Stocked up!

Aren't these lovely? I was missing my oils so I ordered a "lot" of Winsor & Newton artist oil colors from eBay. They finally arrived and I am now happily stocked up for months of painting before the next Volcano Village Art Studio Sale in November. I'll have original oil and watercolor paintings and some pencil drawings for sale and maybe the occasional clay sculpture so be on the lookout. I'll be posting paintings in preparation for it so you'll know what to expect when you stop by.

Hmmm, I just noticed I stock my watercolors in the same way, including my clothes in the closet. Yes, I arrange my clothes by color. Do people even do that?!

Home, for now

5"x7", watercolor on 140 lb. watercolor paper

As I say, "Home is where the toothbrush is" and this is where my toothbrush is, for now. I spent my birthday celebrating this place with a pen drawing and painting it in while relaxing on the front porch. Jim, my host, was so kind to take me to a special Tripiti beach and a cool sea arch and then for ice cream afterwards while the sun set over Alyki. It was an excellent birthday, indeed!

Exilio Cosmico

3.5" x 2.5", watercolor ($30 USD)

A 2.5" x 3.5" portrait for Julia Kay's Portrait Party. Thought I might try a single color. Still working on the likeness but I'm getting more and more comfortable with painting faces (it's a big step because I used to avoid drawing people like the plague!) ... just one more drawing on the path to greater accuracy. :) This is Exilio Cosmico, a member of the Portrait Party. :)

A new portrait for JKPP: Steven (sketchysteven)

watercolor on illustration board, 2.5"x3.5" ($40 USD)

This was a fun one! Got back into drawing and tried my hand at another portrait for Julia Kay Portrait Party. Steve provided this awesome reference pic.

Taos, New Mexico

watercolor, Pigma micron pen 005

It was my very first trip to New Mexico and being able to help construct a pueblo seed storage building, visiting awesome farms, mobile slaughter house, meeting entrepreneurs trying to create a healthier community, and watching the San Geronimo Feast Day in Taos Pueblo filled a great week! This is a view of the mountains surrounding Taos Pueblo and Red Willow Farm.

Illustration Friday: Duet

pen & watercolor, 2.5"x3.5"

Love is ... singing with your hunny bunny whenever the moment strikes! :D

Venus de Milo

watercolor, 2.5"x3.5" ($20 USD)

Summer breeze

watercolor, pen, 2.5"x3.5"

I'm taking a short break from drawing portraits and thought some nature is very appropriate. Amidst the craziness of the tsunami scare yesterday and worry about relatives and church members in Japan, I think a bit of calm is in order. It felt good to zone out, listen to relaxing music, and paint to my heart's content. Even looking at this I feel transformed. I hope you are too.

*deep breath* ....

From a black and white photo found in The Commons, copyright-free and public domain images on Flickr.

Michael's small portrait

watercolor, 2.5"x3.5" ($40 USD)

Still practicing at Julia Kay's Portrait Party! :) I'll get back to nature drawing soon, I promise!

Thanks Michael for letting me use your reference pic!

Derek's small portrait

watercolor, artcard, 2.5"x3.5" ($50 USD)

I am trying portraits again despite my fear of them ... yes, I said fear. People are super challenging to me and I apologize to Derek for making him look cross eyed and giving him a small mouth. Sorry dude, I couldn't help it. I still dunno what I did and I will have to stare at this for a long time to figure it out. Anyone have suggestions? I wish seeing proportions came naturally to me and could whip out accurate portraits like France or Mellanie. But I guess wishing isn't going to help so I've decided to get back on the horse and try a few. More portraits (and of course more bunnies) are forthcoming!

BTW, thank you Derek for your permission to use your reference photo. :)

Road walk

pen & watercolor, 2.5"x3.5"

(SOLD)

While driving home, I saw this fellow walking along the road. It was such a peaceful time of day that I tried to capture the image in my brain so I could draw it later on. Suffice it to say, it was a difficult job. But this is what I remember.

Norfolk Parish Church

pen & watercolor, 2.5"x3.5"

I belong to a great Flickr group called "Artists Showing Photo References" where members post reference pics and arty folks interpret that into whatever art form they choose. I found this reference photo of Norfolk Parish Church (England) that Sigrid Frensen posted and this is my interpretation. The overcast English weather just does not process in this brain of mine so I Hawaiianized it. LOL That's just the way I see things!

BTW, Sigs happens to be an incredible botanical and all-around artist so I encourage you to check her website out. It's a pleasure.

Kilauea Iki

pen & watercolor, 2.3"x3.5" (SOLD)

Kilauea Iki Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is by far, my favorite hike! Being able to hike through the crater where there once were 1,900 ft high lava fountains is an absolute treat!

Mauna Kea and `io

pen & watercolor, 2.5"x3.5"

While my sister-in-law and I were picking liko for Christmas wreaths this past December, we were treated to a gorgeous view of Mauna Kea with its white snow cap and a majestic `io (Hawaiian hawk) circling overhead. Hawai`i no ka `oi!

All smiles

pen & watercolor, artcard, 2.5"x3.5"

G'night Teddy

pen & watercolor, artcard, 2.5"x3.5"

Ball of white fur

pen & watercolor, artcard, 2.5"x3.5" (NFS)

Another drawing of little Layla when she was just a tiny ball of white fur. BTW, I am really enjoying making these tiny artcards!

Everyday Matters #266: Something I cherish

pen & watercolor, artcard, 2.5"x3.5"

Her name is Kanoe. She looks like a pile of rags and sometimes smells like one, but I cherish her. I love her.

Meeeeahhhhh!

transparent watercolor, artcard, 2.5" x 3.5"

Goats have funny-lookin' eyes, don't they? This was painted from a picture of the most adorable goat at the Friendly Aquaponics Farm in Honoka`a. If you ever get a chance, sign up for their free Saturday aquaponics tour and say hi to the goat for me. :)

Illustration Friday: Ripple

pen and watercolor, 2.5"x3.5"

(SOLD)

A black-bellied whistling ducking, rippling through the water, rushes toward its mother and toward safety. Unfortunately, this little one is just one of the countless animals affected by the Deep Water Horizon Gulf oil spill and its fate will be sealed if it comes into contact with the oil. What can we do to help?

This art card will be donated to Kelly Light's Ripple blog and sold for $10 to benefit The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies and The International Bird Rescue Research Center. If you'd like the card for a $10 donation, please look for it on Kelly's blog. Kelly, driven to help with the cleanup effort and saving our wildlife, started selling her sketch cards for $10 each and donated the proceeds to these two organizations. Quickly, other artists joined her efforts shows us that we can each play a part in the cleanup. As of today, Kelly has raised over $1,350! You go girl! Please help with the effort and consider donating for a card on Kelly's blog. Thanks!