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something I am grateful for today
May. 10th, 2025 06:05 amthe songs of robins — been a long time coming
My 44th acrylic is a dog. [I feel like I need to tell people.] Having done a few animals now, I realize I have gradually felt my way toward a go-to palette for them: parchment, unbleached titanium, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, transparent burnt umber, and Payne's gray. Most of the critters I've tackled can be done with just those few, and little need to add a dot of any other colour. [I did put a dot of alizarin crimson inside the ears here...]
something I am grateful for today
Apr. 6th, 2023 07:50 amThis morning I woke to the songs of robins — first time I've heard that this year!
something I am grateful for today
Apr. 11th, 2022 07:58 amjust saw Statuedog® going by for a walk — after a few years of seeing him almost every day, I got spoiled and looked forward to him, but this is the first time I've seen him since December. I'm not used to going so long without a Statuedog sighting, I was seriously worried that something had happened to him...
robin redux
Mar. 24th, 2022 05:03 pmOkay, let's call this Watercolour #25A. Today I decided to take another crack at yesterday's robin, but this time going for something a bit more expressionist and abstracted, aiming at a more minimalist, Chinese-calligraphy approach to it. Trying to put a form down in as few brushstrokes as I could manage. I used the same brushes and paints, but actual watercolour paper this time [you might be able to make out a bit of the paper texture in the photo].
Once again, not amazing but not abysmal. Gotta say, though, the whole process of putting the brush down more mindfully each time, trying to get it down right in one stroke [not always succeeding, but trying] — I found all that very instructive. That alone made the exercise worth my while.
Once again, not amazing but not abysmal. Gotta say, though, the whole process of putting the brush down more mindfully each time, trying to get it down right in one stroke [not always succeeding, but trying] — I found all that very instructive. That alone made the exercise worth my while.
My 25th watercolour is a subject I've been meaning to do for a while now. It was made using the brushes and paints I won as a prize yesterday. Since there was very little paint provided to work with, I decided to work small [4 by 6]. Since I was working small and knew that my subject would include some fine details, I worked on smooth paper [bristol] instead of my regular cold-pressed watercolour paper. I've read that smooth [hot-pressed] paper co-operates better with small details, so here was my chance to try it out.
Turns out, I don't like the way watercolours handle on bristol all that much, and probably won't be going back to that. However, the paints were fine to work with -- a little went a long way. Which means they contain lots of pigment, which is what you expect in top-line paint like Daniel Smith. I wish I could afford to work with that caliber of paint regularly. And the brushes were wonderful, holding their point phenomenally well.
Bottom line: I don't think this painting turned out wonderful, but it's not terrible, either. It reminds me that I'm still learning.
Turns out, I don't like the way watercolours handle on bristol all that much, and probably won't be going back to that. However, the paints were fine to work with -- a little went a long way. Which means they contain lots of pigment, which is what you expect in top-line paint like Daniel Smith. I wish I could afford to work with that caliber of paint regularly. And the brushes were wonderful, holding their point phenomenally well.
Bottom line: I don't think this painting turned out wonderful, but it's not terrible, either. It reminds me that I'm still learning.
something I am grateful for today
Mar. 22nd, 2021 12:02 pmhearing the songs of robins at daybreak -- one of my favourite sounds, and this morning was my first time hearing it this year [so glad the robins haven't gone into lockdown]
