Watercolors by Joan

Yellow Boat and Masa Restaurant

2011-08-25T03:25:00.000-07:00

The restaurant was done on masa paper from a smaller painting I had done in plein air. I like the masa for the weathered look to the buildings.

Sketchcrawl - Sayville

2011-04-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

I am happy to be back posting. For some reason I couldn't publish posts for the last week. Nothing worked! Luckily the stars are in alignment and things are working again. lol

Last Saturday was the World Wide Sketchcrawl and I stayed locally in the town of Sayville. I started with a sketch of the Four Star variety store on Main Street with it's Easter decorations and summer lawn furniture outside. Then I moved down the street to sketch the outside of La Tavola, a wonderful restaurant. Next I moved to the grounds of the Maritime Museum. I sketched the greenhouse and one of the boats at the dock.

Please check my fake blog to see what has happened with Angelina.

http://angelinaslifeinvenice.blogspot.com/

Times Square

2011-04-15T08:58:00.001-07:00

Sketching and painting Times Square is overwhelming. We were in Manhattan yesterday for a show. We went in early for the AWS Watercolor Show and I brought along my supplies to do something while I was in the city. I lucked out and got a chair in the pedestrian mall in Times Square. I eliminated a lot from this scene. lol This is about 5 x 7.

Please check my fake blog to see what Angelina is doing.

http://angelinaslifeinvenice.blogspot.com

Don

2011-04-13T08:29:00.001-07:00

I almost forgot to post this. It was done at the SBAA sketch meeting with a live model last week. This is 5 x 7. Please come visit Angelina in Venice at http://angelinaslifeinvenice.blogspot.com

Rock Hall

2011-04-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

This is the back of Rock Hall Estate in Lawrence. I did this in plein air yesterday. It is 4 x 5. Please come visit my fake blog: angelinaslifeinvenice.blogspot.com

Celery Farm View

2011-04-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

This was painted at the celery farm in Allendale, NJ yesterday when Mickey and I went out plein air painting. This is 5 x 8.

Please check out Angelina's adventures on my other fake blog.

http://www.angelinaslifeinvenice.blogspot.com

At the Dock

2011-04-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

This was painted from across the canal where the Fire Island ferries dock in Sayville. This was done with watercolors and my Lamy pen. It is 3 x 5.

Please visit my fake blog to see what Angelina is doing.

http://angelinaslifeinvenice.blogspot.com

Fly Fishing

2011-04-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

I looked around yesterday for something "springlike" to paint, but didn't find much in bloom. I did find a few fly fishermen at a nearby lake. I picked one of them for this painting. It is about 4 x 5.

Don't forget to check on my fake blog about Angelina in Venice.

http://www.angelinaslifeinvenice.blogspot.com/

Handmade Journals & Foster Avenue House

2011-04-06T08:01:00.000-07:00

I recently took a bookmaking class on Japanese stab binding. Here is a photo of two of the books I made.

The painting of the blue house was done locally in Sayville. It is 3 x 5.

Please check my fake blog to see what Angelina is up to: http://angelinaslifeinvenice

Portrait of Gloria

2011-04-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

This was done last week at the SBAA portrait group. This is 5 x 7.

Please check my fake blog to see what Angelina is up to: http://angelinaslifeinvenice.blogspot.com/

Cross Sound Ferry - Orient Point to New London

2011-04-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I met my internet friend, Ai, and her family for the first time. They live in Thailand and are here visiting family. She was in Connecticut for a few days so I took the Cross Sound Ferry over to New London and met her. I sketched on the ferry of course. We had a great day together, and it was fun meeting her husband, Tone, and her adorable children, as well as her "American family." Here is a photo of Ai and myself at a horse farm.

I have moved my fake journal posts for the IFJM to

http://angelinaslifeinvenice.blogspot.com/

Please come and read about Angelina's adventures there.

International Fake Journal - April 1

2011-04-02T08:35:00.001-07:00

Fri., April 1 - My name is Angelina and I live in Venice, Italy. I came here on vacation and never went back. Each day I will show you something from my day.

