The quest for a purple Lotus

This is the beginning sketch. I've found some brush painting tutorials, and I have my books.  But I thought rather than do this in Sumi ink first I would sketch our the  general idea first.  I mean I'm adding in fish as well as changing some of the composition, I should get the idea out in pencil so I can scratch and erase.

I really didn't do that much though, but it was low on the paper. I had the flower centered well so the bottom filled up with an empty sky line.  I will be completing this with a purple flower and creating a logo of sorts for Power up for PCOS.

There is always a meaning in the Chinese culture, so here is what I know: two fish are a symbol of harmony and married bliss in China. The lotus is a symbol of purity, summer and fertility, and when accompanied by a fish, love.
The purple lotus is a rather mystical symbol itself and has meanings in many cultures.  I have loved the freshness of Brush painting and am delighted to know that this sketch is being well received by those it is intended for.

Week 30 - Fruits of Fall & Harvest Pumpkin

Fruits of Fall

Harvest Pumpkin

It's a two'fer this weekend! I was in the mood to paint pumpkins, the Harvest Pumpkin was the first and then the Fruits of Fall came along after.  The second is more in line with the traditional Chinese brush painting style.  The first was not in actual brush painting style, but with the brushes, paper, and the paints of course.
I love the smells, colors, and flavors of autumn.  If I can capture just a portion of those in paint, then I will have accomplished something amazing.
Enjoy the season!

Week 24 - Plien Air piece began at Stinson Beach CA

This week I have many pieces still in process. This one is the one i began over the weekend though and it should be done soon.  I will post it once it is complete.  We had a great time at the beach this weekend, although it was a bit overcast, the wind was not to bad. Once complete I will have prints available through Dawn Black artist website.

Other in process pieces:

Week 23 - Black and White Ball

Black and White Ball

This week I will continue to work on butterflies and dragonflies, I have a piece that I want to add them too, I just need to know that each one will come out looking beautiful before I add them to the piece to come.

Week 19 - Devoted Love

Devoted Love

This week I completed a pretty pink plumeria flower.  This flower is mostly recognized in the white flower, with the yellow inside but there are many different colors of blooms.  I've been wanting to do another plumeria, and yet I want not ready to do another single white bloom, but this flower captured my attention.  There are various meanings all over the world, but devotion and love are two of the flowers meanings.

Have a great week creating beauty in the world around you.

Week 16 - Summer Abstract and Prosperity

 

Summer Abstract

Prosperity

These are my newest pieces of art.  I like these styles of art a lot, and I plan on creating many more of them.


Here are some of the pictures of the process of the Summer Abstract process.

Ink and water are poured over flowers, leaves, and feathers.

Remove items after ink is dry. Airbrush to blend. and then highlight the areas you want to bring out with ink stippling.
Once finished sign, frame, and hang.


Have a great week, and keep on creating.

Week 10 - Dragon fly in Cherry Tree

I finally combined two different items into one composition, this is a first in my Chinese Brush painting pieces.  I can find many things that I would like to do better in this piece, but all in all I like the combination and the colors.  

There was a combination of water color and Sumi-ink on this piece, in order to have color in it.  I like bold statement of the black and white with the bright splashes of color. 

There is not a lot to be said this week regarding technique, or how to accomplish this type of art.  There are books and teachers that know so much more than I.  This week I wanted to focus on the passion.  There are things in this world that spark our imagination and awe, these are the things that move us.  It is important that we as artists remember that each piece should not just be a reflection of what we see, but of what we feel.  

Let me also clarify my definition of artist.  I believe that we all have a bit of an artist in us.  Those who bake and cook are culinary artists, there are plenty of different crafts that are artists.  Scientists are artistic with formulas and creating different things in their field, those who work with math and numbers can also be on the artistic side.  People who write, and speak eloquently are using words to create pieces of art.  People in customer service can see their work in action in diffusing situations, that is an art.  So, I see that there are all kinds of artists in this world, and that we are all moved by different things. 

This week is brand new, take a moment to enjoy the sun and the beginning signs of spring, or at least the hope of it's pending arrival. Focus on the positive, let go of the negative and create.

