to keep up with this challenge I will have to stockpile!

This piece is resourced from my Animals: 1419 Copyright-free illustrations of Mammals, Birds, Fish, Insects etc as well as images that I found on google. It is a cross between an American and European Avocet (which may be the same, I don’t know). Regardless, I think that they are elegant!

Medium is watercolor ground with salt and graphite over top.

30 Paintings in 30 Days

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It’s a challenge! It really will be. I will have to double or triple up on some days in order to meet the quota for this. But, it will motivate for sure! What a great idea. Here is the link to the challenge if you are interested: 30 Paintings in 30 Days

I don’t really think of myself as a “painter” so that had me a little worried.  But, looking at the work that some are uploading it looks like there is quite the variety. I am going to keep my pieces on the painterly side with some drawing thrown in.

Day one: Angel fish on casein ground with water-soluble graphite. Challenging to work on the casein as it remains workable when you use any water over top. I think this needs a little paint spatter…I might add that.

Happy New Year everyone, hope 2016 is a super great one. Paint and Draw!!

Oh, almost forgot, I jumped off the edge and created my own website. Scary…but it’s done! Check it out. AnneMarie Welsh Fine Art

Cone Flowers

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Working the cone flower: watercolor pencil and blue fountain pen

Working the cone flower: watercolor pencil and blue fountain pen

I need more cone flowers in the garden! They are so wonderful, they draw in the bees, the butterflies, the moth’s all the pollinators seem to love them. After some research it seems that they come in some really nice colors too! My mother tells me that I have cone flowers that are native to Maine…the droopy kind. Next year I think I will add some new varieties. In the meantime, it’s nice to have these around for a little while.

Quick sketch: flower journal

Quick sketch: flower journal

Really enjoying sketching a little plein air! This is the most perfect time in Maine, and great for sitting outside with your art supplies. Nice temperatures, mostly not too hot, not too cold. It will be gone soon, so good to take advantage. I took a lot of photos of the butterfly and the cone flowers to use as reference for the winter months.

Summer Variety

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Sea Urchin: 4x4 panel, watercolor, encaustic, oil stick

Sea Urchin: 4×4 panel, watercolor, encaustic, oil stick

It’s a surprisingly nice feeling when someone appreciates your work enough to actually buy it! The piece was donated to our local library fundraiser–I decided to donate my sale 100% to the library–somehow it seemed the best thing to do considering I don’t sell my work yet. It wasn’t a high ticket sale, but so nice none-the-less to have another person enjoy it.

I am working on a bunch of really tiny pieces…4×4 cradled panels. The square is an interesting challenge–so far the work all seems to go well together–sheerly by accident, but I think that they will look good hanging together. Because I can’t settle down and just keep going with one medium I am also trying out some oil paint on wood panel.

Cone Flower: 4x4 on wood panel, watercolor and colored pencil

Cone Flower: 4×4 on wood panel, watercolor and colored pencil

Still experimenting with the encaustic–maybe it’s always going to feel that way. This piece I decided to just have fun with. I am starting to get the hang of the layering of color–the main image I scraped out with an old dental instrument–I was pleased with the way that worked out.

Jack-in-the-pulpit: encaustic on wood panel, 11x14

Jack-in-the-pulpit: encaustic on wood panel, 11×14

I want to move on and do a series with the cone flowers that are blooming. I have discovered that working plein air is actually pretty wonderful…but they aren’t going to last as long as I need them to!

Afternoon Shadows at Fort Point Lighthouse: SOLD!!!

Afternoon Shadows at Fort Point Lighthouse: SOLD!!!

Goofing Off Today

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Goofing off with new art supplies

Goofing off with new art supplies

Totally goofing off today. Started with some warm up sketches and then decided to do something using all the new materials that came in my #ArtSnacks box. All these materials are great, but they don’t necessarily work together. I will try to get back to my Jack-in-the-pulpit painting tomorrow.

The sailing vacation was a lot of fun, but I found that I didn’t do much drawing. I wanted to draw, but there was so much going on all the time–I felt distracted. John says that I was just out of my element. I took a lot of photos and I have some good reference material for some drawings and paintings from the trip.

No more time off until the fall. Drawing and painting on the weekends though. Summer in Maine seems to have arrived–we are having some beautiful weather.

Captured with my iPad. Lucky shot!

Captured with my iPad. Lucky shot!