Hysong Designs - The Artists Way

The Show is Hung

2012-01-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

Jim Coates hanging my paintings.

I'm hooking up to Paint Party Friday for the first time in a long while. Many things have been going on in my life and I have been very busy with other projects and not really painting the last few months.

My first show, Copper Mine Picture Cafe, Miami, AZ

All that said I am having my first show and am soooo excited! The opening reception is tomorrow. I went over and delivered my paintings a couple of days ago and watched the owner, Jim Coates do a great job of hanging everything. He really has this down to a science. The Copper Mine Picture Cafe is located in Miami, Arizona. So if you are able to I'd love to meet you in person on Saturday! If not my paintings will hang until March 11, 2012. The photo is just one section of the space; there are 14 paintings in all.

My First Show!

2012-01-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to announce my first show, at the Copper Mine Picture Cafe in Miami, Arizona. The reception is this Saturday from 1-5.

Now I have to get busy and finish getting everything in their frames with their hangers put on!

Harvesting Has Begun ;-)

2011-10-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

Harvest Shelly Beans, Lettuce Mix, Mixed Baby beets

{Edit: I have no idea how I manage to put this post here, it was supposed to have gone to The Edible Garden blog! My apologies if I have confused you! Stay tuned for more art!} This was my harvest Friday, Oct 21: Hopi Purple Pod beans in their pods weighed 2 pounds, 6 ounces. (the shelled beans weighed 8 ounces), mixed baby lettuces, 3 ounces, mixed beets and greens were 1 pound and 12 ounces, the roots alone weighed 10 ounces.

Hopi Purple Pod beans as green shellies

Some folks have never heard the term 'shelly' beans. These are simply those sorts of beans that you usually eat as dried beans, shelled out fresh and eaten before they have dried. With frost a possibility any time the next couple of weeks I probably won't get too many pickings but it's nice to have them while I can. Next year I'll start them much earlier and pick beans in the late summer through fall. When I have them then I also usually have tomatoes and peppers and make garden chili when ever things are ready.

On another note I have discovered another gardening blogger and just love her blog. I have probably spent most of the afternoon reading it! The Empress of Dirt, a woman after my own heart!

LADYBUG ROCKS

2011-10-20T19:22:00.001-07:00

A Flock of Ladybug Rocks

After a couple of weeks with no time to paint I managed to paint a flock of ladybugs. I also took pictures and typed up step by step instructions and published a free tutorial: How To Paint Ladybug Rocks. I'm thinking about doing more tutorials, just not sure what to do next, after all, ladybugs are pretty simple. But then maybe some people would like more complex projects to work on?

So this is my entry for Paint Party Friday: I hope you will stop by and marvel at the amount of beautiful art that is all around us and the wonderful artists that share their visions with us.

Now one of the reasons I haven't gotten to a lot of painting lately is because I have been quite fixated on getting as much wall building done as possible before it starts freezing at night and I have to stop the concrete work. Also I've been working in my garden and last week got my first harvest of baby lettuce. Have loads of work to do out there before frost too. I will probably get back to painting more regularly when the weather cools off a bit more.

PS: I just discovered Marsha's Spot with a blog hop for Squidoo writers. Sounds like fun so I've jumped right in and listed this post for the first time.

No Painting this week ;-(

2011-09-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

OK, it's been a bit of a crazy week and after work, then coming home to water the garden, feed the bunnies, feed myself, check up on all my web stuff, I have just been falling into bed. So I haven't got in any painting time. I did however, manage to make two calendars over on Zazzle using some past art, so here they are. If I get any thing done Friday morning I'll add it in, but not holding my breath!

Rock Art Dogs 2012 by maryhysong
See more Dog Calendars

I used a lot of the rock art dogs I did back in the spring for this Rock Art Dogs calendar. And for the Cats calendar, I picked some of my favorites from my 30 Cats in 30 Days challenge from last January and February. There were a couple that were just not a good length x width ratio that I had to leave out though.

CATS 2012 WALL CALENDAR by maryhysong
Join Zazzle.com's artist affiliate program

Italian Sunflowers

2011-09-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

Italian Sunflowers, 18x24 acrylic on canvas

All right, was a very busy weekend with 2 birthdays parties, one Sat. and one Sun. And with my daughter and her 3 girls spending the night Sat. night.

But I did manage to finish the Sunflowers. At least I'm going to declare them finished because if I keep mucking about I'm liable to ruin them.

Besides I'm getting the itch to try them in watercolor.....

In the meantime I've added some of my photographs to items in my Zazzle shop.

Italian Sunflower by maryhysong

Sunflowers

2011-09-16T06:32:00.000-07:00

Sunflowers, 18x24 work in progress

I have been working on these sunflowers some more this week. It is hard to find just the right shadow color for the big one that is back lit. I've tried several things and am still not quite happy with it.

I'm also really noticing a distortion from my camera; I'm getting a 'fish eye' sort of look, this shot isn't too bad but on some it has been real noticeable. I'm sure it's just a camera setting or something. Will just have to play with it some more.

I'm using Chroma's Atelier Interactive Acrylics. I like how I can blend one layer into the next, but I am giving some serious consideration to trying out some of the new water miscible oils. If you have tried them, please tell me what you like or don't like about them, or if you prefer one brand over another and why.

Sunflowers

2011-09-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

Sunflowers, 18x24 work in progress

One day in Italy we were driving to Sarnano to see the Carlos Crivelli exhibition and as we came around a corner we happened on a field of sunflowers in full bloom. Working from a photograph I took, here they are.

First I drew them, them went over the drawing with diluted regular black acrylic, adding some shading.

Sunflowers, 18x24 acrylic on canvas, work in progress

After the that I washed Raw Sienna over the canvas, lifting out some of the areas that should be the lightest.

Sunflowers, 18x24 acrylic on canvas, work in progress

Here I've begun working on the sky, mostly Cerulean and white with touches of French Ultramarine and Cobalt.

Sunflowers, 18x24 acrylic on canvas, work in progress

Then I darkened it at the top with more Cobalt. I went over the lightest petals of the main flower with white.

I've used some burnt umber and nearly every yellow in my paint box to start on the flowers. Slowly working my way down the canvas.

Bell Peppers

2011-09-13T02:01:00.000-07:00

Tonight I decided to try out some more of the handmade paper that I bought at the paper making museum in Fabriano. This is colored a light green and has a smooth side and a rough side. I used the rough side. This quick study of bell peppers was done in Atelier Interactive acrylics. I didn't use much water with them because the paper is pretty thin and I didn't want it to buckle.

This one is done on the same paper with soft pastels and pastel pencils. I don't have a large selection of pastels so I don't have a lot of colors to work with, this was about the best I could do with what I have.

These were inspired by the exhibition I saw in Ascoli of Giulio Gabreielli's (1832-1910) work. He mostly used guache or oil on paper and worked in small sizes. It was really cool to see his little sketchbooks. Also very cool was the fact that many of the buildings and landscapes he painted are still there, in some cases little changed from when he painted them. The exceptions are the additions of electric lines and the exchange of donkeys and horses for cars and motorbikes.

Early Morning in Montidinove, finished

2011-09-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

Early Morning Montidinove, left side

Early Morning Montidinove, right side

Well I think I am about finished. If you are just joining me, this is an Early Morning in Montidinove, Italy. Each diptych panel is 12x24 inches, Atelier Interactive acrylics on canvas. I have posted the panels as separate photos so you can click on them and see them larger than if I posted them in one photo together.

Now out to do a little gardening while I think about the next one!

Early Morning in Montidinove, almost finished

2011-09-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

Early Morning Montidinove, work in progress

I think I am nearly finished with this. Here I've straitened up some bits on the pink and white buildings. The perspective isn't quite right on them but I'm going to leave it. I did raise the street in front of the pink building and it does look better now.

Before I washed that right hand building with the purple mix I had coated it with binder medium so it wouldn't lift the layers under neath. Unfortunately the medium is a bit shiney so now I'm getting some glare. Also the area is a little darker than this in real life.

Early Morning in Montidinove Work in Progress

2011-09-11T06:52:00.000-07:00

Early Morning Montidinove work in progress

Here I've been working on the cobblestone street and small details here and there.

Early Morning Montidinove

I wanted the foreground building on the right to be in a darker shadow (and it actually is darker than it's showing up here) so I washed over the whole area with a mixture of Indigo (blue-black) and Quinacridone Red Violet. I then restated the texture. I also adjusted the perspective of the window sills. Then painted over the shrubs and flowers.

The dark shadow area on the street is not black but a combination of Indigo and Burnt Umber. For the cobblestones in that area I just added white. For the cobblestones in the sunny areas I washed the street with a lighter mix of the cobblestone color, then lightened it up with Titanium White and Naples yellow to add the cobblestone texture.

I brightened up the pink house a bit with Vermillion+Titanium White and added some white to lighten up the house next to it.

I see a few more bits I need to tweek, mostly small details but I am very pleased with how this painting is turning out.

Early Morning in Montidinove Street Scene

2011-09-10T16:51:00.001-07:00


Early Morning in Montidinove work in progress

I have begun a painting from one of my photographs, an early morning street in Montidinove. This is a diptych, each panel is 12x24 inches.

