Aquarium Brush Holder.

"One fish, two fish, orange fish, blue fish."

I've added to my supply of glazes.  Tried some on my "Aquarium Brush Holder".  It's always a surprise to see it after the piece has been fired.  Sometimes I get something totally different than what I was expecting and other times I get what I imagined. 

Mr. Purple Octopus!

Sea Horses are amazing creatures!  We went to the Academy of Science in San Francisco recently.  They have a wonderful aquarium. 

Yes!  There are mermaids.  They are magical creatures!

Something for myself.

"Double trouble"

5" x 8"

$15

SOLD

I sat down at our kitchen table with my gouache and a 5" x 8" Fabriano Sketch book, acid free paper and it's a very pale warm white. Not blue or gray! Forgive me for my poor photographic lighting skills.  The color of the paint is very close though.  I have taken hundreds of photos of our daughters and their friends dancing.  I will sit and draw from these and really have a lot of fun and it's so much for myself.  I hope to offer the collector an inexpensive way of acquiring original art.  These drawings are not in any galleries and there is no auction record like I have for my oils.  I would always rather have an original work.  I'll buy a poster from a museum for $25 and not a giclee for $500!  These are all $15 which includes Shipping and Handling!  I have framed a few with a simple white mat (at least 3") and a thin gold, black or plain wood frame.  I think they look clean and elegant.  

Thanks for looking!

"Groove"

5" x 8"

$15

SOLD

"Purple and Green"

5" x 8" 

$15

SOLD

"Orange and Purple"

5" x 8"

$15

SOLD

"Arms raised"

5" x 8"

$15

SOLD

"The Swim"

5" x 8"

$15

SOLD

"Turn Around"

5" x 8"

$15

SOLD

"Ali Twice"

5"x 8"

$15

SOLD

"Shimmy"

5" x 8"

$15

SOLD

"Double Take"

5" x 8"

$15

SOLD

A brief breakdown of process.

So you can see I have my set up with a strong source light.  I begin my drawing usually with a neutral color.  Here is kind of a raw umber.

And I continue with the drawing process until I have the shapes finished.  I am someone who really responds and loves "line".  There are those who go right for the masses and that is also a wonderful way to start.  But for my personality, I love to respond to line. I have no fear of going inside or outside of the line which helps.  Some feel trapped by a line and hence feel more comfortable with adjusting contours of masses.  It's all good. 

I was unhappy with the drawing of the spoon so I wiped it out with a transparent wash of the ground color and redrew the spoon.

Now I begin to mass my shadows in first, helping to set the darks of the painting.

 I continue to develop the shadow shapes and add more information within those darks.  When I feel satisfied with this part I move on to the information illuminated by my source light.  You can see that the spoon is more developed.

Now I put in the ground color, a light pink.  What I love about saving this for last is that I can carve in on the contours of the shapes and adjust where I want to.  A little more information on the cup and saucer and a finished painting.

And another shot of the finished painting and the set up.