Today I am at the Realto Market buying fruits and vegetables. Wave to Mario. He has the best San Marzano tomatoes you will ever taste! The market closes by one so you have to go early, especially if you want the best selection. Ciao!

(If you are wondering about the International Fake Journals, here is a link: http://officialinternationalfakejournalblog.blogspot.com/)

Gillette Park View

2011-04-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

My sketching group met on Wed at Gillette Park in Sayville in the late afternoon. Spring is slowly arriving on Long Island, but the temps were still too cold at $:30 to want to sit outside. Several of us sketched from my car.

Jean's Dad

2011-03-31T08:19:00.001-07:00

This was also done for the WDE on WetCanvas from one of Jean's photos. This is 5 x 7.

Central Park Entrance ATC

2011-03-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

This is another ATC sized painting I did for the WDE from one of Jean's photos. You would think that living in the NYC area I would get to paint Central Park on occasion, but I rarely get to do that.

Flowering Succulent ATC

2011-03-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

This is ATC sized and was done for the WDE on WetCanvas. "Justjean" was hosting and provided the image.

Mary in Blue

2011-03-28T09:56:00.001-07:00

The SBAA has a model pose on Tuesday mornings, so I ran over this week to paint. This is 5 x 7.

Pouring Workshop - Painting 4 - Tuscan Street & Photos

2011-03-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

My final painting that I worked on was a small section of a photo I had taken in Tuscany. I think it was just simple enough for a pour. I'm posting the value study and the painting itself. I'm also including a few photos of gallery night after the workshops ended. You can see a bit of the wonderful work by the other students hanging on the walls. The first photo is of Jean Grastorf and my sister, Michelle (red blazer), the second is Michelle by her abstract wash out painting and her tee plant pour (both are in the top row), and a photo of me by my tropical painting and the Tuscan street. I can't wait to get my hands wet again and try this technique again.

Pouring Workshop Painting 3- Tropical Colors

2011-03-24T08:10:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have never seen someone pour, I'm including a photo of myself in action. Each of the paintings take a long time to complete because there is so much waiting time between each pour. Jean taught us another fun painting technique to try while we were waiting. We used something called wash out tape which we stretched across the watercolor paper overlapping the strips. Then we used a quilter's rotary cutter to cut a design through just the tape. The cut pieces were removed leaving some exposed wc paper. Using a brush we painted across the tape and across these sections. Jean also did a lesson on texturing, so I used some of those methods in the painted areas of my tropical painting.

Pouring Workshop - Painting 2 - Provence Building

2011-03-23T08:45:00.001-07:00

A lot of planning went into the poured representational paintings we did. First we did a sketch, and then a value study. This was the map to our pour so we would know which areas needed to be masked out first, second, etc. It makes it possible to see the lights, mid-tones, and darks. Of course transferring the image to the watercolor sheet took a while. I do hate graphite paper! lol Once the image was visible (I always had to go over my lines from the graphite paper) and the first masking dried we could pour. At times it seems that you have more paint on your hands instead of the paper. I used a reference photo I took in Provence for this painting. This one is a half sheet size.

Please check the post below for the abstract I did in Jean's class.

Pouring Workshop - Abstract

2011-03-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

This past week my sister and I took a pouring workshop with Jean Grastorf in SC at the Springmaid Watermedia Workshops. To do our pours we used a very limited palette of 3 staining colors-a yellow, a red, and a blue. This abstract was the first piece I started pouring on. We traced our hands, and assorted objects and stencils that were in the room. Using masking fluid we masked out whatever areas we wanted to leave white, and then poured the solutions of the 3 colors over our wet paper, allowing it to mingle before pouring it off. Once that layer was dry we did the same with the next area, masking out the next lightest areas and pouring a stronger value of the same colors. This particular painting has about 5 layers of pours on it. When all the pours are dry the masking is removed from the painting.

New Work Soon

2011-03-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

I have been away at a pouring workshop with Jean Grastorf in Myrtle Beach, so I haven't been able to post or even get on the computer while away. Hopefully when I get back home tomorrow I will be able to catch up and post photos of what I've been doing and get to check everyone else's blogs. See you soon.

