Proud of our Prides

When we lived in Carefree, Arizona we discovered the Pride of Barbados. Or, as some people call them, Mexican Birds of Paradise. Whatever you want to name them they are wonderful in the hot, dry landscape. The brilliant red-orange blooms brighten up the dog days of summer. They look so tropical yet are very drought tolerant and love the heat.

I guess you have probably figured this out by now, but needless to say, we are very proud of our “Prides”.

Purple Fountain Grass is another one of our favorites. This bunch is placed so we can enjoy the late afternoon sun back lighting the blooms when we are in the house or sitting on the patio. There is a second bed of the feathery grass just to the left of this picture. We get quite a display in the early evening, especially if there is a breeze. Another “Pride” peeks out from around the corner of our back patio.

Jack discovered this Mexican Butterfly Vine on one of our trips to Coopers Garden Place, the local nursery. I usually go with a mission in mind while Jack explores and comes up with all kinds of neat additions for our garden. The vine has dainty yellow flowers, you can see a few on the upper left of the bush. You may have to enlarge the picture to see them, just CLICK on the image.

But the best feature is the seed pods, they look like Butterflies! Last  year we collected several, let them dry and used them as decorations on our Christmas Tree.

Several mornings ago when I was working in the garden Molly scurried up one of the big oaks and found Miss Mockingbird’s nest. Fortunately Molly didn’t actually make it to the babies because our resident mockingbird went crazy, fussing and pecking at her. Every morning since then, from the moment I go out to garden with Molly, the Mockingbird follows us fussing and swooping. Molly stays pretty close to me for protection. Well, yesterday afternoon Miss Mockingbird spotted Sissie and Molly (on the right) in our front window. She flew to the hummingbird feeder and began fussing at the cats. Usually if a bird is outside the kitties are up on the window sill. Not so with the mockingbird! The girls aren’t very happy with the scolding, look at their swishing tails. Have a great day. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik.

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Southwest Greeting

Jack has a new article on Fine Art Studio Online. If you would like to read It’s an Illusion just CLICK HERE.

My third little piece for Walden Fine Art in Taos is a red door. I’m not sure why the combination of a red door and sunflowers is so appealing but my collectors seem to love it. As A.D. Greer, a wonderful artist once told Jack, “If you don’t paint what people want, you won’t paint for a living very long.”

The adobe color is mixed with Cadmium Orange + Pthalo Blue + White. MUD is added in the shadows. This mix has a slight tinge of green, the complimentary color of red, so it makes the door appear even brighter. The chili ristra and red orange trumpet vine also glow against the rich adobe walls.

The gently curved walkway is also very popular among our collectors. A luscious planting of Hollyhocks and Lavender nestle in the rock planter hugged by the graceful arc of the pavers.

Now for the stars of the show, the Sunflowers. The blossoms are blocked in with various mixtures of Cadmium Yellow Medium + MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) and pure Cadmium Yellow Medium.

The warm green leaves are combinations of Ultramarine Blue + Hansa Lemon Yellow. I also throw in a few strokes of Pthalo Blue + White for coolness on the shadow side of the plant.

Southwest Greeting   17″ x 14″    Original Oil Painting

Dark centers of MUD + Liquin complete the sunflowers. I especially like the shadow cast on the pot by one of the large yellow blooms. The gallery says these pieces are “Little Gems”. I just call them “Fun to Paint”. I’ve really enjoyed having you visit our studio. Please come back and bring your friends. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik

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On a Mission

The Mission in Taos is a favorite of visitors so we always try to keep the gallery supplied with a painting of it. People want to take home a memory of their vacation, that’s why we choose to be in galleries in tourist destinations. I like to paint the mission without any of the clutter of modernity around it.

Shadows of the clouds behind the bell towers will give contrast for the white crosses. The mountain is painted with cool grey-greens mixed from Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + White + a touch of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson). The hill makes a cool backdrop for the warm adobe of the mission.

