A new "Painting"

This is a colored pencil "painting" done in answer to a challenge on a site called "Wet Canvas". It's on vellum finish bristol board. Don't worry, I haven't abandoned quilting. I'm working on a silk & cotton piece with a painted horse. I'll post it once its finished.

Still Painting

I got an order of watercolor paper in this week, along with several yards of silk & some silk paints. I finished the horse painting. I'll post a pic once its completed as a quilt. I'm trying a new "board" to stretch watercolor paper. Its actually a piece of Homosote insulation board used in home building. We cut it in half (it comes in a 8'x4' sheet) & I'll tape a piece of wet paper to it & hopefully the paper will dry flat & tight,just as if it was on a wooded board. The homosote is much lighter weight & cheaper than plywood & therefor, easier to move around. We'll see if it works.

We had a pretty intense thunderstorm on Thursday about noon. We've had quite a bit of severe storms in the area lately but this one nearly formed a tornado in my back yard! Fortunately, there was no updraft so the tornado didn't form, but the spin was there, we saw the swirl in the clouds. Pretty scary. I've been 3 tornadoes, of too close for comfort, in my life & I don't want to go through any more. As of this writing, more heavy storms are in the forecast. We'll just have to see if any happen. On top of the heavy weather, the temps have turned hot all at once. Yesterday it was over 90 degrees & it was the same today,& for tomorrow too. These sudden weather changes are the pits. I'm never ready for them, but they arrive just the same. It'd be better if it was a gradual change, but no luck. That's just the way it is. That's all for now.

Watercolor Pieces

Here's a flower I painted as a practice piece. I'm working on a silk painted piece & will post it once finished.

Watercolor Tricks

I also learned that applying rubbing alcohol with a q-tip to wet watercolor makes the color dissipate in a circle, giving the look of a bubble with a bit of color in the middle. Along with the discovery of using a reducing glass to see the whole picture without standing back, that's two things I've learned this week. What's next? Stay tuned . . .

Back to the Art Part

I've gone pack to painting instead of concentrating just on quilting. I'm doing watercolors & am working on a silk painting (done with textile silk paints). The later is not turning out so well. Maybe I'm just rusty at it. I know I'm rusty at watercolors. I bought some videos on watercolor just as a refresher course. I'll keep working at it. Its been a long time. . .

Today is the last day of school for the season. Granddaughter is home & husband go off early. Its thrown my whole schedule off too. But, just as I get used to it in a few weeks, it will change again & it will be time to go back to school. I think I'd like my life to stay on the same schedule all year around, its much easier on us older folks with little change.

Later . . .

Watercolors

This is a 7" by 10" watercolor of the cabbage growing in my garden.

Here's a watercolor painting of a cupcake on a pieced placemat. It's 9" by 12".