Journal Fun - Provence

2011-03-10T07:49:00.001-08:00

I've been having fun taking the Strathmore Visual Journal Workshops. This is what I did for the second workshop. I extended the pages from a two page spread to four by attaching two extra pages. I sketched the apartment where we stayed in in Provence. I used watercolor and collage to paint the front pages, and outlined most of it with ink. These pages open to a 4 page inside. For the inside pages I used copies of some of my artwork related to Provence, which I then painted over with inktense pencils, and some painted pieces (the grapes, winebottle, and sunflowers) done directly over the journal writing on the page. Now I'm dreaming about how to do Monet's Garden and Venice.

Nancy Ruth

2011-03-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

Our plein air group is still not meeting yet, so I went to the SBAA Sketch group yesterday. They have been meeting each week and have a model to work from. It was fun to do this, and I should have been joining them all winter. This is Nancy Ruth and the painting is 5 x 7.

Ducks at the Lake

2011-03-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

My wanderings took me back to Artist Lake on Saturday. This is 3 x 5.

Clowning Around

2011-03-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

This was also done for the WDE from one of Catherine's references. It is ATC sized (2.5 x 3.5). I think he's a bit scarey!

Tropical Color

2011-03-05T07:18:00.001-08:00

This is ATC sized (2.5 x 3.5) done for the WDE on WetCanvas from a reference by "crispur." My thanks to Catherine for her photo.

Along the River

2011-03-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

This was painted along the Carmen River in Brookhaven. There is a nature trail there which I have never taken. The building reminded me of a Maine cottage. This is 3 x 5.

Justin

2011-03-03T07:56:00.001-08:00

I decided I needed to do at least one portrait for the week. This is my nephew's little boy from a photo I took at a family reunion a few years ago. Justin is more impish that I was able to make him look. This is about 5 x 5.

Along the Bay

2011-03-02T09:16:00.000-08:00

I snuck out for a little plein air painting from the car yesterday. It was too windy down by the water to sit outside, so I sat in my "studio." This was done down by Corey Beach in Blue Point, from the parking lot across from the marina. It is 3 x 5.

Birds of a Feather

2011-02-28T08:57:00.000-08:00

This was done for the WDE on WetCanvas from a reference provided by the host, Catherine. This is 4 x 9.

Warwick Barn

2011-02-27T09:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I drove up to Middletown, NY for the North East Watercolor Society's Member's Show reception. I had 2 paintings in the show. I went up early so I would have time to search for some barns in the area. I found this one in Warwick, NY. It looked like it was vacant and needed a bit of TLC, which made it perfect to paint.

Bowling Sketches

2011-02-25T11:19:00.001-08:00

Last night I met fellow artists, Susan and Roseanne from the Patchogue Sketch Club, at Bowl Long Island at Patchogue for a evening of sketching. It isn't so easy to catch the movements of the bowlers...those waiting for their turn were much easier. It was fun!

Care for a Sip?

2011-02-24T07:22:00.000-08:00

I've been working some of my scavenger hunt sketches into ATCs (2.5 x 3.5) for an upcoming swap at a local gallery. This is one of them.

Snowy Lawn

2011-02-23T07:09:00.000-08:00

Just cruzin' the neighborhood with the fresh snow on the ground, and this called to me. 3 x 5 in my February journal.

Palmed Beach

2011-02-22T08:17:00.000-08:00

This was also done for the WDE from one of Valri's references. Yes, I did three for this weekend. This is ATC sized (2.5 x 3.5).

Little Olivia

2011-02-20T09:19:00.001-08:00

This is another painting I did for the WDE that Valri is hosting on WetCanvas. This is 3 x 5.

Blazing Flowers

2011-02-19T07:13:00.000-08:00

This is ATC sized (2.5 x 3.5) and was done from a reference by Valri who is hosting the WDE on WetCanvas this weekend. I love the colors.

Foster Avenue Blues

2011-02-18T07:47:00.000-08:00

This is 3 x 5 and painted in Sayville yesterday. Our snow is finally melting...except where the big piles are. lol The temp should reach the high 50s today! Yeah!!!

