Burgundy Flowers

Next we’ll be painting Burgundy Flowers on some of the bookmarks, the color recipes are shown above. #1. Magenta + Cadmium Red Light + a tiny bit of White. #2. Cadmium Red Light. #3. Two shades of Dioxazine Purple + Magenta + White. #4. Pthalo Blue + White. #5. Three mixes of Pthalo Blue + a touch of Ultramarine Blue + Cadmium Lemon Yellow. #6. Two mixtures of Magenta + White. #7. Magenta + Cadmium Red Light + White. #8. White + Magenta.

Following my usual sequence of Flowers First, Leaves Last I start blocking in the burgundy blossoms. The most complicated part of designing these bookmarks is determining how I’m going to vignette the flowers and leaves to leave white space around the calligraphy. As you read through my blog, please keep in mind, you may click on any of the images to see enlargements.

I allow some of the leaves and flowers to extend in front of and behind individual letters. In the image above I’m bringing the lower loop of the “S” down, over the petals of the blossom.

We begin painting the leaves using the #4 and #5 mixtures. As with the flowers, I’m careful to arrange the leaves and vines to accentuate the calligraphy.

After getting the flowers, leaves and stems designed, I come back and add the final coat on the calligraphy using a wash of Magenta + Liquin Original.

Now the Hummingbirds fly in to take their positions on the Bookmarks!

I patiently delineate the Ivory Black stripes on the delicate wings of the yellow Tiger Swallowtail that graces the PATIENCE Bookmark! My wrist rests on the mahl stick hooked over the top of my easel, steadying my hand as I work. What is a Mahl Stick? CLICK HERE to find out!

All of the painting is finished on the Burgundy Bookmarks. The final step is to repaint the white areas where the faint tints of leaf, flower and Calligraphy color stained the background. If you’ll enlarge the image by clicking on the picture you can see it more clearly.

Six done, four more to go! Hope you’ll come back and visit my studio to see how they turn out! With Colorful Smiles,

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2022

www.senkarik.com

Hummingbirds & Butterflies

The bookmarks are in memory of Diane’s Sister-in-Law, Julie. Diane wants to give these to members of the family in her honor. I’d originally thought of including Julie’s initials on the bookmarks. But upon discovering that she loved birds I decided to add some Hummingbirds. Julie was a devote Christian; Butterflies are a symbol of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.

So, some of the bookmarks will have a Butterfly and others a Hummingbird! You may click on any of the images to see them larger.

Julie loved the rich colors of fall along with deep greens. So the calligraphy will be surrounded by flowers and foliage in these beautiful hues. To begin painting, the flowers are blocked in on the first three bookmarks with mixes of Alizarin Crimson + Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Red Light + Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Orange + Alizarin Crimson and Cadmium Orange + Cadmium Yellow Medium.

Leaves made of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Yellow Medium are painted around the flowers, helping to shape the blossoms.

The deep centers of the trumpet shaped flowers are delineated with a thin mix of Magenta + Liquin Original.

A Monarch Butterfly is added on the LOVE bookmark.

For PEACE I had initially thought of a Painted Lady Butterfly but then found this great picture of a Common Buckeye. I love the markings!

I didn’t have a picture of the Hummingbird in the exact position I want, so I just refer to this photo and make him up.

These three are almost finished. After the flowers and leaves dry I’ll come back and repaint the White background around the letters. Thanks for following along today, please come back! With Hugs,

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2022

www.senkarik.com

Calligraphy

The Calligraphy is done with a brush dipped in a thin oil mix of Magenta + Liquin Original. My wrist is braced against the mahl stick that is hooked over the top of the easel in order to steady my hand as I delineate the letters.

For some of the lettering my hand is braced against the unpainted canvas to provide a steady base. I alternate between using the mahl stick and bracing against the canvas; changing periodically gives my shoulder muscles a break.

Nearing the lower edge of the canvas I brace against the shelf of the easel that holds the art. If you’d like to see any of these images larger, just click on the picture.

You can see I haven’t followed the sketched lettering exactly. I’ll have to let the oil wash Calligraphy dry completely before I can erase the pencil lines. The pinkish areas are where I’ve made corrections to my oil wash letters. I’m not going to worry about that now, I’ll clean that up later.

