Dec 30

Plants Illustrated
HI all,
   For the second year I’m fortunate enough to have a painting in the annual themed show at the Berkeley Botanical Gardens in January.  It was a lovely show last year, and it’s nice to have an excuse to visit the wonderful gardens, which I otherwise never make the time for.
   It would be wonderful if you are able to visit the exhibit some time next month!
   I’ll be at the opening reception will be on Saturday, January 13th from 4-6 pm, and I’ll be gallery sitting on Tuesday, January 16th from 10am-1pm.
   Happy Holidays!
   Andrea P (a new member of our Arboretum Garden Room Group)
Plants Illustrated

How to Paint a Lively Dog in Watercolour  
   The most important thing before embarking on a dog portrait is to get a sense of the dog’s personality. Usually I like to meet the dog in person but if this is not possible I make sure to see a range of photographs or videos before I begin.
   Dogs tend to be impatient muses so it’s preferable to work from high quality and well-composed photographs.
How to Paint a Lively Dog in Watercolour by Georgie Mason

Art Tutor Blog

Dec 16

How To Decide When A Painting Is Finished   
I want to describe the process and development of this painting as a journey in recognizing when it is completed. It's not always when you think it is !
Art Tudor Blog by Diana Boanas
Gallery Sanchez presents “True Colors”
by Golden Gate Artists
15 local watercolor artists exhibit recent paintings until Jan 07
True Colors

Dec 09

At Goat Hill Pizza






















This may not be watercolor, but Goat Hill Pizza has hosted one of our best shows and plans to do so again, this spring.

 Skin Tones by Nancy Elliot

(Stolen straight from her class notes. Thank you, Nancy)

Light
Rose Madder, Cobalt Blue, Aureolin Yellow, Blue and Red make Purple shadow
Cadmium Red, Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Yellow, Blue and Red make Purple shadow
Alizarin Crimson, Cerulean Blue, Winsor Yellow, Blue and Red make Purple shadow
Winsor Red, Thalo Blue, Winsor Yellow, Blue and Red make Purple shadow
Cadmium Red, Sap Green, Cadmium Yellow, Green and Red make Brown shadow

 Dark
Burnt Sienna, Prussian Blue, Yellow Ochre, Blue and Sienna make Brown shadow
Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine Blue, Gamboge, Blue and Sienna make Grey shadow
Cadmium Red, Prussian Blue, Yellow Ochre, Blue and Red make Purple/Brown shadow
Alizarin Crimson, Prussian Blue, Gamboge, Blue and Red make Purple shadow

 Remember: Complementaries neutralize colors
Tone too yellow, add purple
Tone too red, add green
Tone too blue, add orange
Tone too green, add red
Tone too orange, add blue
Tone too purple, add yellow
Tone too dark, add water, or try other combo

Dec (eek!) 02


Improve Your Composition 
by Peter Woolley
This is actually a DVD Trailer to advertise his full length video, but about 40 seconds in is a great checklist. There are a lot of ideas about how to take a look at your paintings to see if there are any ways to change, renew and/or redo, or just evaluate. 
Composition checklist
Introduce an Artist
Endre Penovác
Born in 1956 in Tornjoš, he works as an independent artist.
He started to display in 1981 in Croatia, Germany, France, Hungary, and Bosnia.
Watercolors
Check out the cats!

Nov 18

Noelle Herrenschmidt
Every once in a while, Darlene sends me a post from a great blog called Paris Breakfast. This post is about a watercolorist that uses her talent to record, visually, the Paris Senate (photographers are not permitted.) 
Meet Aquarelliste-Reporter Noelle Herrenschmidt
If you are interested in more information about Noelle, here is the link to her website. If you clink on the tab 
Dessins d'audience near the top of the page, there are some great examples of her work. (Hope you understand French.)
Quote from Carol Gillott (creator of ParisBreakfast) : "Hi I'm Carol Gillott, Mom taught me watercolors at 5. I'm still at it, now tripping over cobblestones, living in a 6th-floor garret on l'Ile Saint-Louis, Paris. Savor Parisbreakfast with a hot chocolate and croissant. I paint Paris dreams."
Thank you, Darlene

 Obi Kaufmann
The Chronicle’s Sunday section Style had a cover piece about Obi Kaufmann, a watercolorist, who has created an illustrated guide to our state called “The California Field Atlas.” Here’s a quote from the artist about his point of view: “The book works best as a manual of conservation, a handbook to the deep, long-term and ancient ecological mechanisms of the state and its themes are not swayed by the events, terrible or otherwise, that play themselves out year after year across California’s rich and vital topography.”

