". Arranged Words: violets
Showing posts with label violets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label violets. Show all posts

1 Jun 2021

Happy June!



 Hi there, 

Happy June!  June: a beautiful month here in Canada. Yes, we wait for it. It has it all. Beauty, lovely sunny days with soft breezes, and sometimes a frosty night just to keep everyone on their toes. 

I took these sunrise pictures the other morning at 5:00 a.m. with my iPad. Although I wasn't thrilled to be awake that early, sometimes waking up early really pays off.

Tall Tales From the Easel...

Painted on Clairefontaine's Pastelmat paper.

Painted from a photo reference I took a few years ago.

                              
                                           Mostly mid tone to light values pastels on the plate. 
                       All but two are pigment rich Unison soft pastels. I love Unison's colours.

 Today, among other things, what follows will be some general information about pastels because I was asked for information by someone. 

When I started painting, pastels were a medium that I never considered using. Then I noticed a pastel painting that I just loved, and so I thought I'd give them a go. 

What are pastels? Prue pigment with a little binder.

Pastels have a couple of issues: number one they are messy, especially soft pastels, and they shatter if you drop one. (A mat under the easel would help keep shatters to a minimum.) Do I have one? No. I live and learn the hard way it seems. 😅

Some people only clean their soft pastels once or twice a year. I don't know how they manage because pastels get dirty after just one painting. The preferable way to clean them is to immerse them in a covered container with cornmeal, or rice, and give them a shake. For now, I wipe mine gently with shop towels.

Number 2: certain brands have cobalt and cadmiums. I believe Terry Ludwig's and Rembrandt soft pastels are heavy metal free. Although most pastel painters do not, I usually wear gloves. Pastels and acrylic paint dry out my fingers to a point where the skin lifts. (Not a comfortable or a pretty picture.)

Unison, Terry Ludwig, Jack Richeson, Sennelier, and Rembrandt are soft--dare I say chalk--pastels. Although Rembrandt's are harder than the others. They are all expensive. However, if you are just starting out there are cheaper brands. Mungo non-toxic comes to mind.

A lot of artists seem to shy away from Rembrandt pastels but I like them, and they are a bit cheaper than some of the others. I can't remember--for shame--but at a certain time of year most of the brands I mentioned go on sale. It may be November (I keep checking) when the good deals can be had. Mostly, I buy from Jackson's Art because their prices are very good, and the postage, depending on what your preference is, can be very reasonable. ( However, duty, that bane of existence, applies over $100.00)

I've only used oil pastels once so I can't really comment on them. 


                                                        From my memory banks.

I've been using Pastelmat paper hand friendly paper lately. Uart sanded paper is nice too, but it's so hard on the hands. You can blend on Pastelmat easily which some people like and some people do not. To blend on Uart,  a bit of soft pipe covering works well. 


Since neutral colours are also needed, I keep the pastel dust and chips. Although sometimes I can use the chips for precision mark making. (I put a tin foil trap on my easel to collect the dust.) One day I will
grind these down, outside, add water and roll out a neutral pastel or two.

Rule #1 never blow on a painting to get rid of accumulate dusk. You don't want pastel dust in your lungs. Give the painting a gentle tap and the dust will fall into the trap.

I do not use a workable fixative, mainly because I don't like the one I have. No matter how much I shake the can it still leaves spots!
( Rule # 3: Always good to spay outside even it you are using a low odor fixative.)
If you are running out of tooth on your paper, workable fixative works well, although it does darken the painting. You can, of course, cover certain areas and then spray. 
I will try another brand sometime.

(For framing, spacers are used so that any dust falls inside the mat and not on it.)


 
  FW Ink Purple Lake. What a wonderful rich colour.


Prismacolor Nupastels and the pastel pencils are hard.

I use Nupastel for under paintings and move it about with a fan brush dipped in alcohol.
FW ink also works well for an underpainting too. Not all papers are suitable for a wet wash, but Pastelmat, Uart, and Mi-Teintes Touch take wet washes well. There are others, but, at this time, these are the papers I use.
Why do an underpainting, especially because most of it ends up covered up? It's a roadmap and it gives a certain depth and richness of colour that generally peeks through here and there. I don't always do an underpainting. I may just begin, or make a few guideline marks here and there.

The hard pastels are good for adding detail at the end of a painting too.

Once you begin working with your soft pastels, it's a good idea to use a light touch because many layers go into a painting and you do not want to fill the paper's tooth too early.

I  hope this bit of general information proves useful.
 Give pastels a go.  I believe you will fall hopelessly in love with them!

* * *
Just now, in the woodland, an under carpet of Solomon’s Seal are in bloom. 
Correct me if I am wrong, but early evening seems a good time for taking photos. Just look at the light and shadows.



Wild Honeysuckle

Too bee, or is that 2B? 
Does anyone know what this beautiful little wildflower is?
                                  I am searching for an answer. It seems we must name things.

                                       Irises are spectacular!

                               

Wild violets are a favourite of mine too.

'Til Next Time...

Cultivate Your Dreams

Linking to Link Parties via my link party page. Do drop by for a visit; you will be glad you did.
  Thank you, ladies, for hosting.


