Chapter 3...What a Fun Expression!

Over the last few days I have been  moulding the facial features. Once I have painted the eyes, unless there is an open mouth, I don't really think of individual features on a face. When I am developing them  I am looking more for colour and value differences as the light falls on the 'rolling hills and valleys or precipices' ... yes, I quite literally think of the face as a vertical landscape and gradually build up the light and shade through many many layers of glazing single colours.

I am not really going for an exact copy of my reference. I am rather using and developing further the expression in it. So I've developed the freckles that were in my reference photo even more in my painting as I feel it just adds to the impish nature of the already existing expression. I've also developed the lighting more to create more light and shade on the face and a second reflected light off the white pages of the book.

I still have a little work to do develop the chin a little more as the reflected light is a little too bright and altering the corner of his mouth a touch but its nearly there.

Chapter Two... Making Eye Contact!

When I start a portrait I almost always begin with the eyes. It just helps me 'get in the mood' of the portrait and I do like them 'looking' while I paint :)

Often the eyes are very small in a portrait but in this one I have plenty of room to develop them. I like to take my time when painting the eyes  and will often have long gaps in painting while I just look at what I have done and work out whether I need to make adjustments.I don't usually put in the eye lashes until later but I needed to really get a feel for the eye direction so this time I have added them in lightly at this early stage.

It was especially important for these eyes that I get them focusing down at the worm. Its amazing how the direction of sight can change when the pupil is even just a millimetre too far left or right or up or down so you just have to keep working away at it until you get it right.

At last.... two eyes looking at one worm, or at least looking at the space where the worm will be :)

Next  I will work on developing the rest of the facial features.

Ona

The Bookworm.... Chapter 1

....Since this painting is a fun one based around the theme of books it seems only right that each WIP  post is a different chapter in the painting's story. So here is...Chapter 1

The idea for this painting began a couple of months ago when I was looking through photos of Alex for the 'Time Warp' painting. I came across a very funny one focusing in on his face which I knew immediately was a painting in itself.

 In the actual photo he was posing with a new book. The humour and mischief was just brimming out of his eyes and his quirky smile just made me laugh. I loved the photo but it was very much a snap shot with distractions in the background and not very good lighting so I decided to accentuate the lighting and focus in on his face and down to what he was looking at.

This photo of me putting the finishing touches to my drawing and the title of this post will hopefully give you an idea of what is coming out of the book :)

Its drawn out on a full sheet and Alex's face, being a big section of the composition, is much larger than life so this should be a lot of fun to do :)

I Hope this first chapter has got you hooked  and you will want to follow along :)

Ona

Intoxica-Ted and Inebria-Ted!

Two Bears sitting on a shelf in a gentleman's study happened upon an un-opened bottle of Scottish Malt Whisky and have, I'm afraid to say, had a little too much of the liquid sunshine.

It's painted in transparent watercolour on Arches cold press paper.

I have many more teddy ideas to do but am going to take a break from them for a while. Like the 'liquid sunshine' you can sometimes get too much of a good thing... and I need a break for a while from painting teddy fur :)

Ona

Having fun with teddies WIP

I'm being very slow with this painting. It took me a while to decide on the 'feel' of the piece. I began by exploring the idea of teenage teddies trying out alchohol for the first time but the idea just didn't feel right so I finally decided on two more mature teddies in a gentleman's club type atmosphere. I decided to add in some books and create some smoky atmospheric type lighting to help set the scene.

I'm now working on the Teddies themselves. The bear on the left 'Intoxica-Ted' is almost finished so this felt a good point to stop for today and share with you all. It's not the best photo but it will hopefully give you an idea.

Ona

Creative Composition Workshop!

Yesterday I was the instructor for a 'Creative Composition Workshop' for our local Watercolour society members and friends.

One of the members very kindly allowed us to use her fabulous garden as a base for our workshop and I donated my time so that meant that all proceeds could go into BWS funds.

I think I will be the envy of all art workshop instructors because the setting was just AMAZING!!!

 

During the workshop the class had the opportunity to discover and explore many different compositional rules that could turn the ordinary into the unusual... the everyday into something much more visually grabbing. They learnt about fibonnacci and the harmonic triangle.... they were amazed how much math was linked to our interpretation of Beauty :)

Here is one of the class reading more about about each of the rules that I had discussed in my introductory session 

The class were then given time to try out  each of the compositional ideas for themselves through sketching...

and photography

I encouraged them to look from unusual angles...

...and of course I had to demonstrate the effect that could be created. One of the students sneekily snapped this shot as I was doing so :)

Then it was their turn to get fun, visually grabbing references :)

These are a couple that I took as demonstrations of the effects you can create with a little creativity

  There was plenty of fun and laughter throughout the day and I was well taken care of with cool iced drinks, brownies and an assortment of yummy snacks as well as a comfy place to sit when i needed a rest :)

Lastly we  came together to look at each others work and I helped them to see how the references or sketches could be modified and then used for possible paintings. I hope they share any paintings they create with me when they have done them.

Wasn't it a wonderful venue!

TWSA Celebration Day!

