090523EDiM

090523EDiM
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

Lesson 3 from Watercolor Fast and Loose. I honestly didn't realize that the ref photo from the last 2 door paintings was SO similar to this lesson. I had glanced briefly through the lesson and set it aside, the image must have been in my subconscious! I have to say that I am most definitely getting faster from taking this course. Sometimes I do feel like I'm getting looser, other times I seem to want to nit and tweak here and there. This is done in my 6 x 9 Lama Li pad and I used WN paints. The techniques for this lesson were wax resist, digging in, scraping, spatter and rigger. None were new to me, but I sure don't use several on a regular basis so it was fun to apply them here.

090520EDiM

090520EDiM
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

Ever since the end of March I've been tuning in throughout the day to see the live eagle cam in Norfolk, WV -- this has just been such an awesome live video cast!! This morning, the biologists removed the female from the nest to fit her with a satellite transmitter. The public will be able to track where she goes once she leaves the nest, in about 2 weeks. It was fascinating to see how they got her out of the nest and back into it--and such CARE was taken during the whole procedure. She was so cooperative, she even fell asleep during the ordeal and they had to wake her to get her picture taken by the media. The other two eaglets were calm throughout and the mom and dad eagles circled high in the air, but didn't appear to be alarmed. The live eagle cam is here
www.wvec.com/cams/eagle.html
and the wildlife tracking site for her is here
www.wildlifetracking.org/index.shtml?tag_id=83736
Her name is Azalea and I look forward to seeing where she goes! I did this sketch QUICKLY while viewing the video and colored it in with Derwent Watersoluble Tinted Charcoal. It is in my Raffine Art Sketchbook.

090516EDiM

090516EDiM
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

Lesson 2 in Watercolor Fast and Loose -- a study of Edward Seago's work. I like this "minimalist" lesson and hope to do a few more. I used WN paints in Raffine Art Sketch book. This reminded me a bit of John Pike's work -- probably because of the palette used. Just three colors here, FrUM, Burnt Sienna, and Burnt Umber.

090510EDiM

090510EDiM
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

Well, it IS harder to do the technique from class on a composition all my own! I really like this photo of Burano, Italy, that I got from www.googlemaps.com "street view." I would like to try this one again. . . I need more blocked out white areas and I need to plan for my colors better so I can drop them in for interesting blending. This was supposed to be "Watercolor, Fast and Loose" -- is was defniitely NOT fast (I really overworked in some areas) and it's that same ol' loose that looks kindergarten! My next lesson comes tomorrow -- I hope I can get at least one more of these done today! It is in Lama Li 6 x 9 book and I used DS paints.

090509EDiM

090509EDiM
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

My first lesson in the course, "Watercolor, Fast and Loose," is also doubling as the Every Day in May entry for Saturday. Done on 6 x 9 Lama Li with Van Gogh travel palette. Ooops, I forgot to erase my gridlines. Not a complicated drawing, but I needed the grid lines. This was pretty simple because I was following along step-by-step. I need to try my own reference to see if I can REALLY do this technique!
Over the weekend I fell behind in the EDiM challenges. I think this is going to be a continuing problem for me. I guess Mondays and Tuesdays are going to be my "catch up" days.

090508EDiM

090508EDiM
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

For the Every Day in May challenge I've been trying to do art that had something to do with my day. Absolutely nothing was coming to me until the evening. My grandson noticed the moths on the patio and he was afraid of them. My son caught one and let it sit on his hand to show his son that they were nothing to be afraid of. This was a quick sketch that I redid in my Raffine with water soluble graphite pencils. I used the Nero extra soft and the 4B. Watercolor can be added to works done with these pencils, but is best done after the graphite has been wetted and dried thoroughly.

