It takes so long to work on my usual paintings so I have been playing a bit with color.
I am forging along in the 30 days 30 paintings inspired by Leslie Saeta. If you click on her name it will take you to her blog where you can see the work of about 250 painters posting daily.
This painting is a 5″ by 7″ watercolor on aqua board that is varnished so no need for glass.It really sparkles!
Purchase price is $50, shipping included.
My work is so detailed that this is quite a challenge to make 30 paintings in 30 days, especially since I need to complete new work for several shows and open studios coming up this Spring and Summer.
So today I played with paint. Even though my work is playful, it is so unlike me to go at something free form. This is a 5 by 7 watercolor on aqua board that is varnished. Love those luminescent paints!
My tools usually are my #3 pencil, Crow Quill pen, India Ink, and an eraser, even before I get to any painting. So hopefully tomorrow I will have finished another creature feature. They take the better part of a day to complete.
I certainly thank Kelley McDonald and Leslie Saeta for inspiring me to challenge myself. Sometimes it is the offhand comment that sparks a dream in one’s mind which propels us forward.
2013 brings a painting challenge that I am participating in.
It is Leslie Saeta’s 30 days of painting challenge for the month of January. If you go to her blog you can take a look at all the artists who are participating. Their new work will be posted daily.
I have started off with this this slice of my world but as I am taking a painting class this month, I will not be sticking with a theme. Rather I will be painting what I know and then what I am practicing. Taking on this challenge feels right for the New Year.
To purchase this painting just click on the Paypal button below.
Filed under Uncategorized
A Lovely Day For a Stroll
The snow has come and the air is cold but not for this elephant and giraffe. They are warm and cozy and have moved to a new home in New York City. Working on aqua board is a challenge as the surface is hard on my nibs. The color sinks into the medium and often requires more than one coat of paint, unlike how one normally paints with watercolors.
I have had a few days off and have made 4 more paintings in the style of Henri Rousseau although I have not yet painted them. My high school friend, Andie Ptak, a graphic designer, suggested I make an adult coloring book of my drawings. I am taking her advice and am scanning each of my drawings into my computer prior to painting them. I am not sure if I will follow through on this project, but I will have the scans should I ever decide to do so.
I wish you all a joyous and peaceful New Year. Thank you all for following my blog and supporting my journey as an artist.
And as the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau said: “The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.”
Flaubert’s Stroll
Flaubert is taking a stroll through the jungle looking for someone to play with. He is a young elephant who has made friends with the kind giraffe and the rather raunchous leopard. He has a lighter and bluer sky in his background than this photo depicts. Night photography did not capture this as well as I would have liked.
Flaubert would be happy to come to your home for the holidays. He is 5″ by 7″ and framed in an oak and black shadow box. There are finely ground mica chips in much of the paint so this painting glows in the most delightful way. This is an ink and watercolor painting on aqua board that is varnished so that one doesn’t need glass to protect it.
This painting is for sale for $250 plus shipping.
Filed under New Work
This is a 6″ by 6″ ink and watercolor on aqua board. The man in the middle is filling his glass but the spotted pink creature is longing for a kiss. This work is for sale for $65 plus $5 shipping. Paypal button is above painting.
Working on this new style where I will be painting the entire page.
This is a Rousseau like to me and I am so enamored of his work. I wish I could see every painting he ever made.
I think it will be stellar. This design is copyright protected. Reproduction is not allowed.
A work by Chantal Sellan
I found the work of French artist Chantal Sellan while browsing the web. She worked as a psychologist for many years. She was born in 1936 and started painting in 1980. Her works are in many public and private collections.
Another self taught artist I found is from Denmark. Inge Selmer was born the same year I was (and I am not telling when that was)….but I love this Henri Rousseau like painting. She spent many years working in reflexology before starting her art career in 1983. She has exhibited since 2004.
I have been working on some small paintings on aqua board of curious creatures and continue to work on my ink and watercolors of garden parties held by imaginary animals.
I am also making a series of Holiday Cards that I plan to have printed.
I like the simplicity of this one. It is on white watercolor paper but taking photo’s in the afternoon does not always get good results, especially when there is a cat jumping on the table repeatedly.
Filed under Studio
Birds of A Feather Exhibition
So if you are not busy Saturday come on down to Tiverton Four Corners in Tiverton, Rhode Island, to see some great birds in all types of art media, watercolor, pastel, oils, acrylics, wood, Cedian painting, pottery, as well as more that I am sure is there. Kitty Lovell has put this show together and will have a great band playing some wonderful music. You can see her work at http://www.klovell.com/
I have 3 pieces on cradled aqua board that are of chickens of course although I am continuing to do my crazy creature paintings as well.
This cockerel is full of golds and bronzes and glows color. My buddy, the rooster, is an 8″ by 8″ ink and watercolor on aqua board and is being framed right now. I love the colors of this chicken and think he would make a great barn yard companion. I am experimenting with ornate borders around my work and an toying, just toying,with making a children’s book of curious creatures. I sure miss having Bantams living in our yard. Living in Arlington, MA did not lend itself to keeping chickens although we managed to do so for several years. I loved getting fresh eggs every morning.
Sitting Pretty is for sale for $125 plus $10 shipping. If interested please contact me at susanmedyn@cox.net. I sure wish WordPress would allow me to have a Paypal button on this website. Hate to think of having to switch. Any thoughts from other bloggers?
And for those of you who don’t know where the gallery is, it is on the second floor of an old mill building which was the reason for the beginnings of the town of Tiverton-the perfect spot to build a mill and dam the mill pond.
Tiverton Four Corners, Rhode Island, 1990 (Photo credit: PhillipC)
Filed under Studio
I always loved Alice In Wonderland and have some framed chromolithographs in my office from an old book I had. One is Alice reaching up to the caterpillar on his mushroom. They remind me of my childhood being read to by my parents at bedtime.
I met a man during open studios who has several characters from Alice in Wonderland tattooed on him and they were quite cool. I wish he could have seen this painting. It has been on the wall of Partners General Store in Westport, MA.
Notice the smirk the cat has:
That cat may already have had too much catnip. But cats deserve to have fun. As do we.
This painting is 8″ by 10″ on aqua board and is framed in a maple frame. It is for sale for $150.00 plus 10.00 shipping.
Filed under Studio
