Promise Tree

This one evolved organically, feeling like the tree was growing as I painted it.  Promise Tree seemed like a fitting title.  It is in the Waterloo Watercolor Spring Show at the Corridor of Art. I hope you enjoy it!

I will try to do a better job of posting, both to keep you updated on my creative endeavors, and to keep me painting!  Thanks for looking!

Crimson Bloom

The First National Bank in Elgin asked to display paintings from local artists.  Thought I'd give you a peek at some of mine hanging in their lobby.  I'll also show you one of them up close. It's called Crimson Bloom. Thanks for the comments and encouragement.  I'm not writing much because I'm busy painting!

Nick Simmons workshop

Just finished a 4 day workshop with artist Nicholas Simmons here in Austin. I loved it. He is an internationally recognized water media artist, a musician, and an entertaining stand-up comic. Made for a fun and interesting time. I learned about the use of fluid acrylics as a form of permanent watercolor and the use of Photoshop software for design purposes. Most importantly, our class of 22 was challenged and inspired to experiment and create art in new and personal ways. This painting is one I created in the workshop, with use of acrylic watercolor and techniques to create the atmosphere of water surrounding the subject.

I am going to try to do a better job with posting paintings on a more regular basis. Hope you enjoy my explorations!

2011 Pearls art show

This is me last night at the 2011 Pearls Before Swine Art Show here in Elgin with my painting "Just Happened." I created this one with an intuitive underpainting first, adding an image of columbines after it had dried, by painting in and around the shapes. "Summer Breeze," above, is one of my intuitive paintings which I let evolve spontaneously without preplanning a subject. Both paintings were fun to create. Summer Breeze received a People's Choice award during the reception!

There was a big festive crowd and lots of beautiful art, including youth art, in an old historic building on Main Street. And a silent auction with great participation from area businesses, with proceeds sponsoring a youth art scholarship. I am impressed with the vibrancy and support of the community and the leadership of the Elgin Art Association in making this event a success. Come if you can to the art show, which is up through Saturday, October 22 for the Elgin Hogeye Festival http://www.elgintx.com/hogeye.asp. For those of you who don't live in Texas, thanks for enjoying our fun through my blog!

"Watercolor, Free and Easy"

My brother asked me to lead an art activity at a surprise birthday party for a very special lady, his girlfriend, Sandy. She is not only his special lady, but one of my biggest art enthusiasts. How could I say no? After a trial run with a smaller group of friends, then an inspired day of analyzing my own painting process and simplifying and outlining the steps involved, I came up with an easy step-by-step process. With the key steps painted and described on an illustration board, I led the group through creating their own painting of vases with light shining through. The first step involved making a wet-on-wet underpainting. Then when the underpainting was dry, the image of vases was added by transferring a tracing onto the underpainting using graphite paper. And finally, the space around the vases was painted a darker color, causing the lighter colors to appear to shine through the vases. Voila! We had quite a few masterpieces and lots of laughter and fun, not to mention, wine, food, and birthday festivities interspersed in between!

Video from Spring Show

The reception for the Waterloo Watercolor Group 2011 Spring Show, "Printemps," was well attended and showcased alot of beautiful art work. Hope you enjoy this video clip from that afternoon. My new daughter-in-law, Beth, is interviewing me and my son Jared about how this painting, Purple Mist, was created. I do enjoy the spontaneity and mystery of wet-on-wet painting!

CD Cover Art

At the Pearls Before Swine Art Show in Elgin last October, a musician friend happened to notice my painting, Piscene Fantasy (see my October 25 posting.) She was recording a new album, to be entitled Piscean Dreams, and asked to use my painting for the CD cover! After returning from a tour of Italy last month, she treated me to lunch and shared her wonderful music with me. I'm finding that it's fun to share and collaborate with other artists! You can hear previews of the songs on her website, www.janegillman.com. Enjoy!