Garden Wheel

2011-02-17T07:40:00.000-08:00

This was done for the WDE on Wet Canvas. Can you tell it is an ATC and only 2.5 x 3.5?

Skylar

2011-02-16T07:53:00.000-08:00

I have been trying portraits from time to time, with some limited success. This one came out OK...it looks like Skylar, but I don't know how to incorporate her spirit in the painting. This is 5 x 7.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T09:13:00.001-08:00

This is a collage I made to use as the image for my Valentine's Day card this year. It is a mix of watercolor, torn paper, cut paper, tissue paper, and stamping. It was a lot of fun to do. It is 5 x 7.

Along the Stream

2011-02-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

I braved the elements and walked a bit at Connetquot Park. I sat by one of the bridges near the fish hatchery to pain this. It was colder than I thought, and luckily the car wasn't far away. This is 3 x 5.

Snow Against the Fence

2011-02-12T07:09:00.001-08:00

I headed over to Sunken Meadow Park the other day. This was painted from my car in the parking lot near the golf course. I liked the addition of the fencing with the snow. This is 3 x 5.

Maui Grown

2011-02-11T13:10:00.000-08:00

Wednesday I met another member of the Patchogue Sketch Club at the Roast Coffee and Tea Trading Company in Patchogue. With the cold weather is seems like there are only two of us who show up consistently to sketch. They were roasting coffee beans in their new roaster, so the bags of beans were out. This is 3 x 5.

Ooh La La

2011-02-10T07:36:00.001-08:00

I've wanted to paint this storefront in Sayville for a while. I just love the pink color. This is 3 x 5.

Snowy Woods

2011-02-09T07:36:00.000-08:00

The Sans Souci County Park opened recently in Sayville and the entrance attracted me from the street. It was too cold to sit outside and paint, but it was fine in the car. This is 3 x 5.

View to the Lake

2011-02-08T07:17:00.000-08:00

In addition to working on the portrait below on Sunday, I decided to head to the arboretum in Oakdale and do a plein air. It seemed warm enough to sit outside, so I took my painting chair and supplies and walked a bit. Next thing you know I have a hat and gloves on. By the time I finished this 3 x 5 painting my feet and hands were frozen. I think the dampness of the ground was the problem. Although I wasn't sitting with my feet in the snow, the ground was mighty cold.

Blow Man, Blow

2011-02-07T08:43:00.001-08:00

This was my weekend for portraits. I used another reference from the WDE of a New Orleans musician. This is 5 x 8.

Small Fry

2011-02-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

This was done for this weekend's Weekend Drawing Event on WetCanvas. The reference was from "mmdm" and I thank Melissa for this great shot of her grandson. This is 5 x 8.

Fallen Tree

2011-02-05T07:13:00.001-08:00

I headed back to Connetquot State Park yesterday to paint. I drove in by the fish hatchery and there was a man out in the snow fly fishing! I started to put him into the painting but he walked out of sight too quickly. This is 3 x 5.

Snowy Cutchogue View

2011-02-04T08:21:00.000-08:00

Snowy Cutchogue View - Demo

Several people have asked me to do a demo of my watercolor and ink work. Since I've been doing a lot of "plein air" painting from my car, I tried to take photos yesterday of what I was doing. This isn't one of my best paintings, but I thought it would give you an idea of what I do.

I parked my car and moved the driver's seat back as far as I could to give me room to paint on my lap. Usually I put some kind of journal between the seats so I can balance my fieldkit there while I paint. This painting was done in a 5 x 8 moleskin watercolor journal.

Photo 1 - After sketching the scene in pencil I did some basic washes for the sky, the buildings, the bushes and the snow. I was using my trusty waterbrush at this point. (You can probably see that the journal is balanced on my lap.)

Photo 2 - I began adding adding ink around the buildings. I try not to completely outline the shapes with a continuous line. I use breaks in the lines, dots in some spots, scribbles and small dashes.

LOL It isn't easy to take photos in the confined space of the car.

Attached Images

__________________
Joan T
www.watercolorsbyjoan.blogspot.com

02-04-2011, 10:49 AM - [add post to favorites]

Joan T

A WC! Legend

Long Island

Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,645

Re: Snowy Cutchogue View - Demo

I usually use a micron pen for the lines...like the micron 05 in the first photo. I usually use sepia ink rather than black. It seems less stark to me.

