Paper and Threads

We live in corner building and I was able to sketch/paint 3 fire hydrants just around the corner - along the side of our building.  The one on the top left stands on the sidewalk right in front of the building, the big one in the middle is on the sidewalk along the curb, and the one on the bottom right is actually on the wall of the building.  Two of them are beautifully polished brass, but I'm still not able to accurately capture reflective surfaces.  Maybe next year!

Posted by Shirley at 5:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

I found a few buds on a sweet gum tree for EDM Challenge #59 and then fell in love with that particular tree!  My first sketch was done on March 22nd and the buds were only 3/4 inches long. 

I walk past a row of these trees when I leave work and each day watched for changes in those very tiny buds.  I have painted two more sketches of the tree and now want to post all of these entries together.  By April 17th, the tip of the original bud had grown to approximately two inches and several very small leaves and one very tiny seed ball had appeared.  By April 26th, the leaves and seedball were slightly larger and the bud was now a fully formed flower.  On May 3rd (no sketch), all of the flowers were lying on the ground below the tree and both the leaves and seedballs were growing daily. 

 I love the brown, dried seed balls that fall from these trees during the fall and winter and look forward to watching what happens to the baby seedballs on my tree over the next few months.  Several leaves from these trees were collected in the Fall of 2004 as patterns for my autumn-theme, quilted, silk wedding chuppah (#3) which can be seen in the "threads" category on this Blog (http://www.paperandthreads.com/2006/01/post.php).

Thanks Karen and the EDM group for Challenge #59 because I'm not sure that I would ever have watched a tree with such passion!

Posted by Shirley at 8:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

I think that I was so worried that I wouldn't find anything purple to paint, that I found many things in the first few days of the month.  I therefore decided to post some now and then any remaining paintings throughout the month.  I spent a day mixing my cool and warm reds (alizarin crimson and cadmium red) and blues (French ultramarine and winsor blue) to see the range of possible purples - and found it difficult to match the exact colors without some premixing and testing.  From left to right: (1) miscellaneous toys and household items, (2) myrtle ground cover, (3) eggplants, and (4) a beautiful pansy.  Each image can be enlarged by clicking on it.

Previous months I painted blue (January), red (February), green (March), and yellow (April).  These previous entries can all be seen in the "Color Project" folder on the right side of the webpage.

Posted by Shirley at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I had a few minutes this morning and decided I should do this sketch before Karen posts the next EDM challenge.  We renovated the 1920s bathroom off the master bedroom in our apartment and had to decide how to handle the area above the sink if we moved it below the window in a wood and marble built-in.  I was able to find lovely translucent glass that allows the sun and light in but gives us some privacy from the avenue below.  The bathroom is wood, marble, and mirrors but I have no idea how to depict marble in a watercolor wash!  I also haven't mastered shiny brass, so the lights and fixtures are not reflective.  Ah, so much more to learn!

Posted by Shirley at 3:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

This was my month to try to replicate yellows, using cadmium yellow and winsor lemon as my two primary tube paints.  My yellow daffodils and yellow NY Checker cab paintings were already posted as EDM challenges 61 and 60 respectively and can be found in the archives.  I have now completed 3 primary colors and one secondary color.  I liked mixing shades of green and next month I will look for purples!

Posted by Shirley at 9:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)