August 2024 Water Media Challenge- Join the fun/ all welcome!

[Joy]

Christine - I like the changes to the portrait IMO, the lips were too dark before and looked like lipstick and aged the subject. You did not ask for critique then, but I like it better now. Impressive how such spare markings could portray the fleece coat so convincingly.

 

[PaintBoss]

Thats so nice of you to say Jo. Thank you. I feel very out of practice and maybe a wee bit impatient as I struggle with stamina just sitting up and using my arms to do this. That hopefully will improve. These challenges motivate me. One thing I was guilty of when I wasn’t looking at the picture for reference, was that I was thinking of my beloved devilled eggs! Ha ha. I can see where that made it into the work.
And oldie but goody recipe.
Mix into yolk half Miracle Whip/ Hellman's Mayonaise, add reg yellow mustard to taste.
Optional : finely chopped dill pickle. Or add a little pickle juice.

 

[PaintBoss]

Christine - I like the changes to the portrait IMO, the lips were too dark before and looked like lipstick and aged the subject. You did not ask for critique then, but I like it better now. Impressive how such spare markings could portray the fleece coat so convincingly.

Thanks. Exactly right Joy. I noted the same thing. I waited until i was a little better rested to lighten the mouth. Tiny area to work and needed a steadier hand. It was bugging me. Also added more reflected light in sunglasses. A little more blush to the face.

 

[Grapes]

PaintBoss, I keep in mind that recipe of yours .

I was inspired by PaintBoss's egg painting and wanted to try it with gouache, size: 10x15 cm, paper: Arches dessin 130 g/M2 60 Lbs. Paper probably is not meant for gouache cause it says 'pastel & fusain'.

 

[PaintBoss]

I like it!! I like how you handled the eggs much better. I like the dynamic strokes of the plate and I like your observation with shadows.

 

[Joy]

Mosc - The style is this is very effective. The impressionistic plate and the way you used size (scale) and values to create depth (with the back egg) is really well done.
Attach files

 

[Grapes]

PaintBoss & Joy, thank you so much!

 

[Ellen Easton]

Hi folks. Sorry I seemed to just drop out. I really didn't. I just had to be in the hospital and there wasn't time to remember my laptop but I did grab my plen air bag even though I never got to use it while at the hospital. I got home yesterday and I'm just trying to gain some pep and get rested enough to start painting.

I have all my art stuff sitting here around me in the living room. I may end up having to evacuate again but if I do, once again even if I leave barefoot without undies and in my ratty nightgown, my art supplies are all going with me. ROFL

Today there were so many sirens and we don't get a lot of those way up here in the woods. The firefighters work so hard to protect our little towns up here, but a couple of known arsonists started a fire right downtown today and firefighters from other areas had to be called in to help. There are so many firefighters from everywhere who are working to keep the fires nearby from spreading to the little towns and then these two sick ones go start a fire in town.. My daughter happened to be up at the store shopping and saw it start. Thank goodness they got the fire out. It just explodedd into fire, burning two houses and catching a field on fire right away. Fortunately, someone saw the guys who did it and knew their names and gave a good description of the truck. They'd better hope the cops get them before the people who live here do. I'm a pacifist Pollyanna type at heart normally but I have to admit I think it stinks they'd do that and I'd help kick their nasty butts if I could. Sorry----but at least I admit my black heart. LOL

They're going to renovate our tiny little airport now because it's so important when the fires start. The big copters use it and they'd use it if the medical choppers were needed. We're way, way out of range to make using the Eugene airport or even the Creswell one close enough to provide quick help. They've also decided to renovate the old high school for an emergency shelter, but that will take two years so it won't help much right away. There are some people who can't evacuate because they don't have gas or transportation or anywhere to go and it's about an hour down out of here anyway.

I did find out that our resident cougar is still here. He didn't get killed or move further away. Although they're not cute fuzzy kitties or harmless and benevolent spirit animals in the movie sense, I do love them and don't want them to go totally away. It isn't normal for them to be anywhere near people but their numbers haven't been really well managed and now they're hungry and there isn't enough food for them so they're coming around snacking on small pets and we can't really go walking in the woods with him up in a tree as we walk under it unsuspecting or something like that. To make matters worse, there have been people who who put food out for them so they can "see a cougar". That's absolutely insane. There were four that had to be killed last month just across the highway and others in other areas too.

I won't bore you all with more chit chat and the tale of my hospital thing. This "hospital thing" was very, very trying. You wouldn't enjoy the pictures of my boo boo's and the tale of woe. I'm just glad I didn't have to have major surgery and that I survived the bad practices of the hospital I was at in their greed for money causing them to overwork and understaff that I'm sure results in needless deaths.