The canvas was placed under a ceiling fan overnight to dry the thin oil wash of the Calligraphy. A kneaded eraser is now used to delete the pencil guide lines.

All the Calligraphy is pretty much done. I’ll have to do some touch up later, after the other elements on the bookmarks are painted. That’s all for this session but there’s lots more to go. Hope you’ll come back and follow along! With Colorful Smiles,

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2022

www.senkarik.com

TEN PAINTINGS at ONCE!

OK, here we go. We’ll be working on TEN PAINTINGS at ONE TIME! This is a commission for Ten Bookmarks based on the scripture in the Bible from Galatians, Chapter 5, verses 22-23:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Each bookmark will measure 2 inches x 9.5 inches. You can see in the image above, I’ve measured and taped off ten rectangles that size with blue painter’s tape on an 18 inch x 24 inch canvas. Using a T-Square, I’ve also drawn guidelines for the calligraphy on each bookmark. Please remember as you read through this post, you may click on any of the images to see them larger.

I’ve designed the calligraphy for each of the “Fruits” to be different. The lettering is sketched out on a sheet of 1/4 inch grid, or graph, paper.

Referring to my original designs on the graph paper, the calligraphy is sketched on the canvas using a pencil.

The last step for today is to pop the canvas up on my easel. We’re ready to begin working in oils in our next session. Hope you’ll come back to my studio and follow along.

I appreciate you visiting my blog today, hope you’ll come back soon and visit my studio again! If you would like to receive an email every time I publish a new post, you may 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 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.

Thank you for subscribing and have a wonderful day! With Big Hugs,

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2022

www.senkarik.com

GRECIAN ESCAPE

Large terra cotta containers perch on top of a rock ledge at the foot of the wall below the colorful Bougainvillea. The pots are painted with mixes of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Cadmium Orange + Cadmium Red Light. White is added to make the lighter shades. Just a little reminder, you may click on any of the images to see enlargements.

We’re ready to begin building the Terrace and Steps with the unique stonework found throughout the islands of Greece. Come watch…

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Stone Terrace and Steps

Now we can begin planting. This is far easier in my painting than it must be in reality. I can’t imagine hauling the heavy terra cotta pots, bags of dirt and plants up all those stairs! It’s difficult enough in my garden where it’s completely level. The Geraniums are blocked in FLOWERS FIRST, LEAVES LAST as indicated by the numbers in the image above. The blossoms are combinations of Cadmium Red Deep + Magenta, Cadmium Red Deep and Cadmium Red Deep + Cadmium Red Light. Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Lemon Yellow is used for the foliage of the Geraniums.

After highlighting the Geraniums with Cadmium Red Light + a little White, the distinctive flower buds are added with Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Lemon Yellow + White.

A few petals from the bright Geranium flowers have floated to the ground where they cast long shadows across the stone floor.

Salvia, made of several shades of Magenta + White, spills out of one of the rectangular containers residing on the rock ledge. The dark blossoms are accentuated by the sunlit gate behind.

The Salvia’s dusty, grey-green foliage is painted with several combinations of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + White.

Dazzling Nasturtiums compliment the Magenta Salvia next to them. The rusty blooms are Cadmium Orange + Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Orange and Cadmium Orange + Cadmium Yellow Medium. The disc shaped leaves are made with a twist of my Bright brush. Turning the square tip of the brush makes the circular stroke! This takes a little practice but once you learn the technique it’s easy to do.

“GRECIAN ESCAPE” 19 inches by 19 inches

Sparkling White buildings juxtaposed again the azure water of the Aegean Sea and punctuated with brilliantly colored flowers beckon the viewer to hop on a magic carpet ride to a “GRECIAN ESCAPE”. I don’t know about you, but I’m sure ready! Thank you for following along, hope you’ll come back and visit our studio again soon. Next I’ll be working on TEN paintings, ALL AT THE SAME TIME! Hugs,

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2022

www.senkarik.com

Tumbling Stairs and Bougainvillea

The building, as well as the stairways tumbling down the hillside below the foreground terrace, are now added. Pickets of the Cobalt Blue gate, cast their shadows on the wall adjacent to the opening. Notice how the wall becomes cooler, or more blue, as it descends down the hill. This helps to give the feeling of the steep steps going down. Please remember as you read through my post, you may click on any of the pictures to see them larger.

