#58 "Mexican Street Scene", watercolor, 15" x 18"

Saturday night I returned from 2 weeks in Mexico. When the Wednesday night painters met I was still mostly in Mexico and could only paint a Mexican scene. While I was in Mexico I sold all the paintings I had painted there during my last trip. Once again I paid for my trip in paintings! It must be that I am meant to be going there. I didn't have time to paint while there this time though. We were busy doing business about our house and hanging paintings, masks and other artwork. Our casa looks more cozy with each visit. The Ray for this Day is "Mexican Street Scene".

#57 "Sweet Green Machine", watercolor, 13" x 14"

Okay, so yesterday I had a watercolor student here for a session. I made this little painting to demonstrate some of the techniques I was teaching her. I find this little painting quite enchanting. We all know how much I love old stuff, especially trucks. Sometimes when I'm not trying too hard I like what I get. The Ray for the Day is "Sweet Green Machine".

#56 "Big Red Ship", 20" x 15" watercolor

Not much painting going on around here lately. Traveling has been using my time lately. And I'm off to Mexico for another couple of weeks leaving Saturday. However, I did make it to Wednesday Night Group. We met at the Wooden Boat Center on Lake Union. It was sunny and fine for the first hour, and then started getting windy and cold. We were so eager to get outside to paint that we sort of jumped the gun. I threw this painting together so I could get back to where it was warm. I like the slap-dash of it and that it is kind of wacky-woo and fanciful.  It was fun flinging paint. The Ray for the Day is "Big Red Ship" (on a cold Spring evening).

#55 "Stack o' Tape", watercolor, 15" x 20"

A few weeks ago a woman contacted me who had seen my work a couple of years ago and felt I might be able to help her further her painting goals. Yesterday we met to paint together, and I was gratified to realize how much I have learned and discovered during my 9 years doing watercolor painting. It was fun to pass it on. We talked about composition and how to use a view finder and a camera as tools for composing a painting. I also showed her how to use a grid to assist with drawing and composition. We painted wet on wet and talked about using warms and cools, varieties of brush strokes and other methods to enliven a painting. As I think of it now, we covered quite a bit in our 4 hours together. She had particularly liked a small painting I did of a pile of rolls of tape, so we decided to stack up some tape for a still life for our paintings. The Ray for the Day is "Stack o' Tape".

#53 "Can Cart", watercolor, 22" x 15"

Tuesday evening, at the NW Watercolor Society meeting, I saw Mike Svob demonstrate his method for acrylic painting. He laid in all his darks with black gesso. Then he threw on a riot of color in what seemed like a random way. In so doing he had established his darks and his mid-tones. Then we went into the painting with paint mixed with white to introduce the lights and high lights. It looked like fun, and seemed logical. He said he does this also with watercolor by laying in the darks with acrylics and then proceeding with watercolor. So last night I decided to use his method with watercolor. It was a really enjoyable process, and I am happy with the result. I think I will do some more paintings in this way. The Ray for the Day is "Can Cart". 

#52 "All Geared Up" watercolor. And the Studio Sink.

So here's the famous sink, all hooked up.  I really am so pleased. It is not only useful for cleaning up art tools, it is also useful for cleaning and preparing my studio for the Kirkland Artist Studio Tour which is happening  1 1/2 short weeks from now. And because I think a photo of a sink can't be too entertaining here is my Wednesday Night Watercolor, the Ray for the Day is "All Geared Up". (in more ways than one, I guess)

#50 "Olde Wheelie Dealie", watercolor, 15" x 19"

A couple of years ago my Dad took me to visit a friend of his who lived out in the country near Battleground WA. He wanted me to see his old farm equipment collection. And what a collection it was! These wonderful old, rusty, who knows what they were used for pieces of equipment were arranged nicely in his front yard. Each item was an art piece in and of itself, and the whole collection was quite awesome. The sun was out and the shadows were great and I had a wonderful time taking photos. For several years I have thought of painting these objects. Last night at my watercolor group I did the first one. The Ray for  the Day is "Olde Wheelie Dealie".

#48 "Me and My Shadow", watercolor, 22" x 15"

Several months ago a woman contacted me by email telling me she had seen my work and liked it very much. She wondered if I would make a watercolor painting of her son. You know by now that I find commissions very hard. How can I depict these people in a way that feels like them to them, and still make my own painting? I told this woman I could not promise a likeness, but would work for the feeling of the moment, this special place in their lives, the atmosphere of the day, and something about the relationship between the mother and son. I like my paintings  to evoke emotion rather than to be factually correct. I hope this painting works for her. As in all my commissions she is under no obligation to purchase the painting. So it has been a dip back into watercolor. I'm now planning my next oil painting. The Ray for the Day is "Me and My Shadow."

SOLD

#44 "Grand Old Girl", watercolor, 20" x 15"

I met this wonderful old truck this past weekend up near Duvall. My husband and I were checking out a retreat center for our annual Summer family gathering. We found our place at Mosswood Hollow, and also this grand old girl. I couldn't wait to paint it. I'm sure I'll paint it again. I did this last evening in my Wednesday Night Watercolor Consortium, a group that has been meeting for nearly 20 years. Today I will work on the oil portrait that I started. The Ray for the Day is "Grand Old Girl".

