My Favorites - US Treasury

While in Washington DC I had the chance to visit the U S Treasury building and took this shot.  I don't believe I've ever seen so many buildings that look like a beautiful work of art.

In Living Color 17 - Adirondack Chairs

As we worked on class projects I didn't feel comfortable working on them at home since it was a watch and follow process and I wouldn't have the instructor available should I have questions or come to a standstill.  But not wanting to loose momentum over the week I chose a few projects that would challenge me to use my own instincts.  Most of what I chose came either from books at the library or from my art magazines which usually included a step by step process.  This one came from a library book and is a painting by Jacqueline Panney.  What intrigued me about this was that you'd paint the negative space which is all the area around the chairs in small blocks at a time.  It was fun watching the chairs come to life as each area around them was completed.  At the very end I could finally add the detail such as the shadows to the chair itself.

Adirondack Chairs - Watercolor

 

 This next painting was from the Watercolor Artist magazine of August 2008, artist Kathy Hegman.  What first drew me to the picture was the colors and design.  My first thought was why is she holding the roses upside down but after looking closer and reading the title I discovered she was actually feeding a bird from her hand.  Although this was not a traditional watercolor painting since the artist used hardboard panel, acrylic jesso, colored pencils and gouache I was determined to try it.  Below is  the step by step instructions from the magazine and her finished picture.  Keep in mind that a magazine picture never does the real piece justice.

 

The The Bird Feeders - Watercolor Artist Magazine

 

The picture below is my first try at it and although I was pleased there were few areas that I thought I could improve on.

 

 

The Bird Feeders - Watercolor

 

 

Here is my second attempt which I was happier with.  I increased the size so that I could frame it and worked on the detail a bit more.

 

The Bird Feeders - Watercolor 2