Ballinglen Fast Sketches

Each morning, we would start with a timed warming up exercises on small substrates.  I taped arches oil paper with masking tape. I did these in about 40 minutes per group. Some were later tweaked the next day. I did the square set on paper that I brought from home. All done with oils and cold wax.

My intentions in this series was to explore larger shapes and line work with various techniques and materials: scratching, crayons, pencils, etc.

Day 1

6x9" each

Day 2

5.5x8"

Day 3

9.5x9.5"

Day 4

4x9" 8x9"

Day 5

6x9"

Two New Spiral Watercolor Pads

 Ink

Watercolor

Gouache

Water

Fingers

Brushes

New water color pads or small pieces of watercolor paper

Paper towel

1/2 1 hour

A few new Intuitive Sketches

Stones and Arches Lead My Way

Ink Watercolor Gouache

7" x 7"

Watercolor Paper

Bird Watch

Ink Watercolor Gouache

7" x 5"

Canson A5 Spiral Watercolor Pad

Traveling Through Space

Ink Watercolor Gouache

7" x 7"

Watercolor Paper

I Glimpse Into My Fantasy

Ink Watercolor Gouache

7" x 7"

Watercolor Paper

Beyond the Fence

Ink Watercolor Gouache

7" x 7"

Watercolor Paper

Have finished some various scrapes of watercolor paper and now on to my 2 new Canson 300gm spiral watercolor pads, A4, A5.  Have even started one, and on the first page. 

I use the technique I learned from Stan Kurth last September, which seems like ages ago, called Intuitive Painting with Watercolor, Ink and Gouache. I block out the size on the pad and start with a water-soluble ink pen, making intuitive mark-making, wetting with water and my finger to make smudges. Sometimes wet the paper and put ink marks. One can use watercolor pencils, water-soluble graphite and other mark making tools. Using watercolor washes over the ink, also intuitively. Going back with pen and editing with more opaque gouache. Stan does this complete process in one sitting, as his demonstration, but I like to work doing a few ink starts. Next day adding watercolor, and then another time to the editing process, which is the most difficult. As soon as my thinking process kicks in, I am in big trouble.

Just Some more Intuitive Sketches

 

Have really lost track of what I have shown here. I have been publishing mostly on Instagram.  So here are a few since my last post " A Bit Fishy" 

I still have a lot to learn with these exercises. One, best to work on light paper. Tried a few with a brown paper and found it difficult to get what I wanted. Lots to learn about simplicity of shapes and colors. What to leave and what to take away. That's all part of the process. I love process! 

These are not in any special order!

Hey! Haven't you heard about Social Distancing! 

Intuitive sketch 5"x 7" Small Spiral Watercolor Pad

 Watercolor + gouache

Chagall animal dreams!(I wish)

 Intuitive sketch 4"x 5" Small Spiral Watercolor Pad

 Watercolor + gouache

Fall Melody 

Intuitive sketch 5"x 7" Small Spiral Watercolor Pad

 Pen +Watercolor + gouache

Lots of Goodies

 Intuitive sketch 8"x 8" FSC Organic paper 350gm

 Pen, Watercolor, gouache, charcoal pencil, ink intense pencils

On Dark Paper

Hidden Cities WIP 

Intuitive sketch 8"x 8" FSC Organic paper 350gm 

Pen +Watercolor + gouache

Dark paper with clear gesso

Oranges and Lemons Abstract Still-life
Intuitive sketch 5"x 7" Small Spiral Watercolor Pad

 Pen + Watercolor + Gouache

Silly Pooh! Christopher isn't under there!

 Intuitive sketch 5"x 7" Small Spiral Watercolor Pad

Pen + Watercolor + gouache

Watching Over You

 Intuitive sketch 5"x 7" Small Spiral Watercolor Pad 

Pen, Watercolor + gouache

Not going to bother you with all the thoughts running through my head. Difficult to get that awful critic out of my studio!

Six Word Stories

 Just read an interesting newsletter by Susan Flanagan describing this process. Can't find anything on her site/blog so can't show a link. She decided to use this formula to describe some of her recent paintings. What a fabulous idea... wonder how that will work on my abstracts? Shouldn' be hard to find 6 words!

Two Figures Standing. The open field.

7" x 5"  in watercolor pad

Intuitive Sketch 

Watercolor and Gouache

Hoot Hoot Hoot

Look who peeked out on one of my small-works using acrylics and neocolor I crayons. My soul mate hooty the Owl! Love using up small pieces of cut canvas, and leftover paints!

I've Come a Calling

8.5 x 9 "

Cut Canvas Acrylics and Crayons

Just a Touch of This or That

8.75 x 9.25 "

Cut Canvas Acrylics and Crayons

Available Here

The sound of Falling Water

8.75 x 8.75 "

Cut Canvas Acrylics and Crayons

Available Here

A Rush of Red Cascade

8.75 x 9 "

Cut Canvas Acrylics and Crayons

Available Here

Small and Bright

Week 8 on PYHAS was all about landscapes. A lesson with Sherry Woodward.  A lesson in acrylics, layering, color-mixing, and abstraction. PHYAS2019 has my mind in a whirl! Sometimes I don't remember what I posted and where I learned what. It's a rollercoaster ride! But FUN! So here are a few that were put aside. One I did post you can find here.

I did deviate from the lesson and tweaked with my favorite neocolor I wax crayons!

All Paths Lead to the Monastery

8.5 x 9 " 

Acrylics on cut canvas with Caran d'Ache wax crayons

Available At Artfinder

In the Dark the City Lights Glow

8.5 x 9 " 

Acrylics on cut canvas with Caran d'Ache wax crayons

Available at Artfinder

Let's Go Downtown

8.5 x 9 " 

Acrylics on cut canvas with Caran d'Ache wax crayons

Available at Artfinder

Two Little Boys and Hope For the Future

My weekly trip to Jerusalem has changed this year and I now travel to Neve Shalom where my daughter has moved into their new home. Uri,10, just got this very complicated board game of Dragons & Dungeons which is not for my head, invited his friend Walid from across the street to play with him. Just two young kids playing on the floor together. No big deal! Well, I think it's a BIG deal because Walid is Arabic and Uri is Jewish! One small step for more understanding and a better future!

My daughter's home is just below that Dome in the image from the site., facing the Trappist Monastery!

I certainly have been lacking at blogging of late.  PYHAS has kept me busy weekly. Some I have posted my Instagram account.

Last week we had fun with abstract landscapes and scratching tools and the use of alcohol! Didn't succeed with the alcohol. Will try again.

The Silence is Broken with the Sounds of Bells

8.5 x 9 " 

Acrylics on cut canvas with Caran d'Ache wax crayons

Can be purchased at Artfinder