Winter Begonias in Tin Pot, Oil on Linen Panel, 10×8″ (SOLD)
It was time to face something more cheerful than my own face in the studio. This pretty pot of begonias was just what I needed. I worked on them a bit at a time, between visits to my mother in hospice. My mom passed away very peacefully last week, in no pain and with family at her side. She taught me many things in life; her final and maybe most important lesson was how to let go and fearlessly accept this final passage with grace (and the help of amazing hospice nurses).
This painting is sold. Below are the steps in the progress of the painting.
Winter Begonias in Tin Pot, WIP-A
Winter Begonias in Tin Pot, WIP-B
Winter Begonias in Tin Pot, WIP-C
Winter Begonias in Tin Pot, Oil on Linen Panel, 10×8″ (SOLD)
Sunflower Attempt #1 (Above) This one quickly went off the rails, the flowers got scraped off and then not repainted because the actual flowers had keeled over and I had nothing to work with.
Sunflower Attempt #1-B (Below)
There are some interesting things about this composition but I was still working too large (about 16×11″) and by the time I started painting after getting it sketched and blocked in it was too late in the day and the next day the flowers were falling over. The brown scarf
EDiM 1: Food Food: Defrosting Burger, graphite and watercolor, 8×7.25 in
Day 1 of Every Day in May 2015 is supposed to be a favorite food and although I do enjoy the occasional burger, ground beef isn’t really a favorite eat…but this vacuum-sealed package of defrosting-as-I-drew meat was certainly a favorite to draw.
EDiM 2: Tree (Baby Cherry Tree), ink and watercolor, 4.5×8 in
Day 2’s cue is “A nearby tree” and my next-door neighbor’s adorable little baby flowering cherry called out to be drawn before the puffy flowers fall. I meant to fit the whole tree on the page but I started in ink with the top left branch and drew too big so only the top left side of the tree fit. Oh well.
EDiM 1 and 2: Full page in sketchbook, ink and watercolor, 8×10 in
It felt so good to just draw for fun in my sketchbook again after weeks of working on two commissioned paintings that are finally approaching completion. I needed to get back to playing in my sketchbook again, whether the paintings were finished or not, so EDiM came along just at the right time.
For me, it will probably be more like Every-ish Day… or (Almost) Every Day… or Some Days in May since I have a lot of other things going on this month. However many days it is, any day that I get to draw is a good day!
If you want to join in the fun, check out the Facebook Group or the Flickr Group and click to join. Everyone is welcome to play any time during the month.
Persimmon and String Beans, oil on panel, 6×6 inches
This was one of the those magical paintings that just worked from beginning to end. Maybe it was painting on Gessobord, which I love, or maybe it was because I tried to stay really focused. It’s available here on Daily Paintworks.
I was careful to paint the string beans from the garden and their leaves first since I knew they would change quickly. I stopped when I found myself getting tired or losing focus and took a break. And I closely followed my pre-planned goals for each session.
See my session chart for Persimmon and String Beans (pdf) with all the steps, plans and session images or see the images of the steps below without details. One new step I added this time was studying the nearly finished painting in Photoshop on a large screen before declaring it finished and then finding and noting areas that needed adjustments, including completely changing the background value at top.
Let me know if you’re finding these charts or step by steps interesting. I do them for myself but if others find it interesting it’s worth posting them.
Photo of set up (but painted from life)
Session 1A: the drawing on panel in charcoal then restated with thinned paint
Session 1B, painting the green beans since the leaves would change quickly. I started to paint the persimmon but wiped it off when I realized I’d lost focus and needed a break before returning and painting with focus
Session 2, painting everything except green beans
Adjustments/corrections made in Photoshop including darkening the top background
This little fig tree has survived so much: being transplanted, then a killer frost, and then transplanting again after sewer line work. As soon as leaves sprouted this year so did two figs. Sadly the crows or squirrels (or the toddler next door?) took them before I could even post this.
Little Rose Studies, ink and watercolor, 7.5×5.5 in
I sat in the driveway and quickly sketched some roses but had to stop when the shadow of the house took away the light.
End of Journal Self-Portrait, graphite, 5×7.5 in
And then there’s my not so spring-y self, frowning into the mirror, with hat-head and something wrong with the mouth. And yes, it’s intentionally buried at the bottom of this post. It feels good to be drawing again, after what seems like months away from it. It’s also a little frustrating feeling rusty at it. But the only fix for that is more drawing!
Jana Bouc, Artist 