Vivid Iris Watercolor

The Eastern Shore Art League is having our annual Fall show at Stage Door Gallery in Cape Charles, Va. in a couple of weeks. I had to send in the names of 2 not done watercolors...ok, not even thought of. So I said "Fall" and "Memories".  These were the same names I had last year.. oh well. I've been racking my brain on what to paint. Today it hit me. Iris for one. Let's just work on one at a time. Here's this one so far..  I've taken my cooked chicken out to church for the bazaar on Saturday, then returned with Coffee Brownies for the Bake table. Craddockville United Methodist Church Bazaar, Nov. 1, Sat. from 8am-12 pm. Go if you can , I'm teaching in Norfolk but I'm excited about that too. Talk to you soon, love to each of you,Diana

Watercolors in the Sky

HI! It has been one of those days I haven't gotten much painted. I did just sit down and put the colors in the sky now on watercolor paper.. A quickie sunset.  It was fun watching the colors bleed together. I used Cad. Yellow Dark, Opera Pink, and Ultramarine blue, then a grey I mixed from Ultramarine blue and Sepia and a touch of Cad. Orange and Yellow Dark mixed right over the clouds as the sun was peeking thru.. Then for the silhouette of the trees, Viridian, Ultramarine and Sepia for the dark of the pines and Cad Yellow Dark and Yellow Ochre for the oaks( I think?) grey trunks and Sepia trunks.. anyway.. Sadie is napping.. Ohh.. she took me on a run today....I'm not going to think about it .. we are going to train on the leash..Have a great evening. Talk to you tomorrow.. I hope I'm not boring you to pieces!! Just 9 Days to go to finish the month. love,Diana

Red Hibiscus Watercolor and How to Glaze in Watercolor

HI. This is one of my very favorite paintings I ever did. It is a red hibiscus.  I glazed each petal probably 5 times. Glazing is after the wash was dry I put clear water on the petal then added the colors where I wanted them onto the wet wash. Glazing can also be done by just putting a layer onto the petal with the color and water together.  I watched each glaze dry so I didn't have any back washes appear. If they did I simply glazed with clear water to get rid of them. I do like back washes sometimes..I really love them at  times but for this painting I wanted it smooth and voluptuous. I sold this to either a lady in Onancock or Jamesville, I can't remember..Reds do seem to require more glazing than other colors..to make them intense.

The bazaar was wonderful. I got up and went out there to the church this morning. I had made brownies too for the bake table,and took the sunflower watercolor for the auction. Everything looked lovely, so many Christmas decorations to buy and so many cakes!! I know they must have done well! I bought a huge radish,4 coffee mugs--tall and skinny for John--that's how he likes his mugs,a cup of coffee to sip as I visited and meandered,and a couple of books.

Tonight we are going to watch Taken 2-- a new movie on tv. Sadie, on her Serta, ha ha and Rudy, the cat, on John's lap will snooze the night away. Have a great relaxing evening. love,Diana

Coming up...Art and Music on the Farm

HI, my class on Saturday was nice. We drew and painted hummingbirds and the gardens brought us a large bucket of gorgeous flowers fresh cut from there. I saw deep purple iris and thought for sure we would all be painting those but instead they each chose Red Hot Pokers to put with their hummers. We had a great time and they turned out some beautiful work!

Here are a few of my new pieces which I'll frame this week for Art and Music on the Farm at the Barrier Island Center in Machipongo,Va. This show is from 10am-4pm. They will have wonderful food,soda,local wine and beer,music,and beautiful local art.,It's on Saturday May 26th. Entry fee $10 in advance or $12 at the gate. Look up to the right for my show list for location and phone# to call for entry fee. Hope you can come!You can go to Barrier Island Center website for more info click here.

