Paint Party Friday

This photograph has been passed among my brothers and me after our parents died.  Strange how it resurfaced from the family archives only after they had passed.

It is a favorite because our parents looked so happy in the back of that (probably snazzy) old coupe.  Mom looked like a star with her dotted scarf and round dark sunglasses. It was likely taken in 1941 or '42.   Dad's naval hat in upper right sets the tone and time of the photograph while Mom's dress and smile sets the carefree attitude of a day away from problems.

Over the past two summers I have tried to paint a portion of this. It is still on the work desk. Maybe this summer it will be completed.  Or not.

She does not need too much detail; perhaps defining the lips and making the glasses smaller.  Of course the hands need work.  We shall see.

As usual, linking to Paint Party Friday.  Last week there were 123 links!

PPF and a Bee Sting

Participating in PPF, still the same canvas, still using oils, but not much work being done with it

because some ground bee bit my left hand two days ago leaving it swollen, red, itchy and uncomfortable.  Damn bee.

right hand not bitten:

See? Poor, pitiful me.

Benadryl in my body and salve on my hand, I'll be checking out others artwork on PaintPartyFriday.

Painting Bugs

It is Paint Party Friday and here is what is on the easel:

with these two butterflies and one moth that will hopefully resemble something like these pictures:

Dog Friendly Aspen

Happy PPF!

This handsome fellow owns a group of guys having adult beverages outside a cafe in downtown Aspen, Colorado.  He posed so beautifully that I just HAD to try and capture him in watercolors.  So the picture in the upper portion of the post is my submission to Paint Party Friday.

And this picture is just one showing a proud fellow having cocktails with his family at The Little Nell.  The waitress brought him a bowl of water (can you believe it?) and on a tray, no less.  I wonder how much was tipped to his server.  Since the average cost of a room there is over $600, just the tip given for his bowl of water was probably more than my friend and I paid for beers that afternoon.

I counted five dogs around the Little Nell pool that day.  His face is obscured in order to preserve his true identity.  (You never know, he might be a celebrity.)

Church Banners for Ordinary Times

We Christians are in the midst of a long liturgical season called "Ordinary Time".  It has an associated color: green.  All colors and their associated seasons can be found at the ELCA link.

And from the Lutheran Missouri Synod:

Green is the appointed color for all but a few of the Sundays during these seasons. Consequently, green may be used an average of six to eight months of any given liturgical year!...Variety and change in shades of this color would go a long way in keeping the season fresh and "green." Changing the paraments every six weeks would complement the Sundays following Pentecost and their emphasis on personal faith that is living and growing.

Our church is sprucing up its sanctuary and adding color.  We are displaying rectangles and squares in varying large sizes, along with other appropriate paraments to bring a focal point to one large wall area.

Hopefully, these two pictures on 12 mm silk will be used as decoration to cover one or two of the nine foam boards.  Once all are hung, I will update this post and show the completed wall decorations.

Picture one: 25" x 36" unframed:

Picture 2: 24" x 24"

PPF submission

More to come!

Drawing Pig Feet

Remember the Queen of the Porcines, that picture I was going to sketch and then watercolor?

Their feet were not shown in the photograph used for painting, so I had to find some pictures of pigs' feet for models. Here it is thus far:

PPF

Here are some of my models (sans hoof polishes...they all needed pedicures)

Derwent Watercolor Pencils

Half finished, and only a portion of the canvas shown (still working on a frog) but it works for PAINT PARTY FRIDAY:

(sketched in with Derwent Watercolor Pencils)