We are so blessed to have every one of you in our lives. Your friendship, continued support, thoughts and prayers have been incredibly wonderful. The beauty God has created leaves us in total awe. We live in peace and tranquility knowing He gave his only son for us.
Rejoice, CHRIST HAS RISEN!
Jack and I thank you for being part of our life and wish everyone a Happy Easter.
Jack has had another article published by Fine Art Studio Online. To read 12 Steps to Failure just CLICK HERE.
This time of year is so fun. Hummingbirds migrate through south Texas and are starting to appear. The four feeders placed around our back patio are buzzing with activity. I have to be careful in the mornings, they fly by so fast I’m afraid they’ll take my head off!
Our grape vines are growing and beginning to work their way up the grape arbor. It’s made of 2 twenty-foot lengths of bull fence, arched over the front walk to the studio and anchored to steel posts. CLICK HERE to learn more about our “Tunnel of Light”. Six vines will give us a variety of red and white grapes this summer.
Dreaming of our Senkarik White appellation makes me want to paint a vineyard. My sketch is from Provence in the south of France. The hills surrounding the tiny seaside village of Cassis are covered in vineyards. What great memories this brings. When we visited Provence an artist Jack was helping via the internet met us. Pixie was a delightful tour guide, driving us through the beautiful countryside. Since she lived in Aix-en-Provence and is an artist herself she knew all the perfect spots to take us. Cassis was my favorite.
The basic elements are drawn on the canvas with a brush dipped in a thin wash of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin.
The vines are washed in with a mix of Ultramarine Blue + Cadmium Yellow Medium + a lot of Liquin. Pthalo Blue is added to cool the vines as they descend down the hill. This helps me to visualize their placement on the canvas. In the morning the wash on the vines will be dry. I’ll be able to paint the sky and ocean without fear of muddying the color.
On a lazy summer day the horizon line of the Mediterranean Sea fades into the soft, fluffy clouds. A mix of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) + Ultramarine Blue + White makes a dull blue for the water along the horizon.
As the water comes closer mixes of Pthalo Blue + White are used. The mountain is various mixtures of Ultramarine Blue + Cadmium Orange + White and MUD + White. Some of the paint left over from the clouds is used for the beach and village of Cassis. All of the colors are kept very soft in order to make the village stay way back in the distance.
The vineyards cascading over the hillsides are fun to do. The fields of cool greens are painted first with the most distant vineyard cooler and lighter. Then the lines of the rows are drawn into the wet paint.
The joy of being an artist is we can make the world on our canvas as we want it to be. Even though this is a summertime piece I’m adding Poppies that cover the hillsides of Provence in the spring. The grass in the front vineyard is made warmer with mixes of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + Cadmium Yellow Medium + White.
Cassis Vineyards 12″ x 24″ Original Oil Painting
The vines are painted with various combinations of Ultramarine Blue + Hansa Lemon Yellow. Brushstrokes of Pthalo Blue + White are added in the shadow side. As the vines go down the hill they are made lighter and more blue. Grapes, ready for harvest, complete Cassis Vineyards.
Cassis Vineyards is available for sale on my eBay auction. Framed in our White Senkarik signature frame the outside dimension is 12 inches tall by 24 inches long. The painted image measures 9 inches tall by 20 1/2 inches long. A painting this size retails in our galleries for $750. The starting bid is 1 penny. That’s right, only 1 cent!
Click Here to go to my eBay auction.
Happy Bidding. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik
Coreopsis are a treat to paint. The yellows and oranges of the blossoms are blocked in first. The complimentary purple color of the Sage behind the yellow Coreopsis makes them glow. To see any of these pictures larger just click on the image.
The foliage of the Coreopsis is various mixes of Pthalo Blue + Orange + White. More White + a touch of Hansa Lemon Yellow is added for the highlights of the leaves and the stems. On the shadow side a few strokes of Pthalo Blue + White are made to add coolness and round the foliage.
The centers are made with Alizarin Crimson + Liquin. The mixture for the highlights on the happy yellow flowers is Cadmium Yellow Medium + Hansa Lemon Yellow + a bit of White. The corner of a 1/2 inch bright brush is used to pop them in.
