Jan 2008
Post-arama Today.
January 30, 2008 08:09 PM
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Yeah, it's me
again. I'm done with this one and excited. So sue me.
I just love this painting ... it was almost like it
painted itself. I didn't really feel like I had to
think about what I was doing, it all seemed to come
together pretty intuitively. I think I've hit upon a
style that is unique AND that I enjoy it. Bonus!
More to come — I've got ideas for a couple of paintings for our family room. Bigger and maybe square. This painting seems serious to me and I think I want to do something that is more bright and cheerful. Stay tuned.
SIDENOTE: Anyone have any suggestions on signing paintings. I've always just sort of slapped something down somewhere and very few are the same. Do you put a date on it? Is my full name better or can I just do initials? (and no, I'm not going to sign it KGB mom and dad. My name is Karen L-something Blados, not Karen Graham Blados. Sorry.)
More to come — I've got ideas for a couple of paintings for our family room. Bigger and maybe square. This painting seems serious to me and I think I want to do something that is more bright and cheerful. Stay tuned.
SIDENOTE: Anyone have any suggestions on signing paintings. I've always just sort of slapped something down somewhere and very few are the same. Do you put a date on it? Is my full name better or can I just do initials? (and no, I'm not going to sign it KGB mom and dad. My name is Karen L-something Blados, not Karen Graham Blados. Sorry.)
Mums
In Gold Pot. ink, watercolor 140 lb. cold press.
7.5" x 10.5"
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Why Is This SO HARD?
January 30, 2008 09:42 AM
I think ... No, wait. I HAVE narrowed it down to the colors here. The top one is a no because it's pretty much the same color I've got now — I call it Boring As All Get Out Eggshell. I like the middle, but I think it's too light and close to Boring Eggshell. So I guess it's the Ripe Wheat. I think it will give me the "color" I want and it's still neutral enough that the artwork can be the focus. I think. For now at least.
Help?!!?
Back To School.
January 30, 2008 08:39 AM
I signed up
for art classes at Polaris (adult education center).
The first, a jewelry making class, is just one night
and it's how to make a bracelet. I don't know what
kind, but I wanted to sign up for something
different.
The second is a 10 week watercolor course. I took one class in college and really didn't care for the medium — it is hard to control, so you have to be willing to work with what it does. I'm enjoying it now that I'm back into it, but I also feel like I'm not using all the tricks of the trade. I don't learn well out of books, so I hope a class will refresh my memory. At the very least, it'll be fun to get out for a few evenings and talk to other artists.
The second is a 10 week watercolor course. I took one class in college and really didn't care for the medium — it is hard to control, so you have to be willing to work with what it does. I'm enjoying it now that I'm back into it, but I also feel like I'm not using all the tricks of the trade. I don't learn well out of books, so I hope a class will refresh my memory. At the very least, it'll be fun to get out for a few evenings and talk to other artists.
We All Know I'm My Worst Critic.
January 30, 2008 08:34 AM
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But even I'm
liking this. Still need to work on the centers of the
flowers and I don't think the light is right in a
couple of places. I think I'm going to need to add a
shadow or something to the pot, even though there
isn't one on my references. I hate having to make
stuff like that up. But overall, I'm really happy
with it.
Nice Buns!
January 29, 2008 11:49 AM
Progress Report.
January 29, 2008 11:34 AM
This is
getting to be one of the more ambitious pieces I've
done in a long time, so I've been taking scans as I
go. In the back of my mind, it's not so much to
document the process as to figure out at which point
I screwed up, if I screw up. (Give me a break, I said
if.) It's just that I REALLY liked the ink drawing
and now I'm nervous that I won't like it as well when
I'm done with the watercolor.
I stopped last night scared that I'd gotten too blue
in some areas, but I've been adding red this morning
(it's a bouquet of deep red mums) and it's working
well. In fact, some of the areas are probably going
to end up needing more blue. Go figure.
Sometimes This Is Nuts.
January 28, 2008 09:10 AM
Yesterday I
worked on my drawing for a couple of hours and when I
went to bed, I realized I hadn't made an entry for
the day yet. I thought about doing something really
quick, even brought my sketchbook up to bed, but I
decided I was too tired and besides, I'd worked on
the flower drawing. Next thing I know, it's about one
o'clock in the morning, I'm up and I know I won't be
going back to sleep anytime soon. I finally grabbed
my sketchbook from the night-stand, my pillow and
headed into the bathroom. I finished this in about
thirty minutes, went downstairs and fell back asleep
on the couch.
Told you it was nuts. I've gone from a person who can't even see the point of keeping a sketchbook to not being able to sleep if I don't get a measly drawing in. I'd probably be happy about that if I wasn't so sleepy. Ergh.
