A watercolor painting

I don't have much to tell you, except that the weather has finally turned. It has been cooler at night, and only gets into the mid- 80's during the day. That probably sounds hot to many of you, but it is at least 10 degrees (F) cooler than it has been. It feels wonderful. I find that I am spending way too much time outdoors. Just enjoying the sunshine. Sunshine that finally feels warm, without being scorching. I have work to do, but I have to enjoy this just a little bit, okay?

Here is a watercolor from earlier this summer. It was one that didn't get lost like the other ones, but somehow it never got posted. It is pretty small, measuring only 7 x 5 inches.

A visit

Today I was in my studio, cleaning up a little as part of a frenzied search for some lost watercolors, when I heard all this racket outside. It seemed quite loud, and I couldn't figure out what it might be. I thought there was a person outside the house or something. So I had to go out and investigate. I walked out the front door, and looked around. Finally, I turned my head to the right, and there, above the studio window was a roadrunner, scuffling about on the overhang! I love those roadrunners, and have wanted to sketch them for some time now. However, they are superfast, and usually I only catch a glimpse of them as they zoom past the house. It must have been the claws of the roadrunner I was hearing on the red tile of the overhang. Hoping for a miracle, I quickly ran inside to get my camera. Fortunately, the roadrunner was still there when I came out. I had just enough time to shoot this photo, before it jumped off and ran away. Still, it was a highlight!

Yes, the lost watercolors. I had done a series of little watercolors, and was intending to blow them up large in oil. I have already painted two, which you have seen. Well, I had quite a few more that I really liked, and today I was going to start on them. I can't find them!!!!!!! Can you believe it? I mean, I have a drawer that I keep them in, and they weren't in their drawer. I combed the entire studio, looking for those darn things. Being interrupted by the roadrunner was a salvation, in a way, since I was beginning to lose my temper! If you could all please send out a little prayer that I find my little watercolors, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm not kidding when I tell you that I finally had to re-direct my attention elsewhere, I was so frustrated! Where ARE they???!!! ugh. And to think I was getting so organized. So much for THAT notion.

Here is a lovely little red cactus that caught my eye this morning when I was out with Mr. Pono the dog. Enjoy.

Life Drawing

I am accustomed to a weekly four hour session of drawing from a live model. So far, in our new digs I have only been able to find a group that meets for two hours. I have been attending, but it just doesn't seem like enough drawing for me. I decided to organize a four hour session. This afternoon will be the second four hour session I have organized. I am looking forward to it, especially since I did attend the two hour session last night. I should be warmed up to draw today. If I get something I like, I promise to post it for you.

The photo at the top is the desert willow. It is a native shrub/small tree. It is one of my favorites, because the blooms are beautiful. I had a photo of the blossoms, but it is blurry, so I will try to take another one tomorrow. Usually, it can be found in the washes, where it gets a little more water than it would out on the flats. I am hoping to buy one to plant on the south side of our house.

I better get going to draw. Have a good weekend, and enjoy the cottontail I did the same day as those two jackrabbits I posted earlier.

Updating the website

I am slowly settling in to the desert once more. I am still a bit tired from the trip to Colorado. Or could it be that I am tired from working on my website? I suppose it could be a combination of both. I am not much of a computer person, despite this blog. I have teamed up with a company called gigshowcase.com to help me with the website. It is reasonably priced, and I can create a website without learning html or javascript. If any of you are looking for a way to have a website that doesn't cost thousands of dollars, I recommend it. (Mention that I sent you!)

Even though I don't have to learn code, there is still a bit of a learning curve, plus I have a lot of art to put on the site. So it is taking much longer than I had anticipated. Isn't it always like that? I am hoping to have the site up and running in a week's time. I will be sure to let you know when that happens.

Mr. Pono the dog and I have been taking our walks early in the morning, before it gets too hot. I have never been much of a morning person, but it is beautiful at that time of day. Most of the flowers have dried up, but the cat's claw is blooming. These bushes have thorns that look like a cat's claw, and I have discovered if one isn't careful, they will draw blood! Ouch. It seems like everything in the desert has a spine or thorn of some kind. Yet, you can see they are not without beauty. The bees are enjoying them, too, because when I walk past the bushes, they hum!

I will leave you with a watercolor I did before I left for Colorado. This is a postcard sized painting, measuring 6 x 4 inches. The Ladybeetle.

Upcoming Road Trip

Tomorrow I am headed out for Colorado once again. This time, I have decided to drive, so that I can take Mr. Pono with me. So I have spent the day loading up the VW Van, packing clothes, food, sleeping bags, etc. I also cleaned up the house a bit. I hate to come home to a mess. I will be visiting my Mom and Dad. Mom is in the hospital again. I am her main advocate in the hospital, so I better get going.

I leave you with another watercolor painting. This one is older, from 2006. I just discovered it in a drawer, and I really like it. It measures ALMOST 8 x 8 inches (more like 7 3/4 x 7 3/4 inches, really.) I am still pondering the title, but it might end up being called "Close Up".