090506EDiM

090506EDiM
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

I was going to sketch and paint the loaf of Artisan Bread I baked today, but when I saw my Christmas cactus with a BLOOM, I knew it would be my EDiM post. This poor plant is so neglected, and yet it just thrives. Sometimes I don't water it until it's bone dry and the leaves are wilted. It is in the formal living area of my house and I don't go in there often, so "out of sight, out of mind." The only houseplants that do well for me are the ones that seem to like to be left alone. This past Christmas it displayed the most profuse bloom ever. Of course, it's almost time to repot it and that's why it bloomed so well!
It's in my Raffine ArtSketch book and I used the Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Crayons. I'm kind of liking the watersoluble crayons in this sketchbook, don't like them AT ALL in the Moley Sketchbook!

090505EDiM

090505EDiM
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

Today I ran multiple errands, did some laundry and wrapped, boxed and shipped my mom's Mother's Day gift. I LOVE my handbag hanger, it's SO nice to hang my handbag on a pretty hanger instead of sitting it on the floor in a restaurant! Whoever invented these was a genius. A couple of weeks ago when I was in LV visiting my daughter and her family, I found a very nice selection of these hangers at a very reasonable price. . . so I bought a whole bunch of them to have on hand for gifts. I've gotten my mom and both sisters onto the Bath and Body Works Lavender Chamomile nighttime products, in particular the hand lotion and pillow spray -- sent Mom some of those, too! This is done in my Raffine ArtSketch book, drawn with micron pen and colored with Caran d-Ache Neocolor II watersoluble crayons.

090504EDiM

090504EDiM
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

For the Every Day in May challenge I'm sketching/painting something each day that pertains to something I've done that day. Monday is usually my "rest" day, but I decided to do a little travel instead! So . . .
I went to Paris, France . . . via www.googlemaps.com "street view" -- how FUN! I printed out the street with this little restaurant on it. You can see it too, just go to the map site and type in the address. I found out about this fairly new feature on google maps from virtualpaintout.blogspot.com/
Painted with WN travel palette and Niji waterbrush in Raffine ArtSketch book.

090501EDim

090501EDim
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

I've been away from art much too long! I decided to do the Every Day in May challenge. What better way to get back into art than journal work! This is the first sketch/wash I've ever done of a young child. I'm not even good at drawing adults, and children are even more of a challenge. My goal for this month-long challenge to to improve my drawing skills and to loosen up my watercolor washes. This was drawn with a ball point ink pen and the wash is WN travel palette and Niji waterbrush.
I'm really hoping I can keep up with this challenge all month! I had decided that I need to get back to basics with my art and then the Every Day in May challenge came up. What a terrific incentive.

Tulips

Tulips
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

On WetCanvas there was a class showing how to paint tulips with just one stroke. I did the painting for the class but wasn't happy with my color choices. I wanted to try the "one stroke" technique again. This was interesting because the flower on the left didn't turn out very well and I went back over it with a couple of layers of glaze. . . I can really see the difference between it and the other two! I used DS paints, Quin Red and Quin Coral for the petals -- love these colors together.

SF PAINTED LADY - INK AND WATERCOLOR POUR

The photo ref for this is from Different Strokes from Different Folks This is the very first watercolor pour I've ever done and there's PLENTY I'll do differently the next time around! I don't usually do architectural drawings or paintings and so the drawing was a stretch for me. After drawing with pencil I then went over my lines with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen and then did the pours. After the pours were dry, I touched up places here and there. I would like to try to do this again. Since the drawing was much more detailed than I'm used to, I copied it so I can transfer onto another sheet of watercolor paper.

NEGATIVE PAINTING ON YUPO

This is the second negative painting I did for a WetCanvas class. I just HAD to give it a try on Yupo :) This is a very fun project. . . you just drip some big drops of color onto the paper and then do a yellow wash around the drips, let dry and then put a couple of more layers on using a green mix. You are supposed to do some negative painting of leaves on the last layer but I couldn't get it to work with the Yupo. So I decided to let Yupo DO what Yupo DOES best. . . I spritzed some water onto the dry painting and just let those "Yupo runs" do what they wanted. I have a pad of Translucent Yupo that I don't care for and used a sheet of it for this experiment. Glad I did, because it worked out pretty well and now I have a fun technique to use that pad up!