Told you it was nuts. I've gone from a person who can't even see the point of keeping a sketchbook to not being able to sleep if I don't get a measly drawing in. I'd probably be happy about that if I wasn't so sleepy. Ergh.
Complicated.
January 26, 2008 07:23 PM
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I got going
on a floral piece earlier this week that is larger
and more complicated than what I've been doing. I'm
finding that I really enjoy the pen & ink work.
It's very relaxing for me — I get into it and
just zone out. Pretty completely if how many times my
kids have knocked on me is any indication. I also
like the textures that I'm getting and the deeper
darks I can achieve with the pen work underneath
watercolor.
I guess I'm a bit surprised to still be working on flowers in general. Maybe I've finally hit on the subject matter that does it for me? I have ideas swimming around in my head and I even went to the garden center today so I could take reference photos for some of them. Didn't have a lot of luck finding the flowers I wanted — it is late January in Ohio after all. Maybe I'll head to the botanical gardens next weekend. Hmmmm. There's an idea.
I guess I'm a bit surprised to still be working on flowers in general. Maybe I've finally hit on the subject matter that does it for me? I have ideas swimming around in my head and I even went to the garden center today so I could take reference photos for some of them. Didn't have a lot of luck finding the flowers I wanted — it is late January in Ohio after all. Maybe I'll head to the botanical gardens next weekend. Hmmmm. There's an idea.
Been Busy Painting.
January 26, 2008 06:49 PM
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And not the
fun kind. Although the latest room wasn't too bad
because there wasn't any molding to paint first. I
think it took me a week just to paint the molding in
our living room, but I got the family room sans
molding done in two days. Now I'll take the weekend
off and finish with the hallway next week.
The project after that will hopefully be my office/studio — just as soon as I figure out what I want to do. I've been looking for inspiration, but most of the studios I've seen have white or cream colored walls. Boring. There are a few things that I know want:
1. Shelves on one wall that I can use to rotate my artwork without punching a bunch of holes in the wall.
2. Shelves or a book case so I can get some of my things that I use often out of the closet or off my desk.
3. Maybe a more comfortable chair to just sit and read in.
4. Color. This is where I get stumped. I'd really like to have a bold color, but I'm afraid of how it will reflect on my artwork. Like if I use red, is everything I do going to take on a pinkish cast? I think I've decided on a sand color that goes well with my desk for three of the walls. And I was looking at a chocolate brown color for the fourth wall, but now I'm thinking maybe a purple in the same shade.
Anyone out there in the ether want to tell me what your dream studio would look like?
The project after that will hopefully be my office/studio — just as soon as I figure out what I want to do. I've been looking for inspiration, but most of the studios I've seen have white or cream colored walls. Boring. There are a few things that I know want:
1. Shelves on one wall that I can use to rotate my artwork without punching a bunch of holes in the wall.
2. Shelves or a book case so I can get some of my things that I use often out of the closet or off my desk.
3. Maybe a more comfortable chair to just sit and read in.
4. Color. This is where I get stumped. I'd really like to have a bold color, but I'm afraid of how it will reflect on my artwork. Like if I use red, is everything I do going to take on a pinkish cast? I think I've decided on a sand color that goes well with my desk for three of the walls. And I was looking at a chocolate brown color for the fourth wall, but now I'm thinking maybe a purple in the same shade.
Anyone out there in the ether want to tell me what your dream studio would look like?
The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side of the
Fence.
January 23, 2008 10:00 PM
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Why is that?
I'm always lusting after someone else's artwork (and
hair — I'd so love to have long, curly hair
— but that's slightly off topic). I really like
impressionistic pieces where the paint just seems to
have been loosely smacked on the canvas. Then there
are images where the artist uses a light touch to
achieve an almost ethereal quality. I do not have a
light touch and I wouldn't know loose if it bit me on
the nose. (What did you think I was going to type?
This is a family show people!) But I still keep
trying to get my head between the rails. Argh!
So. Now that I'm done with that, here's one of my first tries at using gouache (yes, you do pronounce it something like "go-wash"). It's basically opaque watercolor — you can get an even field of saturated color or add water to dilute it for a more transparent look. Which would be just like watercolor. And that wasn't the point, so I got a little heavier with the paint. I like it enough to keep working with it, so I guess that's good.
So. Now that I'm done with that, here's one of my first tries at using gouache (yes, you do pronounce it something like "go-wash"). It's basically opaque watercolor — you can get an even field of saturated color or add water to dilute it for a more transparent look. Which would be just like watercolor. And that wasn't the point, so I got a little heavier with the paint. I like it enough to keep working with it, so I guess that's good.
Four Tulips. ink, gouache on 140 lb. cold press. 6" x
4".