First I drew most of it out in pencil. I skipped all the modern electric lines and street signs. Then I went over it in diluted acrylic.

Early Morning in Montidinove, work in progress

Then I toned the canvas with diluted raw sienna.

Early Morning in Montidinove, work in progress

Then I worked on the shading with diluted burnt umber. All of this was done with regular fast drying acrylics.

Early Morning in Montidinove work in progress

Then I broke out my Chroma Atelier acrylics. These are acrylics that can be re-wet and reworked even when touch dry. I like how the new layers of paint melt into the first layers. I think it builds up the color nicer than with regular acrylics.

Here I've begun on the sky, at the very top is a little cobalt blue.

Early Morning in Montidinove work in progress

Then I began adding Cerulean mixed with a little Titanium white as I begin going down the sky, adding more and more white as I go, going back and forth blending it in.

Early Morning in Montidinove work in progress

Towards the bottom of the sky I added a touch of Naples Yellow. Here I've also begun laying in some local color and suggesting the wall textures.

Early Morning Montidinove, work in progress

I continue to work from back to front, adding color and texture. Here I've also smoothed out the sky a little more.

Early Morning Montidinove work in progress

Here I've begun work on some of the background and mid-ground details like the flower pots. I have now covered the entire canvas with at least one layer of the Atelier paint.

My Italian Sketchbook

2011-09-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

Church in Pescara, watercolor

Happy PPF a bit early! I have to work early in the morning, so thought I would get this posted before I go to bed tonight. Finally photographed my sketchbook from Italy, pitiful showing for two and a half weeks, though we were busy going here and there! And I have over 3,000 photographs to work from in the future.

Most of these are from a lovely 8x10 sketch book that John gave us when we arrived at The Retreat. It took the watercolor surprisingly well, with minimal buckling.

Street in Force, watercolor & ink

Fountain in Vittoria, pencil

Grape study, watercolor

Ivy takes a nap at the beach, pencil

Archway, Montifortino, watercolor

Force, pen & ink

rustico at dawn, watercolor

The beach at San Georgio, pencil

San Taddeo, watercolor

Field of Sunflowers

View of Montifortino from Mt. Sibillini

Wine Jugs, the big one is about 35 litres or more

water study, 16x20 handmade paper watercolor

San Taddeo, 16x20, handmade paper, watercolor

These last two, San Taddeo and the water study are done on luscious handmade paper that I bought at the paper making museum, made right there. They have a rough surface and a lot of sizing so they barely buckled when I did the big sky washes. I don't usually go for rough paper, but this was great for the stone texture. I bought about 20 large and 20 small sheets, along with some sheets that are colored but not as thick. I haven't tried them all out yet.

Montifortino & Italian Scorpions

2011-09-07T07:18:00.000-07:00

Italian Scorpion, about 3 inches long

I did not realize before this trip that Italy had scorpions and they are bigger and uglier than the ones we have here at home, I killed this one after I took his picture. Fortunately no one was stung.

On Tuesday morning we headed over to Montifortino, a hill town right on the edge of the Sibillini National Park. The Sibillini's are part of the Appenines, or Italian Alps. I am told that deep in the park is a glacier and that the glacier melt is what is piped to the houses and also sold as bottled water.

Town gate, Montifortino

church window, Montifortino

We parked below the town gate and hiked up to the top of the town. There was an empty church with this unusual brick treatment.

church door, Montifortino

Farther along there was another church, this one seemed to be in the process of restoration. Here you can see the original size of the doorway and how it was bricked in and made smaller. This is very common in doors and windows in buildings all over. There was a pretty park like area around this church and we were going to sit and draw. However, a quick black snake darted along and that made Elise quite nervous so we walked back down the hill into the more populated area.

buildings in Montifortino, note the recycling bins on the street

Montifortino

view from Montifortino towards Sibillini Mts.

Montifortino, laundry

If you live in town you hang your laundry out from your windows, like this.

Montifortino, base of the wall around the town

As we left Montifortino we drove around the base of the town.

We Find a Roman Temple

2011-09-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

Montidinove

On Monday we just took a drive, taking this road and that. First we ended up in Montidinove, another typical hill town.

piazza, Montidinove

View from Montidinove

street, Montidinove

garden, Montidinove

Later we drove down the coast to Pesaro and had a bite to eat. We stopped for a bit along the beach for a snack and some sketching. We drove up the coast aways, then headed back inland.

We followed some signs for an archaeological park, which was closed, but I was able to take some photos through the fence.

As usual, nothing was in English, but I looked it up later online. Apparently this is still under investigation, but it is a Roman Temple site from around 1st-2nd century AD. But they don't know to what deity it was dedicated yet.

Farther up the hill is a little town, Monti Rinaldo. The place looked half deserted, especially since it was siesta time. Even accounting for that a lot of the buildings were empty and the windows boarded up or shuttered.

Monti Rinaldo

After leaving Monti Rinaldo we were headed home and decided to stop by a little 'rustico', a tumble down house for some sketching. The old houses stand up pretty well until the roof tiles start coming off in the winter winds. Then the roof slowly gives way. In the meantime ivy and even trees gain a little foot hold in the walls where eventually their roots push the rocks out of place and the walls start to come down. In a hundred years or so there may not be too much left to even show there was a house here.

We made one last stop at a little vineyard near the Retreat for some pictures of the ripening grapes.

New Print Products at Zazzle!

2011-09-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

Roman Arch by maryhysong

I am happy to announce that Zazzle has added a lot of new print options! They now have wrapped canvas, framed prints and many other new items. I'll be adding some of my art and photography to these new items so that you can have them for your very own.

A Festa in Force

2011-09-01T08:07:00.001-07:00

Fire juggler, Force

On Sunday evening we went over to Force to the 'festa'. Basically a harvest festival, every town seems to have one sometime in August or September, celebrating their local specialty.

Force is well known for their traditional copper beaters. There are only a couple of little old men still making copper pots, stills (yes it's legal to distal your own alcohol here), and other items. There were little food booths set up all over the town, a few people selling jewelry.

One of the churches had an amazing model of the town and of the old crafts practiced here set up in their basement.

There was also some entertainment, singers, dancers, live folk bands, this fellow that juggled fire and did a mime act and one on impossibly tall stilts who danced. That was an amazing feat to dance on stilts on steep cobblestone streets!

More Sight Seeing in Ascoli

2011-09-01T01:18:00.000-07:00

door to Ave Maria

We also went in the church of Ave Maria. There are some fantastic huge marble columns and sculptures from the 17th c. but the interesting part were the very early fresco fragments from the 12/13th c.

Fresco fragment, Ave Maria

We then walked down towards the Roman bridge, still in use and with cars going over it. On the way a church was open that is normally closed. San Maria dell Intervenous, the sign says it is called that because it was built over a vineyard. John however is of the opinion that it means 'of the blood'. This is because the site is right by the river and vineyards are never planted by the river, but higher up on the hills.

Either way the church is quite a find. The inside is obviously old, around 11th century and with some fairly well preserved fragments of frescoes on the pillars along with Byzantine styled lions on the portico.

San Maria Intervenous

S.Maria Intervenous fresco

ancient graffiti on the fresco

Church tower of S. Maria Intervenous

Later we walked across the Roman bridge and took a look at a place that Gabrielli had painted of which I had bought a print. I haven't taken a pic of the print, but will do that and show you the painting and a photo of the place side by side.

Ascoli

2011-09-01T00:58:00.000-07:00

Buildings are built right over streets, Ascoli

On Sunday John took us to Ascoli to see the Gabrielli exhibit. He was a19th century painter of the Le Marche area and many of the scenes he painted can be seen today, little changed except for the addition of cars and electric lines.

It kind of cracks me up how the buildings are built right over the streets. You have to remember that this area, like most of Europe has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Most towns have Roman foundations and each generation has built on top of the last. In one street you are likely to see buildings or parts of buildings put up or remodeled in nearly every century. Everywhere you can see traces of Gothic archetecture, some still there, some bricked up.

Gothic window, Ascoli

Modern Italian building consists of pre-cast concrete wall slabs with a little brick work on the corners and around doors and windows. I much prefer the older methods of building with stone.

Carlos Crivelli Alter Piece

While waiting for the Gabrielli exhibit to open we took a walk. In the church of San Emideo is an original Carlos Crivelli alter piece. Fully gilded, egg tempera over gessoed wood panels, it is a beautiful piece.

altar piece closeup

San Emidio was built over a 12-13th century chapel, possibly built by Templars.

13th c. chapel under San Emidio

The crypt under San Emidio

Part of the crypt

Column capital 13th c or earlier

The earlier chapel was partly remodeled and some flashy polished marble columns were put in to replace the older ones. However, most of the capitals were kept and the carving is very fine compared to the later ones.

The early chapel was actually built over the remains of a Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter.

One Stroke Class

2011-08-30T00:11:00.000-07:00

One Stroke Painting Class

One Saturday Jana arranged for me to teach a One Stroke painting class, I had 6 students, including a couple of young girls, one was 11. Everyone had a good time. Jana spread us a lovely lunch and we painted away most of the day.

Mural in the apartment

2011-08-30T00:03:00.000-07:00

Apartment kitchen before

On Friday was lazed about the studio painting and sketching from our photos, doing laundry and what not. In the after noon I painted a little mural in the apartment kitchen where I am staying. Here it is before.

