Merry Christmas!



Peppermist Twist
A watercolor painting
by
Karen A. Cooke

May each you have a wonderful Chrismtas holiday spend with family and friends!

Merry Christmas and Happy Painting!
Karen

Running Out of Time or Money?



Handpainted Bookmarks
Watercolor

Christmas is almost here!

If you still need presents and are out of money and almost out of time, consider painting a bookmark for a gift.

The bookmarks above are specifically for Christmas with pine cones and holly, but bookmarks can be painted for any occasion by simply changing the picture.  Below are instructions for painting bookmarks:

Painting instructions for Christmas bookmarks:

1)      Tape down the paper, measure and draw the size of the bookmarks on the sheet.    Depending upon the size of the paper, you can probably get 7 bookmarks from one sheet.  Draw or transfer the picture on each of the bookmark section

2)      Using a large  flat brush, apply an overall wash with yellow ocher leaving the color more intense at the top of the paper and gradually becoming lighter at the bottom.    Allow to dry.

3)      Spatter the entire sheet of bookmarks using a darker shade of yellow ocher or a light brown. 

4)      Using a #4 round brush paint the red ribbon lightly with a simple controlled wash.  Allow to dry.  Add the shaded areas of the ribbon.

5)      Wash the pinecones with a light yellow.  Paint the details on the pinecones with dark brown. 

6)      Apply a controlled wash over the holly stems and leaves using a mixture of green and yellow.  Allow to dry and add detail with a bit more green.  Be certain to leave the edges slighter as this is what will create a variegated effect.

7)      Paint the berries with a bright red.  Using a liner brush, dab in the darker shadows and final details.

8)      Allow the bookmark to dry completely.  Sign your name!  Cut the bookmarks apart.  Punch a hole in the top and add a piece of gold cord or ribbon cut to desire length.  CONGRATULATIONS!  You have completed your painting – your bookmarks are ready for gift giving!

9)      The bookmark can be given as is or color copies can be made at a copy store and then laminated for gift giving. 

Happy Painting and Merry Christmas!
Karen

Christmas Shopping for an Artist?

It is that time of year to be Christmas shopping.  Many of you may be shopping for an artist and would like to have a few ideas of what to buy.  If you are shopping for a beginning watercolor artist or if you are thinking about trying watercolor painting yourself, I would recommend the following for a "starter" set:

• A set of watercolor paints.  A basic set usually contains the colors used most often.  I would recommend one of the higher quality brand of paints as these colors are truer and contain more pigment.  If the person wishes to continue with this hobby, additional colors can be added.
• For starters, a watercolor artist can create a painting using only 3 brushes: a large flat brush 1" or 2" wide, a #6 round brush, and a small #1 round or liner brush for details. 
• Watercolor paper:  I would recommend Arches 140 lb weight paper - 11" x 15"
• A sketch pencil and kneaded eraser
• Sketch board (large enough to hold the size paper purchased).  A presentation board can be used which is considerably less expensive than a sketch board. 
• Misc. items that are inexpensive or can be found around the house.  (Container for water, paper towels for cleanup, paper/plastic plates for palette, and masking tape).

These are basic supplies and can be purchased at any art supply store.  Many stores offer 40-50% off coupons on a regular basis which makes trying watercolor painting and Christmas shopping cost less. 

Have fun shopping for an artist OR give painting a try yourself!

Happy Painting!
Karen

 
 

How NOT to Paint?

Peppermint Twist
Watercolor painting by
Karen A. Cooke

How NOT to paint?  How crazy! 

Actually, this title is to illustrate a point that many times what is left "white" or unpainted is as important, and in many cases,  more important than what is painted. 

The painting above demonstrates this.  A sketch was made of a few pieces of peppermint candy.  The sketch was not very detailed and the emphasis was on the placement of color and shadow.  The areas of white, or places left unpainted, were as important as the areas of paint.  Without the white areas, the painting would not have taken shape. 

