Author: Diane Hart

A new watercolor palette

I have found this amazing new palette, that can hold ALL my paints. I’m a collector of hues, so much fun!

Daniel Smith watercolors has a wide variety of gorgeous paints.

I found a palette that can hold 85 colors! The best thing is, this well made palette comes with 100 paint cup liners. This is great because each well can easily be moved or put in a travel case. None of it is permanent, which I love.

It has a good size area in the center and a sturdy cover for mixing.

Also it sits on a turn table, yup twirling to get to a different color. I have made a color map of colors and where they live on the wheel. I’ve numbered each removal well. So I know which was put in that particular well/ spot. See below of pictures of this great palette,. I got it from http://www.robax.com

I apologise in advance, not the greatest of pictures, all taken with my phone. Mind you the size of this does not make it a good choice for traveling ,but in a home studio is perfect for me.

A Journal of sorts

It was a great experience to do the 30 paintings in 30 days.  Leslie Saeta  promises to host another in September I will probably join in again.  Here is her link for anyone who would be interested in seeing all the beautiful art work from this Januarys  30 in 30 and previous ones she has hosted.   Or if you are an artist who would enjoy trying it.. check it out 30 in 30 days painting

But for now I have other ideas on my mind.  I have been teaching my self the fine art of cutting mat boards for my paintings. So I will be putting some on my Etsy shop and  others given as gifts.  When my Etsy shop gets updated I will be sure to post on here and my face book page.

Today I’d like to share this cool bounded leather journal I found at hobby lobby filled with 300 pound rough watercolor paper.  It is not the best quality but for 40.00 it is a great tool for just playing with color and design.    So  I just started with pencil scribbles and then filled in the lines experimenting with color.  Sometimes.. when you just don’t feel like being serious and doing art but feel like digging into the paint palette this does the trick.

Nothing fancy other than to just see how paints look mixing or glazing.   Scroll down to see the pictures of this side project.

dscn4057
Nice new journal with watercolor paper
dscn4059
Heavy duty paper
dscn4058
First attempts

 

 

My 30 paintings in 30 days!

This I must say was an eye opener, when we say we don’t have enough time.  It is So not true ,I have proved to myself that I can find the time.  I was really entrenched in this process this month, and had a fun time doing it.   So now I need to keep this momentum going, painting away.

These are my 30 , and pleased overall.   Thanks for taking a look 🙂picmonkey-image

Day 30 of 30 Fun month of painting!January 2017

dscn4045

An amazing 30 days for sure!  Here is my very last january painting and will add a “sort of works in progress ” on this one.  I say sort of because at one point I just forgot and went crazy painting.. and didn’t stop to photograph.    I was not sure it was going to come together.  Over all i’m happy with it but have a long way to go in learning fur and just learning to use different color schemes.    Seems I keep using the same colors.

The picture I used was from a magazine from along time ago.  I just loved the side view of this cat and knew I wanted to attempt painting this guy..  finally.

So now what?  Must keep painting!  Not sure what February will bring need to think about that.  Maybe it will be another month of paintings..we shall see.  🙂

dscn4037
light drawing
dscn4038
light underpainting
dscn4039
begun the eye
dscn4040
started to lay in the darks
dscn4041
and bam I got to this point sorry no pictures from last update.. but did add more detail to eye and fur and back ground
dscn4042
started to really work up the fur and washes to blend in somewhat.
dscn4043
finished painting.

 

Day 29 out of 30 days Challenge 2017

dscn4034

The home stretch just one more day.  I must say I have not painted so much ever! I really am enjoying it.  Another little scenery by the same river as the previous days painting.

It measures 5 x7 on arches 300 pound watercolor paper done with daniel smith paints. Im also adding the cropped picture.  So to add to the 30 in 30 challenge.  Easier to up load and is neater for the 30 in 30 blog.

If you would like to see 100’s of artist from all over the world posting their 30 in 30 click on the Big link below 🙂

Leslie Saeta’s 30 in 30 painting challenge Jan 2017

dscn4035

Day 28 of 30 day Challenge January 2017

dscn4032

Wow I’ve been hanging in there keeping up with the painting!  Feels good!  This is a small little 5 x 7 done on Arches watercolor paper.  Scenery was inspired from a photograph I took a few years back.   Just a quick little sketch  in watercolor but would love to do something more involved with this in the future.

Day 27 of 30 challenge January 2017

dscn4026

This is a picture I had of my kitty Oliver looking out the window.  He was sitting facing me but had turned his head looking over his shoulder.     Below I wanted to post what I’m starting to do to keep track of my color mixtures and what was used in a painting.   I don’t know how other artist do it.  but I think for me it just might work.

so I am going to start cutting my paper bigger and construct my painting shifted over so I have an area to test paints and jot down the names of the colors used.  This way when a painting is all done .  This can be cut off and labeled which painting these colors where used on and also if I get a great mixture.. it will be there for me to repeat again in a different painting. The date started and finished  name of paper used. Also who what where on the back.  what the inspiration was as well.. It need not be a novel but if you want to recall all these details why not file it some where to have it when needed.

dscn4029dscn4028

A shot of kitty a little bit further a way.  It measures 5.7 on arches 300 pound paper.  Using Daniel Smith watercolors.

Day 25 of 30 January 2017

dscn4024
Seeds have been added, does give it a little bit more sunflower look to it.

Day 25 Working on learning how to use the yellows.  This is a sunflower that the picture was cropped just catching a portion of these huge sunflower in my yard a few years back.  It needs something.  I will repost the final picture on this day 25 post .  I need to get back on it and add the seeds in the center.  Things got so muddy I gave up on this one.  But worth going back to it and give it another chance.  This is why I share its the good and the bad, and everything in between.  Enjoying the journey!

Day 24 of 30 painting challenge January 2017

dscn4019

My little painting of a yellow pansy, picture taken in my yard a few years ago.  I  used this cool purple watercolor that had tiny shiny glitters in it.  The name escapes my memory right now.   I promise in the future I will list some of these fun colors I have picked up over the years.

This painting is literally  just 2 x 4 inches. good things come in small packages.