I also want to take a moment and thank all of you for your input on my artist's statement! It really helped to have feedback. I am in the process of polishing it now, and I am keeping all of your suggestions in mind. Thanks!

Oh! I almost forgot. Two of my cactus outside are about to bloom, and one of them looks like a rabbit or some kind of critter. Here's a photo. I had a discussion with this cactus, during which I told it to bloom tomorrow so that I could see it before I leave for Colorado. It promised to try really hard.

The Second day of camping

The remainder of our camping trip to Mammoth was pretty eventful. We did a lot of exploring. I have never really spent much time near the Mammoth area. There is so much to see, and it is beautiful there. We drove up to some of the nearby lakes, and there was still quite a lot of snow. Pono was elated to see the snow. He loves snow and cold weather. He ran right over to the first big patch of snow he could find, plopped right down and rolled in it, biting and eating it as he rolled.

We explored some old mining cabins, and hiked around near the trail head to some of the higher mountain lakes. There was way too much snow for a hike up to those lakes, but it was a beautiful day, and it was fun to be up in the mountains, feeling the brisk air and smelling those trees.

I had an interesting revelation about my abstract art, on one hike we did. We hiked up to yet another lake for some fly fishing, and on the hike I noticed the slope of the mountain side. Now maybe I am a slow learner or something, but it was the first time I realized that I have been incorporating the landscape in my abstract paintings for a long time. I just hadn't realized it, because my horizon line is always at an angle, just like the slope of that mountainside. I guess I just had to get out of the mountains, live somewhere else, and then go back before I noticed this! Perspective is everything. Since I have spent most of my life in the mountains, I am sure my horizon always had a slope to it. It amazes me how the subconscious mind works.

We had intended to stay away three nights, but on Wednesday the weather became windy and much colder, so we began the long ride home. It was still a wonderful trip, and I am glad we got to do it. We are hoping for more camping excursions this summer.

I did some watercolor sketches of the figure at the life drawing session on Thursday night. I haven't worked from the figure with watercolor in a while, so it was a nice change. I will be listing more of them in my etsy shop over this weekend, so take a peek if you are interested! This is my favorite one, called "Perched". It measures 12 x 9 inches.

Another camping trip

It has been hot in the desert these past couple of days. This is only a sample of the summer to come. To save the dog (and ourselves)from this heat, we are departing for another camping trip this morning. We are driving the VW van up to higher elevations, where the temperatures will drop accordingly. This will probably be the last trip for a while, since Matthias goes back to work Friday. We return Thursday, so I decided I should leave you with one more watercolor painting. This is another postcard sized painting, measuring 4 x 6 inches, on cold press paper. Even with scanners and fancy image editing software, I must say, these never look as good as they do in person. I guess computers do have shortcomings!

I will post photos of the trip when we return. Until then, my darling readers.

More Desert Tortoise photos

I have been excited about the prospect of seeing the desert tortoise after our first encounter a week or so ago. On Friday, Matthias, Marti, Mr. Pono and I went to the same area as our first encounter for the morning run/walk. I had my trusty camera with me, of course. Fortunately, my desires to see one were realized. In fact, we saw two! The first one was alongside the road, and pretty much had retreated into its shell. The second one was not as shy, and with my trusty tiny zoom lens I did get a couple of photos.

To answer some questions about this creature, the desert tortoise is an herbivore. It gets most of its water from the plants and cactus that it eats. An adult tortoise can live for a year without water. (Impressive!) It survives the desert heat by digging burrows. It hibernates for 95% of its life. The burrows also protect this critter from the cold in the winter. It is a relative of the turtle, who lives in water. The tortoise is a land dweller, which is obvious when you look at its legs and feet. If you would like to read more about the tortoise, click here. I am quite infatuated with them.

As promised, I am posting two of the tiny new watercolor abstracts. These are postcard size (6 x 4 inches) and were painted on cold pressed, 140 lb. watercolor paper. (For those of you who aren't familiar with watercolor paper, cold pressed paper tends to have a bit more texture than hot pressed paper. 140 lb. paper is pretty heavy paper, heavier than most card stock. There are more of these coming. I am having trouble with a title on this first one. For now, I am calling it "Sienna and Blue." Not a particularly compelling title, is it? The second one is called "On the Edge." Since these are so tiny, I am considering using them as studies for larger paintings in oil. The first one is my favorite of the two, but I think they both have potential.

Switching to watercolor

A Fun Photo of Pono in the driver's seat of the Vanogan! He loves the "Gordita"! Oh, and I will post some photos of the VW interior soon, for Priya.

We have been working on landscaping the front courtyard for the past week. We bought gravel and flagstone, and we are trying to make it look pretty. Don't worry, you will have before and after shots. Just not today, because I am too tired to get them off my camera and post them. Flagstone is heavy. Oh, and also I think part of my problem is that I started running again yesterday, after a hiatus due to Denver trips and a hurt foot. So that is also contributing to my fatigue. Why am I telling you all of this? Because I felt that it was important I posted a bit more frequently on my blog, and this is what is on my mind right now.

