AMAZING GRACE

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have life everlasting.”  John 3:16

Today is the day we honor the resurrection of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Because of God’s Amazing Grace we’ll have eternal life. A gift we certainly don’t deserve but are incredibly grateful for.

Every single sunrise is a celebration of that gift, a new day to rejoice and thank Our Lord. The beauty God creates leaves me in total awe, it’s far beyond anything we earthly artists can achieve. And every time I see a beautiful sunrise I truly believe God has given all the artists in Heaven huge paint brushes. Under Our Lord’s direction they splash His colors across the sky for those of us below to enjoy. Reminding us of His Amazing Grace and that He has our loved ones tucked safely under His wing; waiting for our happy reunion. Can’t you just image Jack up there painting alongside all of the master artists he so admired? Just the thought brings smiles to my soul.

I am very blessed to have every one of you in my life. Your friendship, continued support, thoughts and prayers have been wonderful.

Thank you for being part of my life and I wish everyone a Happy Easter!

REJOICE, HE IS RISEN!

Bursting With Joy

In today’s session we’re working on the white horses galloping through the river. Their lower legs are painted with mixes of Ivory Black and Ivory Black + a bit of White. The highlights on the horses’ wet legs are made with Ultramarine Blue + White.

The shadows on the horses are mixtures of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) + Cadmium Orange + White and MUD + Ultramarine Blue + a little Cadmium Orange + White. More White is added into those mixes for the sunlit portions of their sleek coats. Pure White is reserved for highlights, such as the one on the horse’s bony cheekbone that I’m painting here. Please remember as you read through my blog, you may click on any of the images to see them enlarged.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Starting the horse on the left

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Finishing that pretty guy up!

My wrist is braced on my mahl stick in order to steady my hand as I paint the tiny details on the eye of the horse in the center.

Bursting With Joy     20 inches x 30 inches

The spirited horses are “Bursting With Joy” as they splash through the shallow water, making the reflections of the fall foliage dance wildly. This has been so much fun to paint, I hope you’ve had as good of a time following along! HUGS,

http://www.senkarik.com

Painting the Water and Rocks

Sunlight dances over the tree tops on the river bank, illuminating the tips of the tall feathery grass. My square, Bright brush is turned sideways to make the thin, upright strokes.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Water and Reflections

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Rocks

The river is complete, now to paint the lower edge of the gallery wrap canvas. Please keep in mind as you read through my blog, you may click on any of the images to see them larger.

The canvas is attached to cardboard, making it much easier to handle the wet painting. Would you like to see how that was done? If so, CLICK HERE.   The entire unit is placed upside down on an office chair, then wheeled next to my palette. Using paint from the rocks and water on the front of the canvas, I continue the design on to the bottom.

The splashing water is painted with mixes of White + Ultramarine Blue.

We’re done for today, all we have left to do is the spirited white horses! I’ve saved them for our next session, I do hope you’ll come follow along. With Warm Texas Hugs,

http://www.senkarik.com

 

 

 

Sky, Mountains and Fall Aspen

 

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Sky

After completing the sky the most distant mountains are painted with a mix of White + Ultramarine Blue + a touch of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson). Stepping forward the next ridge is made with darker shades of the same combination that has a bit more MUD added.

My mixes for the tree covered slope directly behind the river are: #1. Pthalo Blue + a touch of White. #2 . Ultramarine Blue + White. #3. Four combinations in different proportions of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + White.

The cooler mixes of #3, those with more Pthalo Blue, are used for the portion of the slope in the distance. The warmer mixes make up the trees closer to the foreground. Streams of light spill down the mountain side, illuminating the tops of the tall pines. Please remember as you read through my blog, you may click on any of the images to see them larger.

The large Fir Tree by the river is painted with darker mixes of Pthalo Blue + a little Cadmium Orange + a touch of White. Bracing against the mahl stick steadies my hand as I draw the trunk with a mixture of MUD + Cadmium Orange.

It’s fun to paint fall landscapes. Trees lining the distant river bank are various combinations of Alizarin Crimson + Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Crimson + MUD + White, Alizarin Crimson + White and Cadmium Red Light + Cadmium Orange. The corner of the Bright (square) brush is used to form the details of the leaves.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting Aspens

How’s that for a blast of fall color? I can just feel the crispness in the air. We’ll work on the rocks and water in our next session! Come watch! With Colorful Smiles and Hugs,

http://www.senkarik.com

Starting Up!

