Reflections of the Moon

We’re ready to start painting! Here’s the color recipes for the early evening sky and distant mountains: #1. MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Ultramarine Blue + White. #2. MUD + White. #3. MUD + Alizarin Crimson + White. #4. Alizarin Crimson + Cadmium Red Light + a tiny bit of MUD + White. #5. Two shades of Mix #4 + Cadmium Orange + White. At the top of my palette are the basic colors used for our Double Primary Mixing System. To learn more about this easy method that Jack developed for mixing oil paints CLICK HERE.

The sky along the top of the mountain is warmed by the setting sun. The upper portion is made darker and more lavender with mixtures #2 and #3.

The crescent moon is delineated with a creamy mixture of White + a tiny bit of Cadmium Yellow Medium + a speck of MUD.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Shimmering Water of the Adirondack Mountain Lake

The closest, evergreen covered mountains are blocked in with several mixtures of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + MUD + White. Applying the paint with the square, Bright brush held in a vertical position gives the impression of the trees. Please remember, you may click on this or any of the other images to see them larger.

Evergreens at the far edge of the field of Daisies are made with combinations of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Yellow Medium + White.

A few strokes of Pthalo Blue + White are made here and there in the trees to bring a little coolness to the foliage. That’s it for this session. Thank you for following along, I really appreciate all of your kind, encouraging comments! So here’s a Big BEAR Hug for you!

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Bear With Me!

A new commission! With Bears no less! Here’s my sketch. Please keep in mind as you read through my blog, you may click on any of the images to view them larger.

After sketching in the horizon line and distant mountains I begin drawing the bears with a brush dipped in a thin oil wash of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin.

A pair of cardinals perch on a branch under a crescent moon rising in the early evening sky. They are sketched with thin washes of Alizarin Crimson + Liquin and Alizarin Crimson + MUD + Liquin.

A couple of books have been left on the rocks nestled at the base of the trees. You’ll find out the reason why in a later post!

The painting has been commissioned as a gift, hearts with the initials of the recipient’s children are carved into the trunks of the birches.

The flowers growing along the rocks are washed in the Magenta + Liquin. This covers the canvas so when I paint the flowers there won’t be any little white spots showing though the opaque color. We’ll start painting in our next session, hope you’ll come back and follow along!

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Please keep in mind, to move through the blog when you get the posts just CLICK on the small titles at the top of the page. The right one for the next post or the title on the left side for the previous session. And if you enjoy my blog please CLICK the FaceBook LIKE Button. As Jack would say, “Much Obliged!”

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SENKARIK Garden and House Flags are NOW AVAILABLE!

 

CLICK HERE to purchase your SENKARIK Garden and House Flags

Add extra Pizazz to your garden or entry with a “Billboard of Happiness”. These make fun GIFTS too!

CLICK HERE to purchase your SENKARIK Garden and House Flags

Welcome your guests with a splash of SENKARIK color!

Make the outside of your home into an art gallery!

CLICK HERE to purchase your SENKARIK Garden and House Flags

And don’t forget I have over 30 images of my paintings that can be printed on unique tote bags. Christmas is approaching, women LOVE these SENKARIK “Billboard of Happiness” TOTE BAGS. You may choose from two different styles, the WEEKENDER TOTE shown above.

To Select your SENKARIK Weekender Tote Bags CLICK HERE

OR there’s a SQUARE TOTE BAG Option also!

Purchase your SENKARIK Square Tote Bags, just CLICK HERE

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A Colorful Celebration!

 

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Fountain

OK, fountain is complete, let’s get to work planting some flowers. Please remember as you read through my blog, you may click on any of the images to see them larger.

California Poppies fill the square container by the base of the fountain. The blossoms are mixes of Cadmium Orange + Alizarin Crimson and Cadmium Orange. Leaves are painted around the flowers with several shades of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + White.

Centers of the Poppies are added with a thin oil mixture of Alizarin Crimson + Liquin.

Geraniums made of Cadmium Red Deep + Alizarin Crimson and Cadmium Red Deep nestle next to the California Poppies.

