“Koi Fry” 4″ by 6″ watercolor on 300 lb wc paper $30.00

“Bold Lilly” Watercolor on gessoed masonite $50.00 USD 8″ by 8″ (inches)

What a great day! The sun was out it was like 65 degrees, Roo (my grandson) and I went out in the yard and played with the dogs, we sang, threw rocks basked in the winter warmth and ate Mickey Ds. I stayed up till three am last night so I painted a couple of small paintings, this is one of them.

I used to have lilies in my pond but my Koi are large now and they think I’m putting those beautiful flowers in there for them to munch. So now unless I protect them by cordoning off a corner they get devoured in about five minutes.  But I can still have them anytime I want, I just have to get out the paint brushes.  Isn’t it wonderful to have an imagination?

“INCOGNITO” An Original Watercolor on handmade paper (deckled edges) by Shanti Marie 11 by 14 inches $120.00 Plus $5.50 for S & H.

“Incognito” A quick look at how Glazing can change a watercolor

This is a painting that is ready to be glazed.  It is completely dry  (more than 24 hours)  and will accept a new layer of paint very well.

The final finished painting is at the bottom of this post.

This is how the painting looks before I have glazed it.  Take a look at the painting and you will be able to see how different a painting can look after glazes have been applied.

You may also see area or shapes of some things which haven’t been painted yet.   Some direct painting or glazing with the same color will also need to be done to bring the values in line.  Values are difficult to determine unless you can see how  all the various colors and glazes effect each other.   Often an artist should go back and take a look at anything that has been changed just to make sure that anything that needs tweeking gets tweeked.   This means perhaps darkening an area previously thought to be OK.

Above you will see a section of the painting.  Look at the light green leaf here in the middle, I will glaze over some burn’t senna and  then some green and  last some pink which should push the leaf back a bit and look  like a shadow.

You can see this in the next photo below.

Under the bright orange leaf there is also an area which is not defined, look at this area and see how it will be redefined by direct painting & glazing. This photo above shows how I changed the shape of this area (under the large orange leaf).

Next look at the photo below… there was a very light  shape which was only painted a light grey blue but was left mostly white.  You can also see the blue leaf’s edges (in the corner) was given a blue and purple glaze .

 Here is the that same area and you can see it has been painted around (negatively painted ) also a few direct touches help to bring a little critter to life.

 

Below in the next shot there is an area of the painting I had to grey up a bit while defining the finger like shape.  I glazed over this area with Phatho blue.

Then I decided to scumble in some Andrews Turquoise and some Cerulean blue  Both are a bit opaque and can be layered rather then glazed. Opaque paint will sit on top of the first layer of paint, in this case the dark blue paint.

  This is the right hand lower corner of the painting, You can see I put in various colors as glazes to give the butterfly shape some dimension and I also added some colors to his body for a little more emphasis. 

 Here is the final painting.  Notice I also painted the little vine like branches again so they would stand out against the background.  I also glazed the big brown leaf at the right hand bottom corner with bright red so it looks a bit brighter.  These things are subtle but often these little tweeks are all a painting needs.

 

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Another fall day 11 by 14 $120.00 Watercolor

Blue Morning Glories… Watercolor 6″ by 9″ 45.00

I love flowers, always have ,I remember picking roses out of a neighbor’s yard to give to my mother.  I never thought it was wrong , I just assumed there were so many and they were outside… so its like finding a treasure. 

“Butterfly’s flight” watercolor and gold leaf on 300 lb paper

22 by 30 inches 470.00 plus $12.50 shipping.

The Mandarin Chinese word for butterfly is “hu-tieh”. “Tieh” means “70 years”, therefore butterflies have become a symbol for a long life. In this culture butterflies have also become representative of young men in love.
In the Japanese culture butterflies are thought to be representative of young maidens and marital bliss. Many Japanese families use the butterfly in the family crest design.
Germany has a very unique belief about butterflies. As butterflies can often be found hovering about milk pails or butter churns, they have become associated with witches trying to steal the cream. The German word for butterfly is “Schmetterling”, which is actually derived for the Czech word “Smetana” which means “cream”.
There are many links with butterflies in mythology from all over the world, many of which, in particular Greek mythology, link butterflies to the human soul. The Ancient Greeks also considered butterflies as the souls of those who had passed away.

In ancient Greek the word for butterfly is “Psyche”, which translated means “soul”. This was also the name for Eros’ human lover and when the two figures are depicted they are often surrounded by butterflies.
In one of the Russian dialects, butterflies are referred to as “dushuchka” which is a derivative of the word “dusha” also meaning soul. There is also an Irish saying that refers to the symbolic meaning of butterflies. This saying is: “Butterflies are souls of the dead waiting to pass through purgatory”.
There is a small town in Mexico that also associate butterflies with souls. It is to this town that Monarch Butterflies migrate every year, around the holiday known as the Day of the Dead. The people of this town see these butterflies as the returning souls of the deceased.
Butterfly symbolism is closely tied to the idea of spirits and souls. It has been also been used in many religions and cultures. In the western world, the symbol of the butterfly stands for freedom, fun and joyous times. It is also symbolises a state of naturalness and purity.
In the Christian religion, the metamorphosis a butterfly undergoes is symbolic of the spiritual evolution all Christains go through. Butterflies are all small and appear to be the same(like the catapillar), but as we grow older our true beauty shows. Like a butterfly, we are all different, and beautiful in our own way.
In ancient mythology, the butterfly stands for wisdom and everlating knowledge. Butterflies symbolizes change or transformation in many cultures purely because they change from one thing into another.

