Rainbow Animal Watercolor Painting Series

I've been so excited with my new rainbow animal watercolor paintings that I forgot to give you updates along the way! I'll try to make up for that. Once I finished painting the Rainbow Zebra Fantasy, I started right away on a giraffe. It was so much fun letting the colors beautifully mingle one right into the other in each patch on the giraffe's body! ...and I just loved its eyelashes!!

Rainbow Zebra Fantasy

 

Rainbow Giraffe Fantasy

 

After completing the zebra and giraffe watercolors, I thought that creating an elephant would be a neat challenge. There would be no specific, realistic body patterns to work from this time. Once I had my drawing, I decided to just go for it letting one color blend into the next. The trick here is to avoid making mud, so between laying down each color, I cleaned my brush. What do you think of this magical creation?

Rainbow Elephant Fantasy

 



 

With so much in the news lately about pandas, I thought that it was about time that I created my own! This was a bit different from the other animals since it had long, thick dark fur with some large patches of almost white. To give this panda volume and shape, I used subtle shading of color along the ridge of the back and between its eyes.

Rainbow Panda Bear Fantasy

 

 



The latest in my new series is the hippo. I can't believe how much fun this journey is! Hope that you're enjoying it, too!

Rainbow Hippo Fantasy

 

 

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Zebra in Color Watercolor Painting in Progress

As you may have guessed, I love vibrant color! Besides my flower paintings, with rich luscious colors, I created a whole series of Sports Figures using color in a very different way.

 

Here's an example of this type of painting, my recently completed "Ice Hockey Goalie."

"Ice Hockey Goalie"

fine art print of original watercolor painting

 

I decided to start of series of paintings using this mingling technique with animals. This is my first attempt, a Zebra! Hope that you enjoy seeing the progress!

 

 

Probably the most difficult part so far, besides the drawing, is not getting lost in the stripes. After a while, they seemed to be running together. While working on this, I'm thinking about the next painting. Maybe a giraffe. Any suggestions?

 

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Beach Boy and Girl, Painting in Progress

I just love painting children on the beach! I guess that there's so much nostalgia involved that it keeps me young, if only in my mind.

Here's a bit of insight into my painting process. For this one, I decided to start with the figures instead of the background. I'll try to capture the warmth of their relationship in this painting.

 

Below, I've started to rough in the water, surf, and sand. I've used lots of earth tones in the sand to give it character, as well as dragged my almost-dry brush sideways across the paper to take advantage of the heavily textured 300 lb Arches cold press paper. 



 

In order to give more interest to the horizon, I've added a distant shore and, since I want to give the water greater depth, I've painted over some of the surf.

 

 

I didn't like the way the water was looking, so I decided to remove it. This is not an easy trick with watercolors, but I'll share some secrets with you. First, wet the brush, then lift and blot as much paint as will come up. Next, use a special short, stiff-bristled brush called a Fabric Dye Brush by Loew Cornell, to lightly scrape the color off. If all else fails because the paint is a staining color, use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser!

Now that I improved the colors in the water, I started to define the waves at the near shore.



 

Painting completed! I finished the water by making small, close strokes at the horizon and created longer waves nearer the shore. I also worked on the water and boy's beautiful blond curls, added more bright white foam to the surf, lightened the boy's shirt so that it would move more to the foreground in front of the blue water, and defined the feet.

I hope that you enjoy my new watercolor painting!

Beach Boy and Girl Original Watercolor Painting

Art Prints Available

 

 

 

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Tomatoes Watercolor Painting for Kitchen Decor

Tomatoes Watercolor Painting

(Watermark will not appear on your fine art print.)

 

Can you smell that fresh-off-the-vine wonderful tomato aroma? When I went to the Farmers' Market, I just couldn't help being attracted to these brilliant tomatoes with their glistening, ripe skins and fantastically shaped greens!

To get this wonderful tone, I used "new gamboge," a yellow watercolor paint that when the oranges and reds are applied over it, make it come to life.

I'd love to find out what you'd like to know about this painting.

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Beach Conch Seashell Watercolor Painting

Fighting Conch Seashell Watercolor Painting

 

 

For all of the years I've walked the beaches of Florida and the Caribbean collecting seashells, I never found one with chevron stripes like this one. I had to paint it and share it with you!

 

Have you ever seen a shell like this Fighting Conch? I'm told that they were once plentiful, but if you found one like this, please let me know where.

 

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Alstroemeria Pink Flower Watercolor Painting in Progress

 

I just can't help myself! I've put it off for as long as I can, but I can no longer delay painting these fabulous flowers!

 

When I first saw Alstroemeria, I thought that they were "fake" silk flowers. It wasn't until I actually touched them that I realized they were indeed real! I have been buying fresh cut Alstroemeria for quite some time now because not only are they beautiful, but they last weeks!

 

Here is the beginning of my painting of a bouquet of salmon-pink flowers. After I penciled them in, I started to lay in the colors to get the general shapes and experiment with the background.

 



After weeks, it's finally starting to look like something. I'm trying to get that luminous quality that these flowers are known for.

 

 

I still have a long way to go, but I will keep working at it. It's the tiny details that make all the difference! I hope that you enjoy getting a glimpse at my painting in progress. When I finish, I'll post the completed Alstroemeria!

 

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Season of Giving ART

SAVE THE DATES – December 3 and 4, 2014!