The Bougainvillea at the top of the stairway is blocked in with Permanent Rose + White. The vibrant pink glows against the azure water in the distance.

The white stucco walls are all made of mixes, in different proportions of White + MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) and White + MUD + Ultramarine Blue. The sunny portion of the wall has more White in the mix, the shadows have more of the MUD mixture in them. The back part of the foreground wall is bluer and a little darker, making it recede. Pure White is reserved to make the highlight on the top of the wall.

The unique detail at the top of the arch is now delineated.

The gate and border around the opening of the doorway are made with Cobalt Blue + a touch of Pthalo Blue + White. This makes the Blue a little more intense which brings it forward of the other gate and domes, helping to increase the feeling of depth in the painting.

The Bougainvillea cascades over the top of the wall and down both sides. Some of it can be seen through the opening above the gate.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Bougainvillea

That’s it for today. We should complete our Santorini painting in our next session. Hope you’ll come back to follow along and see how this finishes up! With Colorful Smiles,

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2022

www.senkarik.com

Sky and Cobalt Blue Domes

Let’s get to painting! We’ll begin with the sky. My color recipes are as follows: #1. MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Ultramarine Blue + White. This will be used for the horizon line where the ocean meets the sky. #2. Cobalt Blue + a touch of Ultramarine Blue + White. #3. Pthalo Blue + White. #4. Two shades of Ultramarine Blue + Cadmium Orange + White. These mixes are for the shadow parts of the clouds. #5. White + a little bit of mixture #4.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Blocking in the Sky

The bluff nearest the horizon is painted with a mix of MUD + a little Cadmium Orange + Ultramarine Blue + White. Mist, caused by waves crashing against the base of the bluff, is added with some of the #2 Sky mixture.

A ray of sunlight splashes across the azure water and illuminates the closest bluff with its brilliant warmth. The distant part of the ocean has been painted with the #1 mix shown in the first step. The sunny strip on the water is a combination of Pthalo Blue + White. Mixtures of Ultramarine Blue + White and Ultramarine Blue + Pthalo Blue + White have been used for the area below my brush.

Crosses are added on top of the Cobalt Blue + White Domes.

The towers of the domes are painted with several mixes in different combinations of MUD + White and Ultramarine Blue + White. The front edge of the two sunlit sides of the tower is made whiter, so it appears to come forward. The back edge has more blue in the mix, making it recede.

Window sashes form a cross in each of the arched openings. Cobalt Blue + White, remaining from the domes, is used to make them.

Pthalo Turquoise Blue + White is used to complete the ocean. The intensity of this color brings it forward of the more muted blues in the distant part of the water. Thanks for following along today! Hope you’ll come back for our next session. Hugs,

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2022

www.senkarik.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022!

Hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and New Years! I took a little time off from blogging, but now I’m back with a new commission of one of my favorite places, Santorini, Greece!

The scene will be classic Greek architecture, overlooking the Aegean Sea. But just to show you that ideas come from all different places, the image above sparked the inspiration for my painting! I love the unusual top of this building, draped in flowers, with a blue dome rising tall in the background.

So here’s my basic sketch. It was fun composing the scene around the image shown in the previous step. I decided to add two domes towering above the structure in the foreground.

A T-Square is balanced on the top edge of my canvas in order to draw the upright lines of the buildings. My basic sketch is drawn with a brush dipped in a thin oil wash of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin Original.

The structure and gate in the foreground begin to take shape.

Pickets of the gate, opening to the stairs going down the steep hillside, cast their shadows on the side post.

The iconic bluffs of Santorini are now added.

More stairs tumble down the side of the hill in the distance.

A thin oil wash of Cobalt Blue + Liquin Original is used for the Blue Church Domes.

Our sketch is complete, we’ll begin painting with thicker oil paints in our next session. I hope you’ll come follow along.

I appreciate you visiting my blog today, hope you’ll come back soon and visit my studio again! If you would like to receive an email every time I publish a new post, you may 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 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.

Thank you for subscribing and have a wonderful day! With Big Hugs,

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2022

www.senkarik.com