New Sumi-e

Here are details of the bunny and elephant paintings I mentioned recently:

They will be going to decorate a nursery for cute little twins!

Sweet Package

Well friends, I've dropped off the face of the earth again. It's been health related this time but it's nothing really serious, so no worries. :) Also really busy at work but I am looking forward to sharing some of my latest crafting and doings with you. Someone left a question while I was out and asked if I do bunnies or elephants in sumi-e so you may see some of those in the near future too! Particularly bunnies. I love those little guys so much I'm surprised there are none to be found in my stash of finished works. This omission must be corrected... and soon!

I did get the sweetest little package from Ms. LQ who writes the Paper Napkin Poetry blog, I was the very lucky winner of her giveaway, not only did I get the most gorgeous art postcard but also several other goodies, all colorfully and lovingly wrapped. Thank you again so much for the package. I apologize for the lousy photos but I was like a little kid on Christmas morning and couldn't wait for better light the next day before opening my goodies! It is even more beautiful than the photos show. I don't know how you could bear to part with it except to think you are very generous!

Bamboo

I have been interested in Japanese culture since a fairly young age. I think it may have been either Sanrio or the Japanese animation I grew up watching, but either way, because I love art I was always intrigued by the sumi-e and woodblock prints I would see in books.

I took a class to learn the basics of sumi-e and found that it's a wonderful, meditative art. It's deceptively simple, because you try to capture the essence of the item in as few strokes as possible. The paper we used was absorbent and the ink permanent, so any hesitation would mean there was a blob of ink in the middle of an otherwise beautiful stroke. It took some practice, but I loved making the ink at the beginning of each session, working on control of the brush, and found that I felt much more relaxed and happy after a session painting sumi-e. The best part is that the finished painting itself also possesses some of those same qualities, inviting peaceful meditation. I recently came across my stash of work from those efforts and will be showing a few here as I become re-acquainted with them.

Illustration Friday: Vacant

One of the first exercises that we did in painting class was a visit to blind contour drawing. We had to draw each other without looking at the paper, and of course that always has some rather interesting results. Then we had to take our drawing and transfer it to canvas and paint it. Our instructor actually encouraged us to push the boundaries even more and use strong colors, so I ended up wiping off the face and attempting to re-do it in our next session, but didn't get very far. I was originally not going to post this painting because it's really not the type of style I paint, but it was such a perfect illustration of Illustration Friday's "Vacant" theme that I decided to just get over it and post it. I've been thinking about adding a pair of eyes to the original painting and call it "Eyes Without A Face" after the Billy Idol song. It's painted in oils on canvas.

Illustration Friday: Clique

The fruit theme continues! Here is the latest oil on canvas (8x6"):

Back to Fruit

I'm back to my comfort zone and it shows! I was much happier painting yesterday's piece.

Oil painting, 8x8" canvas.

Maybe I Should Stick to Fruit

Had a frustrating landscape painting day. I have admitted that landscape painting is not my forte, and this week's painting definitely shows it.


I told my instructor I'm taking a break from landscapes for now and going back to fruit next week.

Palette Knife Love Continues Unabated

This week's painting was a little hair-raising because I didn't feel I was having the same beginner's luck I had the previous week, but I finished it regardless. I liked the way the sky turned out, it captured the fluffiness of the clouds the way they were.

Illustration Friday - Enough - Palette Knife Painting

Sometimes the shade of a tree on a hillside in a sunny day is enough.

One of the things I struggled with when I last painted oils was getting enough paint on the canvas. I preferred to paint in thin layers and build up color slowly. I always marveled at artists that could use impasto and expressive brush strokes, and wondered how they could get so much paint on the canvas with a brush. Turns out they were using palette knives all along.

We tried palette knife painting in the last painting session and I was fairly satisfied with my painting at the end of the day. I never thought I could paint like that! I think I'll be trying this technique again!

Enough, Oil on canvas, 8x6 inches.

Curiously, the cake decorating classes I took came in handy when trying this new technique!

Tuscan Countryside

Here is my latest painting. I haven't had much success with landscapes (looks like that is still the case...), so I'll need to practice as much as I can. I can't believe there are parts of the world that look like that - it's almost like a dream.

Illustration Friday: Sour

When life gives you lemons... paint them!

Oil painting on canvas, 6x6".

Lonely Pear

I've been wanting to paint some pears for quite a while, and this time we got to paint fruit, so I took the opportunity and did this monochromatic piece. I tend to use very little paint on the canvas, so this is my most painterly one yet! I want to paint some green pears soon.

More Than Two!

I have finished my third painting. I decided to go with a landscape this time. I had painted one landscape years ago, and I was not happy with it at all so I had avoided them ever since. Looks like a few years have helped a little bit! I am thrilled to be back to painting with oils again.

Back to Painting

For a variety of reasons, I haven't painted in over 12 years. I've been meaning to get back to it but the past few years I have been riddled with fear that I've forgotten how to paint, a real shame considering how many years I'd spent painting and drawing before the painting hiatus. So I finally signed up for an oil painting class, and although not extremely pleased with my work so far, at least it's better than nothing. Here's my second painting (the first was absolutely hideous and it's not going online...)