I continued using the pen on the buildings. If you touch a wet brush to the ink while it hasn't dried completely, it adds some nice color to the area when it bleeds. I did that with the red buildings. I added orange to the sunlit sides of the red building. I also deepened the color on the shaded side of the red and blue buildings, and added shadows on the snow areas of the bushes with cobalt blue.

Attached Images

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Joan T
www.watercolorsbyjoan.blogspot.com

02-04-2011, 10:54 AM - [add post to favorites]

Joan T

A WC! Legend

Long Island

Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,645

Re: Snowy Cutchogue View - Demo

To do the tree trunks and branches I used a travel brush (#6). For water I usually just squeeze a few drops of water from the waterbrush into the corner of one of the field kit palette sections. For a small painting that is just about enough and I keep adding more water as needed. If I'm doing a larger painting I use a water container that I sit in the car's cup holder.

Attached Images

__________________
Joan T
www.watercolorsbyjoan.blogspot.com

02-04-2011, 10:56 AM - [add post to favorites]

Joan T

A WC! Legend

Long Island

Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,645

Re: Snowy Cutchogue View - Demo

With the travel brush I added more tree trunks and branches behind the buildings. Drybrush was used for some of the smaller branches and twigs.

For this entire painting I only used a pencil, a waterbrush, the micron pen and the #6 travel brush.

Attached Images

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Joan T
www.watercolorsbyjoan.blogspot.com

02-04-2011, 11:01 AM - [add post to favorites]

Joan T

A WC! Legend

Long Island

Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,645

Re: Snowy Cutchogue View - Demo

Ink lines wer added to the fence and more snow shadows from the buildings. Here are a few photos that show the details on either side of the page. The paints I used are in my W&N field kit. You can see that I have added a few other colors in the corners.

Attached Images

__________________
Joan T
www.watercolorsbyjoan.blogspot.com

02-04-2011, 11:03 AM - [add post to favorites]

Joan T

A WC! Legend

Long Island

Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,645

Re: Snowy Cutchogue View - Demo

Here is the finished painting. This photo was taken indoors so the lighting isn't as good as the other photos. I may add something in the foreground on the right yet. It looks a bit too empty right now. I'll live with it for a while before I decide.

Hope you enjoyed seeing the steps!

Attached Images

Pinks and Yellows

2011-02-03T07:41:00.001-08:00

Since yesterday was such a dreary looking day in our area, I didn't even try to paint a landscape. lol Instead I did this flower arrangement. I just needed some color. This is 4 x 6.

Bowing Down

2011-02-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

This is another watercolor and ink that is in my February journal. I had painted this tree once before and posted it here. It was called "Snowy Tree." This time I did a bit more of the scene.

Hiding in the Snow

2011-02-01T09:53:00.001-08:00

I went to Connetquot Park for a little "art therapy" this weekend. This is 4 x 6.

Snowy Shadows

2011-01-29T07:48:00.000-08:00

This was done a few days ago at the arboretum in Oakdale. It is 4 x 6.

I have been MIA for a few days, but finally had a few minuted to get to the internet. My mother-in-law was in the hospital and passed away yesterday. She will be missed. Mary, keep you eyes on all of us here!

Visual Journal - Key West

2011-01-25T09:28:00.001-08:00

I am participating in the Strathmore Visual Journal Workshops that are going on. The first workshop has 4 lessons and reuses work we've already done. This was done using parts of copies of several watercolors I had done in Key West, combined with collage material I gathered about Key West, gel pens, oil pastels, gesso, papers, etc. I worked around my artwork and shaded and added color to it. This has one more step to go before it is completed. I'm hoping to do a few more in this style. It is a bit of a change from what I usually do.

At the Coffee Shop

2011-01-24T14:21:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I was off visiting family. Can you believe that I did not sketch anything yesterday? lol Technically that isn't true. I just didn't sketch on paper. My nephew's daughter showed me her gameboy (?) which had this drawing program in it. I did a painting of two yellow chicks, but it is inside the gameboy. This painting was done at a coffee shop in Patchogue last week when my Patchogue Sketch Club met. You can see that we are sketching indoors due to darkness, cold and snow. This is 4 x 6.

