Thursday, December 31, 2015

Birds New Formation 2016



I had this idea yesterday and worked on this on my iPad with the Brushes app, which captures a stroke-by-stroke video as you draw. I did some additional work on the drawing in Painter, and the final drawing is added at the end of the video. Final editing in iMovie. Happy 2016!

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Squirrel Sketch 1


Last week, I used the Brushes app on my iPad to create a little animation. (Brushes captures a stroke-by-stroke video as you draw.)  I called the animation "Squirrel Says Happy Holidays" because it shows a squirrel running around the yard and creating a "Happy Holidays" message in the snow. (The video is posted here on Dec. 23.) But before I started drawing with the Brushes app, I practiced drawing squirrels because I knew I would need to draw quickly and accurately or the animation effect wouldn't work.  I thought about the squirrels we see every day here in the yard, and I looked at photos, and then spent almost an hour sketching using pen and ink on paper till I could quickly draw an image of a squirrel.  I must have drawn about 30 squirrels and made just about as many mistakes, but there were few sketches that I liked, and this is one of them. This is the squirrel running along the back fence.

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Magenta Mountain (Acrylic Water Media)


I painted three mountain landscapes over the last week, and this is the third one. I painted this on December 26, in three sessions but all on one day. This is acrylic paint used with water on watercolor paper. I call these paintings "Mountain Daydreams" because I am painting from my imagination and my memories of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Monday, December 28, 2015

Three Mountain Landscapes


Yesterday we drove to Boston and delivered a painting to Galatea Fine Arts. But it was also time to pick up some paintings that were hanging there during December.: "Blue Mountain Range," "Purple Ridge," and "Storm Coming Over Pink Mountains." I liked the way they were hung so I took this picture. If you want to know more about Galatea Fine Arts, follow this link: galateafineart.com

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Golden Ridge (Acrylic Water Media Painting)


Yesterday I worked on this painting again. This is one of my mountain landscapes, painted from imagination but inspired by memories of the Colorado Rockies. This is painted with acrylics paint used with water on watercolor paper. Yesterday, I added some more pink wash as shading on the mountains, added some purple to suggest clouds in the sky, and some bright yellow as highlights. Then I was finished, and this is how it looks. Yesterday I framed it and today delivered it to Galatea Fine Arts in Boston (where it will be hanging in January).

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Golden Ridge (Acrylic Water Media as of Dec. 25, 2015)


Here is the painting I have been working on as it looked yesterday. This is painted with acrylics used with water on paper. The mountain imagery comes from memories of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, but I am painting from my imagination. Yesterday I toned down the sky a bit and added some pink washes to the mountains. Almost done. . . .

Friday, December 25, 2015

Golden Ridge (Acrylic Water Media as of Dec. 24, 2015)


Here is the mountain landscape that I started on the 22nd. Yesterday I had a chance to work on it. I added a little green to give the mountains some depth, and also put some color in the sky. This is acrylic paint used with water, on watercolor paper. I am painting from my imagination, but the image is inspired by memories of the Colorado Rockies. To be continued. . . .

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Squirrel Says Happy Holidays


Yesterday I drew this on my iPad, using the Brushes app. On the iPad version, the Brushes app captures a stroke-by-stoke video as you go, so it is possible to create a kind of simple animation. I used that to suggest a squirrel running around the yard during a snowstorm and then finally writing a message in the snow. This drawing is the last image in the video. (If you want to see the video, follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/23308239774


Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Squirrel Says Happy Holidays (Animation)


I had the idea for this last night. I wanted to start drawing this as soon as I got up this morning, but first I had to put in about an hour practicing quick drawings of squirrels in pen and ink. (You will see why.) When I was ready, I drew this on my iPad using the Brushes app, which captures a stroke-by-stroke video as you draw. This is not perfect and I am no Walt Disney, but it was fun to try to make that squirrel dash around the yard. I am sending this out to wish everyone happy holidays.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Golden Ridge (Acrylic Water Media as of Dec. 22, 2015)


Despite a hectic day, I got a new painting started late this afternoon. This is another small landscape in acrylic paint used as water media. I call these paintings "mountain daydreams" because I am painting from imagination as well as from memories of the Rocky Mountains in my home state of Colorado. I just had enough time to paint in the basic composition, but I am happy that I got this far. To be continued. . . .

Monday, December 21, 2015

Indigo Mountains (Acrylic Water Media)

This is the mountain landscape that I started yesterday, using acrylic paint with water on watercolor paper.  This is part of a (long-running) series of mountain landscapes. For these paintings, I am working from imagination and from lots of memories of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, my home state. Today I added light to both of the mountains, added pale pink highlights to the top edges of the mountains, and added some purple and white to the sky, to suggest clouds.  I think this one is done. . . .

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Indigo Mountains (as of Dec. 20, 2015)


I started this mountain landscape today. This is done with acrylic paint; I use it with water and paint on watercolor paper. This is part of a series of mountain landscapes that I paint from my imagination, but drawing on memories of the Rocky Mountains of my home state of Colorado.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Pink Bouquet (Applique)


This is the project I have been working on this week, a bouquet of imaginary flowers done in iron-on fabric appliqué. Today I added some more leaves and stems, and now I think it is done. I had a lot of fun with this project, but it is time to start painting.

Friday, December 18, 2015

Pink Bouquet (Applique as of Dec. 18, 2015)


I worked a bit more on this project today.  I am creating a bouquet of imaginary flowers, using iron-on appliqué.  Today I added some more of the hot pink rosebud shapes, and and decided to use green polka-dot fabric for the stems and leaves of the roses.  I think this is almost finished, but I need to add a few more leaves and stems.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Pink Bouquet (Applique as of Dec. 17, 2015)


I worked on this project this afternoon, an iron-on appliqué.  Today I decided to add a third type of flower to this fabric bouquet.  I usually like to have three types of flowers in a bouquet (real or imaginary), but in this case, I also wanted to balance the composition. The additional flower would need to be small, so I went with a geometric shape that suggests rosebuds. The green stems toward the bottom of the piece go almost to the border, so I am using this new shape to expand the bouquet upward towards the top border.  To be continued. . . .

