Did you know . . .

Did you know 

that there are 5 elements in every painting?

1.  drawing

2.  value

3.  color

4.  composition (or design)

5.  edges

1. Drawing:  good drawing skills are fundamental.  This consists of patient observation, good training, & LOTS of practice!
2. Value:  is relative lightness or darkness of an object, 
3. Color:  hues and intensity, and of course, temperature,
4. Composition:  satisfy with good balance, enter from the left of the right, create an eye path, consider the form of composition such at 'thirds' or 'crucible', 
5. Edges:  these occur whenever shapes meet such as subject hair with the background. The eye fixes to sharp edges, but coasts gently over soft ones.  Place your hardest edges near the center of interst.  Also sharp edges that have strong value shifts works even better!

(Reference:  Painting Beautiful Skin Tones with Color and Light:  Chris Saper).

Pastel Painting - Bird: Goldcrest

First I did a bird study to make sure I could draw a Goldcrest.

Then I drew it on navy Daler Rowney Pastel paper.  This paper has only a small tooth in which the pastels will stick to - so not the best paper out there, but great for a practice piece.

I drew the entire picture with a soft white pastel for a basic outline.

After choosing my palette . . . . the results. I am pleased with it and may decide I would like to do it on a much higher grade paper.   A higher grade paper would let my feathery strokes show up clearer and the entire painting would be more brilliant.  

My on-line Shop!

ArtWorksbyTheresa.com

I am very excited about this new adventure.  If it is successful - great!  If it is not success - then no regrets, I tried it!

My Home Art Studio

Many are asking for pics of my home art studio - where my creativity happens. 

I will share!

Here is the hallway leading to my art studio (room) and as you can see it is my gallery wall!  But, truthfully - my art is hanging all over the house!  

In my opinion (mine only) a true artist will paint anywhere and on anything!  Yes, I did paint this ivy plant on the wall - well, stenciled it way back in the day when I was first getting interested in painting.  It will lead you into my studio.

Entering into my studio.  I do hang my work everywhere!  Please take note in the lower left corner of this photo!  Yes, my kitty Mozart spends a good part of his day in here with me while I work. 

Work table - of course - I picked up and cleaned up the best I could before taking a photo.  Usually, although I am a very neat working artist.  The small easel that you see there on my work table is from Daley Rowney and I use it for my watercolors.  Main reason is that the flat part (where you put your paper) sits on a ball that you can manipulate to create water movement in your art work.  

Another shot - man - I just love my space! The book shelf holds and keeps organized many of my supplies.  I like order! Of course, the drawers are full and the botton cabinets are full of more art books, videos and supplies!

DVD player only - no TV - sometimes I like to watch instructional art videos or just a video about art.  Or maybe just a romantic comedy to help lighten things up since I seem to get really intense at times. Oh and yes, those are a few of my counted cross stitches I did way way back in the day!  Funny!

This is my easel that I use to do my pastel work.  I am trying to figure out how to put wheels on it so I can move it around the room!  I can keep most of my pastels in the drawer and the lip catches most of the dust from the pastels.  I pull up the blind and I have more light than I need.  

Here are my books shelves that hold art books, hand made sketch books, store bought sketch books, and many other books that give me inspiration! Also I keep my portfolios here, too!

I will hang my art anywhere! And I do use this door as an "idea" area . . . .

More of the above!  

This little rolling table holds all my watercolor and acrylic supplies.  Plus, oh yeah, don't miss more of my wall hangings!

THAT'S ALL FOLKS!

Thought For This Day . . . .

Think about this . . . .

I take charge of my life and turn up the intensity of goodness.  I set my dials on harmony, abundance, perfect health, loving relationships, wonderful opportunities, and everything else that my heart desires.  I follow my guidance and keep my arms open to receive.  

(by Doreen Virtue/Daily Guidance from Your Angels)

Let's Give Them Something To Talk About . . . .

Movie Critique

Lady In The Van

4 Stars

• All Critics
•  | 
• Top Critics

TOMATOMETER 

91%

Average Rating: 7.2/10

Reviews Counted: 127

Fresh: 116

Rotten: 11

Interesting enough to keep me watching to the end but . . . seriously Maggie Smith from Downton Abbey was the leading lady, so of course I watched it to the end!

The movie is based on the true story of Miss Shepherd (played by the awesome Maggie Smith).  She plays a woman of uncertain origins who 'temporarily' parks her van in Alan Bennett's (play write) London driveway and proceeds to live there for 15 years! What begins as a questionable and strained relationship become a relationship that will change both their lives.

Ab

Whimsical Watercolor Birds

A Whimsical Bird Study

Watercolors in Multimedia Sketch Book

Another Zentangle

Zentangle 

A Zentangle is a different form of art than a Mandela.  Zentangles open you up to being creative, while, I believe that a Mandela opens you up spiritually.  I enjoy doing both styles. 

Here's Your Sign!

From the Austin Visitor's Center

It just touched me . . . .

At Play with Watercolors

Just Playing Around

Slow night . . . wanting to do art but also not wanting to do art, but in keeping with my commitment to do some art everyday  . . . well, here you go!

Let's Give Them Something To Talk About . . .

Movie Critique

5 Stars for this PBS Series

Here's Your Sign!

Saw this at Buccee's and could not resist taking a quick photo shot!

T.R.U.T.H.