 

Today I’m starting on a new painting based on the piece above. My collector essentially would like the same composition but going in the opposite direction. It will also be a different size in order to hang with other Senkarik my collector will be putting in his office.

“Breathtaking Exuberance” will be the companion to the new painting. You can see why we are going to flip the original design.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Starting to sketch the basic plan on the canvas.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Sketching the first horse with a brush dipped in a thin oil wash of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin.

Work continues on the second horse.

I purposely make the white horses’ legs dark, this will enable them to been seen in the splashing water.

The oil sketch is complete, we’ll begin applying opaque color in our next session. Hope you’ll come follow along! If you would like to receive an email every time I publish a new post please feel free to subscribe to my blog. CLICK THIS LINK and scroll to the upper right side of the page. You will see a heading EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS. Just enter your email address and click the button “Sign me up!”  It’s easy. And if you enjoy my blog please CLICK the FaceBook LIKE Button. As we say in Texas, “Much Obliged!

http://www.senkarik.com

An Amazing Garden

 

I decided to take a few days off to enjoy our beautiful spring here in Texas. A dear friend of Jack’s and mine, Angel Ann, joined me. But I wasn’t goofing off entirely, took lots of photos. Everywhere I looked filled my heart with ideas for new paintings.

Tyler, a small town in the eastern part of our state holds an annual festival to celebrate the Azaleas that bloom in abundance there. Gardens were dotted with Southern belles, we felt like we were back in the days of Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone With the Wind”.

Ann had visited Tyler last year on March 11. This is one of her pictures of the Azaleas in full bloom, the color was amazing.

 

This year spring is springing a bit later, we never know God’s time table. Here is the same Wisteria pergola you saw in the previous picture. Azaleas are heavy with buds but no colorful blooms yet. Give them a couple more weeks and their brilliance will be awesome. But we didn’t mind at all, the gardens were still beautiful.

One of the owners in this particular neighborhood allowed the public to tour their private garden. What a joy. Ann and I fell in love with their quaint greenhouse.

Oh my, it was filled with Orchids from all over the world! What a treat for us, we both really appreciate all of the tender loving care it takes to nurture these exotic blooms.

A soothing fountain bubbles serenely in front of the greenhouse.

I couldn’t resist this unusual planter and grouping of plants.

We had to laugh at the cute little puppy in this sculpture. You may have to enlarge the picture to see him in the basket. Just Click on the image. What a fun garden piece!

And wouldn’t it be fun to have a dinner party on the terraces under the umbrellas?

Another beautiful Southern Belle gracing the garden! I can’t even imagine trying to wear one of those hoop dresses. But in talking with her we found this is a girl after my own heart, she was wearing tennis shoes under that fancy dress! It was such a delight to tour the beautiful gardens in Tyler. It didn’t matter that the Azalea Blossoms were late to the party. We had a fabulous time anyway! So that’s what I’ve been up to the last few days. Will be starting another painting in our next session. Hope you’ll come follow along. With Colorful Smiles and Hugs,

http://www.senkarik.com

 

 

A Quiet Conversation

The Southwestern style bench is painted with mixes of Pthalo Turquoise Blue + White. The darkest mix has just a touch of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) added in. Shadows are painted first, then the sunlit portions.

It’s fun to make the little details that say, “Hey, this is Santa Fe!” Please remember as you read through my blog, you may click on any of the images to see them larger.

The blossoms of the Petunias are blocked in with combinations of Permanent Rose + White, Permanent Rose + Cadmium Red Light + White, Cadmium Red Light and Cadmium Orange.

The Petunia’s bright green leaves are various mixes of Pthalo Blue + Lemon Yellow.

Sunlight illuminates the cacti in the stone planter directly behind the front portion of the burro, accentuating his head and neck.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Burro

A blue and white striped blanket provides padding for the burro’s heavy load of golden Sunflowers.

Like the Petunias, the Sunflowers are blocked in FLOWERS FIRST, LEAVES LAST. Cadmium Yellow Medium + MUD, Cadmium Yellow Medium and Cadmium Yellow Medium + Lemon Yellow are used.

Leaves are mixtures of Ultramarine Blue + Lemon Yellow. This makes a duller, warmer green than the Pthalo Blue + Lemon Yellow combination used for the Petunias.

Large centers are painted directly over the yellow with a thin mix of MUD + Liquin. Some of the yellow is picked up when the dark is pulled over it, bringing additional interest to the sunny “face” of the flower.

