Kitties, Kitties, and Kitties

Also visit my website at www.colleenreynolds.com

A sleepy morning. Up to watch the Wimbledon final. Sort of. Had to resort to live updates online, since ESPN is the only live coverage anymore. Arg! I'll save that rant for another day, though, eh?

So I sketched my kitties going about their daily business. I think I know the subject. They sleep all day, right? Should be easy sketching, right? Not! They move an incredible amount in their sleep.. hahaha. Here is my daily painting from life for Day 8. My sweet Kelly Kitty. She completely turned over (back to me, and head the other way), while I was drawing / painting her, so the colors are from memory. 

"Kelly on the Couch" 6"x9" watercolor (buy now with link)

Afterwards I picked her up and turned her over, so I could see her coloring on the other side. 

She is like "Two Face" a bit. Almost all grey one side, and a lot of orange cat on the other. I took a photo.. I completely missed the white belly hair in front of her hind legs. But isn't it cute how she uses her front paw as a pillow? It's a classic Kelly pose. She's the only one of our four "Kiddies" who does it. I put my iPad (photo source) away and quickly tried drawing her again. This time I thought I would pencil in color notes. She very soon afterward adjusted her legs, so I again had to remember the positioning. I wasn't too far off, if you compare to the photo? Maybe I will paint this sketch soon? It is draw in my watercolor paper sketch book.

Here are some other quick sketches. And now I have to do dishes, pay bills and clean house. All things pleasant and productive. Sigh.

America's Holiday, the Day After

Well, we had a wonderful holiday here at the Reynolds' Miller Manor. I know that is a pompous name for our humble abode, but it has a ring to it? Actually we did not spend much of the holiday at home, after my attempt to paint my backyard daisies. We went to the Sugar House Arts Festival, then to a local semi-pro baseball game, followed by a magnificent fireworks display with some great friends and family. Thanks Randy, Shelane & Brett (and company), Rosalie and Caryn! I have a photo or two on my cell phone. The sunset before the fireworks was incredible! 

Anyway, let me show you today's painting effort (July 5) first - Day 7 of my "Daily Pianting from Life" challenge. My sweet hubby brought home a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Sprout's Market yesterday. I was a little down over my plein air painting attempt of the morning (July 4th). What a nice fella… Well, the bouquet was just the inspiration I needed today. 

1st wash stage

Final painting with source bouquet

Final painting, "Sun and Red Violet" (Buy Now with link)

So, back to July 4th. My Randy and I were taking our coffee in our back garden and I saw the daises were blooming. I just love daisies. I like the daisies in all their variations. Did you know a sunflower is in the same family of flowers? These traditional white daisies, though, were hiding behind Randy's tomato crop, and I hoped I could bring them out in a paintig. I am going to try to keep my language positive in all my postings from here on. So let me just post my first wash to give evidence of my continued commitment to paint from life every day. Ha!

Backyard daisies - I know they are hard to see in all that green!

First wash... 

I have decided I will limit this daily painting "challenge" to 30 days - then I will probably scale it back to 2 times a week. My life after July will become way too busy to accommodate the 2-4 hours I've been spending each day. Sigh. Maybe I should really retire after all? I simply cannot bring myself to post the final painting. I actually painted "Sun and Red Violets" on the back of it.. :)

Just so you know, I admire several artists for their plein air and "from life" painting. Besides my friend, Brienne Brown (who is totally awesome!), I look to the paintings of Joseph Zbukvic, Herman Pekel, Janet Rogers, Frank Eber, Jennifer McChristian (oil), just to name a few. I have just ordered a DVD by Zbukvic. I see Mr. Pekel has one out too. Maybe next? I'm acquiring quite an art library, full of books and DVDs. Come see me in my studio sometime! I'm happy to share!

Murray Park - Painting with Friend, Linda Flannery

Also visit my website at www.colleenreynolds.com 

Day 6 of "Daily Paintings From Life" - I have to give myself credit for going "out there," but I cannot claim success this day. Yet another frustrating plein air experience for me. I am going to look back on this painting, and it will be a measure of how one gets better with practice, I think. It is only fair to show the good with the bad, though, right? 

I tried to capture the two mothers as they passed by us. I liked that they were walking in step together, as they pushed their babies. They also had a little dog with them, but I edited him/her out. I actually do like that part of the painting. Maybe I can crop it do….. Well, look at that! That might just work. 

"A Walk in the Park" Buy it now

So I put that one aside and started a little color study of the smoke trees that first attracted me to that spot anyway. Linda Flannery, my painting buddy for the day, did a wonderful painting, and I used her for inspiration. I wish I would have had a thought to take a photo of her painting, so I could show what a real "plein air" painter does on location. 

"Smoke Tree Color Study"

"Roses from My Garden" and other Daily Paintings

Visit my website at www.colleenreynolds.com

      

Buy "Roses from My Garden" Now $150

This is my painting of the day, "Roses from My Garden." I drew the "plan" for the painting yesterday, because I was afraid the roses wouldn't last another day. Yesterday I had to rush off to deliver some paintings to the Reuels in downtown Salt Lake (I am their Featured Artist for the month of July). I also planned on painting from the open draw held at the Visual Art Institute, so I knew I would get my "Daily painting from Life" done. This morning, the roses still looked beautiful, but they had opened up quite a bit more, especially the center flower. I tried to hold true to both my memory of yesterday and the current view. I did not use a photo reference at all during the painting process (I want credit!).

So I'm on Day 5 of "Daily Painting From Life." Let's see how long I can keep it up, eh? 

Let me "back peddle a bit and tell you about the first four days. I started on June 27th. I'm calling this one "Summer Light." I had a chance to paint on the second day of Brienne Brown's plein air workshop. There were two other efforts the same day, though not worth showing :)

I had to skip June 28th (Busy coordinating the workshop), but I have painted at least one painting each day since then. Here is my June 29th painting, "Pigeons & Popcorn" half sheet (15"x22"), watercolor.

Then here is my June 30th painting, "Fade to Peace."  About 4"x10", watercolor. This I painted outside in my back yard. It started out as a bigger painting, but I cropped down to two. Then my sweet hubby cut the roses and put them in a vase for our dining room. They were the inspiration for the painting above. 

On July 1st, I attended an open draw session at the Visual Art Institute. I sketched 3, 15-minute poses on tracing paper, and painting a watercolor of the long pose. 

Buy "Figure in Thought" Now $300