Watercolor Painting - Beautiful Ladies

Meet Bertha

Watercolors 

I couldn't sleep last night so I went into my home art studio at 1:30 a.m.  I sketched this pretty lady.  Today after book binding class I was excited to get her painted.  I seem to be painting a lot of beautiful ladies so I am going to be naming them.  After all, I love these ladies!

Book Cover

Reading this really brought a huge smile to my face!

Gonna use it to cover one of my art journals!

Let's Give Them Something to Talk About . . . .

My Movie Critique

Brooklyn
2015

An Irish immigrant (Saoirse Ronan) in 1950s New York falls for a tough Italian plumber (Emory Cohen), but faces temptation from another man (Domhnall Gleeson) when she returns to her homeland for a visit.  

I have seen this movie THREE times, and each time I give it FIVE STARS!!!

Sketch of a Fairy Princess

I sketched this fairy princess a couple of years back and finished it with Prisma Pencil.  (I will find and post that finished picture).  I covered the back of the sketch with a bright green soft pastel paint in order that I can transfer this sketch to any media paper to paint.  

It's on the schedule!

Other People's Words That Move Me - Poetry

The Poetry of Mary Oliver

"My work is loving the world,

Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird - 

Equal seekers of sweetness, 

Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums. 

Here the clam deep in the specled sand . . . ."

Other People's Words That Move Me

I try to remember this when I think of my art goals and am feeling stuck.  

"Nothing is impossible to a willing heart."

by John Heywood

Pastel Painting - Beautiful Ladies

Trying to be bolder with my color choices - also trying to learn how to paint braids.  Need more practice!

Pastel Painting - Beautiful Ladies

Beautiful Ladies 

So instructor first wanted us to do our painting in soft pastels.  Below is the results.  I really like this lady.  She is very beautiful!

Once the soft pastel drawing was COMPLETELY FINISHED, the instructor told us to get water, a couple of paint brushes and to open our GESSO!!!  What??? Are you serious?  What does Gesso have to do with soft pastel paintings? 

Below is the completed results of using watered down Gesso.  I was nervous about using the Gesso full strength.  In this process, you dramatically overdo the intital lay down of colors, as the second stage will bring them back to a softer look.  The instructor was hoping that we would use a "painterly style" to build volume and leave visible brushstrokes.  I do have some visible brushstrokes although they may be hard to see in this photo.  

The painterly brushstrokes are pleasing because it leaves something to the viewer's imagination and we can see the hand of the artist more plainly.  Painting in this style is fun beause it allows for the implusive use of color and an unrestrained painting manner!

Too. Much. Fun.!

Other People's Words That Move Me

From the movie "Thelma and Louise"

"We're not in the middle of nowhere, but we can see it from here."

HUH?

Watercolors

Watercolors on Yupo Paper

Flowers

2016

Alaska - I've Been Everywhere Man, I've Been Everywhere (Almost)!

Watercolors on Yupo Paper 

2016

this painting is from a photo I took cruising through Alaska in 2015.  

Glacier Bay

Late Night Sketching - Beautiful Ladies

Watercolor and Ink with Zentangles

Late night sketching and painting on Canson MultiMedia Paper

Sea and Beach Glass

Another new addiction! 

Sea and Beach Glass

oh what fun learning all about this new adventure!

I can hardly read enough about this!  Fasinating to me!

Just gotta get to the sea or beach!

Have you experienced the thrill of finding a deliciously-frosty and perfectly-tumbled piece of sea or beach glass?

Each piece will be an exciting find. Can hardly wait for this new journey to begin!

YUMMMMMM

Downright YUM 

and makes my home smell like the Fall season!

Oatmeal raisin pecan cookie bar!

Preparation:  make same as you would cookies but instead of cookies pressed batter in a 9 x 13 inch pan.  Bake at 350 for 30 - 35 minutes.  It is advisable that you cool BEFORE eating! (its a funny!). 

Canada - I've Been Everywhere Man, I've Been Everywhere! (Almost)

Montreal, Canada 2015

We took a cruise which ended in Montreal, Canada.  It was October and perfect timing to catch the beautiful foliage.  Also some snow!

This little country church was absolutely beautiful.  I want to draw/paint this little church.

Notre Dame in downtown Montreal, and within walking distance from our hotel. 

A square in Montreal - very cold, and some snow flurries.  Did a little Christmas shopping while we were there.  

Many, many beautiful gardens surround their city buildings.  

Zentangle and Mandela

Are you aware that the drawing of a Zentangle or Mandela will increase your creativity levels. 

Test it, give it a try!

Day Dreaming . . .

You may say I'm a DREAMER but I'm not the only one . . . .  .

Pastel Painting - Beautiful Ladies

Very beautiful lady and the way she is tilting her head to the side.  A new view to draw from  I am stepping out of my comfort zone with this.  I usually just do front/straight ahead portraits.  

A Moonlit Night - Watercolor and Ink

Watercolors and Ink

Zentangles, too!

Sennelier Watercolour Paper 

140 lb

2016

Italy - I've Been Everywhere Man - I've Been Everywhere (almost)

21 day Tour of Italy.  All over the countryside other than Silicy. 

Just a few of the hundreds of photos we took.  This was my all time dream vacation since my focus in  graduate school was in the Italian Renaissance.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa 

The Colosseum (Rome)

Brunelleschi's Famous Duomo (Florence)

Juliett's Balcony (Romeo, Romeo Where Art Thou)

Gladiators!

Lake Como (home of George Clooney!)

Donetallo's David (Florence - outside the Medici home)

St. Peter's - The Vatican

Hubby and I in front of The Trevi Fountain