I've been painting on the porch, I wanted to do a little hummingbird with some flowers in my garden. Where I sit I can see the daisies I've planted by Daisy's grave. I know I will miss her forever. The first thing Sharon said on Saturday was I'm so sorry about Daisy. She was so sweet to say that! I'll go back to painting. Talk to you soon, Diana

Painting Peach Iris Watercolor

I took a long walk in the nursery this morning. Saw a puddle full of little tadpoles,beautiful bushes dripping with white blossoms..and the deepest red of Japanese Maple leaves. I had to visit the ginko row. I love those trees.. This afternoon I've painted in the back porch,working on the peach iris.( I was missing my Daisy).. so I'm going to prop my painting up and look at it tonight.What does it need? take care,dear friends,Diana

Day of Cleaning

HI! It seems when I have a show, afterwards I have lots of laundry, straightening everything, and with the pollen on the breeze and the windows open it's floating or rather blowing in.The show was nice but sales were off. No one was happy with their sales. But we must just keep on painting and hang in there. I don't know about you, but what else can we do. Quitting is not an option.

Hope you all had a nice Easter and holiday, I did make it to preaching and Sunday School.(I was tired and sore but I got there!) Here is a photo of the cross from our church in Craddockville, on Easter morning. It was a lovely Easter service.

I finished my Geese watercolor and framed it in time for the show and got lots of lovely compliments on it. So here it is. Well I'll go dust off some pollen.. maybe if I open windows on both sides of the house it will blow thru. It's a lovely spring day! talk to you soon, Diana

Wachapreague, Va. Always Feels Like Home.

HI! This weekend I squeezed some time in while they were working out to paint so I finished this little Eastern Shore Mini landscape of Wachapreague,Va. This is where my husband and I lived the first year of our marriage and my mother and her parents all grew up. It's a little fishing village and it always feels like home.Just saying the name brings back wonderful memories of my grandparents.

I went back into my sky to make it stand out more with a wash of water and then dropped in the clouds of thalo blue and sepia with a hint of ultramarine blue afterwords. I used the palette knife on the little metal building. Just dip your knife into water then in the paint then smear on the painting. This is great for dry brush effects or a very dramatic color zing to watercolors..and it's fun!

I started another little landscape of Willis Wharf. I sold 5 of my ES minis at my last show and need to have some more for the next one. It's rainy here today, Daisy is snoring loudly nearby and I've got my coffeepot full and lots of leftovers cooked up for supper. A perfect day to paint!! take care, talk to you soon,Diana

PS The orchid I just got recently and is such a gorgeous thing.. I wanted to show it to you!

Bayford,Va. Watercolor Landscape

Hi!Here is my latest Eastern Shore mini landscape.I've been working on it this morning. I've stopped. I'm doodling it to death. I tend to nitpick and over detail if I'm worried and I've been worried about the dogs.

This is a local place in Bayford,Va. The Eastern Shore Art League used to have lovely very intimate (small) art shows on the lawn in Bayford at Mapp and Thaddy Walker's lovely garden. This was like 15 years ago!! WOW!

First I drew my landscape. I then laid in the sky, turning it on it's side to make the drips and paint form lovely(hopefully) feathers of clouds, this is so much fun.. also it's a conversation piece if someone should walk in --- why is that painting upside down?? haha.. after it dried I wanted more color so I wet only the sky again and laid in another stripe of color just to the top of the house for contrast with the roof.(This sorta makes it dark like it's going to rain-- not my intention but hey it works!) I continued to paint and used my palette knife on the roof and 3 old barrels in the foreground. Just dip a wet palette knife into your color and smear it where you want.. it's more intense than dry brush and lots of fun to do!!! I used the barrels from the photo of the boat.

I will frame it for the ES Heritage Festival which is next weekend.. I have at least 5 to frame--UGH! take care, talk to you soon,Diana

Egg, Moths,Daisy and Dusty

Hi,I've been painting my IO Moths and just finished them. I like the female better than the male, her colors are much bolder and richer.She is the dark quinacrodone burnt orange and red rose deep one.

While I've painted my painting buddies( Daisy and Dusty) are laying beside me,and yes they are both ill. Hopefully after the antibiotics kick in they will be back to their old selves. I hope so. We've had a week of ups and downs with them.Poor things!