And here it is a couple of hours later with a little one stroke mural of a grape vine and some brick work.

Montefalcone and Vittoria

2011-08-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

The door to San Taddeo

On Thursday morning Elise and I hiked up the hill to the ruins of a small farmer's chapel. I'm told it was actually in use right into the 1970's but by then everyone had a car to go to the big church in Force so the priest stop coming to the little chapels.

The roof has mostly caved in and part of the walls are coming down from neglect but it gives a good idea of past building methods. The walls are around 18-24 inches thick, the middles of the walls are just rubble fill and mud. The beams are tree trunks just barely squared off. There is a trace of painted decoration on the inside. As with most buildings even now there are no window screens, but there were shutters for the windows to help control light and heat during the day and cold during the nights and winter.

San Taddeo

The chapel sits on top of little hill in a copse of trees. Just below the crest the farmers fields begin.

View from San Taddeo

The valley on the side opposite of the Retreat has steeper slopes than below Force.

We sat and painted a bit then went back to the Retreat to freshen up a bit and take off again. Our first stop was Montefalcone, Mountain of the Falcons. The falcons nest in the cliffs here and are protected. The town literally hangs on the edge of the cliff.

Montefalcone from below

13th century tower, Montefalcone

Like most Italian hill towns Montefalcone has a surviving medieval tower. Rebuilt in the 13th century the walls extend through the town and you can see parts of them in other places. An odd thing to realize too is that in some places there are residences built into the walls then above them is a road.


street in Montefalcone

While quads aren't something you see on the streets every day, you do see one once in awhile.

street in Montefalcone

But you are more likely to see these little 3 wheeled trucks running about. I'm told that mostly the teenagers drive them because they do not require a license to drive one of these.

convent gate, Montefalcone

Fountain, Vittoria

We left Montefalcone and traveled on over to Vittoria. We sat and sketched this cute little fountain. We walked through the gate to a little shop and had a gelato in the street.

street, Vittoria

Vittoria gate going in

Vittoria, gate from the other side

To Market, To Market

2011-08-26T03:30:00.001-07:00

veggie plants for sale in the market

A large vegetable stall in the market

After breakfast on Wednesday we went to the market in Amandola. Besides veggies and veggies plants there were stalls selling clothing and accessories. I picked up a nice all cotton skirt. We stocked up on fresh vegetables and fruit and picked up a piece of sausage (very different than what we get in the States; no ground, a solid piece of meat)

country road

After leaving the market we headed for Sarnano because there is an exhibition of Crivelli works there. Along the way we stopped by this country road in the shade to eat the lunch we had packed.

Sarnano gate house

Typical of hill towns the old part of town at the top is enclosed in walls and you must pass through the guard gate. Today of course there are no guards and the buildings are usually given over to government offices or even made into residences. We parked near the bottom of town and had a steep hike up the winding passage ways to the small piazza on top, where the exhibition is. Unfortunately it was closed for siesta and we did not want to wait around 3 hours. So we sketched a bit and looked around and then took off again.

doors in Sarnano

Sarnano street

Residences around the piazza, Sarnano

View from Mount Amandola

We started back but took an interesting looking road and ended up on top of Mount Amandola, inside of the Sybillini National Park.

View from Mount Amandola

Elise on Mount Amandola

Flower on Mount Amandola

We go to the beach

2011-08-26T02:15:00.000-07:00

'rustico' at dawn

rustico

We got up early on Tuesday and left about 6 to go and sketch this little 'rustico' or rustic farmhouse. Abandoned and empty the farmer plows the field nearly to the walls of it. The little add on to the left was probably for animals or tractor or even just storage. The main entrance is up some steps on the right hand side, now overgrown with vines.

As you can see from the series of photos the light changed quite rapidly.

Jana's garden

When it warmed up we went back to the Retreat and had breakfast. Jana has a lovely garden just outside the studio and the bedrooms. Jana claims she is not a gardener and that she believes that whether the plants live or die is their own choice, she just sticks them in the ground and they go their own way. The lavender grows luxuriantly all about as do several other herbs and roses.

pink rose in Jana's garden

blue flowered herb

John and Jana have two cats that Jana found on the road last year, along with two dogs. Here Chester the dog tries to get in on the cats play.

the beach at Pesaro

After breakfast we rode with Jana and the girls to Pesaro, a seaside town. Here Jana had rented us 'sunbeds'. The Adriatic was much warmer than I expected. I had some bad sinus issues and wasn't very energetic; mostly laying about in the shade. Although I did take a dip in the ocean. The water is pretty shallow for quite a ways out, just up to my waist or so.

There is of course a fortification up on the hill above the beach and we were tempted to go have a look, but everyone was very tired, especially the children, so we decided to go another day and just came back to the Retreat.

Little Ivy enjoys the beach.

Smerillo and Roman ruins

2011-08-26T00:38:00.000-07:00

old fashioned haystack

On Monday afternoon we left Force and wound around through the hills, no special destination in mind. We drove through a tiny place, Ceresola, where we stopped to take a photo of this very old fashioned haystack. You don't really see these any more, not even in rural Italy, as most all the farmers use the round balers.

Then we turned around to get back in the car and saw this adorable couple.

We came across the little town of Smerillo, this is the view from the main road. We parked and walked up the stairs because there was a sign for a pizzaria and we were ready to eat lunch.

Garden in Smerillo

As we walked up the steps there was a beautiful garden and the gardener harvesting and weeding. She didn't speak any English but we told her the garden was 'bella', she seemed a bit embarrassed, but maybe a bit proud also.

Looking down the street in Smerillo

Roman gate, Smerillo

We ate lunch at the pizzaria. No one spoke English but we know the names of the pasta dishes and ensalata (salad) and so had pasta and salad on the terrace. We sat and drew a little while, then too a walk to the tower we had seen from the road. Smerillo was a Roman fortification and the tower has been restored a little.

Smerillo, Roman gate

Smerillo, Roman gate from above

old door, Smerillo

plants grow on a roof, Smerillo

view from Smerillo

We walked to the other end of town to discover that we had been here last year, having lunch at La Loggia; had we realized it we would have eaten there, tho the lunch we had was delicious and sufficient. La Loggia sits right on the edge of the old Roman fortification and there is another arched gate way near their car park. Then you can follow the old road to another town, but that would be a long hike. So we settled for smelling the flowers and taking in the view, then back to the Retreat.

Smerillo Roses

Roman Arch by maryhysong

Force, Museo de Arte Sacra

2011-08-25T23:53:00.000-07:00

Embroidery in Force

On Monday as we were walking back down to the car from the top of Force, there was a sign for the Museo dell' Arte Sacra, Museum of Sacred Art. The above photo is about half of one piece, it's behind glass so I couldn't avoid all the reflections.

embroidery close up

Here are some close ups of the big piece above.

These priests garments are in another case.

and here is a close up of a bit of it; I believe it's gold thread. There was nothing at all about it in English and I haven't had time to try and translate the Italian.

Here is a close up of the cutwork that you can see in the above photo.

Here is the placard in the Italian if you want to translate it!

Force

2011-08-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

Egyptian Church, Force, from above

On Monday we drove up to Force (pronounced For-chay) We parked on a lower street and walked up to the central piazza. Force is a small hill town with narrow streets. There is a church on the top, around the piazza (plaza) and then there is the 'Egyptian' church lower down. The Egyptian church cracks me up; the windows and brick work make faces.

I'm not sure why our hosts call it the Egyptian church, I will try and find the proper name of it though.

Force

Force, piazza

Elise stood by the wall and drew the landscape and I settled on painting the buildings on a little street. We had several admirers, though only one, an Albanian worker, could speak English. I did figure out that one of the gentlemen was also an artist and painted in oils.

Begonia, force

Everywhere in Italy, any little sliver of land there is a garden and where there is no land there is an abundance of flowers growing in pots.

street in force

geraniums in wall pots, Force

Most of the little hill towns are similar, built on top of a hill, the main road spirals around to the center, then back down the other side of the hill. Buildings are built on curves to conform to the streets. The towns all have one or more churches, the main church and often any government buildings will front on the piazza or central square. If the town has a market, this will be where it is held one day a week, as well as any seasonal festivals.

street in Force

little old door, Force

old door, Forcce

There are many interesting bits of architecture in the old towns, this door still seems to have a very old lock attached to it, though I don't think they still use it. this door is probably to a store room of some sort.

View of the Retreat from Force

Street in Force

All the shops close up and the traffic is very light in the afternoon for siesta. Then everything opens back up about 4 or 5 until 6 or 7, except the restaurants which of course are open later.

We Arrive in Force

2011-08-23T23:07:00.001-07:00

View of Force from the Retreat

On Saturday evening we arrived in at The Retreat in Force. Actually the Retreat is across the valley from the town itself. Had a lovely evening just relaxing and catching up with our friends, John and Jana, and their two girls, Lilly and Ivy.

We hung about the Retreat on Sunday, drawing and painting and getting -reacquainted with a familiar landscape. In the evening we went with John and Jana into town where an Englishman, Chris Owens, was having an art opening. Chris and his wife have summered in the area for several years and hope to move permanently from England over the winter.