KATHLEEN'S POND

Kathleen York took a marvelous photo that I really wanted to paint. Thanks, Kathleen!! You can see the photo here www.flickr.com/photos/kayork/3227076837/This was done on Lama Li paper using AJ paints. A limited palette was used. . . yellow ochre, indigo, burnt umber and a teeny smidgeon of poppy (which is a dark cad red)

Teri's Rose

Teri's Rose
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

Reference photo is from www.flickr.com/photos/teridc/3195909898/ Painted on Lama Li paper using DS paints. I used a white Crayola crayon for the resist. This was really a fun project.

January Virtual Sketch Date
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

Done on Lama Li with American Journey watercolor paints and a little bit of white acrylic paint. The reference photo along with the "rules" for the challenge can be seen here
Virtual Sketch Date.
This was much more challenging than it looked! It was difficult to get the white pith covering the clementine and also on the inside of the peel.

Pt Lobos on Yupo

Pt Lobos on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

This has been a weeklong project. . . a little bit here, a little bit there, remove a little here, remove a little there ha ha. I'm not satisfied with it, but ready to move on to something else, so here it is. Still struggling with what I want to be "my" style with Yupo. This is 9 x 12 and I used AJ paints. I just rec'd an order of 7 more tubes of AJ, so I should be pretty set with my AJ palette . . . for now. LOL!

I reviewed my Art Goal list for 2008 and find that I'm pretty much repeating it for 2009. I've added some specificity to it with the hopes that I'll achieve more this year!

Here's my art list for 2009:
1 - Plein Air work - at least once per month
2 - Do art daily - can be sketch in a journal or painting
3 - Work and study art books and DVDs
4 - Take workshops and/or classes - either online or "live"
5 - Finish my food blog so I can have the cookbook printed at the end of the year - must do at least one post per week.

One idea I got from Ann in the EDM online group was to mark off the art goals on a calendar. She prints her calendar from this site. I decided to use this printed calendar, which prints onto one page, and will color code my art goals onto each day using the following key:
Yellow = Plein Air work
Red = Journal work
Blue = Painting
Green = Food blog

I can also list the books/DVDs/classes/workshops on the back of the calendar or footnote them on the front.

Christmas Corsage

Christmas Corsage
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

I'm one of the wedding coordinators for our church and we've had three weddings this December. This is my interpretation of a corsage from one of those weddings. Decorations of pine boughs, pine cones and green and mocha colored ribbons were stunning. I brushed some gesso onto a sheet in my Lama Li sketchbook in a zigzag pattern before sketching and painting. The gessoed areas took the paint much differently than the bare paper. A fun technique I learned from KreativeKay at WetCanvas www.kaysmithbrushworks.us/

Nov VSD on Dumpr

Nov VSD on Dumpr
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

There's a fun little "toy" through flickr called dumpr.net
I couldn't resist and just had to see what the VSD image did when it got "dumpred" -- I thought it turned out interesting and I rather like it!

Nov VSD on Yupo

Nov VSD on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

The November Virtual Sketch Date reference photo is just beautiful, but I found it quite a challenge for painting on my beloved Yupo. I got the composition all wrong, the horizon line is dab smack in the middle and I didn't even realize it until I was finished-UGH! Using the Kevin Davidson style of laying in the background wash on an easel and letting it run (really, it's like a pour) means than you can't redo the backgroundg once it's down and dry. So while I could've washed away the horizon, I wouldn't have been able to fix the sky. So . . . it's DONE. This is more in keeping with Kevin's style and I'm convinced that this is not the style for me. As much as I love Yupo, I'm finding working on it to be more work than fun and am thinking of taking a little break from it.

Ornament on Tyvek

Ornament on Tyvek
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

I've got a few ref photos that I'm painting for my Christmas cards this year. This is the first one, done on tyvek with DS paints. I painted the background and then rubbed it in with a tissue so the wonderful texture of tyvek could shine through. After I paint all the Christmas scenes, I'll print them out onto cardstock and am thinking of touching them up with iridescent paint.