 Obi was an oil painter, studio artist, and changed to watercolors for this book, which includes paintings, poetry and writings. Available through Amazon.
This is Obi's website. 
Thank you , Mary

Color Emotion Exhibition
Color Emotion • Call for Entries
January 12 to February 23, 2018
Receptions: January 12, 5 - 8 pm + February 9, 5 - 8 pm

 Entries due by Thursday, December 7, 4 pm
Art Works Downtown seeks artwork for an exhibition about the relationship of color to emotion. We are looking for works that primarily use color to evoke, express, or contemplate emotion or the narrative. 
More information on Art Works Downtown

Current Exhibition: Small Works Exhibition
November 17 to December 23, 2017
Reception: December 8, 5 - 8 pm
Thank you, again, Mary

Nov 11

Watercolour Brush Marks
"Discover how to control your watercolour brushes to give you the wide variety of marks that go on to form a pleasing picture... from just a small selection of brushes..."
I have talked about a great video from ArtTutor about how to know your brushes. This video is not as intensive as the one I talked about, but it will give you an idea of how to create an intimate relationship with your brushes.
Watercolour Brush Marks

Nov 04

Flying Colors Art Workshops

"We have been creating travel memories for over 25 years. At Flying Colors, we specialize in organizing and hosting art workshops around the world, including the USA, Europe, Latin America and Asia.  We concentrate on providing workshop participants with the finest instructors and and we work hard to arrange a variety of special travel destinations designed to enhance your experience with us.  As a result, FLYING COLORS enjoys a well established reputation for creative planning, attention to detail and a commitment to our traveller's needs and interests.  We strive to identify workshop locations that feature unique cultural, historical and landscape characteristics. Most importantly, your comfort and safety remain our highest priority as we plan and carry out these diverse workshop experiences.  And we always focus on having fun!"
Upcoming Workshops
Thank you, Carol F.

 From the Blog
How to Substitute Colours That You Don't Have    
Well there you are, intently looking at the latest enthralling video demo and the artist outlines the paints she’s using. “Only four colours today”, she breezes. “Oh great”, you think, “a nice restricted palette. Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine, Burnt Sienna & Yellow Ochre", she continues. ”Oh heck” you groan. “I haven’t got Alizarin Crimson. What can I use instead?"
Workshop

Oct 28

Bambi and Tyrus Wong
A recent conversation reminded me of a wonderful exhibit I saw at the Disney Museum.



How Bambi Got Its Look From 1000-Year-Old Chinese Art
Mr. Wong’s work was stark, detailing just a few figures within a vast landscape, and imbued with a powerful and atmospheric sense of emotion.
How ‘Bambi’ Got Its Look





Tyrus is a multi-award winning feature documentary film about the life, art, and enduring impact of pioneering Chinese American painter and Disney Legend© Tyrus Wong. 
Tyrus
Tyrus Wong's Kites
Artist Tyrus Wong, who died at age 106, was famed as much for his exotic and colorful kites as he was for designing the Walt Disney classic "Bambi." CBS News visited him in March 2016 at Santa Monica Beach, where Wong and his daughter, Kim, sent several of his creations airborne.
Tyrus Wong's Kites

Oct 21

How to Paint a Beach Scene in Watercolour
Note: Rob Dudley has some mega-great adnoids.
Beach Scene

Oct 07

Tuesday's Child Plays with Painting Objects


Watercolor and Vellum
This is a perfect example of an internet "rabbit-hole".  Darlene sent me the original link to the DNA article and I just took off from there. Take a look.




1. This is an article about how artists are rediscovering vellum as a medium for watercolor, because it is an animal product and therefore has DNA coding in it. If an artist keeps a little piece of the vellum, they can prove whether the painting is real or a copy.
Artists turn to vellum to beat the forgers




2. Which led me to a great article about painting watercolor on vellum:
Watercolor on Vellum: a Workshop with Carol Woodin



3. Which is a blog created by:
Elizabeth R. Smith, Natural Science Illustration and Fine Art
Portfolio

And, of course:
4. Carol Woodin
Botanical Artworks


5. I then backtracked a little to "The New Antiquarian", The BLOG of the Antiquarian Bookseller's Association of America
The History Of Vellum And Parchment

 All because Darlene sent me an interesting link, thank you very much.
This is the best way to spend a Saturday morning!

