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.!

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

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!

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

The Art of Natural Dye + Book Making - Another Finished Book!

Very happy with the end results of this art book.  The pictures are not in order as completion but I will label each.

Stitching on bric brack to fancy up the plain yellow (tumeric dye) cover.  Also added a flower shaped button and a green center bead, along with a chord.  

Finished the hand sewing of the bric brac.  Happy with the results. 

Decided to add some tiny beading for additional jazz!

Finished the beading and decided to add beads to the wrap around chording.

Just so you know, I stitched in four signatures (page groups) of three pages each!  A total of 48 pages to sketch on, write on, paint on, or just leave empty to enjoy the dyed paper appearance!

Here I am showing you a center page that has been sewed and knotted with the Japanese Stab Binding technique.

Here is a side view of the sewing technique.  Hopefully you can see this well. 

Zentangles

Believe it (or not) doing/creating Zentangles will most definately help to get your creative juices flowing!  

Pastel Painting

My way to cool Kitty Kat Mozart!  

My orange tabby kitty is just independent enough to have a certain arrogance about him that makes him way to cool!  So it was only right  that I paint him with jeweled pins in his hair and jeweled sunglasses.  

Contemporary Art Works by Theresa - Meet Piper!

Meet Piper!

Watercolors

(on Arches Watercolor paper - 140 lb)

5 x 7 

2014

This was a gray scale tonal study.  And this little girl was perfect for the piece.  This is Piper, a girlfriend's daughter!

Contemporary Art Works by Theresa - Spring Flower

Spring Flower

Watercolors 

(on Sennelier watercolor paper - 140 lb)

10x10

2014

The colors are bold.  I like that.  The colors jump off the paper.  I like that.  This was a fun piece to work on.

Contemporary Art Works by Theresa - Fashion Plate #3 Summertime Fun

Summertime Fun

Watercolor

(on Sennelier watercolor paper - 140 lb)

10x10

2014

Contemporary Art Works by Theresa - Fashion Plate #2 - Frilly and Romantic Dress

Fashion Plate #2

Frilly and Romantic Dress

(on Sennelier watercolor paper - 140 lb)

10x10

2014

Contemporary Art Works by Theresa - Ballet Dancing Flamingo

Ballet Dancing Flamingo

Watercolor

(on Sennelier watercolor paper - 140 lb)

10x10

2014

Contemporary Art Works by Theresa - Fashion Plate #1 Shoulder Purse

Fashion Plate #1 

Shoulder Purse

Watercolors

(on Sennelier watercolor paper - 140 lb)

10x10

2014

Contemporary Art Works by Theresa - Feathered Friends

Feathered Friends

Watercolors
(on Sennelier watercolor paper - 140 lb)

10x10

2014

Contemporary Art Works by Theresa - Meet Sampson

Meet Sampson

Watercolors

(on Arches Watercolor paper - 140 lb)

9 x 12

2014

In Texas we just love our longhorns!  Numerous schools throughout Texas use the longhorn as their school mascot, including the University of Texas.  The silhouette also evokes the frontier spirit of the Old West.  Southwestern decor often uses cattle horns and skulls.  

Contemporary Art Works by Theresa - My Red Hibiscus

My Red Hibiscus

Watercolors

(on Arches Watercolor paper - 140 lb) 

First Place Blue Ribbon Winner  in the 

Northwest Art League Fall Juried Show 2014

11 x 16 

2014

The Hibiscus is native to tropical regions.  The first Hibiscus was native to the warm southern part of China.  Hibiscus blooms last only one day, regardless of how they are preserved, but their contribution to a centerpiece or bouquet in that limited time in nothing short of spectacular!  Their colors are dramatic and usually intense, and the feeling of tropical luxuriance they bring to an interior or garden setting is almost unmatched in the plant world.