After blocking in the sagebrush in the middle ground, I start on the Cosmos. The pink of the flowers, extending over the main foliage of the Cosmos bush, is gently “laid” on the color behind. I’m very careful to not let my brush pick up any of the paint underneath which would make the bright flowers muddy. The rest of the flowers are painted on the blank canvas.

The foliage of the Cosmos is painted around the blossoms. Hollyhocks grow everywhere around Taos in the summertime so I just had to include some. The white flowers are blocked in first, using paint leftover from the Matilija Poppies in yesterday’s session. When painting the shadows in purples and blues I sometimes pick up two colors on my brush at once. This adds interesting variations in the dark areas of the white blossoms. The broad leaves and tall stalks of the Hollyhock seed pods are now dabbed in.

The centers of the Hollyhocks are delineated with Alizarin Crimson + Liquin. I then “lay” the bright White highlights over the shadow color of the flowers. The finishing touch is to add the yellow stamens.

Hollyhocks at the Mission    17″ x 14″    Original Oil Painting

California Poppies dance across the foreground. Their warmth adds depth as well as cheerfulness to the painting. A happy remembrance of a visit to Taos. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik

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Colorful Joy

Victoria, the owner of our gallery in Taos called in a panic. “This is an emergency,” she said breathlessly. “We just sold three of your little paintings and I need more. IMMEDIATELY!” Fortunately I had some canvases framed and ready to paint, so here goes.

After the old adobe wall is covered, the door and window are painted with mixes of Pthalo Blue + White. More White is added for the sunlit portion of the door. Permanent Rose + White is used for the Bougainvillea with a little Magenta worked in for the shadows.

Geraniums are planted in the square pot by the door. Then the corner of a Bright brush is used to block in the yellows of the Daisies.

The shadows of the Matilija Poppies are painted with various mixes of Ultramarine Blue + White, Pthalo Blue + White, Dioxazine Purple + White and Pthalo Blue + Hansa Lemon Yellow + White. I’m very careful to make the shadows dark enough so the sunlight will glow on the brilliant white flowers.

Colorful Joy    17″ x 14″    Original Oil Painting

Now the Matilija Poppies catch the light as it spills across the courtyard pavers from the left. Tendrils of a vine nestle at the base of the Geranium pot, bringing a bit of interest along the bottom of the wall. Colorful Joy is done. One down, two to go! Hugs, Mikki Senkarik

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Blaze of Chroma

I use the mahl stick to steady my hand as I paint the Santa Fe bench with mixtures of Pthalo Blue + White.

Southwestern motifs are really delightful. The Gecko with the curly tail and the zigzag along the front of the bench are some of my favorites.

The flat side of a Bright brush is used to block in the blossoms of the Pink Hollyhocks with varying mixes of Permanent Rose + White. This is another one of those special colors we use on occasion and it makes a beautiful, crisp hot pink.

Using the corner of the same brush I delineate the leaves of the Hollyhocks.

The Lavender and Black Eyed Susans are painted, then the foliage of the foreground Hollyhocks is blocked in. All of the flowers are rendered with the same brush. The flat side is used for larger areas of color, the corner for smaller details. I come back with a fine liner brush to add the stems and centers of the flowers.

When the painting is finished it is lightly sprayed with a protective coat of Grumbacher Retouch Varnish. Then the blue tape covering the Senkarik White Signature Frame is pulled off. Jack developed this framing technique years ago. We use a heavy acrylic paint shipped from England on a gallery wrap canvas. The clear shrink-wrap keeps the frame clean during the painting process and shipping.

Blaze of Chroma    16″ x 19″     Original Oil Painting

Carlene’s special piece is ready to add a Blaze of Chroma to her home. Thank you for following along. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik

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A New Commission

I’m starting on another commission today. Carlene fell in love with one of my larger pieces in Santa Fe but didn’t have the room to hang it in her home. So I suggested I could paint it the size she needed for her space. The basic elements are sketched on the canvas with a brush dipped in a mix of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin. The chili ristra is washed in with Alizarin Crimson + Liquin.