Pumpkin LineUp On Yupo

Pumpkin LineUp On Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

9 x 12 Translucent Yupo using AJ paints. I've used the translucent Yupo just once before and didn't care for it. I thought I'd give it another try. . . I still don't care for it, LOL! This is a bit more like Kevin Davidson's style. I still want to work some more pieces using his style before I start incorporating other styles into it to make it my "own." I taped the Yupo sheet to a foamboard and placed it on an easel. I then laid down a wash with yellow and green and let it dry completely. I worked the rest of the painting on top of the underlayer. Kevin wipes off the areas for his subjects, but with the light value of wash, I just painted the entire painting on top of the underlayer and it seemed to work fine.

Autumn Woods on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

I REALLY tried to do this Yupo using Kevin Davidson's technique. . . just couldn't "get it!" I attended Kevin's workshop at the Pasadena Art Expo and absolutely LOVE his work on Yupo, and will continue to experiment with his methods. Kevin works on an easel and he doesn't layer like George James or Taylor Ikin do. Kevin lays in the background as a wash - which really runs right down the slick surface of the Yupo. After that dries, he washes off the areas where the subjects/objects are to be painted and paints them in. One area at a time is painted and allowed to dry before the next area is painted. After three attempts, I finally gave in and incorporated a little bit of George James (the sponge roller technique) and am somewhat happy with this. I did keep the "drippy" background and did clear off the area where the lighter yellow and gold trees are, but found that I couldn't get the leaves to look right without a roll from the sponge. The stream on this doesn't read right, but I'm finished with working on it. One of the really cool attributes of Yupo is it can be washed off -- which I did NUMEROUS times and in various areas - LOL!

Pumpkins and Tree Trunk on Yupo

Pumpkins and Tree Trunk on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

It's that time of year again! I love Autumn -- the season of harvest. I love the color changes and the cooler (but not cold) temps. I haven't posted in a long time. . . just not been able to paint anything post worthy. It's been a long slump, but I feel like I'm coming out of it. There's several things about this little scene I'd do differently, but at least I felt some creative juices flowing while I worked on it. And I do so LOVE Yupo and all the little surprises that just "happen

Wordle
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

This was fun! I popped in on some blogs I haven't visited in a while and read on Felicity's blog about "wordle." You type in the url of your blog and Wordle takes the most used words from the recent posts (I don't know what their actual definition of "recent" is) and then they put the words together. You can't save the finished product, but you can print it, scan it and then post it as I've done here. If you look back on my recent posts, you'll see how they've come up with my custom wordle!
I've been in the midst of an artistic slump. I've been painting, but nothing is working, nothing is postworthy!! I've gone back to the basics. . . thumbnails sketches, preliminary sketch/wash, and still I'm failing. I've tried looking at art blogs, looking through some of my art books, using different mediums and still. . . nada! I absolutely adore Yupo and am so frustrated that I don't seem to be able to paint on it anymore. I did this wordle and somehow it's inspired me to keep on keeping on, I've got to just hope that this slump will not only end, but that I'll grow in my skill through this process.

Joshua Tree on Yupo

Joshua Tree on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

American Journey Paints on 9 x 12 Yupo. Love my new AJ paints, very creamy. I have a limited palette, so did a whole lot of mixing for this. The scan didn't turn out too well, the sky is Arctic Blue (which is Cerulean). I'm really not fond of Joshua Trees, but a friend of mine wants me to paint one for her and I'm practicing!!

Fruit WS Pastels

Fruit WS Pastels
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

Change of pace! This is just a little exercise I did for the Watermedia Forum on WetCanvas. It's in my Raffine Sketchbook and done with Stabilo Carbothello watersoluble pastel pencils. I wanted to see how these pencils would work if I blended and burnished with a tortillon before I applied water. Worked great! The basket is wonky (as it was in the ref photo) and the red apple looks like it's ready to topple out (NOT as in the ref photo) ha ha. A fun change, but I've gotta get back to my Yupo - LOL!!

