Flowers and the Mental challenge of Art Prize

This is a little purple flower that I guess is a weed. It grows everywhere and especially in my garden. This is a 12" by 16" watercolor painting. I am getting more use to the tube painting but still do not like it as much as the colored pencil paintings. Oh well such is life. I am finding a very sad response to the pictures I have drawn for Art Prize. People seem to like the idea that I will give the pictures to the significant others after the contest is done. I don't think people like confronting the fact that all these young men died. It is a close reminder that we are really losing men daily and this is very painful. I think it is also wearing on me. I feel a sadness in my heart every time I show this work. I certainly have not shown it as much as the last two entries. I am not sure about this all I will just have to see.

Zack on a Climbing Wall.

Well here is my little man. 5 years old and climbed to the top of the adult climbing wall. He never ceases to amaze me. He tells me he just took his time and found the hold before he pulled himself up. Who knows this stuff at five. I sure didn't. I won an art contest in Sparta Michigan last week. Both Zack and Willa enter too. Zack got a first place ribbon for his photography and will got a 3rd place for scribbling with chalk on a paper. Zack even ended up selling his picture for $10.00. He was so proud. He can be such a little monster and then....this little compassionate genius appears. Who knows?

Willa at the mini muddy buddy

This is a16" by 14" watercolor painting of my granddaughter after she competed in the mini muddy buddy race in Detroit. She was so proud of her medal and her accomplishment. She is actually one month to young to participate in the race but she was so incessant that they let her in so she could run with her brother. Her mom also had to run with her and got into the mud pit two times that day. The whole family was so muddy that even a dip in the lake afterwards did not clean them up. I tried to use the watercolors in the tubes for this picture but copped out in the end and did the face and hands with pencil. I am just not that good a blending colors yet but I am trying. The end of a wonderful day.

I also was interviewed by Shelly Irwin on WGVU, FM88.5 which aired today. The link to the pod cast is at the link below. Listen if you like.

http://www.wgvu.org/wgvunews/audio/fplayer1.cfm?styid=12545

Water Color Flower.

This is one of the flowers I painted using only water color paint and a paint brush. I am happy with it and am getting more use to the blending of paint. I think I will do a couple of more and then try doing a picture of a person. Spent the weekend in the Detroit area watching my son, his wife and kids do something call a muddy buddy run and ride. We then went to a play place were my 5 year old grandson amazed me by climbing a very high climbing wall. He believes he can so something and then just does it. What a gift. I am working on getting this frame of mind. The lack of fear would be and incredible lifted burden. I will have to work on it.

Purple Rose and learning

I really struggled with this painting. I tried to work with a new type of canvas and found it very difficult to manipulate the color. It never ceases to amaze me that the littlest things can make such a big difference. Blending on this purple rose did not go well at all and I am not really pleased. Oh well I guess you have to try new things to learn new things. I know now that I won't use this type of canvas again.

Flowers and Art Prize2

This painting is a different type of painting than the others I have done. It is done with water color paints that come in a tube. I still used the water color on canvas. My friends say it has more depth to it. I am not sure I like this way of painting yet but I did want to try to do something different. The next few paintings will be this style. So far I still like the watercolor pencil best. I will be going on some public radio show with Michelle from the VSA to plug Art Prize. Its being taped on Thurs. but I don't know when it airs. we will just have to see.

More Flowers

Happy fourth of July! Got the opportunity to paint for the last 3 days. Feeling really good about it and getting back in balance. Will go for an interview on the radio this coming Thursday for Art Prize. Hoping it goes well.