A Sunday Kind of Love

Favorite thing to do?…………filling my pockets with found beach rocks.  Another favorite……playing with watercolor on YUPO.  So naturally I come to these very small paintings of beach rocks. 

3x3(ish) on YUPO matted to 6x6

More YUPO

These colors speak summer to me.  

Lavender Moors

10 x 10 inches watercolor on YUPO

"Art doesn't have to match the couch"       -unknown

Long Beach

Watercolor on YUPO

30in x 8in

What can I say, I have been consumed with planning a road trip that has been the dream stage for over ten years.  And, in the midst of that was offered the opportunity to have a two month exhibit of my paintings-most of which were not framed.  I have framed about 2 dozen so far and have kept them all a simple white mat with brushed gold frame to give the show a very cohesive feeling.  Pictures of that in the future.  For now, look for hubby and me in our aqua Thunderbird on Rte. 66 the whole month of June.  And if that seems interesting to you, please check our blog www.66sunsets.blogspot.com that chronicles our adventure beginning June 2.  

I have been dabbling at this painting for a few days now.....I could have stopped earlier but I was still enjoying it!  So, maybe a bit overworked but the feeling of these lacy flowers comes through for me. 

 

6x9inches

Watercolor on YUPO

“You can’t reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday’s junk.”        

                                                                                                      -Louise Smith

Working (or playing) on YUPO has become an addiction for me. I really enjoy pouring on the colors in whatever way I can think and then watch what "grows" from the paper. The mixing and mingling are in themselves works of art and I can barely bring myself to touch them sometimes so I have many (many, many) unfinished pieces to study and play with. These colors just demanded that I paint poppies. Since I cannot seem to grow them in my garden, this is a next best thing. Just beginning to find the flowers here. 

WIP  Poppies

Watercolor on YUPO

Overwork in Progress!



Iris in Progress

11 X 14 watercolor on YUPO

Finding dark shapes to define the flower and I know I will overdo it.  I am having too much fun with this one so I might never stop.

All YUPO these days

Stones I
11 X 8 Watercolor on YUPO

Teal
14 X 10 Watercolor on YUPU

I have taken a break from blogging and been spending time just playing with paint and paper.  Many pieces sit around for weeks as I just look at them to decide what direction to go.  I hope to post more finished works soon.  

7X7 watercolor on YUPO

This photographed a bit dark on the right but I am pleased with these colors in life and the glow I got in the sky. 

Ahh.....quiet

We spent Christmas Day and Monday winding down and in that precious time I got back to painting.  I painted this for the rookiepainter challenge.  First with almost no background and then, just for fun, I painted dark behind it.  Just a learning/playing exercise. 

for the rookiepainter.blogspot challenge

watercolor on Yupo

This painting has been a struggle for me and I fear it is getting overworked.  So I leave it now, maybe to visit it again later........maybe not.  The blue skies of autumn are whispering their gentle reminder to get out and enjoy before it's too late.  I did hang out at the playground with Harry where I played Ursula to his mermaid (?) and we lived in the snowgloo (I think he meant igloo) under the slide.  Let's all just play like kids again!

Loving Yupo

A fool-proof method for sculpting an elephant:  first, get a huge block of marble; then you chip away everything that doesn't look like an elephant.  ~Author Unknown

A Sugar High

10x8 watercolor on Yupo

for challenge at http://www.rookiepainter.blogspot.com/

I started this with a wash of rose madder, quinacridone red, permanent magenta and new gamboge and then as in "sculpting an elephant" I lifted everything that didn't look like a dish of candy.  What a blast!  In the past I avoided Yupo - found it very frustrating and gave up way too easliy.  But I just figured with these challenges.....why not make them truly challenging (which I find Yupo is) 

While on an adventure through watercolor blog-world I saw this photo reference for a challenge. I really liked it. So, my first ever internet challenge-YIKES!

Onions

6x8 watercolor on Yupo
the challenge is at http://www.rookiepainter.blogspot.com/

If you are lucky enough to live on the lake.....you are lucky enough.

It seems you must leave a lot of white when you paint water.....I was trying to do that here. This is about 5 x 7 watercolor on YUPO. What fun!

3 SUNFLOWERS

Watercolor on YUPO (plastic "paper")

9 X 12

I'm playing with YUPO.....again. This time I think I have something I like and almost what I was going for. These colors I love and YUPO insists that you paint very loosely.