Week 9 - Silhouette Elk in Moon

Silhouette Elk in Moon (9 X 12)

I love painting with my airbrush!  It takes a bit to set up and clean, but the effects are fantastic.  This piece is much smaller than the other moon I did in the past, along with the surface being different as well.  The moon detail was not easy to create with the highlights and shadows, I will have to do another piece to work more on that.  My main focus this time was in the sky, making the back ground different with the leaves in the back ground.  I like putting the nature into the sky to add interest and beauty.   

I primarily used Lascaux acrylics for this piece. They dry quickly and are opaque so I can layer colors in order to sharpen lines where I want them sharp and yet I am able to have the haze as well with the blending capability of the airbrush.  I used my Iwata Eclipse on this piece, I have much better control and can get sharper lines than with my other air brush.  Quality products are much better to work with.  

For all of you artists out there, create the things you love. Remember that not all artists paint with brushes, some prefer the palates of food, words, drama, math, or music.  We are all artists, and all of us have things to create. Have a great week!

Week 7 - Pansy

Pansy

This week went by so fast, the time just flew by.  This next week is looking to be about the same speed, fast.  Times like this are both good and tiring.  Boredom is not a friend of mine, so time going quickly is wonderful, but it does leave me a bit worn out when I come home to relax and create.  The good news is, I have many different ideas already piled high.
I take quick walks around my office during the day, very short 3 minute breaks to clear my head and move.  This last week the flowers blooming have caught my eye, Pansy's.  They are bright and cheery flowers.  Spring is not here yet, but it is coming and these bright flowers are reminders of the beauty of springs bright blooms.
This water color I used the primary colors and mixed the purples.  I like the depth of color mixing the purple brings out.  The next pansy I paint I will focus on other areas, but this one I wanted bright and fresh like spring.   Have a great week, take the time to see the beauty around you.

Week 6 - Light House

 

  

  

This week the art will have to be photography.  It is not my strength, but I do love to take lots and lots of pictures, usually they are kept to pain from.  These will be a part of that arsenal of artistic pieces to inspire and just to be painted.

Today was a glorious day, it was filled with wind and water, both of these put a fire in my soul.  I love the ocean, and today the sounds and smells were intoxicating.  The winds were blowing, but we were not tossed about in a big messy blob.  The light house was a hike, and my legs were rubbery climbing back up those three hundred steps, my hubby practically ran up the stairs.  He is very strong, and has long legs, I was left behind to climb at my own pace, it was fun. 

Next week I plan to create two pieces of art, in different mediums, in hopes of catching up from the piece of art I would like ot have created for this week.  Vacations should be relaxing, and inspirational, this one was both.
Remember to frame your photographs as if they are the piece of art themselves.  It is easier to create fantastic art from great photographs, and maybe you will learn that you have a knack for photography as well. - Live Life Loud!

Week Four - Tree of Creativity

 

Tree of Creativity 

(9x12) Ink & Acrylic on Canvas

This tree was a last minute decision, and it was finished just a few minutes late, hopefully it will still be accepted.  If they check their email tomorrow and are not sticklers about the time stamp on the email.  I really enjoyed doing this piece, but I also really got frustrated in this process.  If it could go wrong, it did.  I was interrupted many many times, and then when I did have uninterrupted time I blew a fuse and fought with paint that really didn't want to dry quickly at all.
I must say, deadlines really make me push myself to get things done.  Airbrush is a fun way to paint, and yet it can be very time consuming. I tried to hand paint the tree over the ink back ground, but the ink was lifted up every time I tried to lay the paint over it, so airbrush was the way to go.

Here are some of the in process pictures, just to give you an idea.

This is the back ground, which was a process in and of itself.  More on that in a later blog.

Using the template to lay down the colors.

Finished it up with the dark highlights.

Hair dryers can be such a great help when under a time crunch, but do not forget to clean your equipment when you are done.  You should never be in such a hurry that you do not clean your equipment.  Hardened paint destroys brushes, and airbrushes alike.   

