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 29 - Mysterious Enduring thoughts

Mysterious Enduring Thoughts - Dawn Marie Black

I have decided to take a break form butterflies for a moment and do another floral.  These are calming and cathartic to paint.  I wanted to incorporate some of the fall hues as we enter into the Autumn season, if only the weather felt a bit more seasonal. 

Week 26 - Night Flight

Night Flight

This week I have been working on dragonflies.  Summer had felt like it was winding down, but today it revived itself quite well.  Here's to late nights, summer adventures, lightning bugs, and dreams coming true.
Have a great week living each moment to the fullest. There is beauty in the world around you now, take in so you can remember it later. 

Happiness

Happiness

Lucky Bamboo given in threes is an expression of Happiness, and thus the name.  Three stalks equal happiness in this piece, it also works well for composition in general.  I would like to do more bamboo and practice the dry brush technique on the stalks, this is trickier to do with the smaller brushes.  

Week 17 - Trio of Appreciation

 Trio of Appreciation

This week I have been busy getting ready for my sister and her families arrival. So, I went back and tried my hand at the sunflowers again.

Have a great week, and keep on creating!

Week 8 - Hybiscus

 

I have been busy working on another piece, and I was hoping to be able to post it this week, but The best laid schemes of mice and men....

This however, is my first attempt at the hibiscus, and I am happy with how it turned out for being my first try.  I love flowers, and feel that their essence should be caught in many different art forms.   Spring is coming, and I am waiting with baited breath, to smell deeply the freshly washed air that comes after the spring rains.  Chinese brush painting is a fun and loose way of painting for me, it helps me not get to tight and wrapped up in the details.  The flowing ink that can not be erased or fixed, the delicate paper that soaks up the ink and water, the art form that has been around for centuries, it is perfect beauty.  

I think my next attempt at the hibiscus I will be a bouquet of flowers, that could be beautiful.  I have also decided to do the same picture in multiple mediums to see how the different mediums impact the subject.  I think I will need to locate a hibiscus photo that I can begin to paint in various mediums.  Have a great week and take the time to appreciate the beauty around you!

Panda & Old Beggar - Week 3

Panda - this is the final version this week.  His body still is not what I'm looking for, so I will be painting him again.  I will post pictures of new paintings of the panda as they improve.  But he will be one I will work on matting and framing properly, this is a whole art form in and of itself.

Here are two other panda's one of which was painted on the wrong side of the paper.

This guy just needs help, but the look in his eyes is rather endearing in a pathetic way.  The ink was too light on him, and the body was shaped strange, but the ink flowed pretty nicely.

This is what happens when you paint on the wrong side of the rice paper.  There was a lot of bleeding in the paper. Another lesson to remember regarding water, keep paper towels by your side so you can dab off excess water.  The runny ink is not pretty. 

There are those who think that Chinese brush painting is easy, this is not true.  There is a reason that the masters spend life times working on capturing bamboo, and other subjects.  When painting in this medium it is very important to use good quality brushes.  The ink is permanent, paint in old clothes and have lots of sheets of paper to keep painting even when you do not get the image right the first time.  There is no correcting mistakes, no lifting the ink, no changing the lines once the ink is on the paper.  The simplicity is deceiving, there is a careful balance of ink and water, very deliberate strokes and then just knowing how move the brush with your arm instead of your wrist.  If you hesitate in the middle of a brush stroke, the ink shows it.  I love to paint like this when I get to wrapped up in the details on other pieces of work.  I can just paint, and start over again if it turns out awful.  These will not be posted on Fine Art America until I feel like they are better.

This weekend I finished another piece for a friend, The Old Beggar.

I'm not sure who took the photo, so I will not be posting this on Fine Art America either, but he is complete.

Drawing's still get me twisted in knots, trying to make it perfect.  He is not perfect, but he is complete.

So, the lessons for the week: use heavy duty drop cloths, paint in old clothes, use good quality brushes, and keep painting until you like it.  Simple beauty does not always mean it was simple to create.