Beach Hammock 2 - on Yupo

Beach Hammock 2 - on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

If you look closely, you can see the leaves from the acrylic painting on the backside of this sheet of translucent Yupo. This wasn't as different and interesting as I thought it'd be. Possibly a different scene with maybe just distant background painted on the backside with acrylics and no watercolor on top of it on the frontside. I'll try again. Also, the translucent Yupo is 104 lb and yet it is flimsier than the 74 lb regular Yupo--doesn't make sense to me.

Beach Hammock 1

Beach Hammock 1
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

This is the first step for my first Translucent Yupo piece. I painted these trees on one side of the Yupo with fluid acrylics. Then I let it dry and turned the sheet over and proceeded with the watercolor.

Beach on Yupo

Beach on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

DS paints on 9 x 12 Yupo. I found this ref photo on WetCanvas and thought it was a simple scene to try the lighter approach on. I ended up using George James' paint roller technique , but did stick with Kevin Davidson's lighter layers technique. I still can't quite get the smooth coverage Davidson gets! I'm not ready to give up, will try, try again! I'm pretty sure he must use a thicker water/paint mix -- maybe the consistency of cream. I'll try that on the next go around.

Blooming Desert on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

DS Paints on Yupo 9 x 12. I saw some of Kevin Davidson's work on Friday at the Laguna Beach Art-A-Fair and absolutely LOVED what he is doing on this support! I started this piece out trying to emulate his lovely handling of watercolor on Yupo and failed. I reverted back to mixing a little bit of George James' and Taylor Ikin's techniques. I'm not giving up -- but absolutely couldn't get his clean strokes and oh-so-light layering on this piece. I think I need to use a very simple composition --which believe it or not, I thought I was doing with this desert scene. . . but it grew and grew and grew. LOL! The photo ref just had some sage and distant junipers. . . I decided it was going to BLOOM.

Desert on Yupo

Desert on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

DS paints on Yupo and this time I tried something new! I used YES! paste and tissue paper on the Yupo to get a "collage" type texture for the foremost bush and also the one in the back left. I let this dry and then proceeded with applying the layers of paint. I used the George James technique of smoothing with a sponge roller not just on the first layer, but also on subsequent layers and especially for the ground. I thought it really gave me a good "dirt and sand" look. I used Taylor Ikin's technique for the sky and also for the large bush on the right and back. I tried something new with the prickly pear cactus and just did regular brush stroke painting, very carefully so as not to disturb the underlayers, and then I speckled it with a stippling method. This works only if you make ONE stroke. In the George James DVD, he tells that it is not the water or the paint that causes the underlayers to lift, it is friction on top of the new wet layer which can be caused in several ways, one of which is the brush. All in all, this was a fun project and I just keep striving for more Yupo knowledge!!

Waterwheel on Yupo

Waterwheel on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

DS paints. Photo ref from WetCanvas. I continue to experiment with painting on Yupo. I tried one of George James techniques on this one, I'm still trying to figure out how I want to meld some of Taylor Ikin's and George James' techniques into my own style. The technique from James that I used is spraying with a mist of water, laying a tissue over the area and then rolling over the tissue with a small sponge house painting roller. This removes the pigment and creates a white splatter effect. It's all just part of the journey!

Abstract Cactus on Yupo

Abstract Cactus on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

I just wanted to have fun with Yupo -- I know absolutely NOTHING about abstract painting, but I'm going to call it that. LOL! I sectioned off nine uneven squares and painted them with the same colors and really just let the paint do what it does best on Yupo -- whatever it wants! After all the squares dried, I did some cactus plants. . . it's DIFFERENT, that's for sure!! And I did have fun watching it flow and form interesting shapes.