Sep 30

7th Annual Show ~ Cafe Seventy8






Avelina Leanos
Bobbie Kahan
Carmel Adams
Darlene Zane
Heather Solway
Janie Dubuque
Jesse Schlenker
Joanie Helgeson
John D. Webster
Juan Vargas
Mary Ciofalo
 Pam Rabinowitz
Shirley Edwards
We invite you to our 7th Annual Group Show

 Reception: Thursday, Oct 05, 5 - 7 pm

      Cafe Seventy8
     78 29th Street near Mission
     San Francisco

 Show dates: Tuesday, Oct 03 through Monday,  Oct 30

 Group Contact: 415-205-7015, zygote1955@yahoo.com

Sep 23

Uma Kelkar: Blurred Lines
(This is a repeat of Uma’s September workshop)
Location: San Francisco, Arch Art Supplies
Friday, October 20, 4PM-7PM (+ homework) and Saturday, October 21, 12PM-4PM
Cost: $160
Join me and an intimate group as we build our skills in edge variety and work towards a plein air watercolor painting in this intense 2-day workshop. The workshop aims to build confidence in using a brush as an efficient drawing tool while teaching how variety of lost and found edges inserts interest in a painting. Arch Art and Drafting Supplies store lends it’s light-filled studio for our in-studio exercises. They will also have the art materials I use in stock other than the extensive collection of pigments, inks and art materials they always carry for purchase. 
Day two will use the lessons of day 1 and homework in a larger plein air painting.
Details for ticket buying + FAQ.
Uma Kelkar
Thank you, Laurie Wigham

 What is Art?
Art is either plagiarism or revolution. Paul Gauguin, painter
Art is a jealous mistress, and, if a man have a genius for painting, poetry, music, architecture, or philosophy, he makes a bad husband, and an ill provider. Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist and poet
Art is the only way to run away without leaving home. Twyla Tharp, choreographer
Art is a kind of illness. Giacomo Puccini, composer
Art is meant to disturb. Science reassures. Georges Braque, painter
Art is not a thing; it is a way. Elbert Hubbard, artist
Art is long, and time is fleeting. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet.
Art is long, life is short. Hippocrates
Art is like soup. There will be some vegetables you don't like but as long as you get some soup down you it doesn't matter. George Wyllie, sculptor
Art is the signature of civilizations. Jean Sibelius, composer
Art is vice. You don't marry it legitimately. You rape it. Edgar Degas, painter and sculptor
Art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster's autobiography. Federico Fellini, director
Art is a lie that makes us realize truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand. Pablo Picasso, artist
Art is what you can get away with. Andy Warhol, artist
Art is much less important than life, but what a poor life without it. Robert Motherwell, artist
Art is childish and childlike. Damien Hirst, artist
Art is the Queen of all sciences communicating knowledge to all the generations of the world. Leonardo da Vinci, artist
Art is a bang/blast. Taro Okamoto, abstract artist
Art is art. Everything else is everything else. Ad Reinhardt, artist
Art does not reproduce what is visible; it makes things visible. Paul Klee, artist
Art is essentially the affirmation, the blessing, and the deification of existence. Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher

 QOR and CMYK
Hello Shirley,

Thank you for your question.  As you know, printing inks and processes have very different visual properties than paint, so experimentation would be helpful.  With watercolor, the paper itself will also be adding to the aesthetic results in terms of visual texture and color.  

We have not tested which QoR paints most closely resemble printed color from a CMYK process, however the four below might be a good starting point.   There will be different opacities and granulations with these paints:

 - Phthalo Blue (Green Shade)
- Quinacridone Magenta
- Benzimidazolone Yellow
- Carbon Black

 Manganese Blue (Hue) also might work as a replacement for Cyan.  You can see digital images of these paints by clicking the color squares in the QoR on-line color chart.

 We hope this is helpful, and we are here when you have more questions.

 Best Regards, Cathy Jennings

 Materials Specialist
QoRcolors.com

Sep 16

Anna Bucciarelli 

This one is for Joanie!
Decorative Alphabet 
Anna Bucciarelli is a freelance illustrator from Toronto, Canada. She has the ability to bring together various forms of traditional media, such as ink and watercolor, and introduce digital elements that take her work to the next level. 
Her style is influenced by her training in classic Ukrainian "Petrykivka" painting, an Eastern European style focusing on floral and plant motifs.


Kuler (now Adobe Color)
"Adobe Kuler enables you to generate color themes that can inspire any design project. Create, explore, download, and save color themes wherever you are inspired. Experiment with themes and discover inspiration in a vibrant online color community…”.
Kuler Color Wheel
A blog article on how to use it
A Utube video on how to use it

Sep 09

How to Paint a Gently Flowing River 


 Some great information on how to look at reflections.
Btw - the Art Tudor blog is accessible for eveyone
How to Paint a Gently Flowing River 


Brush Shapes and Their Uses






From Loew Cornell
Thank you, Pam

Sep 02

Kay Russell ~ Recollections









































Watercolor Tutorial


I am including this video because of the way the artist uses the flat brush in the beginning of the work. He uses every property the brush has to offer. -Shirley
How to paint a Rose 

Aug 26

More Masami Teraoka





I thought you might be interested in this video.  I believe it was part of the exhibit at the Catharine Clark Gallery on Utah St…all watercolors, the exhibit ends Sep 02.
Masami Teraoka: A Conversation with the Artist