There is a Native American legend that says, ” If you have a secret wish, capture a butterfly and whisper your wish to it. Since butterflies cannot speak, your secret is ever safe in their keeping. Release the butterfly, and it will carry your wish to the Great Spirit, who alone knows the thoughts of butterflies. By setting the butterfly free, you are helping to restore the balance of nature, and your wish will surely be granted.”

“Koi Duo” watercolor on ampersand 5 by 7 inches $50.00

5 by 7 watercolor on ampersand. $50.00

Tribute to Monet 24 by 30 inches Oil painting on canvas

Another water painting from my Tribute to Monet series.

This is a large painting I’ve been working on for a couple of weeks. It has a little bit of texture and a wonderful sense of reflection. Walking my dogs in the morning I’ll walk down to the water and come out from under the thousands of trees which have been blocking my view and look up to see something like this. It usually takes my breath away.

$400.00 oil on canvas. The sides have been painted…. so, no need for a frame.

This Beautiful Earth ACEO

2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches oil painting on Watercolor paper. A tribute painting& A collector’s item. Signed by the artist, only $15.00 plus shipping and handling.

Tribute to Monet # 14 Oil on canvas panel

This serene water painting is an Oil painting done on a canvas panel. The size is 24 by 30 and can be purchased for only $400.00. As it’s on a panel it can easily be mailed directly to your home ( continental US) for $5.50 USD.

This painting is part of my ” Tribute to Monet” series, it’s slightly more grayed down than many of my usual more colorful water paintings. I think the warm yellows are set off very nicely by the grayed down blue of the water.

“Under the falls” oil on gallery wrap one inch canvas. 24 by 24 inches

I have been in a bit of a quandary lately over what to paint next, no not these little paintings, but bigger paintings 1/2 sheets to full size sheets or bigger.

I just finished a series. I decided I wanted to start another series or so I thought. The problem is: I cannot for the life of me get the fourth painting started. I also have been reworking the second in the series even while others tell me to leave it alone, its great. This tells me maybe I really don’t want to make it into a series.  Then again…I have to admit I struggle thru this foggy quagmire of first attempts every time I start a series. It only seems after I’ve painted four or five paintings that I have a sense of what it is that I’m trying to say. It almost like I have to take the idea of a painting from a concept into a breathing living thing. Right now I feel like these paintings need CPR and I can’t remember how to administer mouth to mouth. Until then Until I can breath life into these paintings its just paint, paper and brushes.

As you become a better painter with more skills and techniques, you start to search for your style, you crave uniqueness. Why do painters constantly advocate breaking from the traditional school of thought? Is it the case of attempting to create paintings that will owe nothing to any other piece of work or artist–something unique and original in the world of art?” It’s a wonderful philosophy, but unfortunately an unrealistic delusion, simply because no one has ever been able to demonstrate a work of art that is entirely different. Every painting I ever gazed upon, including those in any gallery and those of the great masters all echo some previous painter’s accomplishments. Painters are by nature trying to achieve something new by using parts of something old. Every work of art, consciously or unconsciously has been subjected to traditional values in one form or another. The truth is that there is nothing original and if it appears as original there are most likely some less known artist doing the same thing but not getting any credit for it.
There may be new mediums, new colors or pigments but the basic way we take paint and create has not changed.

$800.00

Blue Fairy , watercolor on paper

“Money can extinguish intrinsic motivation, diminish performance, crush creativity, encourage unethical behavior, foster short-term thinking, and become addictive.” (Daniel H. Pink)

I got this from robert glenn’s weekly letters and knew it was so right but of course also know we all have to pay the bills. Sugar bear, my 100 lb lab is eating me out of house and home… This painting is$200.00 watercolor on paper. it’s slightly larger than 12 by 15 inches.

Psychedelic Mushroom, watercolor on paper

OK OK so it isn’t spelled right, I couldn’t figure out how to spell it! Agghhh I hate that.. anyway.. this is a small 5 inch by 5 inch mushroom painting I did while at Wild Acres last month and forgot to post it. I finally got time to take a photo of this small gem and get it up loaded.

Its 40.00 and it could be in your home in only a few days.. go to http://www.dailypainters.com and buy it!

All dogs go to Heaven #12

I love these dogs!
5 inch by 7 inch watercolor on paper $30.00

this is from my “all dogs go to heaven” series…

I can’t help but hear one of the bigs dogs say to the other big dog about the little dog ” Do you think there may have been a mix up at the hospital?”