Fountain Revised - on Yupo

Fountain Revised - on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

The more I looked at the first fountain, the more I disliked it. So I decided to wipe off all the foreground and much of the middle ground and redo it. After all, wiping off COMPLETELY is one of the advantages of Yupo! I wanted to save the fountain, so was very careful about wiping around it with water-wet brushes and Qtips.

Fountain on Yupo

Fountain on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

DS paints on Yupo. I've worked and worked this one and feel I just have to quit because I'm getting too fussy. I laid out the first layer and then wiped out the area for the fountain. Because I thought the fountain was going to be the most difficult, I painted it first and was quite happy with the patina I got using the UM Turqouise mixed with a tad of Manganese Blue Hue and then touches of Quin Gold -- really shooting for the look of copper that has verdi patina from age. After it dried, I dripped some water on with an eye dropper and then blotted with a tissue. Then I wiped up and defined my "drips" using a very small scrub brush. I used very diluted Indianthrone Blue on the "drips" and the water in the fountain. Next I tackled the trees and the fg grasses. The tree branches were laid in on the very first layer and the one on the left dried just perfectly! I didn't do anything more to it and the way the paint dried determined where my sunlight was going to be coming from. I struggled with shadows and shade -- this seems to ALWAYS be my struggle!!

Canadian Lake on Yupo

Canadian Lake on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

I used several new DS paints on this. Their newest triad, Sand and Surf, provided the Indianthrone Blue that is the distant mountains, the Ultramarine Turquoise which is used on the lake and Goethite, which is the brown areas in the foreground. I also had bought Shadow Violet, which I used with the Indianthrone on the mountains and for the tree shadows. The lake also has a bit of manganese blue hue and ultramarine. The foreground has buff titanium (the lighter areas). The photo ref for this is from WetCanvas and is, in fact, a July challenge.
I really had a difficult time with the sky on this! I wiped it completely off and tried again. I'm still not thrilled with it. . . I think I REALLY need lessons on clouds!! And then I found myself getting too fussy with the trees and made myself STOP.

Stone Bridge on Yupo

Stone Bridge on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

This is the same photo ref I used a couple of months ago for a "traditional" watercolor. I just had to give it a go with the Yupo and DS paints. I'm trying to combine some techniques. . . and here are my goals. I want to create texture with both the natural flow of watercolor on Yupo as well as some stippling and other brush strokes. I want the vegetation to be "fluffy" and the water to be "flowing." I'm having so much fun trying to "go with the flow on Yupo" and also reining it in with brushstrokes and more pigment in certain places. It sure has been a fun challenge thus far and I'm constantly thinking of things I want to try "next time!"

Country Shack on Yupo

Country Shack on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

This photo ref was one I used recently for a painting on regular watercolor paper. I'm trying to get some detail on the layered Yupo and find that if the layers are thoroughly dry AND if there is the correct ratio of water to pigment (it's about the consistency of thick cream) then fine lines can be laid down without lifting the under layers. The roof on this was too thick and I couldn't get it to develop into interesting texture by spraying it with water. After accidentally lifting too much pigment off and having to re-layer, I dabbed it very lightly with a waded piece of tissue. At first I didn't like the effect, but now that it is finished I think it made it look aged and I DO like it. Here again, I'm using the DS watercolors and the shack is primarily painted with the new Goethite that is part of the Sand and Surf Triad.

Hydrangeas on Yupo

Hydrangeas on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

If I didn't have a title, no one would be able to figure out that I was trying to paint hydrangeas! This was much harder to pull off than I thought it'd be. I am still having fun with Yupo and have some ideas for something a bit different. . . we'll see how it goes. One thing about this support, if you don't like it, just put it in the sink and wash it off - ha ha.