Three White Flowers - Week 2

"Three White Flowers" Pastel on Fabriano paper

Here I am at week two, and I've completed a project I had begun a while ago.  Some of the before photos will be included in this post, so you can see the evolution of this piece.
I have not been a lengthy writer on this blog since the main purpose is the art, but this week I felt like saying more.  Art is judged by a variety of things, composition, color, use of the medium etc.  This piece was created in a rather unorthodox manner, and the pastels are layers onto water color paper primed with a purple gesso paint.  I've been experimenting with many mediums and different ways to utilize the mediums, this particular piece will only be one of two.  I will be using other paper to pair with pastels, something that allows me to layer better.  The "Lacey" effect is on purpose, I wanted more interest in the flowers than just painting a lifelike piece.  I hope it moves you, or captures your attention for a while.

Flowering Cactus

Flowering Cactus 

Water Color 10" X 7"

Here is the first piece complete on my missing to complete one piece or art each week this year.  The actual flower was mainly white with just a stripe of pink on the petals, so this piece enhanced the color without making a brilliantly colored flower.
To view this piece without the watermark you can go to Fine art America and check it out there.  I'm sure that I will repaint this piece at another time, just to see what else I can pull from it.   I will be working more in water color to see how much I can improve this year in this medium, I tend to paint very light in color. 


Available for sale @ http://fineartamerica.com/featured/flowering-cactus-dawn-marie-black.html?newartwork=true

Goals for the new year, and a viewing of pieces in private collections

I am not generally a writer when it comes to my art, I feel it is much more important for people to view the pieces and let them speak for themselves.  Today though it seems a good time to start with goals for the up coming year, not resolutions as those are too easily broken.
I have only begun to paint and create again, so I have not done to many new pieces and have not developed a clear direction up to this point.  This decision will not work any longer, I must have a clear objective.  From my readings on the expectations of galleries it seems that many artists produce at the very least 2 - 3 pieces of work a week.  My goal this year is to increase my productivity to 1 - 2 pieces a week.  This goal may be small in comparison, but it is larger than I have accomplished in previous years.
I have four pieces of art that are laying in my make shift studio, waiting to be finished.  I do plan to complete two of them this weekend, and of course I will capture them in photographs and post them here.
I have three different collections that I would like to build this year.  One of these would be my abstracts with nature objects and bright colors, I enjoy these pieces very much.  The second group will be my adventure series which will include an Ice Climber, Mountain biker, and White water rafter, etc.  The third group will be the desert flowers and cactus, these do not share any one medium but only the subject matter.  I'm open to other portfolio ideas if anyone chooses to leave a comment.  For now I will leave you with some pieces that are in private collections, have a great new year.

Breakfast 

 Carousel Horse

Wild Flowers

Emmet Kelly Jr

Dreams

Elk in Moon

 French Clown

Grey Girl

Sadness

Safe Harbor

Promenade

Plumeria

The Climber

  The Hiker

To see other pieces that are available please check out my account at Fine Art America 

There are others which have yet to be posted there, you can leave me a comment regarding them and I will gladly assist you in any way I can.

To view a slide show of other pieces I have created: IDrawandpaint

Silhouette Cactus

Silhouette Cactus (9" x 12")

Acrylic Airbrush on Canvas Panel

I planned to create this as a Christmas present, but it took more time than first anticipated.  I used multiple acrylic paints on this piece, including Galleria and Lascaux.  My preference are the Lascaux paints, but a deeper red was needed than what was available in my selection of Lascaux paints.I only have a small starter set, in order to determine if I like them, which I found that I do.

The back ground texture was added into this piece to reflect the needles on the cactus.  The bright highlights were the last detail that were not originally planned on, but were needed to make it complete.

Pencil Sketches

Cactus with Butterflies

Graphite pencil 15" x 18"

Carmen

White colored pencil on black board 16" x 13 7/8"

Circus Elephant

Graphite pencil 7.5" x 10.25"

Lady at the Foot of the Cross

White colored pencil on black board 23" x 22"

White Roses

White colored pencil on black board 18.75" x 17"

These are a sampling of pencil drawings that I love.  My favorite is still the White Roses, I love flowers of all types.  Pencil drawings are a labor of love for me, and I take time in completing them.  It may be a while before I post more pencil drawings.

The signature on Carmen is actually the singers signature.  I had friends who knew him and got it signed for me.  I was excited to have that particular autograph, it's the only one that I have like that.  I'm sure that pencil drawings will never become my signature piece, but I do like to branch out and express myself in different mediums all the time.  These are the more conservative artistic voice.