Rather than more of this whining, I will post a photo of a new watercolor I completed last week. I did several, but I believe this is my favorite one. I find it interesting how I always return to watercolor at some point. I started with watercolor (the first painting I ever did was watercolor), so maybe it just feels like home.
More soon.

What's in a name: more flowers

Another day. I have discovered from my friend Marti that the common names of flowers are not particularly accurate when identifying plants. She would know, having a degree in botany. So the plant that I was calling the "Bladder Sage" is also known as the "Paper Bag" plant. I don't know the Latin name, and even if you told me, it is unlikely I would remember. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet..." I think I agree with Shakespeare in this regard! I still love the plant, regardless of the name. So I will continue with my fumbling efforts of describing these desert plants. As long as you realize I am no expert, only an admirer.

Speaking of names, I have these photos of some yellow flowers, and I can't find them in the flower book I have. So I have been procrastinating sharing them with you. Since I can't seem to identify them, you will have to enjoy them as "unidentified yellow flowers". The clumps these flowers are sitting on can be quite large, but so far, the purple "bladder sage, paper bag plant, balloon sage" is still the biggest one I have encountered in terms of large, shrubby flowers. At least the ones near our house. Ahh, dear flowers. How I adore thee. The Balloon flowers also smell sweet. Another reason to be so infatuated.

Here is another weak attempt at the jackrabbit drawings. This is the shot I most often see, so I have at least 6 sketches from this particular angle. It's called "Parting Shot." I think I may need to darken it just a bit. These watercolors are postcard sized, about 6 x 4" or so. Just FYI.

More Desert Flowers

I just can't get enough of flowers. I have been especially infatuated with the bladder sage. Since I don't care much for the name, I have decided to rename them for my own use. I think "balloon sage" is a much nicer name. Whatever you call it, it is an intriguing plant! The "balloons" are full of air, which I discovered yesterday when I squeezed one between my fingers. I know, I know, curiosity killed the cat. Since I am not a cat I have decided to take my chances. How ELSE are you supposed to figure these things out?

I also took a couple photos of the desert mallow (sphaeralcea ambigua). This is one of the most drought tolerant species of the globe mallow family. It was a bit windy outside, so forgive the slight blurriness. These plants can be quite large, and they really light up the landscape with those orange flowers. I have a thing for the color orange lately, anyway.


I finally decided I needed to do a little art. I have a tiny sketch book, in which I have been doing these dime-sized sketches of the jackrabbits that occasionally visit. If any of you have ever drawn from a live human model, you will know that one minute or 30 second poses are REALLY QUICK. Well, if you want a true challenge, try drawing from an animal. You are lucky to get a 5 second pose. Many of these sketches are so fast, and simple. I thought I could do little watercolor drawings from these sketches. That's what I worked on yesterday. As it turns out, I am not so sure I am getting enough information to do watercolors of them. You can see for yourself. It is really pretty "cute" for me. No, I do not have visions of being like Beatrix Potter. Not by any means. (If you haven't seen the movie based on Beatrix Potter's life, starring Renee Zellweger, you should.) I just wanted to do some art. I do love the big ears on those jackrabbits.

New Watercolor Paintings

Finally, I have managed to take some brushes out, splash them in water, and dip them into paint. It feels good. Watercolor is what I typically turn to, when life feels too hectic for anything else. Watercolor is the first kind of painting I ever did, so it's also a homecoming. I have been working on these paintings that are based on the textures and rhythms of grass. Of course, being my work, it is highly abstracted.

I have sold a number of these on my etsy site, so I thought it would be nice to explore the idea further, and try some variations. I am using these wonderful calligraphy brushes from China. I have done some calligraphy, in the past, but I would not consider myself a "calligrapher" by any stretch of the imagination. I just really love painting with these brushes. They hold a lot of water, plus you can make a good variation of strokes, from broad washes to delicate lines. Just like in the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", when she says lettering is so similar to swordplay. It feels like that, slashing away with this delicate brush across the paper. FUN!!!

I can tell I am tired, because I am having so much trouble typing! So I will wait to post more of the new paintings tomorrow. G'nite.

Talent is overrated

Recently I have been thinking about something I used to hear in my gallery often. People would come in, look at the art and say "you are so lucky to have talent! I wish I had talent." I would generally smile, and thank them, or say that I was happy to be an artist. Sometimes, though, I would tell them what I really think is true. Talent really is not that important. Or more accurately, talent alone means nothing. There are plenty of artists out there with more raw talent than I have, who never do art. What matters more than talent is desire. The drive to continue to practice your skills - whatever they may be - and to never give up on the dream. That desire is what has gotten me to the place where I am in my art, and I know it will take me all the way to fulfillment of my goals as an artist.

So from one stubborn persistent dreamer to any others of you out there - don't give up!

I am working on a couple of pieces for an upcoming show at cultureclash gallery, in Salida, Colorado. It's called The Gleaners, and it is reclaimed, found and re-organized art. Hopefully, some good progress will be made today, so I will have something to post soon.

I leave you with a watercolor of a white seashell that I painting when we lived in Hawaii - about 5 years ago!

"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." -Stephen King