How Do You Explain "Get Smart" to a Five-Year-Old?
January 23, 2008 09:56 PM
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Now It's Dots.
January 22, 2008 11:54 AM
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Little Furnaces.
January 22, 2008 11:53 AM
Can't Draw in a Car ...
January 22, 2008 11:51 AM
Some More Experimenting.
January 18, 2008 09:55 AM
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I'm trying to
do something a little different with each flower
— I'm working on developing not so much a
formula as a unique style. In this one, I wanted to
vary the lights and darks in the background to create
a sense of depth. I think it works — the flower
looks like it's sitting at the top of a rose bush
instead of everything being on the same plane.
Orange Rose. ink, watercolor 140 lb. cold press. 4" x
6".
Just Plain Weird.
January 18, 2008 09:52 AM
See What I Mean?
January 16, 2008 05:40 PM
Suddenly, I LOVE Winter.
January 16, 2008 05:37 PM
When it's
cold out, my kids are just as happy as me to play
inside. Oh, we go out for a little bit, but they
don't last long — not like when the weather is
warmer and we're outside pretty much all day long. So
with this cold snap, we've been playing with playdoh,
painting and drawing. I'm getting more done at my
kitchen table than I have in a long time.
Anybody Noticed?
January 15, 2008 08:08 PM
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Funky Spud.
January 15, 2008 08:06 PM
Someone's Doing Something Fun.
January 15, 2008 07:39 AM
One of my
favorite bloggers, Suzanne Buchanan,
is having
a Valentine's Day Contest. Just give her a shout
out on your blog and leave a comment on her
wonderful site. You could be a proud winner of a
"care package" complete with one of her handmade
valentine magnets. I can personally vouch for her
workmanship as I ordered some of her notecards for
christmas gifts. Check out her wonderful work on
Etsy too.
Very Quick One.
January 14, 2008 07:30 PM
An Experiment.
January 14, 2008 04:54 PM
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I saw some
small paintings of vegetables at a farmer's market
this fall and I've had ideas percolating ever since.
This flower kick I'm on seemed like the perfect
excuse to experiment and guess what? Pen & ink,
watercolor and colored pencil work really well on
canvas. I had to be a little more patient than I
normally am so that the layers had time to dry, but
I'm very happy with this first attempt and am busy
planning more ... as soon as I make a run for more
canvas.
Orchid On Blue. ink, watercolor and colored pencil on
gallery-wraped canvas. 5.5" x 5.5".
Paper Run.
January 13, 2008 09:08 PM
Now I Mean Business.
January 13, 2008 09:06 PM
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Yet Another Flower.
January 12, 2008 07:17 PM
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Oi Vey!
January 12, 2008 07:13 PM
The kids and
Tom are dancing in the other room. I'm in my office,
with the dog under my desk on my feet, trying to hide
from the noise. Normally, I'd jump right in there
with them, but for whatever reason it's making my
head pound this evening. Ugh. Maybe when I figure out
paint for the walls in here, I'll look into
sound-proofing as well. Did I say ugh? Double Ugh.
Can't Wait Any Longer.
January 11, 2008 09:41 PM
First of all,
Yupo-Schmupo. I'll go back to this paper/plastic ...
I really will ... but I'm not liking it right now and
instead of letting it frustrate me until I'm ready to
throw in the pen, I'm going to set it aside. If
anyone out there uses it and likes it, shoot me an
email and tell me what the heck you're doing. I've
heard such wonderful things, but it just ticks me
off. Argh!
Anyway, between fits of artistic angst, I've gone back to my flowers. I mentioned I found two new flower books and how I was feeling inspired right? Well, here's what I've been up to. The three postcards are en-route to my folks and I haven't wanted to give them a sneak peek, but I'm really happy with the direction I'm going in and I REALLY want to share. Mom and dad, you're just going to have to deal with seeing your surprises here first.
Anyway, between fits of artistic angst, I've gone back to my flowers. I mentioned I found two new flower books and how I was feeling inspired right? Well, here's what I've been up to. The three postcards are en-route to my folks and I haven't wanted to give them a sneak peek, but I'm really happy with the direction I'm going in and I REALLY want to share. Mom and dad, you're just going to have to deal with seeing your surprises here first.
Magnolias.
ink and watercolor on 140 lb. cold press. 9" x
6".
Magnolia in the Wind. ink and watercolor on 140 lb.
cold press. 6" x 4".
White on Green. ink and watercolor on 140 lb. cold
press. 6" x 4".
Pink Cosmos. ink and watercolor on 140 lb. cold
press. 6" x 4".
Another Milestone Recorded for Posterity.
January 11, 2008 03:53 PM
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See The Light ...