Sketchcrawl Jan. 22, 2010

2011-01-22T18:32:00.000-08:00

My sister and I went to the James McFaul Environmental Center in Wycoff, NJ to do the World Wide Sketchcrawl today. You can see the snow is still everywhere, even here in New Jersey. The first sketch was done from the car and the other three from inside the center. Luckily they have nice large windows with views.

Arched Snowy Branches

2011-01-21T08:46:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was a busy day, and I didn't get to go out plein air painting. I did work from a photo I took last week at Connetquot State Park. This is 4 x 6.

Peconic Riverfront

2011-01-20T13:06:00.001-08:00

This was my last plein air before our rain the last two days. The frozen riverfront in Riverhead looked interesting in the snow, don't you think? This is 4 x 6.

Connetquot Plein Air

2011-01-19T07:13:00.001-08:00

On Sunday I decided that the temperature was warm enough to actually venture out of my car for a plein air. I went back to Connetquot Park and painted a section of the river. I was able to sit up on the deck of the building there, so I didn't have to worry about standing or sitting in snow. It worked well.

Top Shelf

2011-01-18T09:52:00.001-08:00

This was done for the WDE on WetCanvas this past weekend from a reference by Helen. I didn't know what most of these objects were, but it was fun to paint the metals. This is 4 x 11.

Connetquot Path in Snow

2011-01-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went back to Connetquot State Park to do this painting. The building is actually part of the fish hatchery they have. This is 4 x 6.

Connetquot Snowy Path

2011-01-15T07:23:00.001-08:00

I took a drive over to Connectquot State Park yesterday to see if there was a spot to sit in the car and paint. They let me drive over near the fish hatchery and I was able to park and paint. There were wonderful views in every direction, so I'll try to get back there again. This is 4 x 6.

Snowy Tree

2011-01-14T07:56:00.000-08:00

I sat in my car to paint this in a parking lot next to a small local lake. I loved all the twisty vines and the shadows on the tree. This is 4 x 6.

From My Window

2011-01-13T07:38:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we had about 12 inches of snow. After going for a walk and taking some photos of the snow, I perched myself by my living room window to paint the wonderland outside. This is 4 x 6.

Sunken Meadow Snow

2011-01-11T08:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took a drive over to Sunken Meadow Park on the north shore of Long Island. It was much too cold to sit outdoors, so I tried to position my car in a good spot to peek through the trees and see the frozen inlet and marsh grasses. This is 4 x 6.

Sewing Time

2011-01-10T09:37:00.001-08:00

This is another painting I did for the WDE on WetCanvas from one of Maureen's wonderful references. This is about 7 x 7.

Snowy Landscape III

2011-01-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

We had a fresh dusting of snow yesterday, which made the underlying layer of snow look much better. There was even a little bit of snow sitting on the branches of the trees. This is 4 x 6 in my January Journal.

English Market

2011-01-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

We had a dusting of snow yesterday, but I didn't get outdoors to paint. Instead I did a small piece (4x6) for the WDE on WetCanvas being hosted by "Charlie's Mom" (Maureen). I thank her for the great references of her area of the world.

Snowy Arboretum Path

2011-01-07T07:15:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I headed over to the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Oakdale on my search for snowy landscapes. I actually got out of my car and took a walk. I should have brought my painting chair because I ended up standing to paint this. Balancing a sketchbook, travel paints, two brushes, and paper towels isn't easy. lol This is 4 x 6. Snow is forecast for this area again today.

Snowy Bellport House

2011-01-06T07:36:00.000-08:00

I'm still on the snow theme, so I drove around looking for something to paint. This house jumped out at me in Bellport. I think I painted it a few years ago (without the snow). It looks a little tilted (lol) but I'm sure it is my photography of the painting, not the house itself. This is 4 x 6 in my January journal.