Leaves are painted with Pthalo Blue + Lemon Yellow, then the petals of the Geraniums illuminated by sunshine are delineated with Cadmium Red Light.

Petunias tumble out of the planter to the right of the red gate. Mixes of Magenta + White are used for the delicate blossoms, the foliage is blocked in with combinations of Ultramarine Blue + Lemon Yellow.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Plumeria

The broad leaves and stems of the Plumeria are mixes of Pthalo Blue + Lemon Yellow + Cadmium Yellow Medium.

The centers of the Plumeria flowers have a hint of yellow. The corner of my square, Bright brush is used to add touches of Cadmium Yellow Medium to the fragrant blossoms.

Geraniums in the lower right corner are “Planted” with paint remaining from those on the left side of the courtyard.

“A Colorful Celebration”

Water cascades from the fountain and “A Colorful Celebration” is ready to start bringing lots of happiness to its new owners! I really appreciate you following along! With Cheerful Smiles and Big Hugs,

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Scarlett and Rhett are Back!

Construction of the building is complete, the door and window are installed as well, so now we can get on with the Wisteria…..

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Wisteria

In the video I mentioned a beautiful Wisteria we saw in a small village located on the Sorrento Peninsula. Jack and I were on our way to the coastal town of Amalfi. Here are the sketches I made while Jack was taking pictures.

Many times I’ll press an actual flower in my sketch book as a memory catcher!

The Wisteria is finished and….. WAIT A SECOND!!!!!!! Is that some little squeaks I hear? And the hum of tiny wings?

OH MY GOODNESS, look who decided to visit Texas! It’s our favorite traveling Hummingbirds, Scarlett and Rhett. I guess it’s starting to get cold in NYC where their home is, they’ve come to the Hill Country for a little vacation. If you are new to my blog these precious little Ruby-Throats are named after the main characters in my all time favorite novel, Gone With the Wind. If you’d like to see them larger, just click on the image.

Guess we better give those sweet babies some Bluebonnets to see after they’ve traveled all this way. The blossoms are blocked in with mixes of Ultramarine Blue + White and Cobalt Blue + White.

Foliage is painted with combinations of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + White.

The “Caps” on the Bluebonnets in the foreground are made with pure White. Those in the distance have a little Ultramarine Blue added to the White which makes them fall back.

The entire surface of the courtyard floor is covered with mixtures of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Cadmium Orange + a tiny touch of Pthalo Blue + White. More White is added to make the lighter tile colors. A few strokes of Ultramarine Blue + White are made at the farthest edge of the shadow areas so it will recede.

Perspective lines are drawn into the wet paint of the floor with a long liner brush dipped in a thin oil wash of MUD + Liquin.

Horizontal lines separating the individual tiles are made next. This is done freehand, bracing my wrist against the mahl stick would limit the movement of my arm, making it impossible to draw the lines straight.

WHEW! I always hold my breath while doing those tile lines. Now I can breathe easy again. I’ll be planting in our next session, why don’t you grab some gardening gloves? I’d love for you to come help! With Colorful Smiles,

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Field and Stream

 

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Bluebonnet field and upper stream.

The lower level of the stream is covered with mixes of Pthalo Blue + White. Please remember as you read through my blog, you may click on any of the images to see them larger.

Then reflections are pulled straight down into the water with color leftover from the rocks. The mixes are MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Cadmium Orange + more Ultramarine Blue + White.

White + a tiny bit of Ultramarine Blue is used to make the little white “Caps” on the bluebonnets in the distance.

The Prickly Pear Cactus is painted with some of the greens leftover from the distant tree and hills. Alizarin Crimson is added into a few of the mixtures to accentuate the pads warmed by the sun.

We’re ready to begin construction on the building! Let’s get started…..

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Tile Roof. I apologize, the image is a little fuzzy. I forgot to fine focus the camera before I started painting. OPPPSSSSS!

Combinations of MUD + Cadmium Orange + Cadmium Yellow Medium + White are used for the rugged stone wall. I have to work carefully around my sketch of the Hummingbirds.

