A Gray Day

The source for this painting was a photo my fourteen-year-old grandson took with his Ipad of one of his classmates. He happily shared it with me. I like the mood he captured and am pleased with his sense of composition.

It was a challenge for me to work with such subdued colors, but they were necessary to evoke the mood of the piece. I gave in to my need for color by varying some of the hues, but keeping the values.

Last fall the leaves of a tree caught my eye. The leaves were a mass of glowing color set afire by bright sunlight. With a couple of clicks of my camera I saved that moment.

I asked a friend the name of the tree. To my surprise she said it was a dogwood! I have painted dogwoods in the Spring with dark leaves and white flowers. In the fall the flowers are gone and the leaves change from green to a rather drab red-purple. The sun changed those purplish leaves to vibrant reds, pinks, and gold. I have painted the image of the leaves as I and my camera saw them that particular day last Fall.

I learned last night (March 9) from an email from Denise Sanabria that this painting has been selected for the Dogwood Regional Exhibition. It will be shown at the Emporium of the Arts and Cultural Alliance, April 6 - 27, as part of the Dogwood Festival held every year in Knoxville, TN. I was surprised and pleased. This is the first time one of my paintings has been selected for this venue.

In the Arms of Yoda

This is one of the twin daughters of Usha Patel, the young woman who handles all of my shipping. Usha has been spending most of her time the past few months at home enjoying her twins. I happened to catch her in her shop a few weeks ago . When she showed me pictures of the then three month old girls, this one caught my eye. The stuffed version of Yoda protectively holding the bright-eyed baby was a "must paint". I call this painting "In the Arms of Yoda".

Melanie

This is Melanie when one and a half years old. She is the daughter of longtime family friends, Richard and Anne Compton, who make the long drive from Florida to Tennessee a couple of times a year to visit us. I look forward to their visits and like to observe the development of Melanie and her two brothers. Next year there will be another litle Compton. I hope the new baby will be a little sister for Melanie.

Splish-Splash!

This painting is a full sheet, 20" x 28". It shows my twin grandchildren when they were a year and a half old. Kimberly and Kenny are now teenagers enterng high school as freshmen. An older Kimberly can be seen in an earlier painting, "Puppet Play", posted February 17, 2010.

Special Offer

Magnolia II

Transparent watercolor
Image 14" x 20"
Unframed and unmatted

Special price: $175. plus shipping

This is one of my favorite paintings. For a limited time I am offering it at this special price. Please scroll down to see nine more paintings that I have selected to offer.



Hibiscus

Transparent watercolor
Image: 20" x 14"
Unframed and unmatted

Special price: $175. plus shipping



Beach Grass

Transparent watercolor
Image: 20" x 14"
Unframed and unmatted

Special price: $175. plus shipping


The next two paintings are part of a Red Rock Series.



A Slice of Bryce

Transparent watercolor
Image: 20" x 14"
Unframed and unmatted

Special price: $175. plus shipping


Canyonlands Tapestry

Transparent watercolor
Image: 20" x 14"
Unframed and unmatted

Special price: $175. plus shipping



Waters of the Smokies

Transparent watercolor
Image: 20" x 14"
Unframed and unmatted

Special price: $175. plus shipping



Clementines on Mizrahi

Transparent watercolor
Image: 20" x 14"
Unframed and unmatted
The tablecloth in this painting is the design of Isaac Mizrahi

Special price: $175. plus shipping

Puppet Play

Transparent Watercolor

Image: 20" x 14"

Unframed and unmatted

Special price: $150. plus shipping

California Foothills

Transparent watercolor

Image: 20" x 14"

Unframed and unmatted

Special price: $150. plus shipping

Yosemite Reflections

Transparent watercolor & gouache on gesso-coated paper

Image: 20" x 14"

Unframed and unmatted

Special price: $125. plus shipping

If you wish to know more about any of these paintings or if you wish to purchase, please contact: genieven@gmail.com or call 865.235.6306

Yellow Hibiscus

A new rendition of the Yellow Hibiscus

Several years ago I painted a similar image of a yellow hibiscus. It had a different format, being longer and thinner. This painting is like my other half-sheet paintings, 14"x 20". The other difference is that I exaggerated the color. The greens are brighter , the yellows are more yellow-orange, and the background is darker.