Hummingbird and Wild Flowers on Yupo

Hummingbird and Wild Flowers on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

DS paints on Yupo. I masked the area for the bird, then I sprayed the sheet with water. I applied the gray background, smashing of pigment onto the Yupo as I've done the previous works. Then I used the side of the flat brush and painted in the leaves. Just before it was dry, I used the same brush and wiped out some lines in a few of the leaves. I let the piece dry completely before painting the flowers. Then I finely misted the flowers (using my hand as a shield to keep from getting water on the leaves. I pulled the mask off, which was hard to do on this because you can't really rub the painted area too hard. Truly, it would have been easier to just use a brush and clear water and wipe out the area for the bird. Then I painted the bird.

CA Wildflowers on Yupo

CA Wildflowers on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

I wanted to see if I could do something besides a dark forest scene! The ref photo for this was one taken near the little town of Gorman. During "good" wildflower years, the mountains there look like someone flew over in an airplane and poured gallons and gallons of colored paint all over the mountains and valleys -- it's just beautiful! Someone asked how long it takes for my layers to dry on Yupo and I'm afraid I can't answer that. The first layer is the wettest because I've sprayed the Yupo pretty heavily with water and then add pigments. The successive layers are heavy pigment and then a fine spray of water (from an empty hair spray bottle) and I work under a light so I make sure I'm not spraying too much water. Sometimes I don't spray enough and after that first spray has dried, I'll spritz it again. I live in a very dry climate so my Yupo paintings probably dry faster than the norm. I do a layer and then go do housework, laundry, run errands (really whatever it is I need to do). It usually takes me about 6 hrs to complete one painting -- but the ACTUAL painting time is only about 1 hr.

Stream in the Forest on Yupo

Stream in the Forest on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

I think I'm getting a handle on this technique. . . my paintings are looking at least a little similar to the photo refs. I'm still using DS paints. I truly love working on Yupo, it's so unpredictable and spontaneous.

Forest Bridge on Yupo

Forest Bridge on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

Another expressionistic piece on Yupo using DS paints. This one is actually pretty close to the ref photo, which I found on WetCanvas. It has multiple layers and multiple water sprays -- I honestly lost count, but there are at least 6 layers in some places. I'm continuing to have a blast with this technique on Yupo.

Lagoon on Yupo

Lagoon on Yupo
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

This is the first Yupo I've done lately that actually is similar to the photo ref! Also, this is more impressionistic than yesterday's (which most defnitely was expressionistic with a touch of abstract) LOL! I'm still having a blast working on Yupo and still using DS paints.

TREES AT CANYON EDGE




I can't believe how much fun I'm having with Yupo and watercolor!! This one started out to be Joshua Trees in the desert - LOL! Yupo really dictates what it wants to be -- so, trees at the edge of a canyon drop is what we have here! I really loved how the paint for the tree bark reacted. I keep forgetting to tell the sequence of painting these. . . choose the subject or photo ref first (I don't know why, because it doesn't turn out to be that anyway), choose your palette and squirt some paint in the pans (keep it moist -I'm covereing my palette with Press and Seal plastic wrap), spray the Yupo with a bit of water (enough so there are visible drops all over, but not running), using a large flat brush apply the pigments to the Yupo (do NOT add water to the pigments in the palette pans), squish and stroke the paint all over the Yupo putting your colors in the basic area that the photo ref shows you. Let dry. After it dries, see what it wants to be and then proceed by lifting paint and/or adding paint. Squirt with water - just a little fine mist. Let dry in between each layer and add a few little details if you want and call it done!

Yupo Iris

Yupo Iris
Originally uploaded by BYarborough

My second attempt using Taylor Ikin's technique. This started out to be a cherry blossom -- can you believe that? But as it flowed and dried, the Yupo and paint decided it wanted to be an iris. So. . . being the dutiful artist, I let it! My subsequent layering tried to mold this into an impressionistic iris. I have to say, I'm having a BLAST working with this stuff and trying out this technique. I think I spray it with water more than Taylor does, but hey, we've gotta add our own signature, right? Btw, I'm using DS paints on these Yupo paintings.