January 10, 2008 09:03 PM
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Posting Pretty Soon.
January 10, 2008 02:36 PM
I've been
trying Yupo paper with watercolor and I HATE IT! No,
really, let me tell you how I feel. It sucks.
Actually, it doesn't suck exactly — it's
plastic, so the watercolor sits on top of it and all
you can really do is push it around until you have a
muddy mess. Now someone who has a loose style and has
patience (you have to wait a long time for it to dry,
so it better be a lot of patience) might like it. Me?
Ms. Anal-Retentive / Obsessive-Compulsive /
Is-IT-DONE-YET? Not so much.
BUT, and you were thinking there might be one, I have another idea that seems to be working well. Stay tuned.
BUT, and you were thinking there might be one, I have another idea that seems to be working well. Stay tuned.
Inspiration.
January 09, 2008 09:43 AM
It's amazing
what a few minutes in a bookstore can do for a
person. The kids and I hit Half-Priced Books
yesterday and I found two big, huge, gigantic books
of gorgeous photographs of flowers and plants. Add
the fact that both list how to care for them all (and
me wanting to landscape in the spring) and it's the
best $13.00 I've spent in a while.
It was tough to really explore with the kids in tow, but I still had a wonderful time. And, while on the subject of books, there's a Borders up the street from us now. Nothing wrong with hanging out there every now and then to browse, even if I don't buy anything. So now I'm stoked and ready to draw some more flowers. Yippee!
It was tough to really explore with the kids in tow, but I still had a wonderful time. And, while on the subject of books, there's a Borders up the street from us now. Nothing wrong with hanging out there every now and then to browse, even if I don't buy anything. So now I'm stoked and ready to draw some more flowers. Yippee!
Let Go My Lego.
January 06, 2008 11:10 AM
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The New Year
has brought on a funk. A funk that makes me not want
to sit here at my computer. I don't want to update
the pages or visit my favorite blogs or read the news
or even check email. I've decided not to worry about
it because I still want to draw ... in fact, I've got
one started on my table that I want to work on today.
Just think I'm a little burned out on blogdom. So ...
I guess I'll see ya when I see ya. Thanks for your
patience.
Hoping These Will Help.
January 04, 2008 11:10 AM
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Recovered From A Snow Pile.
January 02, 2008 11:09 AM
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First Day of 2008!
January 02, 2008 06:28 AM
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
is the first
of the series that I didn't see in the movie theater,
so I was very excited to get it for Christmas. Tom
and I watched it Saturday night, and I spent the next
couple of days re-reading
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
and
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
I have loved
this series, probably my all-time favorite books
— and I read a lot of books. The kids are
almost getting to the age where I might be able to
read it to them. I so hope they enjoy it too, because
personally, I think it has a wonderful message. Harry
demonstrates that who you are or what you are or
where you are from isn't what matters — it's
what you accomplish in spite of it all that is
important.
My Mission, Should I Choose To Accept It ...
January 01, 2008 09:00 PM
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The end of
another year is fast approaching and I've spent most
of the day trying to come up with some artistic goals
for next year. The first three are easy:
Continue with my illustrated journal —
can't imagine this falling by the wayside, but figured I'd just CMA.
Build my freelance contacts —
and thereby, paying jobs because I have to buy the art supplies with something.
Take art classes —
Can't grow as an artist working all alone in my little corner of the world.
The last is the tricky one — I want to concentrate on my fine art. How's that for a broad, somewhat indecipherable goal? Let's see if I can clear it up a bit — I want to get paid to draw/paint/create full-time. Or as close to that as I can get while raising two kids and managing our household. It's time to actually work on building a body of work instead of just talking about it. To do that, I need to:
1. Determine a theme/subject/idea to base the work on.
2. Decide on a style/technique/medium to work in.
3. And finally, JUST GET GOING ON IT ALREADY!
Wish me luck and – if it looks like I need it – give me a kick in the pants!
Continue with my illustrated journal —
can't imagine this falling by the wayside, but figured I'd just CMA.
Build my freelance contacts —
and thereby, paying jobs because I have to buy the art supplies with something.
Take art classes —
Can't grow as an artist working all alone in my little corner of the world.
The last is the tricky one — I want to concentrate on my fine art. How's that for a broad, somewhat indecipherable goal? Let's see if I can clear it up a bit — I want to get paid to draw/paint/create full-time. Or as close to that as I can get while raising two kids and managing our household. It's time to actually work on building a body of work instead of just talking about it. To do that, I need to:
1. Determine a theme/subject/idea to base the work on.
2. Decide on a style/technique/medium to work in.
3. And finally, JUST GET GOING ON IT ALREADY!
Wish me luck and – if it looks like I need it – give me a kick in the pants!