Now for the icing on the cake, the Hollyhocks! As with the other flowers the pink blossoms are painted first. Permanent Rose is pulled out again, then a little Cadmium Red Light is mixed in to make a warm pink. Bright green leaves of Pthalo Blue + Hansa Lemon Yellow are painted around the spots of pink.
After completing the foliage I go back in, indicating the centers of the individual blossoms. The same mix used for the centers of the Coreopsis works here.
Enticing View 38″ x 48″ Original Oil Painting
Tall stems decorated with seed pods finish out the Hollyhocks. Notice the shadow across the front of the painting, it acts as a Threshold. This is a technique we use in painting to give the feeling of depth on a two-dimensional surface. Think of a well-lit home with an open door on a very dark night. Standing outside your eye is drawn through the darkness, across the threshold of the door to the light inside. The same principle works here, the light in the distance draws the viewer’s gaze over the shadow in the front (threshold) to linger in the pleasant courtyard. Then the Enticing View of the sunlit mesa beyond the open gate invites you to walk through and enjoy. This piece has been so fun to paint, my collectors came up with such wonderful ideas. Hope you’ve had as much fun watching. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik
Working on a glass palette has several advantages. We place 1/4 inch glass on a white shelf board. Since we paint on white canvas it is only logical to mix our color on white. The glass makes clean up a breeze using a single edge razor blade in a paint scraper. The glass palette also comes in handy in planning a stylized design. I made a few thumbnail sketches of a stylized rooster design for the tile by the door on a note pad. With MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin I begin drawing my idea on the palette with a brush dipped in the wash. The design on the left isn’t working so I begin another drawing on the right. It’s easy to make changes and corrections on the slick glass. Using a brush dipped in paint thinner, then wiping it clean with tissue you can go in and erase a line. I do like this little rooster on the right!
Because the building with the tile is at an angle the rooster design will have to be foreshortened. Bracing my arm on a mahl stick for stability the design is drawn on the tile. CLICK HERE to find out what a mahl stick is.
The little rooster is ready to happily crow, welcoming guests! Attention is now directed to the Trumpet Vine draping over the ancient adobe.
The flowers on this vine are painted with a several mixes of Cadmium Red Light + Cadmium Orange and Cadmium Orange + Cadmium Yellow Medium. This makes the flowers warmer and lighter than those on the distant vine, therefore they jump forward. The warmer blossoms separate the foreground building from the wall in the background, giving the painting additional depth. I think we’ll finish up in the next session. ‘Til then, Hugs….. Mikki Senkarik
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Jack is feeling so much better. It’s amazing, you don’t realize how good you feel until you get really sick. We even decided to quit early today to take a drive through the countryside, just enjoying each other’s company. Thank you to all who have asked.
Anyone who has opened their heart to a pet from a shelter usually finds out some traits they weren’t expecting. Well, we’ve discovered some interesting things about our new adopted kitties. Sissie loves grass. Cat grass, that is. Sissie growls and chases Molly away if she comes anywhere near the planter the barley grass is in. So in return Molly has taken over Jack’s easel. I guess she decided it would be fun to be an artist! One thing for sure she has become a garden cat extraordinaire who loves to climb trees. And I mean BIG TREES. I couldn’t find her this morning when it was time to come in, so I called. I heard a tiny meow about twenty-five feet above my head. There was Molly in the top of one of our giant Live Oaks. She worked her way down, then climbed into my arms. I think she even scared herself.
Today it’s time to work on the foreground building. The adobe mixes are laid out on my palette. All are made of varying combinations of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) + Orange + a tiny touch of Pthalo Blue + White. The Pthalo Blue adds an imperceptible green cast to the adobe which will enhance the red of the door. To find out more about mixing colors with our Double Primary Palette CLICK HERE. The shadows are painted first, then the light areas of the adobe. As the wall goes back more Ultramarine Blue is added to the mixture. The coolness of the blue makes the far edge of the building recede.
The undulating truck of the Trumpet Vine adds interest to the foreground. The dark upright serves to stop the light coming into the painting from the right.