The cross over the arch is “Carved” into the keystone with MUD + Liquin. I brace against the mahl stick which is hooked over the top of my easel in order to steady my hand.

The gnarled trunk of the Wisteria is drawn into the wet paint of the wall with the same MUD mixture. The curved limbs are highlighted with color from the tile roof.

The shadow portion of the red gates is Cadmium Red Deep + Alizarin Crimson. The part illuminated by sunlight is pure Cadmium Red Light.

The edges of the individual boards comprising the gates are accented and wrought iron handles added. So that finishes us up for this session. Hope you come back and visit the studio again, more VIDEOS are in the works! With Colorful Smiles!

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Starting Another Commission

The commission I’m starting on today is based on a painting I did a couple of years ago, “Celebrate Spring”. If you’d like to visit the blog post for that piece CLICK HERE.  The basic plan for the composition is sketched on the canvas with a brush dipped in a thin oil wash of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin. A T-Square resting on the top edge of my gallery wrap canvas is used to draw the upright lines, insuring they are straight and true.

Lorena asked me to include a cross in the arch over the gate. In the final painting the cross won’t be as prominent, it will appear to be carved into the keystone of the arch. 

Heavy wood gates open to the Texas Hill Country beyond.

I’ve indicated the flowers under the window and labeled them so I’ll remember our plan! Next the fountain is added into the scene. Shading is done using the oil wash and a larger brush.

Making the base of the fountain larger and extending it to the right, beyond the edge of the gate in the background, contributes to the feeling of depth in the painting.

The sky becomes lighter as it gets closer to the top of the hills. The upper region is a mix of White + Cobalt Blue, the lower part is White + Pthalo Blue.

The most distant hill is a combination of Ultramarine Blue + a touch of MUD + White. The coolness makes it recede. The closer one is blocked in with mixtures of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + White, Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + MUD + White, Ultramarine Blue + White and White + Cadmium Orange + MUD.  Several shades of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Yellow Medium + Cadmium Orange + White are used for the Live Oak Tree at the back of the field.

That’s all for today, hope you’ll come back and follow along! I’m planning a VIDEO for the next session. 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.

Please keep in mind, to move through the blog when you get the posts just CLICK on the small titles at the top of the page. The right one for the next post or the title on the left side for the previous session. And if you enjoy my blog please CLICK the FaceBook LIKE Button. As Jack would say, “Much Obliged!”

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Embellishing “Romance in Santorini”

I’m embellishing this piece for one of my collectors to hang in her beautiful bathroom with a couple of paintings of Puerto Vallerta. Debbie liked “Romance in Santorini” because it fills her heart with wonderful memories of traveling in Greece. The first thing I do is glaze the window with a thin oil wash of Cobalt Blue + Liquin. If you’ll enlarge the image by clicking on the picture you can see the line of demarcation directly to the left of the bristles of my brush. The area below the brush has not been glazed yet.

The azure water of the Aegean Sea is repainted with mixes of Pthalo Turquoise Blue + White and Pthalo Blue + White.

The sun-splashed church in the background is highlighted with Pure White. The brilliant Greecian light sends a shadow of the cross cascading over the surface of the domed roof.

Next the yellow chairs, wine glasses and bottle are accentuated. Then Permanent Rose + White and Permanent Geranium Lake + White are used to repaint the Bougainvillea tumbling over the foreground building and terrace wall.

Geraniums are brightened up by embellishing them with Cadmium Red Deep, Winsor Red and Cadmium Red Light.

The distinctive buds on the Geraniums are painted with Pthalo Blue + Lemon Yellow + White. A few colorful petals have fallen to the stone floor, giving the piece a more realistic touch. The LIMITED ORIGINAL is signed on the front just like my Original Oil Paintings.