We were also introduced to Adam Williams and his wife Hong Ying, both best selling authors, who come on holiday each summer. We then went to a lovely restaurant and had dinner with Chris and his wife Terry along with John and family.then back up the mountain to have drinks under the stars and off to bed.

Force view from the Retreat

Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap

2011-08-21T22:33:00.000-07:00

I participated in the Liberate Your Art Postcard swap and just before leaving for Italy received the last of the postcards. So here are the ones I received with links to the artists. This has been really fun. Kat Sloma organized the swap. How it works is I sent 5 postcards to Kat with postage. Kat then selected 5 postcards to mail back to each participant individually. Very nice work. There are links to all the participants websites over on the Liberate Your Art blog.

http://www.kateyeview.com/

Denise Baldwin

Stereo Hearts/Gym Class Heeros/Jen

www.WalterHawn.com


http://lovelifeandpictures.blogspot.com/

Not all of the artists added their contact information to their postcards, and I haven't had time to hunt them up yet. I've given the info I have available at the moment here. See a list of all the participating artists at Liberate Your Art.

Fabriano, Paper Capital of the World

2011-08-21T04:04:00.000-07:00

On the road to Fabriano

On Saturday we said 'Arrividerchi" to Agritourismo San Fellissimo and traveled towards the town of Fabriano. Along the way we left the wide open and flatter valley around Perugia and began climbing up into the thickly wooded mountains.

On the road to Fabriano

I was especially interested in going to Fabriano because it is the papermaking capitol of the world.

Paper has been made here since around 1300 AD. Handmade paper is still made here as well as machine made. The commercial paper is sent all over the world. In an old cloister is the papermaking museum:
Museo della Carta e Della Filigrana.

The convent where the paper museum is housed.

The paper makers of Fabriano invented many things after they learned the basics of papermaking from the Chinese. In past centuries only cotton and linen rags were used to make paper as those fibers lasted the longest.

Even so, in many countries right up to the 20th century official government documents such as deeds and contracts could only be written on vellum parchment made from animal skin. This was because the vellum would last much longer
than any paper.

At the papermaking museum we learned that it takes apprentices 7 years to learn their craft, especially the actual making of the sheet of paper. We also saw many types of water marks, which were invented by the papermakers of Fabriano. I was not allowed to take photographs inside any of the rooms of the museum, only outside in the courtyard. The museum does offer workshops of varying lengths about making paper and that might be a fun trip.

The museum shows how the rags are torn into small peices, then put into wooden tubs with water. There are large beaters made of wood that go up and down, three to each tub, with nails on their bottoms to shred the rags into pulp. The beaters would have originally been powered by a water wheel. This was a very noisy process. Since the museum is in a convent building without access to a river they use an electric motor for the demonstration.

Here I am standing next to some antique machinery for making paper.

The pulp is then transferred to a large vat where the paper sheets are actually made. The mold is a wood frame with a fine screen on it; the watermark is actually fine wire bent and sewn to the screen to make a decoration in the paper sheet. But the watermark is only seen in the finished paper sheet when it is held up to the light. Filling the mold with the pulp is the most important part of the whole operation and is what takes so long for the apprentice to learn to do well. It takes time to learn exactly how to dip the screen into the pulp and get just the right amount of pulp on the screen, then how to wiggle and shake the screen just exactly right so that the pulp settles evenly across the screen. Otherwise the sheet of paper might be too thick or thin or have an uneven thickness.

After draining the sheet for a minute the paper is turned out onto a piece of thick wool felt. The docent said these felts are very expensive, now costing about 200 euros each for what looks to be a piece about 20x30 inches (give or take a few). She also explained that in the medieval period, when the felts were totally worn out for paper making they were given to the wives of the workers who used the good parts for making jackets, bags and other things. The felts and paper sheets are stacked up and then they are put into a heavy wooden press and the screw turned until most of the water is squeezed from the stack. Then each sheet of paper is hung up to dry.

At this point the paper is still very absorbent and it is not possible to write or draw on it. Another innovation of the paper makers of Fabriano was 'sizing' the paper. Scraps of animal skins, hooves and such were melted in a huge copper pot until the gelatin they contained was boiled out. (pretty much the same gelatin you see on cold roast beef or that you use to make jello). Then the sheets of paper were dipped into this sizing and hung to dry again. After that they were rubbed all over with a wooden tool to help smooth out the surface. Then they are ready for writing or drawing on.

Of course today, there are machines that do many of these tasks. Even some handmade paper is finished by machines doing the pressing, sizing and drying. The museum had a lovely gift shop where they sell the paper that they make there. The gentleman there also directed us down the street to a book shop that sold commercially made Fabriano paper where we bought sketch books and souvenirs.

There was a park next to the museum and that was the way we walked to the shop. Beautiful chestnut trees and grass, along with a little tea house that was very unusual looking. It looks a bit like a Chinese pagoda, not the sort of thing you usually see in Italy. But we didn't have time to have a look and find out about it.

light through the chestnut leaves

We found a little coffee shop nearby and had lunch. Then back into the car to continue to The Retreat.

Balcony, Fabriano

Elise at the paper museum

wall pot- Fabriano

Perugia

2011-08-19T23:26:00.000-07:00

Palace dei Priori, window circa13th century

We visited the Palace dei Priori which was built from the 13th-18th centuries and incorporated some other buildings, including 2 towers. The upper floors of the Palace are the National Gallery of Umbria, Italy's richest art collection. A maze of rooms with all sorts of paintings and sculpture.

view of Corso Venucci

Here is a view of Corso Venucci from the upper floors of the Palace.

entry hall Palace dei Priori

The entry hall to the Palace contains the gift shop and ticket office to the National Gallery and has beautiful Gothic arches.

Perugia, the City

2011-08-19T22:58:00.000-07:00

Street in Perugia

You can see from the photos how narrow the streets are. This particular one is closed to cars but even where you can drive they are this narrow. Remember this is the oldest part of the city; most of the buildings here are 500+ years old.

I am facinated by how they have built little bridges between the buildings, which you can see in this first photo. Some seem like open terraces and others are closed in and even look like they are part of an apartment.

built over the street, Perugia

You can see in this close up the lowest bridge in the other photo. To me it looks like it might have been just a walkway with the railing which was later filled in and built on top of.

The streets are very confusing, especially if you are driving, since you can't drive on all of them and some of them are one way. Of course they are all so narrow they don't seem large enough to have two way traffic, even if the cars are smaller over here!

We Arrive in Perugia

2011-08-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

Agriturismo San Fellissimo

After about a 3.5 hour drive from Rome, we arrived just outside of Perugia at the Agriturismo San Fellissimo; this is our lovely bed & breakfast. A bit more than I expected; They make up the rooms each day as in a hotel, free wireless internet and a small fridge in the room.

A lovely breakfast in the morning on the terrace; fresh plain yogurt, freshly pick blackberries, croissants, about 6 kinds of preserves, (plum, kumquat, quince, others we couldn't name but were delish) along with a very light honey. along with tea, coffee and juice.

black berries grow everywhere and are ripe now

begonia on the steps

The B&B is up on a hill with beautiful views and lovely landscape full of fresh herbs and flowers.

pergola

This lovely pergola is on the terrace by the swimming pool.

elise

Elise meditates in the early morning light.

potato vine blooming in the garden

quince?

shadows

In Italy!

2011-08-19T02:49:00.000-07:00

My friend Elise and I met up at the airport in Rome on Wednesday afternoon and picked up our rental car.It took a bit to figure out how it worked since while it is an 'automatic' as you can see it does not work quite the same as cars at home. Automatic here simply means you don't have a clutch to push in; but you still have to change gears yourself ;-)

We did manage to get out of Rome without too much trouble, it did help that Elise had brought her GPS. On our way to Perugia we saw this unusual wall. Actually I think it is probably the remains of an aqueduct; that is sort of a raised canal for moving water from one place to another.

Near where we parked to take pictures of the aquaduct was a cute little place with a garden so I took some pictures of it until the dogs came out, they were barking and we didn't want to bother anyone so left quick.

Lovely eggplants of different sorts

A small town we were driving through.

On My Way To Italy!

2011-08-18T11:38:00.001-07:00

scorpion suckers

At the airport in Washington, DC I went in a shop to buy some water as you cannot bring even commercially sealed water through security. And I was greeted at the checkout counter by these suckers with scorpions embedded in them. yuck! The clerk said they sold a lot of them, they are very popular. I don't see the attraction, frankly. I don't think I could get one in my mouth!

scorpion sucker

From DC I flew overnight to Rome. A pleasant flight, I had an aisle seat and it wasn't too full so the girl that was in the window seat decided she needed more space and went and found herself another spot. That meant I had two seats and could actually stretch out a bit.

The flight itself was only 8.5 hours, but Italy is quite a bit ahead of Arizona.

dawn over Ireland at 35,000 feet

As the sun rose we were just coming in over Ireland where we turned, crossing just over Cornwall, then over Spain and on over Italy to Rome.

More Calvin, Yellow Lab

2011-08-12T05:12:00.000-07:00

Calvin, 18x24, acrylic on canvas, work in progress

I worked on Calvin some more yesterday before going to work. I think I am finally getting his face right. I would like to thank everyone for stopping by last week and encouraging me. I think I still need to work on those paws too. That one in the foreground really bugs me, I think I've figured out the problem; it doesn't look thick enough to me, what do you all think?