I used light washes of Windsor Blue, Scarlet with a little bit of Naples yellow.  The entire painting was done with varying washes and intensities of these three colors.  Many areas were left unpainted, and the eye makes the connection of the stripes and the wrapping.   Although the wrapping is every obviously present, it was only painted by use of shadows and light washes.

At this time of year when peppermints can be easily found, grab a few peppermints and a paintbrush and see if you can learn how NOT to paint!

Happy Painting!
Karen

Woodblock Printing

Woodblock Printing
Although the emphasis of my blog is watercolor painting, I thought you might enjoy this post about woodblock printing.  While visiting an antique store which specializes in a large variety of salvaged architectural materials, I ran across a set of woodblocks for printing.   Since I like things that are a little unique, I thought these would be great for decorating….not to mention the fun I would have “playing with them.”    The print above is one of the finished prints. 

The photos above are the printer blocks that I purchased.  Part of the fun was trying to tell what the finished picture would be.  It was difficult to tell in most cases before the print was made.  Some of the blocks are only sections of a completed painting and only discernible when viewed as the printed image.  One print is part of a torso of a man – with no head and only part of his arms and legs.  Another print is a pair of hands; another is a woman’s face, etc.  I was able to obtain 6 different print blocks.    

History: 
Woodblock printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout East Asia and originating in China in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later paper.
As a method of printing on cloth, the earliest surviving examples from China date to before 220 BC and from Egypt to the 4th century.  (Of course, my blocks are not nearly that old.)

The wood block is carefully prepared as a relief matrix, which means the areas to show 'white' are cut away with a knife, chisel, or sandpaper leaving the characters or image to show in 'black' at the original surface level. The block was cut along the grain of the wood. It is only necessary to ink the block and bring it into firm and even contact with the paper or cloth to achieve an acceptable print. The content would of course print "in reverse" or mirror-image, a further complication when text was involved. The art of carving the woodcut is technically known as xylography, though the term is rarely used in English.  In Europe, beechwood was most commonly used; in Japan, a special type of cherry wood was used.
Methods of printing:
Stamping
Used for many fabrics, and most early European woodcuts (1400–40). These items were printed by putting paper or fabric on a table or a flat surface with the block on top, and pressing, or hammering, the back of the block.

Rubbing
Used for European woodcuts and block-books later in the 15th century, and very widely for cloth as well as paper. The block is placed face side up on a table, with the paper or fabric on top. The back of the block is rubbed with a "hard pad, a flat piece of wood called a burnisher.  This is the method I used to create my prints.

Happy Painting!
Karen

Seasons of the Sun

Lighten Up
9" x 12"
Pastels

I love sunflowers.  Everyone who knows me knows that yellow is my favorite color and the sunflower is my favorite flower.  One can find sunflowers and yellow hidden everywhere in my home….well, maybe not hidden! 

Included in this blog are a few sunflowers that I have created in watercolor or pastels.   

Watercolor tip:
When painting sunflowers, remember to paint each petal separately and don’t paint petals that are touching until they are dry or the colors will run together and be indistinct.    Skip every other petal when painting – this will allow time for each petal to dry.  Use various shades of yellow, gold, green and brown, concentrating the deeper colors at the base of the flower.  Remember – the petals are not perfect:  twisted, turned and bent.  This gives the sunflower character. 

Bed and Breakfast
11"  14"
Watercolor

History:
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large flowering head and got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads of flowers. The heads consist of 1,000-2,000 individual flowers joined together by a receptacle base.

From the Americas, sunflower seeds were brought to Europe in the 16th century, where, along with sunflower oil, they became a widespread cooking ingredient. Leaves of the sunflower can be used as cattle feed, while the stems contain a fibre which may be used in paper production.

 he sunflower is native to Central America. The evidence thus far is that it was first domesticated in present day Mexico, by at least 2600 BC.  It may have been domesticated a second time in the middle Mississippi Valley, or been introduced there from Mexico at an early date, as maize was. The earliest known examples of a fully domesticated sunflower north of Mexico have been found in Tennessee, and date to around 2300 BC.