  I have had such a wonderful time meeting so many amazing artists here in Kenosha at the TWSA celebration. To be able to see such magnificant paintings in person and be able talk to artists such as John Salminen, my fellow Canadian Harold Allanson, Robin Berry, Ken Call, Cheng-Khee Chee,  Lennox Wallace, Debbie Rankin, Joe Garcia and Donna Jill Witty and Kelly Kane Editor of Watercolor Artist magazine to name just a few was inspiring to put it mildly.

I also had the chance to spend some time with a few of my art Colony friends, Chris Beck Mary Jansen and Kaaren Oreck. Chris and Kaaren had paintings in the exhibition aswell.

 I spent a couple of hours just looking around the exhibition with  Mary, Kaaren and Chris and chatting to the public. Its always such a pleasure to just listen to their comments about the paintings.

To receive the John Singer Sargent award from Jill Witty at the celebration dinner yesterday evening topped off a wonderful day.

 

Ona

Watercolor Artist 2012 Ones to Watch

I had an exciting e mail a couple of days ago to let me know that I have been  selected as one of the  'Ones to Watch' for a feature article that will be published in the December issue of the Watercolor Artist magazine. It will hit news stands on October 23. Can't wait to get my copy :)

Ona

Impersona-Ted

 Bears hold a special part in the childhood memories of so many.

The world of the teddy bear is an innocent one, a world that gives delight and hurts not, a world that appeals to all generations and all nationalities.  Gyles Brandreth

  

The Teddy Bear is a symbol that all is right with the world if one simply believes.

 This was a fun painting to do. I wanted it to be filled with a sense of light, warmth and homeliness as well as convey a sense of innocent joy....something which would re-kindle those childhood memories of wanting to be part of that special 'bear family' that so many of us dreamed of as a child.

I hope you have all enjoyed entering into the lives of the bears with the competition too. I know I have enjoyed reading your ideas for captions. Picking a winner has been so hard that in the end I have decided on joint winners :) So Congratulations to Shirely Scoble and Verena Murvin for your wonderful Captions. A teddy print will be sent to you both very soon!

Ona

Competition Finalists!

Thank you to everyone who contributed comments for my bears here on this blog on facebook and on Art Colony. I had such fun reading them all.

Here are photos of the 5 that made me laugh the most for you all to enjoy. Click on the photos to see them larger

Cecilia Nutley

Verena Murvin

 

 Lance A Tischauser

Patricia Adams Spivey

 and Shirley Scoble

I wish I could send all of you a giclee print but, as always with competitions, there has to be a winner and the winner is.......


well I'm actually going to keep you in suspense for one day longer........I will let you all know tomorrow when I post the finished painting I promise :)

It's Competition Time!

I've now finished painting all the teddies so I just have the one mystery 'teddy impersonator' left to paint. My Ted 'models'  gathered round this evening for another look at my progress. Your challenge is to let me know what each of them is saying. Imagine each has a speech bubble.... what would you write inside?

The person whose ideas make me laugh the most will win one of my small -Ted themed giclee prints.... how's that for an incentive to have a go :)

The competition will run here on my blog, on the Art Colony blog and on my Facebook page. Just add a comment with your ideas to any of these or e mail me at ona@onak.ca. I will announce the winner at the weekend.

A special thanks to Gill for the idea.

Ona

Impersona-Ted WIP 1

I've had a tough couple of days trying to cope with the side effects of the next stage of medication increases so thought I would start painting a fun, cuddly, feel good painting to cheer me up... I get to cuddle teddies as I look at them and paint too which can't be bad:)

Yes, I'm playing with the -Ted theme again ... this time using the word 'Impersonated'. At the moment the painting is still very much a work in progress but i couldn't resist sharing this  fun photo of my teddy models inspecting the painting so far... I hope they approve :) Can you guess from the shapes left still to paint who or what the impersonator might be? :)

The painting is a gallery wrapped watercolour stretched over 12 by 28 inch stretcher bars. I expect my progress will continue to be closely monitored as I finish this painting :)

Ona

John Singer Sargent Award at TWSA 2012 Exhibition!

I had a phone call today to tell me that my painting 'Baby on Board' has won the John Singer Sargent Award and $1000 at the Transparent Watercolor Society of America  2012 Exhibition!

John Singer Sargent (January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925) was the most successful portrait painter of his era, as well as a gifted landscape painter and watercolorist....what an honor to receive an award in his name.

Ona

People's Choice Award

The ballots have been counted and my painting 'Interes-Ted'  won the 'Luminosity Peoples Choice Award'. My other painting 'Comfor-Ted' came in a close second in the voting.

Its so lovely to know that the public enjoy my paintings  :) Thank you to the all the people  that voted for one of my paintings and for all your lovely comments. Both the vote of support and the comments mean so much to me.

Ona

BWS 'Luminosity' Best in Show

It was wonderful to meet Birgit O'Connor this week at the BWS 'Luminosity' 2012 Exhibition.
She awarded my painting "Comfor-Ted" the Framing Depot Gold Award for Best in show. Thank you Birgit and thank you also to Steve at The Framing Depot for his kind generosity is sponsoring the award.

It is also a week in which I have been awarded signature membership of the North West Watercolour Society NWWS and today I formally receive my elected membership of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour CSPWC at their AGM in Toronto. WOW! What a week!!!

Ona