I've been trying to get finished because I fly out Tuesday morning for 2 1/2 weeks in Italy and really need to get this guy delivered before then!

Happy Paint Party Friday! Join the party by clicking the link over on the right.

Changes to Yellow Lab, Calvin

2011-08-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

Calvin, 18x24 inches, acrylic on canvas, work in progress

Oh my it's been forever since I've been able to paint and post an update! Things in my life have been crazy in July. But they are getting better!

My client thought Calvin was looking too serious and described him as a big goofy clown. One of the photos he sent showed him smiling with his tongue out so I have changed his expression here. Still have a lot more work to go, and I need to get a move on!

His feet still look a little awkward to me, but they are getting better and of course I need to work on his face some more.

Happy Paint Party Friday! Hope I can get around to seeing everyone else this week too. To see the other things that have been happening around the place you can check out my other blogs.

On another note I have recieved two of my postcards from the Liberate Your Art postcard swap. I think this is really cool, tho I haven't had time to go and check out the artists websites yet. I don't know what the deal is with the post card photo. That image is vertical on my computer but twice blogger has uploaded it sideways. When I get a chance I'll take some better pics and link them to the artists websites. In the meantime you can visit participating artists sites through the Liberate Your Art link on the right.

More Yellow Lab, Calvin

2011-07-11T18:28:00.001-07:00

Calvin 18x24 inches, acrylic on canvas, work in progress

I have been working a bit on Calvin as you can see. I made the background behind his head darker. It was too light for the wispy fur bits to show well before. I still need to do a lot of work on his feet and his face. He looks a little grumpy yet. The photos I have do not show his feet very well so have had a hard time with them. And if you have a yellow lab, are their toenails black? I'm thinking they are, just want to confirm before I paint them in.

In more news I had mud and water in the back porch and kitchen on July 4th. Got 1.4 inches of rain in less than an hour. So a lot of time mucking things out and also clearing the drainage ditch on the hill above my house. If I'd been keeping up with it then the water probably wouldn't have made it into the house. Still it wasn't as bad as it could have been and I've heeded the lesson; new note on each month's calender to check the ditch! "A stitch in time..." you know!

count Down to Italy

2011-07-11T16:26:00.000-07:00

My Australian artist friend, Elise and I are going to meet in Italy in August. One of the first places we are staying is in Perugia at this lovely B&B.

View Larger Map
Perugia is the capital of the region and also the name of the town. It has several museums and other things we want to see. It is also close to other interesting towns, like Assisi, of St. Frances fame and Fabriano where they have been making paper since the 1300's. We are planning to see the paper making museum there. And yes, of course! We are going to buy some paper!

We might also make a little side trip over into Tuscany to the town of Volterra. It too has some museums and interesting things to see. The funny thing about Italy is you are as likely to see a really wonderful and even famous piece of art in the local church as at the museum. And of course a great deal of the art in Italy is church related.

I think I just might have to order this book, as I don't have a lick of Italian!

And this one should give me some idea of all the lovely places we don't want to miss!

CONTEST

2011-07-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

Well this just came across my face book page and I wanted to share it with all of you. Chroma paints and North Light books are sponsoring a give away. A set of Chroma's Atelier Interactive paints and mediums and a couple of cool books. Free to enter, just go to the Contest Page Have a good 'un.

More of Calvin, my 3rd Yellow Labrador

2011-07-05T07:49:00.000-07:00

Calvin 18x24 inches, acrylic on canvas, work in progress

Well if you missed the last couple of posts right now I'm working on Calvin, the third Yellow Labrador pet portrait commission I've done this summer. I got a chance to work on him a bit today before I went to work

A lot of people have asked me how to paint animals and I do intend to do some tutorials about how to paint fur and how to get the shadows and such.

I would also love to get a video camera and do some video tutorials too, but that will have to wait just a bit.

In the meantime I will give you some help full hints. I usually draw or trace my design onto the canvas with pencil. Then I use diluted black paint and a #2 liner to go over the lines and to add in the darkest shadows, expect on the back ground.

Then I paint in the back ground. With these yellow labs, since they are pretty light I like to have a darker background to make them pop. With the first one I did of Luke & Gus together I used Sap green, adding in some black towards the edges. With Sachmo I used mostly Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna for the back ground. With Calvin I've been using a dark blue, about the color of new denim except not so bright, a little purple dioxizin and white, with a touch of black and burnt umber in the very darkest places.

When the background is dry I mix up my animal shadow color. With Calvin I used burn umber, van dyke brown and a little burnt sienna, varying the mix according to how dark the area was. The lighter areas are raw sienna + white and yellow ochre + white.

From there I go back and forth with the lighter and darker colors adjusting the light and dark areas and also adjusting the colors. I always have them all darker than they will be in the end, so I can add layers and layers of lighter colored fur strokes, giving depth and life to the fur.

I have a large collection of brushes for the different types of painting I do. All of my fur work is done with rake and comb brushes of different types. Then the very last layers and fine detail is usually done with a #2 liner brush, though I may use a smaller one if working on a very small piece.

I have several of these Simply Simmons brushes. I LOVE! The filbert comb brush! I also have an angle comb brush in this series. These two brushes are my work horses for fur painting. With the angle brush I can turn it and just use the very tip to get fine lines in a tight spot or turn it to use the whole brush. Also they last really well. I am a brush abuser bar none! And my SS brushes have really stood the test of time; soaking in water for days on end, occasional drying paint in the bristles and they are still good as ever. the paint is beginning to flake off the handles from sitting in water too much but the bristles are still really tight and good to go.

Artist at Work

2011-07-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

My Studio with work in progress

OK, so you can't actually see me working in this picture. Since I live alone there isn't anyone around to take pictures of me doing things. But here is my studio in its current state of disarray. It gives you an idea of how I work. When I'm working on canvas I use my easel and since I'm right handed I like to set my paint and water to my right. Then on my table to the left is my laptop. I listen to things on youtube and other places or sometimes just music cd's while I paint. And I use my laptop to see my photo reference, since my own camera is digital and my clients usually send me their pictures as email attachments. Here you can see me working on my newest commission, Calvin.

And here's a close up of Calvin.

Calvin, 18x24 acrylic on canvas, work in progress

This is the easel I am using in the first photo. I bought it from Dick Blick and I am really enjoying it. You can tilt your painting from completely horizontal (very handy for watercolor washes or varnishing!) to just past vertical, so if you are doing pastel, your pastel dust will fall off and you don't have to be blowing on it all the time. It will also fold up flat, very handy for small spaces.

I purchased mine a couple of years ago and have been extremely satisfied with it. My one minor tiny complaint, (which will only apply if you live in the desert like me!) is that when the air is very dry (like less than 10% humidity) is the wood shrinks a bit and the bottom cross bar the canvas rests on comes a bit loose. My remedy has been to put a bit of masking tape in the slot to help close up the gap and increase the traction. This works pretty well. Otherwise a fab easel at an affordable price!

Calvin

2011-07-01T07:47:00.002-07:00

Well I delivered Sachmo to my client and he was delighted. And he has ordered another portrait for a friend. Things have been pretty crazy with my work so I haven't got much done, but I at least got a little blocked in, so here is Calvin.

Calvin 18x24 inches acrylic, work in progress

Yes, another Yellow Lab, most all the pics I have of this guy, he's in his winter coat, so longer fur than the others. In one pic there is a green tennis ball behind him, I'm thinking I might put it in front of him, between his paws. Don't forget you can click on the picture to see it larger.

Happy Paint Party Friday! Sorry I missed the party last week, just way too much stuff going on in my life right now. Thank you to everyone who has stopped by and commented or 'followed' my blog, really appreciate it!

Besides painting and my regular job I have been working on my garden and writing articles over on Squidoo. And trying to stay cool, has been 106+ this past week, I think one day it was pushing 110.

Don't forget to hop on over to PPF and join the party!

PS. I am trying to decide which postcards to send to the Liberate Your Art swap and can't make up my mind! So if you have a minute, please take a look and tell me which one is your favorite!

Cleaning Up In The Studio

2011-06-26T13:04:00.005-07:00

Studio paint table before

I know I can't be the only one out there who has a godawful mess in their studio! I don't even know how I've been getting any painting done in there!

I have been trying to become more organized in all areas of my life and a major part of that is decluttering things I don't need, want and love. So I have been doing this 15 minutes every day. To stay motivated I've even started a blog about it.

So today's session was in the studio. I spent about 25 minutes installing these wooden shelves and clearing off my paint table. There is still stuff on each end of the table, but at least now I have some room to work! And that is a good thing because I need to get busy on my next pet portrait!

Do you need some extra storage in your studio? I know I sure do! So I've been looking at different options for my different kinds of supplies and the space I have available.

Another Commission

2011-06-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

Well today I am to deliver Sachmo to his owner. My client has already ordered another portrait, for his friend. Same size, another Yellow Lab. of course I don't have another canvas that size so will have to run on into the valley and get one. I'll probably stop over at the used book store and see if they'll take some old books for trade while I'm down there.