It's that time of year again – Main Street Boutique is back! Please join me for one of the most highly anticipated shopping events of the season to support Abington Health and the healthcare of our local community.  

This is a great day out at the lovely Huntingdon Valley Country Club for ONE STOP HOLIDAY SHOPPING! (2295 Country Club Drive, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006)  

I’ll be exhibiting my Original Watercolors and affordable Matted Fine Art Prints, along with more than 35 others showing their jewelry, clothing, art, skin care products, and much more! Visit my website here to get a preview of my work. I’m looking forward to seeing you at this very special event.

• Stop by my exhibit to enter my free raffle for a Fine Art Print. 
• Can’t make the event? Order online directly from my Etsy Shop.

Please forward and share this with your family and friends to help spread the word about this unique opportunity to benefit our community and have a wonderful holiday shopping experience, too!

Tickets can be purchased at http://give.abingtonhealth.org/MSB

"Poinsettia"

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Beach Girl with Red Shovel and White Hat Watercolor Painting in Progress

"Beach Girl with Red Shovel and White Hat"

 

As soon as I saw this little girl on the beach, I knew that I wanted to paint her! I was struck by the child's activity, methodically and purposefully digging the sand, plopping it into piles, and gazing periodically at the ocean.

 

She was wearing a yellow striped bathing suit and surrounded by nothing but sand from my vantage point. I started to paint her that way, but quickly wanted a more vibrant bathing suit and a rich cobalt blue sky. I love painting shadows on something white. As you may know from my earlier blog posts, I'm using the mingling technique for her hat with mingled permanent rose, verditer blue, and mineral violet watercolor paints.

 

 

Once finished the bathing suit, I worked on the flesh tones, facial features, clouds, richer sky colors, along with texture and color to the sand.

 

 

At first, I was going to leave the ocean as a distant shore, planning on having the painting focus mainly on the child. But the more I looked at it, the more it seemed like she was sitting in a desert! I really missed showing the ocean, especially with lots of waves!

 

"Beach Girl with Red Shovel and White Hat"

 

Once the ocean was painted, I concentrated on refining the rest of the painting, lightening the sand piles where the sun hits them, toning down the sand a bit, and deepening the color of the water at the horizon to give it added depth.

 

I haven't shown all of the steps that it took to get to the finished painting which took me three weeks to complete. I just wanted to give you a bit of insight into my watercolor painting process.

 

I hope that you enjoyed this little taste of my decision-making process with this painting!

 

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Beach Child Holding Red Ball Seashore Watercolor Painting

"Beach Boy Holding Red Ball"

 

 

It looks like I just can't get enough of this adorable little boy! I saw him on the beach with his father and grandfather and, of course, asked if I could photograph him for some new paintings. No problem! Although the pictures that I took showed only sand as a backdrop, I wanted to create a beautiful sunny day with waves and clouds.

 

Colorful shadows are always important to me in creating an interesting painting; after all, this is art and not a photograph! I used the mingling technique of letting one color delicately run into the next, careful not to get mud!

 

My painting is of a child clutching his big red ball enjoying the day with his family. He seems to be in his own happy world of perfect peace, soaking up the sunshine, surf, and warm sand!

 

I created this watercolor for all of you who enjoy family beach vacations. For me it brings back warm memories of my now-grown children, for you it might remind you your own children or even grandchildren playing on the beach! Enjoy!

 

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Beach Boy with Red Ball Watercolor Painting

Beach Boy with Red Ball

 

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! Here's my modern little Yankee Doodle Dandy to help celebrate the holiday! As soon as I saw him on the beach, I knew that he'd be the perfect subject for my Independence Day tribute! "Freedom" is what my newest painting is all about!

 

You may be surprised to see that this time I didn't paint the sand and sea. I felt that with the shadows, the painting said everything that I wanted to express - childhood, freedom, joy, motion.

 

What does this watercolor painting say to you?

 

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Blue Butterfly Watercolor Painting Art

"Blue Mountain Swallowtail Butterfly"

 

When I first saw this gorgeous butterfly, my jaw dropped! Not only is turquoise my favorite color, but the luminous quality of this blue and the brilliant contrast of its black edges just blew me away!

I love painting butterflies, especially the Monarch, but this one was a special challenge. The scales on the wings are reflective and seem to shine. I tried to convey that in this painting. Unlike the Monarch Butterfly painting, which feeds on bright yellow-orange flowers of the milkweed Asclepius, I wanted to make the background out of focus, just giving hints through color of the leaves and flowers this stunning creature lives among.

"Monarch Butterfly"

 

"Monarch Butterfly 2"

When I created this painting, I thought that it would be a wonderful addition to a child's nursery or for an accent to any room in your home! What is your favorite butterfly!

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Beach Adirondack Chairs...And the Winner is...

"Beach Adirondack Chairs"

 

Thanks to all of you who entered my Mother's Day Contest! You shared wonderful memories of your moms, based on my paintings that reminded you of her. ...And the Winner is Lou Anne P! Congratulations! The prize is a $52 gift certificate from my shop for a large matted 16x20 fine art print of her choice.

 

"We didn't sit on the beach but in the back yard almost every summer evening chatting, laughing, telling stories, playing. My mom and whomever had time to enjoy the moment would choose a spot from her eclectic, colorful supply of outdoor furniture. These precious evenings continued her whole life and I often ponder the memories today as I sit in my own colorful eclectic supply of furnishings on the patio."  Lou Anne

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