“Romance in Santorini”

“Romance in Santorini” is ready to join the paintings of Puerto Vallarta in Debbie’s unique bathroom! Several have asked why we call my Hand Embellished Giclees LIMITED ORIGINALS. It’s because I paint extensively on each colorful, high resolution, digital image with oils; so no two are exactly alike. I repaint flowers, will possibly change a door color or landscape and may even add a special item at a collector’s request. Each piece is protected with a UV, brush textured coating. So even though each is part of a limited edition, every single piece is original. Therefore Jack coined the term: LIMITED ORIGINAL. A 6″ x 6″ square is painted on the back of the canvas with white acrylic. When that is dry the title, numbering and caption “Senkarik LIMITED ORIGINAL Hand Embellished Giclee on Canvas” is handwritten with a Sharpie on the white field. The acrylic prevents the pen from bleeding through. Thanks for following along, I’ll be starting a new commission in my next session. With BIG HUGS,

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Sunburst

Here’s another picture from our garden in Floresville showing the Sunflower bud I’m using for reference.

I’ve moved the leaves around to fit my overall design. That’s one of the things that’s so cool about painting flowers, change-ups are no problem. I didn’t have that latitude when doing Medical Illustrations, it would have been disastrous to vary the direction of a blood vessel or nerve! Notice how I turn my large Bright, square ended brush sideways to paint the narrow petals emerging from the bud. You may click on the image to see it larger.

The bud is complete, now let’s work on the flower directly above it.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting Sunflower

The large dark centers are first covered with a mix of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin. Then some of the darker yellows from the flower are worked into the MUD to indicate the lighter area around the middle. 

The blossom nestled in the lower right corner is mostly in shadow. A few strokes of red from the background are dragged into the petals to darken them even more.

Painting is done, now it’s time to pull the tape off and see how it looks….

OPPS! My alignment is off on the lower right flower, some of the petals extending into the white frame are green instead of yellow!

The petals are carefully repainted, making sure the transitions are properly lined up. I’ll have to come back and cover the pencil lines on the frame with white acrylic.

“Sunburst”      24″ x 14″

The cheery, yellow flowers are a happy “Sunburst”, popping out to bring a ray of sunshine to their new home. As soon as they dry a bit they’ll be off to Oklahoma! Thanks for all of your wonderful comments, my readers are the best! With BIG HUGS,

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Color Mixes, Leaves and Silly Molly

ALRIGHT….I’ve got my colors all mixed and am ready to begin painting the leaves. Here’s the recipes: #1. Two shades of Cadmium Red Deep + Alizarin Crimson. #2. Pure Cadmium Red Deep. #3. Cadmium Red Light. #4. MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Cadmium Orange. #5. MUD + Liquin. #6. Pthalo Blue + Liquin. #7. Ultramarine Blue + White. #8. A light and darker mix of Pthalo Blue + White. #9. Several combinations in different proportions of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Yellow Medium + Lemon Yellow + White. #10. 3 mixes of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Yellow Medium + Cadmium Orange. You may click on the image to see it larger.

At our previous home we planted a couple of beds of Sunflowers. I took lots of pictures of them at every stage of bloom. I’m using this image as reference for my flower in the upper left. I’ve edited out some of the leaves to make room for the blossom on the right.

I start with the foliage of the upper flowers.

Moving to the Sunflower in the upper right the petals in shadow are made with a mixture of Cadmium Yellow Medium + MUD + a little Cadmium Orange. Those in the light are Cadmium Yellow Medium + a tiny bit of Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Yellow Medium and Cadmium Yellow Medium + Lemon Yellow.

The center of the flower is painted with mixes #4 and #5 that I showed in the first picture.

After completing the blossoms at the top of the canvas I continue working downward, blocking in the rest of the large leaves.

The painting is signed in the lower right corner with Cadmium Red Light. Since the green leaf behind my signature is the complimentary color to red, it makes the calligraphy appear much brighter. That’s all for today, we should finish up in our next session. Hope you’ll come back, I’m going to have a video of painting one of the Sunflowers.

I took a little break before cleaning up my brushes for the day. Walking by the glass doors that open to the back deck I looked out and saw that Molly. I guess she decided to be a “Twin” to Boscoe, the Talavera kitty I brought back from Santa Fe a couple of years ago! She’s a Silly Girl, always entertaining. With Colorful Smiles,

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