Coffee with Cream

My painting "Coffee with Cream" is now hanging with 12 others at Dagny's Coffee shop downtown in Bakersfield.

Sketchbook Project 2012

I finally started working on my project book for the Art House Co-op. It is due in January. I changed the paper to watercolor so don't have as many pages to fill, but at least I can use watercolor.

My theme is "I Remember You". I am doing celebrity portraits. So far I have Vickie Lawrence as Mama Harper from Mama's Family, Elvis which is not my best but I seem to have trouble with Elvis, and the latest Lucille Ball. I am working on Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie.

A list of other celebs will/may be Ron Perlman, Cat Stevens as he looks today, Andy Griffith as Matlock, Barney Fife, Shemar Moore, Michael Landon, and maybe even Michael Jackson.

Since I am actually sketching them from scratch using no grids or outline transfers, some look more like their celebs than others. I am not trying to get a carbon copy but just a general likeness. If I make a hit, that is good too. Drawing directly on the watercolor paper is a little harder than smooth paper but I wanted to do the sketches directly to the book.

On the cover I decided to do something different. There is an old song called "I Remember You". I have printed the lyrics out and will fix that to the front cover.

It took me awhile to figure out how I wanted to go with my theme. I'm sure I had an idea when I chose that theme but I am going in a totally different way from my first thought. Now that I have made my decision, it is going smoothly. I have several photos saved and am anxious to get on with the next one.

Adella

I went out with my plein air group today. It was my first time in a very long time. We went to a Nursery/Statuary/Landscaping place. I decided to paint one of the statues they have there.

In person it is a very clean, pretty white with wonderful gray shadowy areas, I couldn't get the grays just right so I used a blue and gray color. Some mixed, some not.

This statue had the name Adella. I don't know where that comes from but it does seem to fit. I keep wanting to add some pen and ink or graphite on top to give it more definition, but I don't want to ruin the softness of her. This is just about as loose as I paint. I do much better with detail.

Autumn Leaves

We had another person join the Fall Trade at Drawspace. I will stick her card in the mail tomorrow.

Drawspace October ATC Trade

The ATC trade for October at the Drawspace Forum has the theme of Fall. I finished my cards tonight.

Coffee Time

Odd title for one who doesn't drink coffee. I love the smell and hate the taste. I have tried for many years to get past the bitter taste. Sitting with a cup of coffee on a cold day sounds great...until I get that bitter taste in my mouth.

But this coffee will be on paper. Our local art group (Bakersfield Art Association) is having a show at a local coffee shop. Theme of course is coffee. Coffee cups, breakfast, people drinking coffee, pretty much anything if it has to do with coffee.

Well I wanted to put a piece in the show and finally came up with an idea that I like and would suit my style. I am working on it but can't share until the actual show
is over. It doesn't have to be there until October 31st, so I still have plenty of time. I don't have too much more to do to finish. It is 11x14 in watercolor.

In the meantime, I am donating a gift certificate for a pet portrait to a local dog show. It will be auctioned off as one of their prizes. So I don't know yet what I will be painting. A little exciting but a little scary. I will go to the show for a couple hours and take some of my artwork and some business cards. Maybe drum up some more business. And get to see some beautiful dogs and wish I could bring them all home.