Raining Cats and Cows

Bessie's Close-up,  14 x 11 inches, on canvas panel

"Blue Moo"  14 x 11 inches on wood panel

"Sun and Stripes"

For the last couple of days I have been finishing up some more cow paintings.  Between cats and cows I have been having a good time working with color and critters.  The 30 paintings in 30 days challenge had really kept me on a roll and it is hard to believe there is less than a week to go now.  Hope you have enjoyed this month as much as I have.   Added the latest 2 cows to my site on Artspan,  schirosart.com

   And my crazy cat is headed to a new home in New Mexico.

Mary

Day 2 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Daisy and Rose"  14 x 11 inches Acrylic

                                                                                          

Day 2, worked with a acrylic paint to make a loose mass of flowers and vase.  Then after letting the acrylic paint dry finished with a liner brush and acrylic inks.  Two done and only 28 more to go.  Should be a fun month:)

Mary

Painting from memory

Finished this 3rd week of 30 paintings in 30 days having some fun.  I have been painting a view I saw briefly while driving down a road.  One thing I learned from this is a memory is just an idea,  not a true reference.

Day 21....

6 x 6 on Ampersand panel

Day 20 and 19...

The 3 are available on my DPWs web site, pretty much just for the cost of the painting surface, thought it would be fun to just share the little experiments a t a fun price.

While I was having fun just had to do a little digital play also..

There is a web site called Collage.com that you can create collage collections from photos, another fun place to play:)

  Next week I plan to get a little more serious and finish each day some paintings that I have started.
I have a rule for myself, always have something in process, that way when I get up there is always something waiting for me to work on, it is a good way to keep painting everyday.
Mary

Day 13, Thirty paintings in thirty days

Another color threesome....

"Lime Light"  Acrylic on watercolor paper,  14 x 11

        I am finding it interesting how much variation in color can be done with just 3 colors and white.
The three today are Holbein Compose Rose,  Daniel Smith French Ultramarine, and Sennelier  Bright Yellow green.  
     The Bright yellow green is one of my favorites and I like the Sennelier brand the best.  There are colors that I will get only from one brand, just because that company seems to me to make the best version.  Cad. Orange I will only buy the Utrecht brand,  Utrecht produces many pure pigment colors.  Old Holland has a Violet Grey I just love. and Sennelier's yellow green is just right.  Some companies give odd names to colors, for example Holbein Compose Rose is actually a Naphthol red, and the yellow green is a mix of pigments.  If you want a quick place to see what the true pigment is in a color Dick Blick lists a tab "pigment info" for most of the colors and brands they sell, it is really helpful and I use it a lot, just for reference.
   The more you learn about color the easier it is to work with.
Mary

Color theme

"Tools of the Trade",  Acrylic 14 x 11 inchesAVAILABLE AT DPWS

Today my three colors are:Ultramarine Blue (Golden brand), Nickel Titanate Yellow (Daniel Smith), and Quinacridone Coral (Daniel Smith).  Picked these three just because they are colors I like, pretty simple reason, but why not? Thought I would mention the brands because different brands of paint are a little different.  Yesterday the Viridian green I used was Liquitex and I think it is a little less blue than other brands.
When I am planning these "harmony paintings" I pick the colors but also decide on one color being a dominate color, in this case it was the blue.  Probably will do another but using a different one of the group as dominate.  Called this Tools of the Trade, wine and paint brushes, why not:)

Mary

Local Painting

Enjoyed a wonderful morning painting with friends in Linden, Michigan.  Linden is a small town with a community spot along the river that runs through town.  It is one of those places that any direction you turn there is a painting waiting to be born.  Decided to paint a view of a couple homes that line the water line.

11 x 14 inches, acrylic on canvas panel, "To Sit on the Shore"
AVAILABLE AT SCHIROS-ART.COM

More news,  If you are in Romeo Michigan this month, I have a painting on display with the "Thumb Area Painter's" show.
Also, getting ready to participate in the "30 paintings in 30 days challenge" starts Sept 1st.
I know the theme for the first week for me will be Sunflowers, they are growing like crazy in my garden.  Most of the paintings will be posted on my 30 paintings in 30 days page of this blog, hope you follow along.

Mary

Feeling Brainy

12 x 12 inches oil on canvas panel  "Mister E"

                                                                                 Available at DPWs

     This is a little follow up to my last blog.  I had mentioned links for painting ideas, and one was the Daily Paint Works Challenge    Many of the challenges are open for quite a long time, which is great because you can pick and choose what you want to do.
     One of the interesting things is see how different each painting posted to the challenge can be.  Fifty artist looking at the same reference subject will come up with fifty different paintings, this always amazes me.

Mary