In the meantime, if you are looking for good deals on art supplies, Dick Blick is the best. I usually order all my canvas, paint and brushes from them and have been so happy with their quality and service that I've become an affiliate. You can go to their website through the button above and yes, if you order something I'll make a small commission, so thank you very much.

If you are looking for other supplies or for online lessons, I've put together a good list in my article, My Favorite Artists Resources Online.

Have you read Betty Edwards book, Drawing On The Right Side of The Brain? I just loved this book. The difference in my drawings between before and after I read it and did her exercises were amazing. It was also very interesting to read about how the different parts of the brain work, written in plain English. She now has several other books out which are on my wish list, a workbook and a book about color.

Sachmo is FINISHED!

2011-06-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

All right, worked on Sachmo over the weekend and sent off a pic to the client and he seems happy with it, so just setting up a time and place to meet.

Sachmo 18x24 acrylic on canvas, Mary Hysong, 2011 Private Commission

Sachmo update

2011-06-12T08:08:00.001-07:00

well worked on this guy some more yesterday, finally getting his nose right, I think I painted it over about 5 times. Still trying to get the eyes and shadows right. Waiting to hear from the client about this update....

I'm linking this one for Paint Party Friday because I have not gotten to do any other painting this week. Hope to get back to this guy this afternoon and get him finished up. Would like to deliver him soon. Check out the other artists participating by clicking on the link in the right side bar.

Sachmo 18x24 inches acrylic on canvas, work in progress

Sachmo update

2011-06-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

Well I finally figured out what was wrong with this; when I started laying in the color I lost his mouth and the shape of his muzzle. Once I figured that out and corrected it he looks much much better. So here he is at the moment.

Sachmo 18x24 inches acrylic on canvas, work in progress

Giraffe Cabinet & more Sachmo

2011-06-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

My house has become overwhelmingly cluttered, so I have been challenging myself to get some of it cleared out of here, I need some space! I have a lot of UFO's (UnFinished Objects) laying about. I decided I needed to work on the biggest three of them. So today I picked the one that needed the least amount of work to be finished, the Giraffe Cabinet. All it needs now is some clear seal and then it will be on it's way to Hill Street Mall.

Giraffe Cabinet

I also worked on Sachmo a bit this morning. For some reason just don't seem to be able to get him to look right.

Sachmo, 18x24 acrylic on canvas, work in progress

Pet Portrait

2011-06-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

Well I haven't had a lot of time to paint this week. Sachmo is giving me some difficulty; quite tempted this evening to just paint him out and start over ;-( But maybe I just need some rest and food. Will make a decision tomorrow. In the meantime this is where he's at.

Sachmo 18x24 acrylic on canvas, work in progress

mmmm on second thought he's not looking so bad after all, maybe just a bit more tweaking and refining.

In other news this week I've become a Dick Blick affiliate, so if you use the link up there I'll get credit for your order. I love DB, my favorite place to order from, never had a bad experience with them.

And on another front my wordy self has begun writing. I am writing articles over on Squidoo. I have four articles up right now.

Artists that Paint on Stone Lots of links and good photos from other Rockers around the world.

Refurbish Your Garden Art If you stopped by for PPF last week, then you probably saw this one about how I refurbished a fading fairy.

My Favorite Artists Resources Online Lots of cool places to learn how to draw and paint, buy supplies and online communities of artists where you can make friends and get critiques as well as admire great art.

Trim & Molding, is Wood or Plastic Better? A quick comparison of using wood vs plastic trim in your home.

Newest Pet Portrait: Sachmo

2011-05-30T11:32:00.001-07:00

A friend of my last portrait client saw the finished result and gave me a call. So this is Sachmo, who has now gone over the rainbow bridge but lives on in the hearts of his family.

Sachmo, work in progress, acrylic on canvas, 18x24 inches

Sachmo, work in progress, acrylic on canvas,18x24 inches

a couple of layers of paint on most of the canvas so far.

I see some areas that need tweaking. But today is catch up the house work day. I might work on him some more later on in the evening.

Online Resources for Artists

2011-05-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

Are you an artist? Or is that your someday dream? Well, I've put some of my favorite spots on the web together in one place. Places to learn to draw and paint, places to buy supplies, online communities get support from. They are all together in my article, My Favorite Artist Resources Online.

I hope you enjoy it and discover some of the cool new things going on out there on the web.

Refurbish Your Garden Art

2011-05-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

Well I have been busy writing and photographing and working on things over at Squidoo (a free publishing platform). But I managed to connect it all together with a painting project!

Garden Fairy before refurbishing

I bought this little garden fairy a few years ago at a discount store. She's beginning to look a little sad and faded so I refurbished her.

Garden Fairy after refurbishing

If you'd like to see a blow by blow I wrote it all up in my article, Refurbish Your Garden Art.

In other news this week I have some new designs over at Zazzle, just click the Zazzle panel on the right to go there. I've become a Dick Blick affiliate so if you need good deals on art supplies you can click that link. In the meantime remember the pet portrait of the two yellow labs? Well apparently the owner has been showing it off to all and sundry and I've now been commissioned to paint another yellow lab from his neighbor! Woot! Things are rolling my way! I do have to make a run to the valley tho, because I don't have the size canvas he wants and I don't have time to wait for an order to ship UPS. So probably tomorrow evening I'll run down and pick up just one, then make an order for more. Getting low on a few other things anyway.

And Happy Paint Party Friday! I might not get around to everyone this week, I think there were more than 60 last week, but I do try to go look at everyone's.

A New Venture

2011-05-21T16:53:00.001-07:00

I have just discovered Squidoo, yes that is a really funny name and no, I don't know the story behind it yet. Squidoo is a free publishing platform, where you can write an article (only they call it a lens) about something, add some text, some links, ect. Squidoo makes money through Google ads on the pages and it just happens to share some of that money with their authors. I joined up because I've had good advice from Zazzle ProSellers that writing about things at Squidoo and then linking to related items at Zazzle is a good promotional tool. I'm also hoping that my website will get a boost too.

So, you can click on the link above and read what I wrote about Artists that Paint on Stone. There are lots of links to some of the ones that have taught me about Rock Art and links to some I just discovered.

And here is a picture of a leopard I did a couple of years ago; he has sold, but I'm looking for some more largish rocks the right size to do another. Or maybe I will do a black panther!

Leopard, acrylic on stone, 13.5x7.5x7 inches

Leopard back

Between a rock and a hard place. from Zazzle.com

2011-05-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

Zazzle now has Doodle portable speakers! Great for laptops, IPhones, MP3 players, ect. Works with ANY standard 3.5 mm. headphone jack audio product! go check them out!

Between a rock and a hard place. from Zazzle.com

Tabby Cat Keychains from Zazzle.com

2011-05-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

whew! I've spent most of the day designing new products for my Zazzle store! There are about 50 new items with 22 different photos in 3 categories (The Barnyard, Dogs, Cats). These all feature photographs of my stone animals

Tabby Cat Keychains from Zazzle.com

Pug from Zazzle.com

Rooster from Zazzle.com

New & Old

2011-05-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

Today I have something new and something old to show you. First, I'm nearly done with the Black Panther/

Black Panther 16x20 acrylic on canvas, work in progress

This one is from way back, 1999, a water color of my chili harvest.

Chili Harvest image area 13x9 inches, watercolor on paper

Chili Harvest is not for sale, it's one of the few things I've kept for myself over the years. However, prints will be available in my Zazzle store in a day or two. One of the things I like about this one, besides the fact I grew the peppers myself is that colander belonged to my granny. While chipped and worn I still use it often in my kitchen.

High Desert Humane Society

2011-05-15T20:51:00.000-07:00

Went over this morning while it was cool and the wall was in the shade and painted some more dogs at the Humane Society's thrift store.

Cats & Dogs...

2011-05-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning I went over and painted at the Humane Society. Added a couple more little dogs, but it got too hot to finish. I might go over and paint a little more this morning.

mural in progress, High Desert Humane Society, Globe, Arizona

Then I came home and painted some more on Charla's panther. The background is not really bright yellow like that, I couldn't get the color to look right in the photo; the other colors are about right.

Black Panther 16x20 acrylic on linen, work in progress

Having a bit of trouble getting some areas of the big cat to look right, I quit for the night and did this fun rock.

Dalmatian Mother and pups, acrylic on stone, front, approximately 10x8 inches

Dalmatian Mother & pups, close up back side

Dalmatian Mother & pups close up, back side, sleeping pup

Charla's Black Panther

2011-05-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

some more progress on the panther. If you are just joining me, you can see the beginning stages of this painting on yesterdays post (May 13, 2011)

Black Panther, 16x20 inches, acrylic on canvas

He is having some problems, that right ear looks too big and I might have his eyes too small. Some difficulty with the angles of the front legs...

Charla's Black Panther

2011-05-13T10:00:00.001-07:00

My friend Charla took a great picture of a black panther while she was on vacation and gave me permission to use it for painting. I thought you might enjoy the step by step process of how I develop something like this so here are the first 3 steps; keep checking back to watch it unfold! This is acrylic on linen, 16x20 inches.

Charla's Panther, step one

I had a couple of false starts with my drawing, had to revise and rework it a bit. In step one I've used regular acrylics for the drawing and shadows and to block in the background.