My attention is now turned to the Rooster. I have to laugh as I paint his beak. Jack always called birds’ beaks their NOSE! So here I’m painting the NOSE of the colorful little fella.

A Quiet Conversation          19″ x 19″

Looks like our two friends are having “A Quiet Conversation” by this charming Santa Fe entryway! I’d like to say THANK YOU to my collectors, Suzanne and Mick, for allowing me the fun of working on this piece. And, to all of you, I appreciate your questions and comments. BIG HUGS,

http://www.senkarik.com

A Little Something to Inspire You!

 

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Red Door

Window is in and Red Door installed. Now, let’s get to work laying some tile.

The first step on painting the Satillo Tile floor is to establish the shadows streaming across the surface. Mixes of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) + Cadmium Orange + a touch of Cadmium Red Light + White are used. A few strokes of White + Ultramarine Blue are made near the far edge of the floor to make it recede.

Now the light spilling through the courtyard is painted. More White is added to the floor mixtures for the lighter portions. I work very carefully around the feet of the Rooster and Burro’s hooves in order to preserve my original sketch.

Perspective lines are drawn into the wet paint with a fine liner brush. I can’t use the mahl stick here because it would limit my range of motion; preventing me from making straight lines.

Horizontal lines separating the tiles are now drawn. You may click on the image to see it larger.

The final touch to the floor is to highlight the edges of the individual pavers. The highlights on the tiles closest to the building are made cooler, or bluer, so they will go back. The edges of the sunlit ones nearest the viewer are pure white, this makes them come forward.

We’re moving right along. Thank you for visiting my studio today, I hope you’ll come back soon.

But……before I go today I want to share this video with you. It’s an amazing and inspirational love story. If you ever think there is something you can’t face or do, THINK AGAIN! With Colorful Smiles and Big Hugs,

http://www.senkarik.com

Trumpet Vine and Shadows

 

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Trumpet Vine

The adobe color is mixtures in various proportions of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) + Cadmium Orange + a tiny touch of Pthalo Blue + White. More MUD is added into the darker mixes. A little bit of the red from the ristra, or strand of chilies, is pulled into its shadow. This is because the color of the peppers reflects into the shadow they cast. You may click on the picture, enlarging it to see this more clearly.

The shadow of the lantern over the door falls on the jamb. Over the years Jack and I have studied shadows, taking lots of reference pictures. It’s fun observing how shadows of objects dance across different surfaces.

Now the shadows of the vigas, the beams protruding from the adobe wall, are made.

The quirky little lantern adds a distinctly Southwestern touch to the doorway.

WHEW! Got all the basic construction work done on the building. Just think, what would take months in real life we can do in just one session in a painting! We’ll put in the window, hang the door and lay tile in our next session. Hope to see you then! With Smiles and Hugs,

http://www.senkarik.com

Santa Fe + Burro + Rooster

My newest collaboration combines some of my favorite subjects: Santa Fe architecture, burros and roosters! I’m using this quaint adobe building as the basis for my sketch.

I’ve changed the angle of the structure just a bit, added a bench, lots of flowers, a chili ristra, a Rooster and the Burro, laden with Sunflowers. You may click on this or any of the other pictures to view them larger.

Let’s get to work on the canvas. First the basic plan of the adobe casita is drawn up with a brush dipped in a thin oil wash of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin.

A T-square, balanced on the top edge of the canvas, provides a guide in drawing the upright posts of the bench.

The silhouette of the burro is washed in with the mix of MUD + Liquin. This helps me to establish the proportions and conformation of the animal.

After making certain his basic shape is correct, I come back and refine the anatomy. Notice how this fella’s face is divided into 4 parts. This helps to get the eyes, nostrils and bony protuberances on his head all in the right positions. 

I especially like the unusual light fixture over the door. Southwestern architecture is really fun to paint with all of its quirky details.

Our feisty Rooster has flown into the picture and we’re all ready to begin painting. Hope you’ll come back and follow along! If you would like to receive an email every time I publish a new post please feel free to subscribe to my blog. CLICK THIS LINK and scroll to the upper right side of the page. You will see a heading EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS. Just enter your email address and click the button “Sign me up!”  It’s easy. And if you enjoy my blog please CLICK the FaceBook LIKE Button. As we say in Texas, “Much Obliged!

http://www.senkarik.com