Do you remember your first kiwi?
I do. I didn't even know that kiwi existed until I was an adult! My students were eating lunch in the classroom, and I noticed a student with an odd fuzzy brown fruit. He took a bite and the inside was green. Honest to goodness, I'd never seen one before that. Not long after that discovered them in the produce section and had my first taste. Yum!
I painted this kiwi for the February challenge on the Paint and Draw Together site. I love seeing scrolling through to see all the varied artistic styles - and to think that they all began with the same reference image!
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When did it "click?"
I started painting in February of 2007.
First my teacher guided me through the painting of a Summer Tree. (I loved it!)
Then I tried the again, but this time it was an Autumn Tree. (I thought of myself as Monet!)
My next lesson was to paint a white cup. (It was the hardest thing ever and looked like a blob!)
That was followed by a White Daisy. (How were all those colors inside the white!)
My fifth and sixth paintings were of an owl that lives in my backyard. (They didn't turn out like I'd envisioned they would... Ok, they were awful... I haven't had the nerve to post them.)
Then it happened...
On my seventh painting, something clicked. I put those colors and shapes on the canvas, blended them together, and stood back amazed. Those colors and shapes looked like an iris!
I'd made one petal appear to be behind the other. I'd made another petal appear to be turning back. I'd managed to create some depth!
The other day, I wondered what ever happened to this painting. My daughter said she'd taken it. It hangs in her house now. What an honor; I couldn't be more pleased.
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How's the best way to spend a snow day?
When I went to bed last night, I expected to wake up to a blanket of snow and a day off... but alas... the roads were clear, the buses ran, and the kids came to school.
Anyway, I had a plan for how I'd spend my snow day. I had planned to paint something bright and summery like these lilies that grew beside my house last June.
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What triggers your memory from way back?
As I was painting this little bird, I kept thinking of a piece of song my dad used to sing to me in the mornings. I haven't heard it in decades, and I can't even remember the tune!
All the same, it's a snip of a memory that makes me smile.
Birdie with a yellow bill,
Hopped upon my window sill,
Winked a shiny eye and said,
"Aren't you ashamed, you sleepy head?"
I may have to go back and add a little more yellow into this little birdie's bill!
Original Oil Painting on 6"x 8" Canvas.
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How do you paint silver?
It seems that silver isn't any color. It's just reflections of the colors around it. How odd... I have a tube of paint called silver, but I don't think I've ever given it a squeeze.
I found a recipe for silver (white, burnt umber, & black) in an old painting book called Leon Franks on Techniques that's proven to be valuable several times. It tickles me that the book clearly says on the cover that the price was $1.00, and in the back it requests 15 cents for shipping. I couldn't find a copyright date anywhere, but it's nice that some things stand the test of time. And by the way, I checked Amazon. You can purchase this exact $1.00 book for about $20.00 + $5.00 shipping.
I'm thankful that I have books (and the internet) to help me figure out painting problems, but I miss my art teacher so much since she moved to a different state. I need a new painting partner... (insert sad face here)
I painted this to submit to the art challenge site Paint and Draw Together. I always enjoy seeing the varied styles of artists.
Enjoy an Etsy treasury (collection of related art pieces and vintage items) celebrating Cantaloupe and Cornflower Blue.
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