Total Art Soul - for artists

12×16″, watercolor with touches of gesso on Arches CP 140lb. I’m done and I’m glad I haven’t overworked it. But I keep thinking that the background on the right should be darker. What do you think?

For comparison, here is what it looked like before gesso touch-ups: http://watercoloredhands.wordpress.com/2010/10/03/a-portrait-a-day-23-blacksmith-wip/. That post also has a link to the reference photos that I uploaded to WetCanvas reference library. Please feel free to use them for your projects

In case anyone was wondering what happened to me, I am quite well and keeping up with the Portrait A Day project. I am also a mom of a 14-month old boy, who takes a little too much time per pound of weight I have about 6-7 posts worth of material (including some watercolor book reviews) that I will try to post soon. Stay tuned!

Originally posted on October 28, 2010 at http://watercoloredhands.com/2010/10/28/blacksmith-watercolor-finished/

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I am officially back! Had an okay visit in Sacramento, two highlights of which were a figure drawing session (thanks to Sandra!!)  and the Second Saturday Art Walk. It was my first live figure drawing (or painting, in my case) session ever. I am completely hooked now and intensely suffering at the lack of anything like that here in the high desert. Here are some of the results:

about 2-3 minutes, 9x12"

5 or 10 mins i think..9x12"

15-20 mins 9x12"

20 mins 12x16"

another 20 minute one, 12x16"

40-45 mins, 12x16"

There were some seriously talented and skilled people there. I only hope that I’ll get to their level when I get to their age!

Second Saturday wasn’t that great but it was something. Saw some new works by Bernie Weston and they were nice. He is still very affordable, so all you collectors out there should hurry up and collect I was hoping that the gallery still had some of his smaller 8×8″ paintings that I saw last time (something I could afford) but they weren’t there anymore.

As usual, I had grand plans for all my “free” time, and as usual, the free time didn’t show up. In Russian, there is an expression, “to divide the skin of an unkilled bear” – for which I don’t know a similar English expression. It means to make plans for resources that are not yet in your hands…Anyway, I’m back, and the portrait-a-day project is restarting tomorrow!

Originally blogged on October 19, 2010 at http://watercoloredhands.com/2010/10/19/im-back-and-i-have-some-figures/

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Watercolor on Arches CP 140lb, 9×12″. Photo reference: Greg Durrett of Julia Kay’s Portrait Party.

Originally published on October 2, 2010 at http://watercoloredhands.wordpress.com/2010/10/02/a-portrait-a-day-22-greg/

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