Anyhow, I'm just so anxious to get in some painting time. Hope everyone is doing the same and I really enjoy catching up on the wonderful work I'm seeing already.

 

[PaintBoss]

Hi Ellen, glad to hear you’re back home and you’re OK. That’s worrisome to hear you were in the hospital. Glad you survived the hospital! I sure hear you about all of the problems in hospitals and understaffing. Scary and upsetting.
I can’t wait to see your artwork. I sincerely hope you have no more problems of any sort and you can stay happy and stay put where you are, and paint away. That’s worrisome about the fires. I’m generally very nice too, but arsonists that destroy peoples homes and who could easily kill people and animals in the worst way and cause all kinds of misery deserve our anger and disgust! I hope they throw the book at those nasty waste of spacers!
I’m really glad to hear that you’re getting
upgrades to your area even if they take a while to get done. Having a decent airport and a shelter is so very important. Crucial.
And yes, the poor cougars and other animals are definitely losing to human development. There is a natural cycle of predator and prey in the animal world too. Cougars may have now also gotten so plentiful after the last few years that now the natural cycle will occur with die off from lack of prey, and then the cycle will start again.
It will be nice when you can walk the trails again!
Anyways, I hope you heal up and that you stay put in safety and do all the art you want. And then you could show us here!

 

[Grapes]

..my art supplies are all going with me. ROFL

Ellen, I like your attitude!
Lots of frightening things happening around you! I was my eyes wide open reading everything you have going on. Welcome back to this wonderful thread PaintBoss has created for us.

 

[Jo Castillo]

moscatel, love your eggs. I could almost eat them and I don't eat hard boiled eggs. Evil grin. Well done!

Ellen, take care.

 

[Grapes]

Jo, thank you!

 

[Joy]

I wanted to post much sooner, but I got sidetracked. This something I did in a W & N 140CP sketchbook, 7 x 5. I fiddled with layers too much (great paper for that), and was going to bin it until I added the stems and let it dry. When I came back to it, it looked better to me. The scanner never seems to capture things well. Of course, it is blotchy and overworked, but at least I finished it. I have been working on it incrementally for the last week or so on my patio when I have time, using the Portable Painter.

 

[PaintBoss]

That is a smashing painting of those apples Joy! You have such beautiful control of your watercolour techniques and a great eye.
I SEE NO BOTCHING!
It all came together.
Frame it!

That’s good to know about the paper taking that much reworking. I had a hot press watercolour pad of good quality and I hardly did any washes on it and it’s developed a hole in the middle. Maybe it was a flaw. Ruined it.

 

[Grapes]

Joy, it's gorgeous!
So much different varieties of colors and textures, I'm amazed! It's beautiful!
I'm glad you posted this painting because to see this made my day.

 

[Joy]

Christine, Mosc - Thanks for the kind words. I hope to get something else done this month for this thread.

 

[PaintBoss]

I look forward to what you come up with Joy.

 

[ams]

Jo, I like your peonies. That paper worked well for this loose style.

Interesting work with the gouache. I haven't worked with oils or gouache but I like the results. There is an oil painter in my art class who tried gouache but didn't care for it.

PaintBoss, I love your little girl. Just the right touch of ink and lovely subtle shading of the fuzzy coat.

Paintboss, I like working fairly small too. Mine usually end up in the 5"x7" range.

Jo, I haven't used M. Graham oils but I love their watercolor.

PaintBoss, I have had similar experiences like your eggs with how heavy to make the ink lines. Always a challenge for me. I like the mix of yellows in the yolks and the nice shadows on the plate.

Moscatel, I like how your gouache eggs came out. You're getting better with the gouache.

Joy, nice apples. They don't look overworked to me. I know what you mean about scans though.

I managed to do a couple of flowers, the rosebud and a couple of peonies. Inktense pencils. The rosebud used them as paint, the peonies I put the pencil down on the paper first and then used my waterbrush.

 

[Joy]

Lovely and delicate, Anne.

 

[PaintBoss]

Ams-Thank you for your thoughtful comments to me and the other posters regarding discussions on this thread.
I am pleased to see you here and both of your pieces! So glad someone chose the rose. It was not edited at all. That was the lighting!
What a lovely rose! Carefully observed, you got it! Lovely peonies too. Inktense pencils, I have never tried them. Both approaches worked very well!
Thank you for contributing to this challenge, and being part of the fun here with us!