Snowy Landscape II

2011-01-05T08:34:00.001-08:00

I rode around yesterday looking for a snow scene. They are getting harder to find, with the snow nearly melted in a lot of areas. I found a spot that was shady enough to have snow to paint. This was done in Blue Point right on a main street. It is about 4 x 6 in my January journal. I'm going to search for another snowy spot today. Wish me luck!

Snowy Landscape

2011-01-04T08:18:00.000-08:00

I'm a few days behind, but I started my January Journal. I love seeing snow on the ground. We still have quite a bit in some areas, but in others the snow has melted and the leaves and grasses underneath are poking through. Thi is about 4 x 6.

Sebastian III

2011-01-03T09:14:00.001-08:00

This is the third portrait of my grand-nephew, Sebastian. I seem to have lots of photos of him in his Christmas hat. lol This is 5 x 7.

Celebrating the New Year!

2011-01-02T09:35:00.000-08:00

I decided to start the new year off right, so I headed down to the beach at Robert Moses State Park on Jan. 1 where I stood outside and did 2 plein air paintings of the snow on the dunes. The temperatures were really mild so I hiked to the lighthouse, took a break, and then wandered further down the road as far as Kismet, a beach community on Fire Island. I've never walked past the lighthouse before so this was a new adventure for 2011. I'm sure it looks different in the summer than it does under snow. I'll definitely have to walk back in warmer weather.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T07:55:00.001-08:00

My thanks to all of you who have shared my artistic journeys this year. As the year ends I give thanks for the many joys of this year with family, friends, travel, and a new addition to our family who I have been painting this week.

This may well be my last plein air painting for 2010. I wanted to find a place to park the car that had a view of shadows on the snow. But the piles of snow hampered my view in most places. I finally found a spot (in a funeral home parking lot of all places) where I could see something. This is 4 x 6.

Happy New Year to all of you!!! May this year be a peaceful, happy, healthy, productive, and inspirational year filled with love for all of you!

Sebastian II - Tummy Time

2010-12-30T07:15:00.000-08:00

This is my second painting of my grand-nephew, Sebastian. I think this one really looks like him. I started another one yesterday as soon as I finished this one. I hope to get it finished today. This one is also 5 x 7.

Sebastian 1

2010-12-29T08:26:00.001-08:00

This cutie is my new grandnephew, Sebastian who I got to meet before Christmas. I came home with lots of photos of him and am going to try to do several portraits of him. (Hence the title: Sebastian 1.) I like the painting but I don't think it really looks like him...something is off, and it isn't just his sparkling energy. I'm going to finish the second one of him that I started yesterday, which looks much more like him. This is 5 x 7.

I reworked this a bit and made his head shorter. I think it helped a bit.

December Journal - Day 12

2010-12-28T09:16:00.001-08:00

This is the final page for my December journal of my version of the 12 Days of Christmas. Done from imagination...except for the yule log which was blazing on the TV. I hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-22T17:43:00.001-08:00

This is my Christmas card for this year. The title is "Santa's Gondola." After a summer in Venice I had to do a card with Venice as a theme. I'm not sure if I will get on the computer again before Christmas, so I just want to wish everyone and their families a safe, happy, healthy Christmas. I hope you find yourself surrounded by family and loved ones who make the holiday special. Merry Christmas!

December Journal - Days 9, 10, & 11

2010-12-21T15:07:00.000-08:00

Here are the latest pages in my December journal...just one more to go! Enjoy!!!

December Journal - Days 7 & 8

2010-12-18T08:52:00.001-08:00

Here's the next additions to my December journal...a little more spirit for the holidays!

Holiday Journal - Day 5 & 6

2010-12-15T09:20:00.000-08:00

Here are the next two paintings for my December journal. I'm starting to run out of ideas. lol Help!!!

Holiday Journal - Day 3 & 4

2010-12-14T07:36:00.000-08:00

I've been doing a December journal titled "December Delights" for the journal forum on Wet Canvas. We are supposed to do something for the 12 days of Christmas. I've only done 4 so far...these are the latest.