Dark Woods Stream on Yupo

Woa! Impressionistic, Dark, Bold!! This is something VERY different for me!! I LOVE working on Yupo and I think it's because it forces me to be loose. I love how the paint chooses where it's going to flow and you either follow the paint or suffer frustration. I viewed a fantastic video last night called "Dancing with Yupo" by a wonderful artist, Taylor Ikin. Taylor teaches how to lay down heavy paint and then add brush strokes and water and really just let it do it's own thing. You can coax a little here and there and model the paint here and there, but ultimately the paint is going to decide what the painting turns out to be. This was fun and certainly not even close to what I would hope it would be, but I'm satisfied with it as my first attempt at this style. Take a look at Taylor's work here http://www.taylorikin.com/index.htm I think you will be blown away!

Misty Mountain Road

Wow - this was TOUGH! I'm afraid I picked a difficult ref photo over at WetCanvas, but I just loved the scene and couldn't pass up the challenge. I haven't painted in a while, because I've been taking art journaling classes and been busy keeping up with lessons, and so I'm quite rusty with the brushes! I did a little resarch through my personal art library on painting fog or mist. Many tips and techniques are written about this effect, and many have one area of agreement. . . paint wet-in-wet. Also, it seems that most agree that lifting with a tissue will give a fog effect. That good old master, Edgar Whitney, suggested using an atomizer to mist with water and then I read that Susan Bourdet likes to use white goauche. So, I decided to try all the above - LOL - and since I really love using my little atomizer and hardly ever do, it was a natural little toy to resurrect. I used white goauche with just a smidgeon of payne's grey in my atomizer and just misted the heck out of this. What fun -- I just LOVE old-fashioned tools of the trade. For those of you who may not be familiar with this little goody (that gives an airbrush effect), you can see it here http://www.dickblick.com/zz034/00/ There is a trick to working this effectively, the tube that runs vertically will move -- it fits in it's sleeve stiff, so it takes a little bit of pushing. You have to push it up so that it touches the tube that runs horizontally (which is the one you blow through). It needs to be up above the edge of the horizontal one, actually almost to the top edge of the horizontal one. And that's the secret, you just blow through the mouthpiece and a super fine mist comes out. Be sure to use a piece of paper to shield areas you don't want sprayed, though. A little "helper" that I figured out the last time I used this is one of those plastic vials that cut flowers sometimes come in. I fill the vial with my medium and then put the atomizer tube in it and it's quite easy to hold them together with one hand, freeing up my other hand to hold the paper shield. Fun! And it truly DID make a huge difference in this painting -- the wet-in-wet and lifting with a tissue didn't work that great for me. Possibly because it's so blasted hot and I live in the dry desert and I couldn't keep my paper wet!

Descanso Garden Wagon
Done on Strathmore watercolor paper (11 x 15) using DS paints. I painted this several weeks ago and posted it on my flickr and COMPLETELY forgot to post it on my blog! The wagon really IS blue and I used DS Sleeping Beauty Turquoise to capture it. It was too large for my scanner, so I took a digital image which turned out a bit fuzzy, definitely the photographer and not the camera! I've not been painting much for a variety of reasons. I took Jessica Wesolek's "Love This Journal" class at the end of March. It is a lesson-a-day for 21 days course designed to get a person in the journaling habit. It is a wonderful class with lots of very creative ideas for the students to either duplicate or expand upon. I liked it so much, I enrolled in the second class which started on May 5 and runs for 6 weeks with 3 lessons per week. If you want to check out Jessica's classes, they are here http://www.dotcalmvillage.net/ and click on "online workshops."
I've also become slightly addicted to doing art on prepaid cards or envelopes. David Mills, who lives in the UK, started a flickr group for this art and you can check it out here http://www.flickr.com/groups/666306@N25/
I went to Las Vegas for a week to visit my daughter and her family at the beginning of May -- lovely visit and plenty of time with my baby granddaughter, who is already 6 months old! She's just beautiful, and so much personality!! My trips to Las Vegas are basically every 6 weeks or so -- it's a short 4 hr drive with three nicely spaced Starbucks pit stops along the way - LOL!