Charla's Panther, step two

In step two I've switched to Chroma's Atelier Interactive acrylics and have begun blocking in the darkest shadows and the lightest highlights. The Interactives are a new type of acrylic paint that even when touch dry can be re-hydrated and reworked, unlike regular acrylics that become basically waterproof once dry. I like how each layer of the Interactives sort of melts into the previous layer, adding depth to the painting.

Charla's Panther, step 3

In step three I continue to block in lights and darks and evaluate and compare to the photo. He's in a bit of an awkward looking position and there are plants and grass in front of his legs, making it hard to see exactly what's going on in some areas. Don't worry, he won't look like an amputee when I'm done!

And now I'll go sign in for Paint Party Friday! Just click on the button on the right to go to their page and the list of participating artists. Have fun browsing and seeing all the beautiful Art out there in the world!

This & That

2011-05-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

My rock painting friend, Suzi Chua, who lives in Malaysia, sent me one of the little pet beds that her friend Theresa Choo made, so I could see how they are made.

Isn't it cute?! Thanks Suzi & Theresa!

Have gotten a few rocks painted between other things this past week or two.

Beagle puppy

A Cat

Sleepy Tiger Cub

Cheeky Chihuahua

Mother & Child

These will soon join the others at Hill Street Mall for your viewing pleasure!

More Scratch Board

2011-05-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

Remember the tiger in scratch board that I posted April 30? Well I had two more and just fooled around with them. I've been so busy with other things I hadn't taken pictures of them yet, so here they are now.

Duck 5x7 inches water color on scratch board

Pink Roses 5x7 water color on scratch board

I had a lot of fun doing these, I'll have to order some more scratch board!

Pet Portrait

2011-05-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

Well the client said make the ears lighter, so have done that and tweeked a few other areas. think I'm about done. Will wait for the OK tho before I declare it complete!

Two Yellow Labs 18x24 inches, acrylic on linen

Pet Portrait

2011-05-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

I am nearly finished with this pet portrait commission. Will send this up date to my client and see what they think; the ears may still be a smidge too dark.

Pet Portrait

2011-05-08T15:18:00.001-07:00

All right put the watercolors and the experimenting aside, time for some 'work' tho I can never think of painting as 'real work'! I have been commissioned to paint two yellow labs on canvas. They are nearly done, I see a couple of areas that need tweeking, then the final layers of paint will go on and it will be on it's way to a new home!

18x24 inches, acrylic on linen

More Experiments

2011-05-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

Well now when I decide I'm going to do something or learn something new I dive in head first and just do it. I've realized that 1) I need to know more about my watercolors and 2) I need to figure out how to paint realistic glass and reflections. So more little studies. thanks to the good folks over at WetCanvas.com for uploading such fabulous reference photos.

Green grapes in crystal image area is 4x6 inches, watercolor on Arches hotpress

Reference photo maybe viewed at WetCanvas

Lemon and Crystal image size 4x6 inches, watercolor on Arches hotpress

The reference photo for this one may be viewed here on WetCanvas.

I have a long way to go in this area. There are things I like in each one and things that went wrong. Mostly I can say it's a bit tedious doing it in water color where you have to leave the white of the paper and paint in all the little dark bits separately. I will probably try some of these again in acrylic and see what that looks like.

Experiments

2011-05-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to play with my watercolors. I found a beautiful reference photo of colored bottles with light streaming through them and making a rainbow on the table in front of them. I did not do the photo justice, but I did learn some new things about my WC paints and their color combinations that I didn't know before, so mission accomplished. I also realized that I don't know yet how to accurately portray colored and transparent glass, so more practice is in order!

Bottles watercolor, approximately 11x15 inches, Arches hot press paper

I can see any number of mistakes, especially when compared to the reference, but the worst is that I got a muddy purple in the reflection on the right, instead of the pretty violet that was really there.

More new Stuff!

2011-04-30T19:46:00.000-07:00

I decided the other day on a whim to add some new stuff to my painting vest...

above is the front, the white roses at the top are the original design, everything else is new. Here's a close up of the little bird, I used some black glitter paint to help him show off.

Then I painted zebras on the back. This is loosely based on my design featured in the e-zine, The Stroking Edge, a couple of years ago. (unfortunately it doesn't seem to be around any more)

And I finished the tiger with some watercolor and more scratching.

Tiger scratch board with watercolor, 5x7 inches

Tiger is for sale, coming soon to Hill Street Mall.

Paint Party Friday

2011-04-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

Yay! Paint Party Friday! Lots of things to do today, including getting ready for Artisans at the Arboretum tomorrow. For my PPF friends, please also see my post from Wed, while it's not about painting, I think you will really enjoy it! And now for the painting part, I picked up a pack of 3 small scratch boards (5x7 inches) awhile back. I haven't done a scratch board in probably 20 years and just wanted to fool around with it, especially with doing some color on it. So I started one last night and here is what it looks like this morning.

Tiger 5x7 scratch board, work in progress

Sorry for the glare, just couldn't seem to find the right spot when I was taking the picture, either glare or a bad shadow.

Rosco!

2011-04-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

Well, Rosco is finished and ready to go to Hoofin' It.

Rosco 12x12 inches, acrylic on paper

A Rare Treat

2011-04-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

I did not have to go to my regular job today, after working 8 days straight I have a day off. So I decided to just relax and have fun. I was inspired to drive up to Pioneer Pass, in the Pinal Mountains, near Globe, Arizona. This is just a few miles from where I live. And it turned out to be the most awesome day!

I saw so many wonderful things! First I stopped under the little bridge and enjoyed to sound of the water trickling down.

And there was this tiny little frog, only about an inch and a half long.

And a lizard sunning himself on a rock.

Then there is the huge boulder by the bridge, with this blooming cactus growing from a crack in the rock.

And a pretty yellow flower growing by the stream.

As far as people go I had the whole picnic area all to myself for several hours, but there were many things to keep me company, like this huge butterfly!

And these little birds, not sure what kind they are but they are about the size of English sparrows

There were several deer

Some pretty orange flowers

Thistles and butterflies

I took a walk and just soaked up the smell of the woods and the sigh of the wind high in the treetops. And then the best part happened! An animal jumped out and ran across the road in front of me into the trees on the other side.

Can you guess what he is? Have you ever seen one before?

Look at his long tail and strong claws. He looks a little shaggy, perhaps he is shedding his winter coat.

Look, he can even climb trees! Did you guess he is a coatimundi? If you did then you are right! Coatimundi's are related to raccoons and eat both plants and animals. I hadn't seen one in the wild before but the Forest Ranger I talked to later said there are a lot of them around the picnic area. So that was my most awesome, wonderful day off! How was your day?

Rosco

2011-04-23T19:20:00.001-07:00

I have been working on a pet portrait for my friends over at Hoofin' It Feed & Tack. Their lovable Great Dane, Rosco is just so awesome, I've been wanting to paint him for a long time. I'm not quite done with this, I think I've got his muzzle too wide or something. I won't have time to get back at it before Monday, though.

Rosco 12x12 acrylic on paper, work in progress

Pet Portraits

2011-04-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

I love painting animals of all kinds, which probably accounts for part of my fascination with painting them on rocks. I do paint custom pet portraits, on paper, stone, or canvas. Pet Portraits start at $35 and up, depending on size, materials and complexity. Here are two examples.

Tuxedo Kitten 8x10 inches, acrylic on canvas

Bella 5x7 inches, acrylic on paper

An easy way to order your Pet Portrait is to email me you best photos along with an idea of what you would like, paper, canvas or stone and the size. Then I can reply with your quote and if I will need additional photos. For stone portraits it is always helpful to have photos from all sides of the animal as well as a sharp close up of the face. Once we have agreed to all the details I will send you an invoice for a 50% deposit, with the balance due on delivery and your approval.

Decorative Painting is Ancient

2011-04-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

Man has always decorated his surroundings with painting, carvings, weavings, ect. Here is a cool bit of a fresco from Pompeii, I did a similar mural with birds and ivy in a home. I just didn't have a good camera at the time so don't have a good photo of it.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/92.11.10

puppies!

2011-04-20T05:29:00.000-07:00

Some cute puppies came to visit me while I was at Boom Town; you can be sure they are going to be on rocks soon!

Miami Boom Town Spree

2011-04-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

Well, Boom Town is over for this year. The Volunteers did a great job keeping everyone safe and the grounds clean, Thank You! Big John was our DJ and gave us a huge variety of music to listen to all weekend, plus there was live music on Saturday night.

My booth at Miami Boom Town Spree 2011

Creative Paints 2012

2011-04-15T20:45:00.000-07:00

All right, here it is, my project that was selected for me to teach at Creative Paints, Las Vegas in 2012.

Scrapbook daisies, as painted

Scrapbook daisies, cut, with photo inserted (my grand daughter Harmony , left and her cousin Jodi)

This is a really fun project to do, either as an actual scrapbook page or to frame and hang on the wall. Looking forward to seeing everyone in Vegas next year!

More Rocks!

2011-04-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

I have finished up all the rocks that I am going to have out next weekend at Boom Town Spree. The rest of the week is taken up with clear seal, photo editing, cataloging, pricing and packing them.