The bright red door glows against the slight green in the adobe. Red and Green are complimentary colors, therefore the tinge of green in the wall makes the red even more intense. Notice how the door comes forward from the duller red chili ristras in the distance. Please do come visit our studio again, I’ll be back at the easel tomorrow. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik
Before I get started today I just want to thank all of you for your concern and support. Other than being a bit wobbly kneed Jack is doing well and is on the mend. He got another great night’s rest and is pretty much back to his usual routine. I can’t begin to tell you how much all of your wonderful comments, emails and prayers mean to both of us. Something like this makes one feel very vulnerable, it’s nice to know you are there. As we say in Texas, “Much Obliged”.
Feels good to be back at the easel. Starting on the Geraniums the red flowers are blocked in first as you can see in the picture at the top of this post. Next the green leaves are painted around the blossom color so it remains clean and bright.
After adding stems and buds to the Geraniums I move to the Angelonia. The pinks are a color reserved for special occasions, Permanent Rose. For the flowers in shadow a little Magenta is added.
The foliage of the Angelonia is painted with some of the color leftover from the yuccas along the back wall. I just added some Hansa Lemon Yellow to make it a little warmer. Strokes of Pthalo Blue + White are added for variety in the leaves. The fountain is now dry enough to add the water splashing from the tiers. White + a bit of Ultramarine Blue is lightly dragged straight down, letting the little skips and bumps remain. This gives the appearance of the water flowing down. On the right side, where the light is coming from, pure White highlights are added.
Thanks again for your heartfelt support. Please enjoy each and every moment of this wonderful day with your friends and loved ones. Tell them how much they mean to you, they are precious. We’ll see you tomorrow. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik
It has been crazy around here since my last blog. Jack got really sick. Everything he ate or drank came right back up and he was unable to go to the bathroom. Our medical team felt Jack had some sort of blockage and told us to take him to the emergency room in San Antonio.
We got there at 2:30 in the afternoon. After several hours in the emergency room, they decided to admit him. Poor Jack, he finally got to a room about 9:30 PM. He was poked, prodded, had several xrays, a CT scan at 1 AM, then various more tests and procedures. Back in his room the moment he got to sleep, a nurse would promptly appear, wake him up and take his vital signs. His room was directly across from the nurse’s station. I really think they would watch to see when he fell asleep, then say, “Okay, let’s go get his blood pressure!” Hospitals are definitely not the place to catch up on one’s rest.
To make a long story short it turns out Jack had a severe bladder infection. He felt much, much better in the morning, he could eat and his system was all back in working order. The wonder of good medical care, antibiotics and lots of prayer. The admitting doctor from the emergency room didn’t want Jack to come home because his white cell count was still pretty high. He felt a couple more days in the hospital was in order. Jack was exhausted and more than ready to come home. Fortunately our regular doctor came to the rescue. Dr. Larry, one of the head honchos at the hospital, stepped in, pulled rank and released Jack, saying he would be fine. So with prescription in hand, we are HOME! Safe and sound, although very tired. We went to bed last night at 8:30 and were asleep before our heads hit the pillows. This morning he ate a big breakfast and is at the computer writing. All of our prayers have been answered, Jack is back! Hugs, Mikki Senkarik
Spring is the time of year when a gardener’s dreams come true. We plan, plant and sweat. Then God takes over and we get to appreciate the beauty he provides. I must admit though, anytime in the garden seems like play, not work, to me. Cooper’s Garden Place, our local mom and pop organic nursery, put us on to a combination that I will forever swear by. Rose Glo and Medina, a chicken poop fertilizer, mixed half and half. We spread it in all of our beds when we mulched last fall, then sprinkled some throughout in February and in March. The results are amazing. I’ve never seen our garden look so wonderful, the Wisteria by the front entrance to the studio is becoming absolutely handsome. Thank you Karen and Stu Cooper!
This is a Pam’s Pink Honeysuckle, perfect for this spot because it doesn’t take over like regular Honeysuckle. The blooms are so delicately fragrant and pretty to examine when passing by on our front walk. Spanish Lavender grows beside Pam’s Pink with yellow Jerusalem Sage and Red Corn Poppies behind. In the heat of the summer Red Pride of Barbados will grace this garden.