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Pink Bouquet (Applique as of Dec. 16, 2015)


I worked on this project this afternoon. This is iron-on appliqué. I started putting in some stems, being pretty careful about placement. (I have no sketch or plan; I am putting this together as I go.)

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Pink Bouquet (Applique as of Dec. 15, 2015)


Today I went back to this iron-on appliqué project. I added some leaves in a darker green to go with the pink daisies. To be continued.

Monday, December 14, 2015

Pink Bouquet (Applique as of Dec. 14, 2015)


This is the iron-on appliqué that I was working on about a week ago. I went back to it today and started adding some leaves.


Sunday, December 13, 2015

Hurry Up Chanukah Menorahs in Blue


This started with a sketch I drew eight days ago, using the Brushes app on my iPad. Then I cleaned it up in Painter, and yesterday created a blue version of the image. Then I used the blue version of my "Hurry Up Menorah" drawing to create this pattern in Painter. I added the white frame to make the image work better in a pattern. It's the last night of Chanukah and I am sending this out to say "Happy Chanukah" (and many menorahs.)

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Hurry Up Menorah in Blue


Here is the digital drawing of a menorah that I have been working on. I like the pink version that i posted yesterday, but I decided to also create a blue version because blue is a traditional color for Chanukah. This was pretty easy to do using Painter's "magic wand" and "paint bucket" tools. I also used this blue version to create a pattern, which I plan to post here tomorrow.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Hurry Up Menorah



Today I worked on this little digital drawing again. I started drawing this menorah using the Brushes app on my iPad, but for the past few days have been revising it on my desktop, in Painter. Tonight I changed the shape of the menorah's base so it would look flat, like the rest of the menorah. I did a little more cleanup, and here it is.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Hurry Up Menorah as of Dec. 10, 2015


Tonight I worked on this digital drawing of a menorah. I started this several days ago, using the Brushes app on my iPad. (I even posted a video, a stroke-by-stroke capture of the original sketch.) A few days ago, I transferred the image into Painter on my desktop. I added the background and since then have been cleaning it up. Tonight I straightened a lot of the lines, and modified a few details. Getting there. . . .

Wednesday, December 09, 2015

Hurry Up Menorah as of Dec. 9, 2015


This little menorah started as a quick sketch on my iPad with the Brushes app. Then I opened it in Painter on my desktop and added the background. Today I have been cleaning it up in Painter as well, trying to eliminate the most distracting mistakes but also trying to keep some of the spontaneity of the original sketch.

Tuesday, December 08, 2015

Hurry Up Menorah as of Dec. 8, 2015


I decided to keep going with the little menorah that I drew the other day with the Brushes app on my iPad. I opened the image in Painter on my iPad and got to work. I started by adding pixels to top and bottom, to adjust the size of the digital canvas. Then I threw a grid over the image and added the pink horizontal line. I used the magic wand tool and the paint bucket tool to add the background colors. I plan to keep going with this image, not just because this little menorah needs cleanup (and it does), but also because Chanukah is a celebration of religious freedom, and the more said about that this week, the better.

Monday, December 07, 2015

Hurry Up Menorah


Yesterday, I drew this quick digital sketch of a menorah, using the Brushes app on my iPad.  The Brushes app captures a stroke-by-stroke video as you draw, so yesterday I posted a little animation of this menorah and the candles lighting up.  I used iMovie to add this drawing to the last part of the video. 

Sunday, December 06, 2015

Hurry Up Chanukah Menorah (Video)


I meant to start this project sooner but it's been busy and time got away from me. But Chanukah starts tonight so I drew a menorah using the Brushes app on my iPad. The iPad version of Brushes captures a stroke-by-stroke video as you draw. So here's a little video of my "Hurry Up Chanukah Menorah." Want to see the candles light up? Just press play.


Saturday, December 05, 2015

Side by Side


On the left is my painting of magnolia blossoms, and on the right is my daughter's photo of water lilies. I photographed these two works today at the "Small Works Show" in the gallery at Porter Mill.  My daughter and I each have a few works in the show, but for some reason, these two pieces were hung side by side.

Friday, December 04, 2015

Pink Bouquet (Applique as of Dec. 4, 2015)


I spent a little time working on this project today. This is a little bouquet that I am making with iron-on appliqué. Today I added some hot pink to the blue flowers. I am only going to have two kinds of flowers, so the next step is adding leaves and stems.

Thursday, December 03, 2015

Pink Bouquet (Applique as of Dec. 3, 2015)


Here is the little iron-on appliqué I started yesterday. Today I added a second kind of flower, using triangles of blue fabric. Hours after ironing the blue pieces on, I realized that I had turned the image upside-down before I added to it , but I don't mind it. Good thing, because now that the placement of the blue flowers is set, there is no going back. To be continued. . . .

Wednesday, December 02, 2015

Pink Bouquet (Applique as of Dec. 2, 2015)


This is a new project that I started this afternoon. I made these pink flowers with iron-on appliqué. I had a lot of fun doing this and plan to continue tomorrow.

Tuesday, December 01, 2015

Another Composition with Zakim Bridge


During a ride home from Boston on Sunday, we crossed the Zakim Bridge. I love this beautiful bridge, so I grabbed my iPhone and took some pictures from the passenger side, through the windshield. Tonight I cropped one of the photos to get this composition.