Oh the egg-- did you see the wooden egg in the photo of the moths. What do you think it's for?? Well the Chincoteague Decoy and Art Festival asks the artists to paint one egg each for them to auction to support the show.I'm thinking of using sharpies on it in different colors and squiggles.. what do you think.. talk to you later. Diana

Watercolor of an IO Moth

hi! This morning I started this little painting of an IO Moth. I save butterfly and moth wings and bodies for reference.(They are amazing up close.) I'm only showing you the tiger swallowtail butterfly and this I believe is a viceroy's wings. I have more but after sometime they fall apart and aren't so pretty. I don't capture them. I just pick up ones I find.First I sketch them on my watercolor paper and then slowly paint each wing. I love the color of this female moth-I used quinacrodone burnt orange,red rose deep and a violet for the upper wing. The male is sketched in under it--Can you see it on the watercolor paper?.. and will have yellow wings with the same bulls eye.Another moth I adore is the Luna Moth.No they aren't out yet, I'm pushing for warmer weather!- and we had 2 inches of snow last night. take care and stay warm. talk to you soon,Diana

Granulated Luna Blue on Bill

HI, I just finished the little heron watercolor. I used some of Daniel Smith's Luna Blue watercolor paint on his bill, it's granulated! Here's the painting! Now on to cooking supper.. talk to you soon, Diana

Did I Stop in Time?

Well I was so absorbed in painting I didn't hear the men outside from Asplundh cutting down a dead lob lolly pine on the side of the road in our yard. This pine was a favorite roost of many birds so they'll have to find another tree, but that won't be a problem.

Here is my finished painting of the pink tulips. I was starting to add a line here and a line there and I stopped myself. I didn't want to overwork it. I want it to be delicate and hopefully capture the beauty of those flowers. What do you think? Did I stop in time or do I need more darks??

Talk to you soon, Diana

Adding Greens to the Stems

HI,well late this afternoon I've been working on the leaves and started the glass vase. I've used negative painting around some of the stems wherever I see it works. I love to paint around something and make it pop out.

So here are some of the stem leaves... It started sleeting a minute ago.We've had some winter weather! Daisy is better, not totally well but getting there, thank you for your concern.

stay warm and talk soon,Diana

ps Thought I'd show you how lovely the tulips are now!!!! Just Stems!

Tulip Petals and Sick Daisy!

Today,we've had trouble.

Last night, after Dr.Johnson, had closed his office, Daisy developed a fever of 103.. Daisy, as you know, is our lab. Normal dog temperature is 101. I knew the way she was looking at me she was ill. So this morning as soon as we could, I called Doc and he said bring her. That is to Pocomoke,Md. which is almost an hour away but off we zoomed to discover she has a uti and throat infection.. so 2 antibiotics, a shot and more-- we zoomed back home.

This afternoon as she snores nestled near my feet, I have painted tulip petals. This is so relaxing after our morning (and night). I need to get them painted as the flowers are slowly bending to the table, so first I paint the actual blooms. Then if they fall off I still have the stems to paint!!(Doc said Daisy should be better by tomorrow-I hope so.) stay warm, talk to you soon,Diana

On to Tulips!

Hi, I finished my little daffodil painting just now and here it is. I'll have this framed and in my next show,the Heritage Festival at Eastern Shore Community College.

I've already started on a new painting. The lovely tulips and as you can see they are gorgeous now but that means hurry and paint. I could take photos and I have of the tulips but I feel it gives even more to the painting to paint from the actual flower if I'm fortunate and have one. Don't you!?

So stay warm and take care, we may have flurries tonight, just flurries-- that will be lovely,just to see it fall! Talk to you soon,Diana

Painting Daffodils

This morning I've been working on my new little daffodil painting. I've added some shadows and been working on the petals. Now I decided to put a dark green background behind the daffodils, I debated a thalo blue for fun but decided on the dark green. I use only one green(viridian) and mix it to make whatever green I like. For this I am using my viridian green and sepia and a touch of ultramarine blue. This makes a rich dark green... although I see I will have to glaze it again to get it darker. I want contrast, haha,afterward I will go in and darken some of the shadows on the flowers. Talk to you soon. Stay warm,it's cold here, Diana

Falling Leaves

HI,well the dogs and I took a walk this morning. Yesterday it rained late and was windy so many of the gorgeous leaves have started to fall..They were falling while we walked and were so amazingly beautiful I picked up a good handful and started this little painting. The yellow leaves are ginko. They came from my parents yard but the others are sweet gum and I think hickory. I just wish I didn't have to stop to fix supper. I need to glaze them to increase the intensity of the colors and the leaves will start to shrivel up by tomorrow.. take care, talk to you soon, Diana