Do you think I might have a case of spring fever? I could stay out in our garden all day long this time of year. But the easel calls. So I’ll do some planting on the canvas. When we lived in Carefree, Arizona I fell in love with Yuccas and Cactus. I was so thrilled when our collector suggested adding some to their painting.
All of the desert plants are painted with various combinations of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + White. A little Cadmium Yellow Medium is added for the Yuccas which have warmer foliage than the Cactus. The blooms on the Prickly Pear are mixes of Alizarin Crimson + White. The Trumpet Vine is now completed by adding highlights to the flowers and leaves.
The fountain is painted while the Cactus behind it is still wet. If I were to wait until the cactus was dry it would be difficult to make the edges of the fountain smooth. Looking at the picture above I realize the front rim of the fountain needs a little more work, the curve is not quite right. I will wait until the paint is a bit drier to add the water falling from the tiers of the fountain. Dragging the brush over the drier background gives a nice effect.
If you would like to send my blog to your friends please feel free to do so. God has given us the opportunity to paint. We want to share this gift with as many of our fellow artists and art lovers as we can. It’s our way of giving back to the world of art we love so much. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik
Some surprise visitors showed up at Senkarik Pond. We had no clue what these beautiful birds were. Their honking made us suspect they were some kind of geese, but they did not appear in any of our birding books. So Jack said, “Let’s ask Jimmy and Margie.” Jimmy is an artist Jack has been helping. His wife, Margie, is a wildlife photographer and an expert on birds. So we emailed our pictures to them, receiving an answer almost immediately.
EGYPTIAN GEESE! They are an exotic bird from Africa, not common in the US. Most seen in the wild have escaped from zoos or private collections. That Margie certainly knows her birds. I hope these stay around. Apparently the honking we’ve been hearing is the male’s mating call. Maybe we’ll have babies!
Okay, back to work! The wall for the gate is blocked in with cool hues of the adobe color which will make it stay in the background.
While the paint of the wall is still very wet the tendrils of the Trumpet Vine are drawn. Next the dark red of the chili ristras is blocked in with a mix of Cadmium Red Deep + Magenta. Then Cadmium Red Deep is used to form the individual peppers.
Some of the red is dragged into the adobe surrounding the ristras where their color reflects on the wall.
Highlights on the chilis are Cadmium Red Deep + a bit of White. I want the peppers to be subtle since the door in the foreground is also going to be red. Tomorrow the cactus and yuccas will be planted. Grab your gardening gloves and come help! Hugs, Mikki Senkarik
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A mix of Ultramarine Blue + a touch of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) + a little White is used for the shadow portion of the gate. Ultramarine Blue + White makes the sunny side. This soft blue is selected for the gate so it won’t be distracting. I want the viewer’s eye to be drawn past the gate and dark adobe wall to the sunlit bluff in the distance. The blue is also the complimentary color (across from each other on the color wheel) to the oranges in the mesa. By placing the two together the hue of the rocks appears even more intense.
My mixtures for the tile floor are laid out on the palette. I used several colors leftover from the distant bluff and mountains. The darker terra-cotta colors are a mix of MUD + Cadmium Orange + White. I even use some of the cool greens from the base of the mesa and purples from the sage to add variation in the pavers.
The darker shadow parts of the floor are blocked in first. Warmer colors are used in the foreground. Brushstrokes of cool blues and greens are added toward the back to make the distant edge of the floor “Lie Down”.
The sunlit portion of the floor is painted next. This is made warmer and lighter toward the front, with blues added toward the back to make it recede.
Now for the sweeping curve of the tiles. Using a fine liner brush dipped in a wash of MUD the curved perspective lines are drawn into the wet paint of the floor. This is done freehand. I don’t use a mahl stick because it would restrict my movement, preventing a smooth, flowing line.
The horizontal cross lines indicating the crevices between tiles are now drawn.
The highlights along the edges of the pavers where the sun hits them add the final touch to the floor. It’s amazing how getting the tile finished starts to pull the painting together. Hope to see you tomorrow. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik
Mikki Senkarik 