Hummingbird

Hummingbird in pencil and colored pencil on gessoed page.

Mindless doodle

Mindless doodle while watching Project Runway last night.  I am intrigued by sketching on toned paper thanks to some Tri City Urban Sketching buddies.   I am promising myself to get a little more serious starting Monday ;)

January 3 - Shaynie

What I love about these watercolors is that they force me to go really, really slowly.  I paint just a few strokes then walk away to let them dry.  If I go too fast, the colors get muddy and I start throwing paint in places just to get paint on the paper.  ALWAYS, I make bad marks when they are too big, too long or uninteresting strokes.  EVERY stroke needs to be well put, sensitive and meaningful, well thought out and planned.  Some day, I will go slowly enough to not make any thoughtless mark.  This goes totally against my personality...

a corner in the study

I am trying to sketch different stuff around the house, and today it is this little corner. Hoping to get loose with my sketch, I still need some pen works to bring life into it.

pomelo, peeled

Well, the pomelos were all peeled and ready for whatever. I tried to sketch before they were gone.
After I've done the sketching, I realized I should've  kept the peels a little longer and used them as backdrop to make the picture more interesting.

Tapestry, slow art

first stage complete: I took this photo Christmas Eve morning over looking Lake Pend Orielle, Idaho. 

second stage complete: I framed the piece, had to slice off a 1/4" from the top
to fit into the 11 3/4" x 36" frame.  I've got this piece propped so I can reference it while weaving.
third stage complete: Warped (threaded) my loom for the actual 16" x 48" tapestry. Yesterday, I placed measurement lines and outlined areas of importance on my marquettes/ cartoons, (one in grey scale and one in colour).  

forth stage and beyond: Sample the colour changes, fades with yarns and then weave this piece sideways.
This second picture is of the piece I was weaving, still on the loom, that I had posted in last year's challenge.
Bobi, I love this challenge, thank you so much for inviting me.

Miniature (Laura Gable)

Today's little effort ... A miniature landscape painted in oils.
My personal creative goal was to be effortless and avoid struggle.

"Blue Spruce in Miniature" tiny oil painting on masonite. ©Laura Gable

Photo taken by an iPhone, so a bit bright, plus when it's wet it seems brighter.
This image was lightened a bit in Photoshop.

January 2 - Shaynie

Missed posting yesterday!  Working on this 24"x30" watercolor of Shayne.  I've done it before (on the back - this 300# paper is great) but didn't like her hand.  Will post progress as January progresses...

Well here it is Art a Day again. Glad to be back and especially glad Bobi Wilson is here. :)
Well I intended on painting New Years eve and did not, then New Years day, but only did about an hour of art,  or maybe 1.5 hours LOL.  This piece was started yet unfinished back in Sept or so, took me till just yesterday to draw the little guy in. It was never right. But here is the "Artist" sitting on the moon painting the earth on his round canvas on a jet propelled easel, and he himself is sitting on a jet pad chair. :)  This is only thing done to this piece in 2014. Not done yet will finish by this weekend.
Greg Ashby
Ashnmyst@aol.com

pomelo

I was peeling a pomelo yesterday, and realized I had to do art-a-day stuff, so I stopped peeling and started sketching.

01.02.2014

Progression o(f untitled painting. (Phone pictures, so colors are not the best.)

The start of a new year

Here is a doodle that I finally finished today. The right-hand page of the spread (bottom image) is rotated 180 degrees to make it easier to view. I might color this some day. :) This is inspired by Joanne Sharpe.

Worked today on working to reproduce a painting accurately in Photoshop. I photographed this one step by step so have 7 photos to challenge myself with. Here's one (title undecided as yet):

First Go Outside . . .

Started the new year with a hike in Portland's Hoyt Arboretum and was rewarded with a viewpoint panorama that reached across the Columbia River, over a bank of purple fog, up to Mt. St. Helens with Mt. Rainier peeking from behind, all under a stunning blue sky.  Rule number one -- "first go outside" -- has been replaced with a new rule for 2014.  First charge your camera battery . . . Visuals to come at a later date!  Happy New Year!

After

Perhaps a loose interpretation of "doing art" but I got my 'winter walls' up in the studio yesterday so I only need to heat 1/3rd the space.  Before and after.  I feel a bit like bubble-boy in there but sure is cozy.

Another loose interpretation for today was the art of gratitude and appreciation.  I experienced a big life event recently so creating/delivering some thank-you packages felt good and seems an nice, auspicious start to a new year. 

Then we went to Wildhorse Casino for a few hours. What a hoot!  Not our typical hangout.  Broke even and had a great time.  Fog driving adventure on the way home.

yesterdays's sunset over the studio/barn

Preview of coming attractions (Art-a-Day 2014)

In the spirit of daily posting ... here is a short post from the recent past to get you in the spirit for the upcoming challenge.


Happy Holidays everyone.

-Laura Gable

~~
If you keep
a green bough
in your heart,
the singing bird
will come.

-Chinese Proverb

"Nested Home" a little 6x6 oil painted a few years back,
©Laura Gable

On your mark...

Get set...

10 days until Art-a-Day 

Year 6!  

February 2nd - Thank you - Butterflies

Possibly a life altering month for me.  I was already prolific, now I'm just mental about creating. Here's one I don't think is finished, but it has been so fun working on a big one I wanted to share. This is four feet by three feet, not as big as unkonwn's recent one, but I don't have as big a truck as he does either. Thanks again  Bobi.  How can I help make sure we have a show, perhaps March artwalk? - Ed

THANK YOU BOBBIE!

It's always such a treat to join in on this, especially in January when personal expectations are high!  I'm afraid I lost steam about half way through but I was always thinking about doing art everyday and that's huge.  It becomes a habit and the habit becomes a talent and hopefully, some day, you become an expert and there is great joy in being so darn good at something!

Thanks so much Bobbie for spear heading this and encouraging us all to join in - it's a great event!