The original yellow hibiscus was purchased years ago in Northern California. The painting pleased me and I was happy that it pleased someone else. I did not intend to copy it. I just wanted the fun of giving the image a new identity.

Trenton Reception

This painting, "Strawberries", was one of three of my paintings that were selected by John Salminen to be in the Gibson County Visual Arts Association 2011 exhibit. It was a special treat to meet the juror and to hear his critiques of all the paintings he had selected for awards.

When he spoke about "Strawberries", he pointed out the importance of the background in a still life. He said that a still life is a collection of "stuff" put on paper. The success of presenting the "stuff' is dependent on the background. In the case of the "Strawberries" the pattern of the "cut-work" cloth winds through the still life, unifying the composition. He also pointed out the care given the negative painting in the cloth. Recognition of elements of a painting is very gratifying for an artist. I am grateful for John Salminen's words.

The planning for this still life began with the "cut-work" place mat. I was looking for an interesting cloth for a painting. I found it several years ago in Solvang, a touristy Danish town in California. When I finally decided to use the cloth I selected strawberries as the focal point. The design of the mat uses appliqued fruit, including strawberries. The placement of the glass bowl of strawberries on the mat was carefully planned. The cloth was lifted at one corner to reveal the design. When I was pleased with the set up, I sketched, transferred, and painted. I did not use any resist on the intricate cloth patterns. I did negative painting in the cut out areas. I did use a couple of spots of resist on the glass bowl.

Featured Artists in May

Two easels are outside the glass doors of the Art Market Gallery this May. They display the work of the featured artists of the month.



Inside the gallery are seen the floral watercolors of Genie Even and the jewelry of Cynthia Patrick. Frequent viewers of this blog are familiar with these floral paintings. They have been shown on earlier posts as they were completed.

On the sixth of May, the first Friday of the month, the gallery was filled with visitors who came to view the art and enjoy refreshments and music.

Iris Tete a Tete

The composition of this painting is the same as one I did a few years ago. I like the grouping of the irises and decided use the original tracing , but try a slightly different color scheme. I call this painting "Irises Tete a Tete" because the blossoms look like ladies in their finery having a head to head conversation.

Tulip Magnolia Preparation

Background of Tulip Magnolias

Frisk Film Preparation

To have freedom to do successive layers of color in the background of this painting I used Frisk Film to protect the blossoms and branches. Frisk Film is used by air brush artists. The film is cut to cover the area to be protected. When using it with watercolor, the film is cut about an eighth of an inch inside the outer line of the blossoms. The black line seen in the image is the black sharpie pen line inside the blossom. That line is the guide when cutting the film. The edges of the Frisk Film must be sealed with liquid Frisket. The Frisket is applied to cover the area between the edge of the Frisk Film to the outer line of the blossoms. If there is a spot that is not covered completely, watercolor may seep through when applying a wash on the background. I learned this method from Elizabeth Kincaid several years ago in Santa Cruz, California. Elizabeth is the master of this method. Her work is very special. Check it out.

Tulip Magnolias

Here is the latest painting, Tulip Magnolias. The background was done with repeated light washes of cobalt blue, French ultramarine blue, and a bit of the quinacridone rose that was used in the blossoms. These delicate pigments do not show up as well in this image or in a print as they do in the original painting. Check out Tulip Magnolia preparation to view the Frisk Film method of protecting the blossoms while applying background washes.

One Yellow Rose

Another painting! So far, 2011 has been more productive than the last few months of 2010. I am thankful for each painting I am able to finish.