First the background is blocked in, then the adobe wall. Mixes of Cadmium Orange + Pthalo Blue + White are used for the ancient adobe. MUD is added for the darker shadows. This mixture has a slight green cast which will make the red of the ristra and door appear even more intense. Green is across the color wheel from Red, so they are complimentary hues. Placing a color close to its compliment to make it look brighter is a technique I frequently use in my paintings.

Using the mahl stick to steady my hand the lines on the door are drawn into the wet paint with a fine liner brush. To find out more about a mahl stick CLICK HERE.

The Trumpet Vine now drapes over the wall and a clump of Lavender nestles at the foot of the bench. The twisted trunk of the vine is fun to paint. The light and dark areas of the floor are painted. The tiles toward the back are made bluer, or cooler, to make them recede. Warm colors come forward, Cool colors go back. With a fine liner brush the curved perspective lines are etched into the wet paint of the floor.

The next step is to draw the horizontal lines separating the tiles. They are closer together toward the back, getting wider apart as they come forward. I draw all of the tile lines freehand. Using the mahl stick would limit the movement of my arm, preventing me from making straight or smoothly curved lines. Thank you for visiting today, hope to see you tomorrow. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik

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Filled with Sunshine

The background is painted with a mix of Ultramarine Blue + Dioxazine Purple + White. Dioxazine Purple is one of those special colors we use from time to time. It’s a hue we are just unable to mix with our Double Primary Palette. Combined with Ultramarine Blue + White it makes a soft Periwinkle Blue that will compliment the yellow oranges in the Sunflowers. To make a color appear more intense place it next to its compliment is another one of those little rules that are a tremendous help in painting. The “Bob Ross” brush is used for the larger areas of the background. I switch to a smaller “Bright” brush to paint around the leaves.

Now for the flowers, my colors are mixed and I’m ready to start. The yellows are various combinations of Cadmium Red Light + Cadmium Yellow Medium and Cadmium Yellow Medium + Hansa Lemon Yellow. The browns for the centers are varying mixes of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) + Cadmium Orange + White. To learn more about our Double Primary Palette CLICK HERE.

The darker yellows are applied first, “laying” the paint on the canvas so as not to pick up the color underneath.

The center of the Sunflower is painted next. The same “Bright” brush I worked with on the background is used for these steps. A “Bright” brush is comfortable for me, a “Flat” is too long for my liking. The “Bright” brush can be held flat to lay a broad brush stoke or the corner can be used to make a sharp, fine one.

The last step is to add the highlights on the petals, being careful to “lay” the paint on the canvas. If any of the underlying color is picked up on my brush the yellow will get muddy.

Filled with Sunshine      20″ x 16″       Original Oil on Canvas

The Sunflowers happily dance in the breeze just waiting for the opportunity to bring some warmth to a new collector’s home. I’ve enjoyed having you visit the studio. Please come back soon. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik

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Thank You

First, I want to thank all of you who read my blog. Or as Jack would say, “Much Obliged.” Your kind comments are so uplifting. And please do feel free to ask questions. Since I just don’t have time to respond to everyone personally I try to answer your questions in my blog. We had a special request to show how I paint my flowers, hope this is helpful. This sunflower piece is for the Hayden Hays Gallery at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs. I begin by making a thumbnail sketch, planning the placement of the large blooms.

Every year we plant a bed of sunflowers so I have reference of the blossoms from just about every angle in all stages of growth.

I find Sunflower buds fascinating so a couple are included. A small bloom that faced backward in the sketch is moved to the lower right, turned a little more toward the viewer and made larger. The painting will be shipped while it is still a bit wet so the canvas is mounted to a piece of cardboard. The double ply cardboard is cut so it will extend 2 inches from the edge of the canvas on all sides.

We put a screw eye in each of the stretcher bars on the back of the painting. The screw eyes are pushed through the canvas and a nail is placed in the eye, keeping the cardboard in place. It is then anchored in place with tape. This method makes it very easy to handle a wet painting.

