Demo in Portales, NM

We lucked out last night and had half way decent weather to drive to Portales.  It is 100 miles.  We saw a fire on the way, just inside NM. I didn't get a very good photo, but you can see what could burn! Most of the ranchers have sold their cattle, it is so dry here..heading into a 4 year drought.

The demo went ok I guess. There is no way you can do a collage in 30-45 mins. but you can explain how you work, etc.  This demo was taking failed watercolors and collaging them.  The music scene on the bottom corner was one of those. as well as the white flower I worked on. The music is below. It was just so blah and there didn't seem to be much I could do with it.  I think the collaged one worked out much better. Has more excitement.  I left some of the watercolor showing.  The bottom right is all watercolor, and some of the piano keys are left.

 

 

The Purple top left corner was collage/watercolor and one of the ladies bought it for her Granddaughter.  We had a fun night. Great Mexican food with a good friend then an hour of art!

Underpaintings in Class

In our monthly watercolor class, we have been doing under paintings.  Last month we did a background under painting, then painted the pears. Then this month we did a complete under painting, then figured out where to put the bike and painted over the under painting. This is a lot of fun, but takes some planning and thinking.

 

 

 

 

This was the under painting that we did first. I find flower designs, and just use that for my designs.

Scrapbook paper works great for ideas.   It has to be painted lightly.  I had them try to mix their watery color about like iced tea...that transparent. It is just for interest, etc.

 Then with the bike drawn off on tracing paper so we could see through it, we put the bike on the under painting where we wanted it to work best, and then drew it off.  I had the basket come out by the center yellow flowers and used them as part of the painting. Everything else was painted over. I did use some gouache in a few places.

 

The Red Bike was what I worked up, then I did the blue one in class.  I have started giving away my demos because they stack up, and Faye picked out the red one!

 

 

 

 

 

This is an example of some under paintings.  Just experiment and you would be surprised at what you end up with!