Steven Bindernagel








Works on paper


 Painting Wet Sand in Watercolor




 Seascape in watercolor with a wet sandy beach foreground. Rolling waves crashing on shore with white caps and rocks.
Grant Fuller

Aug 19

Masami Teraoka
The Masami Teraoka watercolor exhibit at the Catharine Clark Gallery on Utah St. is not to be missed. The political statements included in his work are both humorous and serious. As part of the exhibit, Masami is interviewed in 2 videos in the Media Room.
Best wishes, Marlene
Catharine Clark Gallery- Current
Exhibit ends Sep 02.
Masami Teraoka
Thank you, Marlene

ArtTutor Blog
Learn How to Paint Glass in Watercolour
This weeks blog post by ArtTutor member Diana Boanas.
See the blog post here


Aug 12

Interesting Product - Gold Gesso





Gold Gesso is both an acrylic ground and a water based paint that can be used with watercolor, oil and acrylic. 
Gold Gesso with Watercolor



 New Found Artist - Judy Nunno



Reminds me of Carmel
Judy Nunno

Aug 05


Daniel Smith
Watercolor Triad Projects
I found this series that explores many three-color combinations. It is a great resource for beginners and I think an interesting way to really get to know color combos for the more advanced painters. Each project comes with templates and instructions but what really interested me was how much information you could get for each tube of paint.

 There are 2 sources of information about each tube.

  • Near the top of the page, you will see these instructions: "Click on any project below to access a resource page containing a downloadable line-drawings! To find the colors needed for each project, click HERE." This will take you to all the paints used in the various projects, with anecdotal info attached. You have an option to sort by name at the top of the list.
  • When you click on a project, there is a link named "Download Triad Full Color". It has the most in depth info that I have seen about any tube of paint. Example.
Call for Entries








California Watercolor Association's 48th National Exhibition is accepting entries: 
June 1-Aug 18. 
Show January 3-31, 2018.

Jul 29

Burlingame Art Society





































 Maps by Stamen
Reminiscent of hand drawn maps, our watercolor maps apply raster effect area washes and organic edges over a paper texture to add warm pop to any map.
Watercolor Map of the Bay Area
If you click on theyellow "+" and "-" boxes, upper left, you can zoom way in and out of the view. Except, each view is a new watercolor! Very clever and beautiful.
Other mediums
Case for Making
We are so pleased to have our handmade watercolors available here! We use the highest quality pigment and watercolor medium available and you can tell when you paint with them—they are smooth and velvety and have a beautiful, dense, matte finish when they dry! -CfM
Handmade Watercolors
A storefront offering creative supply basics, raw materials, and workshops, selected and designed to encourage process-focused exploration. Our practice is to recognize the presence of creative inquiry in multiple forms, and to provide space for engaging in and valuing this work. -CfM
4037 Judah St. @ 46th Ave., Outer Sunset, SF
Open daily from 11-6 pm
Case for Making


Jul 22

Bobby Wins a Ribbon!
Wow, no one was more surprised than me when I walked into the So.SF Art Show Saturday afternoon and saw this big ribbon next to my painting. 









Congratulations to Shirley and Mary, too.  -Bobby

 Chacopaper
It’s available on Amazon. I’ve had good results using the blue, but it looks like it also comes in black which has mixed reviews. -Lois
Clover "Chacopy" Tracing Paper
(It seems to also be available at all online art supply sites, except Blick.  And on sewing and quilting supply sites .-Shirley)
Clover Chacopy Carbon Tracing Paper

Connection Through Arts

 The Fourth Interfaith Art Exhibition Biennial, 2017
The theme of the exhibition is “Collaboration and Connection” in which we aim to encourage artists to connect with other artists and collaboratively create artwork for the exhibition. We are seeking artwork that expresses a commitment to interfaith understanding, coexistence, peace, and cultural dialogue. 
Reception: Dec 03
Exhibition: Dec 03 - Feb 24
Participating artists shall bring their artwork to the exhibition space at ICCNC at 1433 Madison St., Oakland 94612 on Nov 18 or 19 between 10 am - 4 pm and help install their artwork at their dedicated exhibition space. 
Call for Art Proposals
-Thank you, Heather

World Watercolor Month - Observed Annually in July

Watercolor (watercolour, aquarelle) is a beautiful medium that has captivated people around the globe for centuries. Today, artists are producing amazing paintings each day, and sketchers have popularized the medium as a wonderful way to add life and color to drawings of the world around them.
Charlie O’Shields, the creator of Doodlewash, is the founder of World Watercolor Month.
You can find out some reallly interesting stuff on the net. -Shirley
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)