The colors are mixed for the foliage. The greens are made from various mixes of Ultramarine Blue + Hansa Lemon Yellow. Mixes of Pthalo Blue + White will be used to cool the shadows. If you would like to learn more about our Double Primary Color Mixing System CLICK HERE. I normally use Winsor Newton WINTON Oil paint in the 200 ml tubes. Today I’m also using Alkyd Oil Paint in some of the mixes to speed up the drying time.

A “Bob Ross” brush comes in very handy to make the broad, loose strokes of the foliage. On my large flower paintings I work in a different sequence than the Architecture-Garden paintings. Here I block in the leaves and background first, working around the area where the blossoms will be painted. Please come back to follow the progress. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik

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Memories of Portofino

It’s time to do the white flowers in the foreground, my paint is mixed and ready to go. For the shadows I’ve made mixtures of Ultramarine Blue + White and Pthalo Blue + a touch of Hansa Lemon Yellow + White. The pure White is reserved for the highlights. The paint lined up on the left side of my palette is from previous painting sessions. Saving the extra paint makes it very easy to go back to touch up an area or make changes.

The blossoms are blocked in first, then I work the greens of the leaves in and around the individual flowers. When painting white flowers it is very important to make the shadows dark enough so the white highlights will sparkle.

Using the corner of a small Bright brush the centers are drawn in with a combination of Alizarin Crimson + Liquin. I’ve added a few dangling vines for interest.

We took the picture of the Nasturtiums in Pacific Grove, California when we lived there several years ago. It seemed like you could drop a stick on the ground there and it would grow! We’ve been battling the worst drought in the history of our area and even our dry weather plants are looking sad. But that is the joy of being an artist, my flowers on canvas never need watering. OK, back to work. I paint the Nasturtiums with more red than the ones in my reference photo. The painting will hang on a soft yellow wall similar to the buildings in the background. Dottie has accented the room with navy and white curtains and bed cover. The red-orange is the complimentary color of the navy so it will go perfectly and brighten up the room.

Memories of Portofino     48″ x 38″     Original Oil Painting

I decided to add more Gladioli on the left, behind the coral colored Petunias. Dottie loved the idea of a flower filled foreground and it just looked too wimpy with the small clump of Gladioli. Painting this piece has brought back many happy remembrances for Jack and I. Now my collectors will be able to stroll across the ancient stones and sit at the harbor side table, basking in the warmth of their special Memories of Portofino. If you would like to see any of the pictures larger just click on the image. Thank you for following along, I hope you’ve enjoyed watching as much as I’ve had fun painting. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik

Would you like to receive an email every time I publish a new post? Just subscribe to my blog, it’s easy. Go to the upper right side of this page. You will see a heading EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS. Just enter your email address and click the button “Sign me up!”  And, for those of you wanting to link my posts to your facebook or blog you have my permission. Just do one favor for Jack and me, Have a Wonderful Day!

Planting Flowers

The harbor side table and chairs are finished so we’re ready to start planting! Geraniums are one of my favorite flowers. The darkest red blossoms are mixed from a couple of special colors not normally found on our Double Primary Palette: Cadmium Red Deep + Magenta. This mix makes a deep red, perfect for the shadow side of the Geraniums. Cadmium Red Light is used for the blossoms in the light. The flowers are blocked in first so the blossom color remains crisp and clean. If the foliage was done at the beginning my brush would pick up some of the green as I painted the flowers, making the color muddy.

So here we go on the Geranium leaves. A few strokes of the dark blue paint, saved from the water, are made in the shadows of the leaves. This adds depth and coolness to the foliage.

The yellow Daisies are painted in the same sequence as the Geraniums. After the foliage is complete the centers of the flowers are added.

On the left pink Gladiolas provide an upright to stop the light spilling across the old stone floor from the right. The tall stalks will direct the viewer’s gaze up to the pastel buildings lining the harbor. Moving to the lower pot the coral Petunias are various mixtures of Cadmium Red Light + Cadmium Orange + White.

The final touch on this part of the painting is to let a few blossoms float down to the ancient stone floor. Remember, if you would like to see any of the pictures larger, just click on the image. Tomorrow we should finish up. See You! Hugs, Mikki Senkarik

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