#40 "Jason's Birthday Present", watercolor, 12" x 9"

Every once in awhile someone wants me to paint a picture of them or of their child. This is the most difficult sort of painting I ever do. I find myself dreading and being afraid of starting the painting. I feel it is a "can't win" situation. Especially since my favorite subject matter lately is close ups of stuff......preferably old worn out stuff. Anyhow, I could not turn down this woman who I have known since she was 4. She and her man are both very attractive people, inside and out, but one of the "dreaded" assignments. Somewhere along the line after I had written her that she should not expect a likeness and I don't do portraits and all the other caveats I could come up with, she wrote me an email saying "we know what we look like.....we just like the way you paint and would like you to paint it." How lovely is that? Her confidence in my work freed me to make this painting. I hope she will be happy with it. The Ray for the Day is "Jason's Birthday Present."

SOLD

#39 "Back to Boquita Beach", watercolor, 22" x 15"

On this snowy, cold day in March (yet) I desire to return to Mexico. Boquita Beach is the beach very near our casa where we walk and sit and nap and swim and order goodies from the palapa beach bars. You can rent an umbrella with table and chairs for 60 pesos (around $4.00 these days....or a little less) and spend the day surrounded by Mexican families. Many bring coolers full of food and drink, and maybe a boom box playing the ever present musica of Mexico. Many aunts and uncles and grandmas and kids and grandkids gather around to laugh and talk and play the day away. Lots of talking and laughing. Do we do that with our families? The Ray for the Day is "Back to Boquita Beach."
SOLD

#37 "Hot Wheels", watercolor, 6" x 8"

The artist reception at TPN last night was a wonderful success! Thanks to those of you who showed up (you were many), and if you couldn't make it but would still like to see the show you can view it on work days during work hours anytime until the end of May.

While in Mexico we do much of our shopping and business in the small village of Santiago near our casa. The scenes on the street are always colorful and enjoyable for a visual person like myself. This motorciclete parked in front of a tienda selling rugs, serapes, hats and other things caught my eye. It is just the kind of subject I love to paint. Just looking at this painting reminds me of how wonderful it feels to be in hot weather! What is it about vehicles that turns my crank? Anyway, the Ray for the Day is "Hot Wheels."
SOLD

#36 "Hot PinK', watercolor, 8" x 6"

Bougainvillea grows verdantly and vibrantly around Casa Amanecer. The colors range from deep burgundy to soft salmon. One of my favorites is called Supresa (surprise!) and is a mix of white and pink. On my recent visit we went to the nursery and purchased even more bougainvillea for our yard, plus other beautiful tropical plants, some that will climb on our terrace arbor, some with leaves the size of elephant's ears. The plants in the nursery were so beautiful and exotic that we stayed a couple of hours just wandering and exclaiming even though it was very hot and very dusty. We left drenched with sweat and covered with dust and very happy. We always have sprigs of this vibrant flower around the house. This particular sprig of hot pink was in a little vase we bought in Tonola on our whirl-wind trip for finding furnishings. The posting for the day is "hot Pink".
SOLD

#34 "Colorful Crittur #1", watercolor, 8" x 6"

This colorful fellow and his companion (later post) live on the kitchen walls at Casa Amanecer, along with the occasional live one. These little sculptures are common and can be purchased everywhere. Our critturs, however, were collected when we were on a whirlwind trip around Mexico collecting furniture and folk art to furnish our casa. We had a blast going from Guadalajara to Tonola to San Miguel de Allende to Dolores Hidalgo. We were visiting the furniture and folk art factories where we met the artisans, had great adventures, and made new friends. On the outskirts of Dolores Hidalgo we stopped at a roadside ceramic factory and, among other treasures, we found our kitchen pets. The posting for today is "Colorful Crittur #1".

SOLD

#32: "Lucky Potted Plant", watercolor, 8" x 6"

It's been way too long since I have blogged. Since my last entry I have been to Mexico three times, overseen the remodel of a casa we own with a friend in Mexico, self published my book "Sea Stories", opened (and closed) a two person show at Parklane Gallery in Kirkland, moved my Dad to assisted living, and other life happenings that have pushed blogging to the bottom of the list. While spending the past month in our Casa Amanecer in Manzanillo Mexico I made several small paintings. I will be posting them over the next few days. These little paintings are all typical scenes in and around our casa. This potted plant sits on our front terrace, under a palapa roof, with a view of the Pacific Ocean and Juluapan Peninsula. "Lucky Potted Plant".

SOLD

#9: "Stargazers Again", watercolor, 8"x6"

The stargazer bouquet is still beautiful. I felt divided between doing my Daily Ray or going out to work in the garden. Which to do first? Painting won......so now I'll go out and work in the physical garden. Me, the not-the-flower painter just can't seem to paint anything else right now. Must be the season. 

#8: "Stargazers", watercolor, 8" x 6"

When a woman bought a painting at the Kirkland Artist's Studio Tour recently she asked that I deliver it and bring my husband with me for dinner at her home. Last night we made that delivery and had a most fabulous evening. The home was filled with wonderful art, the dinner was artful in every way, and the conversation rich and deep. As if that wasn't enough......at the end of the evening she shared that she would be out of town for the next couple of weeks, so would like us to take this glorious bouquet of stargazers with us! I really don't think of myself as a flower painter...but there you have it. The Ray for the Day is "Stargazers".