I saw this rose while visiting in Los Gatos last year. I cropped the photo to focus on the one blossom. Yellow is difficult to paint because it has such a limited value range. There are many different yellow tints in this painting. Those yellows were hard to capture with the camera. Nothing came close to the actual painting.

Camellia Garden

I call this painting "Camellia Garden" It is a full sheet watercolor, measuring 28 inches by 36 inches framed. The image is 20 inches by 28 inches. It was an ambitious undertaking for someone who has not painted for several months. Now that it is finally finished, I am pleased and ready to go on to the next challenge.

Nasturtiums

After far too long a time, I have a painting to post. It is very hard to return to painting after a prolonged period of interruptions. I have discarded several attempts, but will continue to paint until I get back on track.

I chose to paint this image of nasturtiums because I like the leaf patterns.

Rosemary's Iris

This lovely purple iris came from the garden of my friend, Rosemary. I used Laurin McCracken's method of masking with 3M drafting tape. I covered the blossoms and the stem with tape. The outline of the flowers could be seen through the tape. I cut around the images with an exacto blade and removed the excess tape. With the flowers protected I applied multiple washes to get the neutral putty-colored background I wanted. No pigment from the multiple washes of color seeped under the tape. The drafting tape works as a method of masking. The paper was in pristine condition when I removed the drafting tape.

The challenge for me was cutting away the unwanted tape without cutting into the watercolor paper. This is a skill I need to perfect. I will try this masking method again. It is kinder to the paper than fluid methods of masking. I will save the fluids for very small details.

Scroll back to the May blog, "Observing McCracken", to see the application of drafting tape.

Moonlit Blossoms

The painting above is my first attempt in painting Dogwood blossoms. The composition is a composite of three detail photos of a large tree on the grounds of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Just a few days after I took the pictures, heavy rain damaged the blossoms. I felt fortunate to have taken the photos when I did. I chose to use blues and purples in the background to give the effect of twilight or moonlight,

Colander Glow

Colander Glow, image 14" X 20", framed 22" X 28"

Last August, 2009, this painting was purchased at the Art Market Gallery in downtown Knoxville. The buyer is Sarah Smith of Maryville. A few days ago I received an email asking for a bio to accompany the painting.

I have learned that Sarah Smith is presenting a gift to the new Pellissippi State Library in Maryville. My painting is included in that gift. It is meant to hang in the new library. I feel very honored that a painting of mine has been chosen to be part of such a generous gift.

Observing Laurin McCrackin

The Knoxville Watercolor Society sponsored a three- day workshop with Laurin McCracken at the Fountain City Art Center May 19, 20. 21. I had only one of those days available. I was allowed to observe on May 20th. Laurin McCrackin does beautiful, infinitely detailed paintings of crystal and silver. His workshop was planned as carefully as he plans his paintings. He generously supplied many handouts of his procedure. The images on this blog were scanned from those handouts.

Laurin arranges his still life compositions in a darkened room with one light source, a 150 watt daylight bulb.

This is the image of the still life. A slide of this image is projected onto watercolor paper and traced.

After tracing the shapes, more detail is drawn. Laurin believes that the more information in the drawing, the better the painting.

Drafting tape, 3M or Pearl, is used to protect the teapot while painting the background.

Masking fluid is used for small detail. Laurin uses a Masque pen. He stresses the importance of cleaning all tools immediately. He suggests using a small needle and thread with three knots to pull through the very small applicator points to remove all traces of masking fluid. All tape and fluid is removed as quickly as possible.

In this picture the background has been painted, the tape has been removed, teapot detail has been added with fluid masking, and the fruit and tablecloth have been painted.

The gray of the bowl is a mix of blue and light red. Start with the lightest gray. Details will be a darker gray.

Masking fluid has been removed. Note the hard edge where the fluid had been.

Laurin uses Winsor-Newton series seven brushes, "0" - "1" for fine detail. He advises to always "point the brush" after loading it with paint and water. Touch the tip to a paper towel.