Do sunflowers really follow the sun?
A common misconception is that sunflowers track the sun.  When the plant is in the bud stage, it tends to track the movement of the sun across the horizon. Once the flower opens into the radiance of yellow petals, it faces east. No one knows why. However, it is likely a defensive response. Facing south or west could result in sun-scalding of seeds during very hot days.

While researching the sunflower for my blog, I found the following information about sunflower paintings, specifically those done by Van Gogh, who is the most well-known “sunflower artist.” 

According to the National Sunflower Association:
The sunflower plant has almost 'human-like' characteristics and dimensions. The face of the blooming sunflower can almost speak to you. For this reason, the sunflower was a favorite subject for Europe's greatest artists such as Van Gogh and Picasso. Sales of these paintings can bring millions of dollars today. The sunflower continues to be a favorite art form for designers of fashion to the every-day coffee mug. It has, and continues, to stand the test of time.

According to research on VanGough’s sunflower paintings:
The colors are vibrant and express emotions typically associated with the life of sunflowers: bright yellows of the full bloom to arid browns of wilting and death; all of the stages woven through these polar opposites are presented. Perhaps this very technique is what draws one into the painting; the fulfillment of seeing all angles of the spectrum of life and in turn reaching a deeper understanding of how all living things are tied together.
Why are sunflowers popular subjects for art and a favorite subject for me to paint? 

For the reasons above?........................ OR,  maybe it is just because I like sunflowers and the color yellow…..it just makes me happy!

Happy Painting!
Karen

I’m Back to Blogging!

I’m Back to Blogging!

During the past few months, we have relocated to the East Tennessee mountains; and with the packing, unpacking and just getting settled, I have not had the time to post on my blog!  Whew!  I think we are finally at the point to enjoy living here and for me to have time to once more sit down at the computer and blog!

I plan to post once a week and share with you my art experiences here in the mountains.

Happy Painting!
Karen

A Different Perspective!

Cades Cove Church

A different perspective can make a good painting a great one.!

One of the most difficult parts of a painting can be the composition.  This is especially true when painting on location or setting up a still life.  My watercolor painting above titled  Cades Cove Church, was painted from a photograph I took when visiting Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains.  I took several photos of the church from different perspectives to find the one that added the most interest.   See the examples below:

Cades Cove Church

Same church....different perspective

As you can see from the photos above, a different perspective can  make a more interesting painting.

Happy Painting!
Karen

Summer Hummer!



Summer Hummer
Watercolor Painting



The hummingbirds have returned!  These hungry little birds are a fun sight in my yard and we enjoy watching them eat at our feeders.  As shown in this painting, they love bright colored flowers, especially reds and yellows.

I will be taking a short "vacation" from my blog until July while we are relocating to another part of the state.  I thought the little fellow above would be a good example of how busy we'll be over the course of the next few weeks.  We'll be as busy and probably as hungry!

Keep painting - summer is a wonderful time to grab that sketch book and your paint brushes and enjoy the wonderful opportunities to paint outdoors.   Grab a camera too  - capture the summer to paint when fall and winter  weather arrives. 

See you soon - keep checking back.  I hope to have some wonderful paintings of our new location and watercolor tips to share.

Happy Painting!

Karen

Central Park!

Central Park
Watercolor painting
11" x 15 Mats to 16" x 20"

The watercolor above was done for my son for his birthday and was double matted with a cream white and a rusty brown in a medium brown frame. 

This painting contrasts the natural park settings of the old stone bridge, rugged rocks, trees and lake reflections with the manmade structures of the high rise buildings on the Upper West Side seen in the distance and invites the viewer into the scene to stroll along the foreground path.

As you look for subjects to paint, look for contrasts in your setting to add interest to your work.

Happy Painting!

Karen