A practical task...

December is approaching and soon we'll be sending Christmas cards. This time I decided to make my own cards, which proved quite a job. I'm almost done now, so should have time for less repetitive painting soon...

Learning from Cembranelli

I remember one blogger saying that painting roses is addictive. True! A few days ago I decided to try Fabio Cembranelli's way of painting roses. I cut a discarded painting into four pieces and started my tests on the backs. Then I cut another piece of paper. Then continued on a block. It was hard to stop.
What did I learn? That it is not as simple as Fabio's videos make it seem. I wanted to figure out how he manages to lift color, leaving practically white paper, and giving the flowers this cotton candy soft look. This proved quite difficult. The paint must be exactly the right consistency and wetness, the brush must be absolutely clean and you have to stop yourself from repeating the stroke before cleaning the brush. Yes, masters make the hardest things look easy!
There is also another reason for all these roses. Today is the one year anniversary of my blog. So I devote the roses to all of you, my visitors and blogging friends. Thank you, for your support, encouragement and advices! I feel that I have made much progress over the past year, and a good deal of my motivation comes from you. Thank you!!!

End of the flower season

Arches, 38 x 28 cm

These were the last roses from my yard still spared from the frost, so I seized the chance to paint them from live. This week a few relatives and friends had birthdays. I didn't have the chance to congratulate them, so let this bouquet be for them. Happy birthday!

Честит Рожден Ден!

 

Chrysanthemums

I cut these flowers from the garden, while still just buds, in order to save them from the morning frost. Now they are happily blooming in a vase.

I thought that the second one turned into a big mess, but hubby liked it, so I decided to post it regardless.

Autumn walks

The red tree (Arches 28 x 19 cm)

Autumn walk (Arches 28 x 19 cm)

The sunny meadow (Arches 28 x 19 cm)

These three small landscapes are based on photos from a walk in the near by conservation area a couple of weeks ago.

And two days later...

I wanted to paint but had no idea what. The autumn leaves from two days ago were still spread on the desk, but they had dried and curled up...

Maple leaves

Watercolor on Arches 28/38 cm

Yes, real colorful autumn leaves, which make you smile, not the Toronto hockey team with the same name, which can only make you cry...
The prime of the fall colors has passed and many trees have dropped their foliage. Yet, there are still some really beautiful individual trees. Some have all colors, smoothly transitioning, from bright red at the tips of the branches, through yellow and orange, to all green on the bottom branches. I gathered a large bunch of leaves during yesterday's walk, spread them on the desk and started painting. I did get into some serious fiddling, but at a second look today, decided that it's not too bad. So, here's my posting, as Canadian as it can get...

The pile of leaves on my desk

Lavender in October

That's right, lavender! I did pick a whole bunch of it from my yard today. Thanks to the efforts of horticulturalists, now days we can enjoy flowers with a really long and sometimes unusual blooming periods. For example, there is a white iris in my garden, which is about to flower. Yes, now, at the end of October... if the frost doesn't dampen its enthusiasm. ( For those who don't get it, all respectable irises flower only in the spring.) Well, I knew it was a re-blooming type and that's why I planted it, but it still amazed me when I saw its flower buds a week ago. So, here's the prospect - I'll either be painting a white iris in November, or - white snow. Whichever comes first ;-)

Let's play!

I like her playful and questioning expression, but it took quite a number of attempts to reproduce it. I decided to paint this in one color inspired by the magnificent mono-color portraits on David Lobenberg's blog. Of course, I have a long way to go, to get even close to his results. I am too scared to leave hard edges, and while trying to soften them, I manage to create too much mud. As he says, one needs to gain lots of experience...

Selfportrait

...and two interim steps below