I am closing with one of my favorite McCracken paintings, Pear and Artichoke. I like the composition and simple pear and lemon forms against the detail of the cut artichoke. I also enjoy the reflected light of the table cloth on the pear and the shadow of the lemon that falls over the edge of the table.

George James Demo

George James is a California artist known for his amazing paintings on the synthetic paper, Yupo. The Tennessee Watercolor Society was fortunate to be able to schedule him to judge the 32nd Biennial Exhibition in Chattanooga, Tennessee. A week before the opening of the exhibit and just prior to his week-long workshop he gave a demonstration of his approach to working on the challenging surface of Yupo.

Pencil should not be used, because it cannot be erased without ruining the surface of the Yupo. George uses a Derwent watercolor pencil to make a few marks to define his composition. The watercolor pencil can be removed with water. It is necessary to use more pigment than water when applying paint to Yupo. George began with a flat brush, making strokes that did not overlap. Overlapping causes the paint to lift. He put in a cerulean mix at the top and sides, saving white areas at the top for clouds and changing the blue to a light green toward the bottom. A walnut-colored mix in the center will become the ground and sides of houses in a tropical village. Whites were saved to become the roof tops of the houses.

A brayer is used to roll over and smooth the paint areas. After each area is painted, it is dried with a hair dryer or heat gun. Drying the paint will allow additional layers of paint to be added without lifting the previous layer. If a fresh addition of paint is too deep a value, it can be partially lightened by laying a non-perfumed tissue over it. The use of tissues allows a good variation of values.

In the above photo light and dark greens
have been added to create foliage and a darker walnut hue has created the sides of the houses. Each addition of pigment is carefully dried before proceeding.
Islands have been added in the background and clouds have been defined.

Finishing touches can be seen in the roof detail. the clouds, and the activity in the bay. Notice that the closest island has been given form by varied layers of pigment. When George is satisfied that the painting is finished, he uses a Krylon spray to fix the pigments.

Without protection the entire painting could be washed clean. This demo was an introduction to working with Yupo. There is so much more to the paintings of George James. He has mastered a very challenging product that resists the application of watercolor. The generous sharing of his approach gives me courage to try using the piece of Yupo I have been ignoring for at least two years. The 32nd Biennial Exhibition of the Tennessee Watercolor Society that George James juried is a beautiful show. I am very proud to be a member and to have an opportunity to observe and listen to George James.

Primroses

Spring has FINALLY come to Knoxville! The long dreary days of winter are behind us. The painting above is my first floral of 2010. I am starting a painting of Dogwoods and will be sketching irises.

Lemons and Tangelos

Lemons and Tangelos

Often when looking for a new subject, I visit the produce department of a quality food store. On one of my visits I selected some brightly colored citrus. The painting above is the result.

Exhibition Entries

Friends and followers of this blog know that I enter several national exhibitions every year. Entering competitions helps me set goals and keeps me striving to improve. The following images show the paintings that have been accepted so far this year.

"Waters of the Smokies I" was accepted by Frank Webb to be in the33rd International Exhibition of the Watercolor Art Society - Houston, March 6 - April 9, 2010.

" Pre-Teen Cool!" was selected by Judy Morris to be in the 31st National Exhibition of the Georgia Watercolor Society, April 10 - May 20.

" The Wonder of a Balloon" was selected by Soon Y. Warren to be in the 40th Annual International of the Louisiana Watercolor Exhibition, May 8 -28, 2010.

"En Garde"

"Persimmon Bounty"

Two paintings, "En Garde" and "Persimmon Bounty", were selected by Jean Grastorf to be in the Gibson County Visual Arts Association Spring Show 2010 in Trenton, Tennessee.

"Party Time"

"Madrone"

The two Paintings above, "Party Time" and "Madrone" were selected by George James to be in 32nd Exhibition of the Tennessee Watercolor Society, held in Chattanooga May 16 - June 25, 2010.

All of the shows mentioned above have outstanding jurors. Having my paintings chosen by artists I admire has a very special meaning for me.