Here is a link to the PALS website and more photos of our show this weekend. http://palspleinair.blogspot.com/2010/12/pals-plein-air-limner-societys-1st_13.html

PALS Plein Air Art Show

2010-12-13T09:22:00.001-08:00

Here are a few photos from our 1st Annual PALS Plein Air Art Show that took place this weekend at the BAFFA Gallery in Sayville. Twenty-five local artists participated in the show and we had a really good turn-out both days. Many thanks to Jeanne Salucci for starting up this plein air group, and organizing the show, as well at to all the participating artists who showed their work and helped with the show. For those of you who don't recognize me, I'm in the first photo of the 3 people, on your left. With me are Jeanne Salucci and Maryanne Thorvaldson. The last photo is just some of the artists who participated.

Two Guarding Soldiers

2010-12-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

These soldiers are part of my 12 days of December journal. I am off to a very slow start on that. One Christmas I made these decorations for everyone in the family. They stand about 2 1/2 feet tall. I have two.

Bellport Water View

2010-12-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

This was done about two weeks ago from the Bellport dock. I was painting with my plein air group, but didn't get this finished. I went back recently and sat in the car to finish this. This is 7 x 10.

Shady Lane

2010-12-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

This was done in my November journal, but somehow I never got to post it. I was coming back from painting with my plein air group, and I turned the corner and saw this view. So I pulled the car over and painted it. This is about 3 1/2 x 5.

Red Tree by the Lake

2010-12-06T09:51:00.000-08:00

This was painted a few weeks back when I went out with one of my art groups. A generous fellow artist allowed us to sit in her yard and paint. The color on this tree was so great. The size on this is 5 x 7.

With all the local art galleries having shows, getting my paintings for my plein air group's show this weekend, and the cold weather, I haven't been able to do a plein air piece in a few days. My fingers are getting itchy!

Peace Dove

2010-12-05T09:28:00.001-08:00

I am doing yet another journal for the WetCanvas journal forum. This one will be for December, but we only have to do 12 days, like in the song. This is my first one....don't know what I'll do when I get up to the higher numbers. lol At least this will get me into the spirit of the holidays.

Portraits for the WDE

2010-12-04T12:51:00.001-08:00

I haven't done any portraits in a while, but there were some good references in the WDE on WetCanvas being hosted by my friend Beth. These are tiny....only about 4 x 4. The first photo was taken by Ciras and the second (the blue-eyed boy) by Angela who belong to WetCanvas. Aren't they both adorable?

Duffy's Deli

2010-12-02T08:08:00.000-08:00

This was done for my November journal. The deli is located on the north fork of Long Island, and looked too good to pass up.

Birthday Bouquet

2010-12-01T08:11:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was my birthday and my husband, Jerry, got me flowers....roses. Has anyone else noticed that cut roses do not last very long? One was already drooping by the end of the day. I decided I'd better paint them quickly before it was too late. This was my last entry in my November Journal of paintings without any preliminary pencil lines. It is about 5 x 7.

Ocean to Bay

2010-11-30T09:48:00.000-08:00

This is one of the paintings I will have in the Phoenix Gallery for their December show. It is 3 1/2 x 10, and I triple matted it with a green border between the white mats. The final size is 10 x 20. This is a plein air painting I did this summer at Robert Moses State Park.

Rosie's

2010-11-29T09:51:00.001-08:00

This is a plein air I did last week sitting in my car in Bellport. It is about 8 x 10. I have passed this store which is right on the central corner in the town of Bellport many times, and I've wanted to paint it for a while. I finally got my chance.

Maine Landscapes

2010-11-28T11:33:00.001-08:00

I was able to keep my November journal going while I was up in Maine for Thanksgiving. These are both about 3 1/2 x 4 done in Damariscotta, where my sister lives.

In the Village

2010-11-23T09:20:00.000-08:00

This was done for the WDE on WetCanvas from a reference photo supplied by "Scattykat." My thanks to Kat for the great image. This is 3 1/2 x 5.

Effingham, Illinois

2010-11-20T07:30:00.001-08:00

Here is a bit of foliage outside the Hampton Inn in Effingham, Illinois where we stopped going to and from Wichita last week. By the time we arrived at the hotel, I was too tired of being in the car to drive and look for something more scenic. This is in my November journal of paintings done without preliminary pencil lines.