32 strawberries

6 Easter eggs

A frog and lily pad

Panda Bear

Scorpion

yellow Lab pup

Dachshund

Come on down April 16th & 17th to Boom Town Spree, Miami, Arizona and see all my rocks in person. My booth will be open both days, there are lots of different events going on throughout the weekend, fun for everyone!

Honored to be on the Home Page

2011-04-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

I am honored this week to have one of my rocks featured on the home page of the Original Lin Wellford's Rock Painting group on Yahoo groups. Here he is:

rooster on stone

Today will be my last day painting rocks for next weekend. The paint has to cure for a couple of days and then I spray seal the rocks. They also have to be cataloged, photographed, inventoried, priced and packed. Thankfully it looks like our lovely warm and sunny spring weather has returned.

Weekend Work

2011-04-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't spent ALL my time painting this weekend. I did go to dinner with my mom and little sis for our birthdays (sis & I are 10 years and 1 day apart). I've also been working on bookkeeping and taxes. To give my brain a rest I went to get the mail and bought a bingo scratcher, won $2, took it back and bought another, and won $25. So a nice day overall.

Here's the basset and Himalayan cat from Friday. sorry this is a tad fuzzy....just goes to show even with atuofocus and anti shake not every picture is perfect!

basset and Himalayan

Dalmatian, yellow tiger stripe, sleeping puppy, unicorn, rooster

Grey tabby cat

Mmmmm seems like all the cats have green eyes.... The Grey tabby is a pretty big rock, about 6x8x5 inches. Would make a good door stop.

Paint Party Friday

2011-04-08T07:13:00.000-07:00

I've found a lovely group of artists that blog and every Friday we post something, then go check in at Paint Party Friday Then we all go and look at everyone's posts. So here is mine. Lots of rock painting this week, seem to be in the flow most of the time. I finished these yesterday, except the big cat in the background, have some more work to do on him.

cat in progress, mushroom cottage, turtle, white cat, guinea pig, wolf, lady bugs, goat, cat, basset hound, foot in pink sandal

I know it doesn't show up well in this shot, but the foot has a toe ring and there are Swavorski crystals on the ring and the sandal strap.

Tuesday & Wednesday's Rocks

2011-04-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't gotten a lot of things finished the last couple of days....had to balance bank accounts, run errands and go to the regular job. But managed a few.

ladybugs

cats

Today I'm trying to get all the recent work photographed, sprayed with clear seal, then I measure, catalog and price them. Then I have to try and find time to get them up on my website. There is much more to Art as business than most people imagine!

Monday's Rocks

2011-04-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

All right, finished a few rocks yesterday and here they are.

large turtle, a sheep, a pug, a pit bull, a Siamese cat, a Barbados sheep

This brings this batch of rocks total to 50 in 17 days. My goal was 100 good sized rocks ready for Boomtown April 15th, so it looks like I will meet or exceed that goal.

Sunday's Rocks

2011-04-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

Ok here are the rocks that got finished yesterday

Pink dragon hatching, Siamese, black & white pig, walrus, baby shoe, martian spaceship, two little feet

And here is a much better shot of Contrada San Taddeo, my mural to go.

Contrada San Taddeo 27x36 inches, acrylic on roclon canvas, mural to go

Koi Pond 27x36 inches, acrylic on roclon canvas, floorcloth

And of course, everything is for sale. Until I have time to get them up on the website, you can always contact me by email, hysong AT cableone DOT net

New Works!

2011-04-03T11:28:00.001-07:00

Well the regular job has kept me busy the last few days but I have got a little painting done. I also managed a quick run to the river for more rocks. I'm planning to have a booth at Boom Town Spree in Miami, April 16 & 17 so have been trying to paint as much as possible. Since rocks are my best sellers I have been concentrating on them. So here is what I've gotten done the last couple of days.

6 toed giant foot, 3 cats, a large turtle, dachshund head, red slipper

The red slipper and the turtle are not quite finished. Behind the turtle is a large flat rock becoming a koi pond with waterlilies.

update

2011-03-31T14:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a little update on the window mural. I see a couple bits I want to fiddle with a little more, but otherwise pretty much done.

Contrada San Taddeo 27x36 inches, acrylic on canvas, work in progress

Having to take these pics at an angle to the easel because my studio room is so crowded. When it's all done I find a wall to pin it up on and get better pics.

New Works!

2011-03-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday i did a couple of rocks, then was inspired for something new and different!

Zebra and a cat

Contrada San Taddeo Mural on canvas, 27x36 inches, acrylic, work in progress

My new idea was to do a 'Mural to Go', that is, a mural on canvas. These can be stretched and stapled directly to the wall, with the edges covered with molding. Or they can be applied with wall paper paste. This one is of a dirt road leading to an old chapel on a hill top, near Force, Italy. Here I've finished the scene and am working on the window frame and sill.

Company!

2011-03-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

I went outside about 8:30 this morning and something was in my driveway, at first I thought it was a dog, then realized it was way too big for the dogs around here. When I got to the gate at first I thought it was a goat (looking at it's butt) then realized....

There were 5 deer, this little buck and four does! They ran up on the hill and I grabbed the camera! They hung around browsing for a while then worked their way over the top of the hill.

Monday's Rocks

2011-03-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

So yes I'm still painting rocks. Just don't get as many done on a work day as when I'm not working. Here's the ones I did on Monday.

A fawn, Owl, frog, white horse, cat

Back to the paint table I go! More rocks are waiting to become beautiful!

Sunday's rocks

2011-03-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

I sat and painted most of the day Sunday and here they are.


Black & tan cocker, a calf, a whale, Pomeranian, Samoyed, red & white pit bull, American bulldog, Rottweiler

Never made it to the river yesterday; I called to borrow mom's truck and missed my sister borrowing it by about 5 minutes. But she's not coming back until Wednesday. Which is probably just as well, I've tweaked my knee and it's not really up to walking all over a bunch of rocks anyway.

Yesterday's Rocks

2011-03-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some more rocks I painted yesterday, the light is just too dark for the camera without a flash when it's time to quit and go to bed and the flash makes too much glare on them.

A Dalmatian, 2 chihuahuas, a beagle, golden lab, a cottage and a funky lamb

Going to have to make a river run today, I'm running out of rocks!

What's on the table today?

2011-03-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

What's on the table today? More rocks. They are just so much fun to paint, they can be addictive!

a lop eared rabbit, brown turtle, Triangle Cottage, snail, ladybug

I'm hoping to get out to the river this weekend to get more rocks, especially larger ones. The really big turtles and fawns I've done have all sold rather quickly and it's been awhile since I did any.

Did you know I do pet portraits? I can do them on anything you would like: canvas, wood, metal, stone-even the wall of your house! Just contact me to discuss the project you have in mind.

More Rocks!

2011-03-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

all right here are some more rocks for you:

Appaloosa Horse

Grinch Cat

A pair of dragons hatching

A calf

A collection of Cats

More Rock Art

2011-03-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

Here are some more of the new rocks. Anything that is left after Saturday's event will be available for purchase at Hill Street Mall. Of course they are all for sale now if there is something you are interested in!

A pair of bears

The three little pigs

A pack of dogs

A pair of babies

A sheep

There are more to go, but I have to edit some more photos!

Floor Cloth

2011-03-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

In between other things today I have painted a floor cloth. This is done in Plaid's Folk Art Fabric paints on Roclon canvas.

The beginning

Partway finished

All done. Floor cloth 27x36 inches, acrylic on canvas

Rockin' Pictures!

2011-03-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

I have been taking pictures of all the rocks I painted this past week, more than 50 of them! So here are a few:

Turtles, fish, frogs and waterlilies

A basket of strawberries

An Avocado, top

The Avocado, back

A box of chocolates

A flock of birds, Alexandrian parrot, Emperor penguins, rooster, peacock

A pair of bunnies

A pair of fawns

I am still editing the photographs, so more to come later. Next step is to clear seal all of them and pack them up ready for Saturday.

Just Rockin'!

2011-03-20T19:00:00.000-07:00

Still rockin' out here. I was going to photograph all the finished stuff tonight, but realized after a few shots that the light just isn't good enough. But here is a little sneak peek!


Frogs, turtles, lily pads & flowers, even a koi swimming by.		Painted stone, all can live outdoors.

A close up of the frogs and waterlilies. All of my stone art can go outside.

New Stuff!

2011-03-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

Have been painting like crazy!

Italian Poppies triptych, 12x12 inches overall, each panel 4x12x1 3/8 inches acrylic on canvas

This triptych (three panels), Italian Poppies was fast and easy to do. I may develop this into a class. Each panel is 4x12 inches and they are painted on the sides, also. This is not any specific landscape, just a general impression of the area around Force.

Italian Poppies view of painted edges

Here they are at an angle, so you can see the sides.

I realized that I had never posted this one, painted last fall after I got home from Italy. I did this one from a photo I took the day we were painting at Monte Falcone. Everyone else painted this view on location. I turned around and painted the church behind us.


The View from Monte Falcone acrylic on canvas, 18x24 inches

This is Lavender Iris 11x14 inches, acrylic on canvas. This is from a photo I took of my aunt's garden a few years ago. The early morning sun highlighting the blossoms.

Lavender Iris 11x14 inches, acrylic on canvas

Whew, that's a lot, but there is even more, I have a pile of rocks on the paint table, maybe I'll get a pic of them tomorrow.