28 May 2019

May Days

Hi there,

What's new? Around here we have finally thrown of the bow lines of winter and are eager for all things green bright and beautiful. I've been dreaming of flowers, seeking them out and planting my containers. Although with a fresh crop of newly fledged blackbirds in the area, it's been fun and games. Well, mostly games. They have a ton of energy and fly in whenever the mood strikes them to tear my plants to pieces. So I've also planted a few more Canadian flags to scare them away. The birds will likely leave their nest soon to soar over the wilds, so I'm sure my plants will spring back and life will sail on. If not, well, there will be plants for me and some for the birds.


Did I mention I love trees? Well, probably, but to reiterate I am a tree hugger.  Did you know that trees protect each other. In other words, they have each others backs/trunks. For example, if I was the tree to the far left and my neighbour to the far right was in need of water, I would ship some water over to her/him. Amazing! They parley via their root systems. So that means they definitely communicate,  show empathy, and have compassion, etc. Rather like humans.  Yes, Virginia it's a living, wondrous world!




This majestic old pine has been around awhile.
I think these are Elm trees. 

I stood with my back against this one for awhile, communing with nature/ trading tall tales.  :)

The highs.
The colour of spring. What a sight for sore eyes!


Wild Violets

I am pleased that people are not waging immediate war on their dandelions this year. They provide the first sup of nectar for foraging bees.




Below pictures from gardens that crossed my path.



And lastly, this wonder. One of many glorious old homes in the town I was visiting.
 I was tempted to rap on the door and beg entry.

 Look on high at the Widow's Walk/Watch. In the 19th century the lady of the house would often go up there to search the sea (in this case from the Great Lakes and then up the river) to see if her husband's ship was steaming home. In those days, unfortunately, many sailing ships were lost, hence the all to apt name.

Linking to My Corner of the World 
and Wandering Camera 
Thank you ladies.

'Til Next time...

Cultivate Your Dreams

15 May 2018

A Path to Meander Down

Hi there,

Sharing a few lovely spring pictures today along with some good news, which I will leave to the end. Hang on your hats...here we go. :) 

Waking up the senses with fresh greenery and bird song.
There's something marvelous about a meandering path in the woods. On a lovely spring day, I could keep walking forever. 

White Trillium
Because of the warm days, most of the early wildflowers have come and gone. I've caught them in my mind's eye because I often leave the camera at home.  

I adore the red trillium, but they are in another area. I hope to go there soon.
Darling violets in the leaf litter. We are blessed a bumper crop this year.
I only noticed a few little yellow violets.
Caught in the act...sunbathing. I think she said, " Ahhh. This feels so good." :)

The very rare bell flower.
Solomon's Seal


And who can forget the ferns?


Finally, the good news. My little botanical snowdrop illustration was chosen for the art exhibition to be held in the mall. The vernissage is Friday night. 

I don't have a picture of it framed yet.  And that's another story...I had to have a mat cut twice. The first mat was cut crooked, but, luckily, a lovely lady at a framing shop in town fixed it for me, and I was able to pass it in an hour before the deadline.

Cultivate your dreams...
They do come true!

2 Jan 2018

Here's to 2018!

Hi there,

Another post but in a brand New Year. It will be 5 years in April that I've been blogging. (I must find something special to do to celebrate...perhaps a give-a-way.) I find that extremely encouraging since I gone back and forth about blogging, especially last year. But thanks to a few lovely people, (you know who you are-many thanks xx) I am still here in Blog land and happy to begin the New Year, but not without a quick look back.

Before the year ended, I re-visited a few of my watercolour paintings and decided to enhance the colour. When painting sometimes the subject seems colourful enough, but a re-visit may change your mind.  For me, painting is like writing... it does help to put it away for awhile.

The Pretty Pair


Sweet violets. They are one of the first spring wildflowers..so delightful.

The show...:)The story goes like this... I put this orchid outside for the summer. Because I thought the sun might burn the leaves, I put it under a table. In the fall heavy rains and cold nights took over before I remembered the poor thing. Since it was soaked, I debated whether I should keep it or not. I am glad I kept it.  I may even get another bloom.

Since this Amaryllis is rather small, I am sharpening up my pencils so I can draw it and the orchid flower.

* * *
A special thank you for supporting my tictail shop last year. It means a lot to me!
 In the New Year, I hope to add cards and other items to my new etsy shop. Once it gets running, I may close tictail, although I do like tictail's platform.

* * *
Happy New Year! May it be for all of you and your families, a wonderful year filled with health and happiness, creation and peace, with a good measure of prosperity thrown in.

Cultivate your dreams.

 'Til next time...

1 Jun 2017

First There Was a Robin and then . . .

Hi there,

Since I generally post on Tuesday, I can't believe it's not Tuesday.  It came and went without me, but, hey, thinking it's Tuesday must mean something. :) Moving on . . . to Spring! We've had it all weather wise. It's been very hot and it's also been unseasonably cold with a lot of rain. Perfect weather, it seems, for a beautiful spring.

Always on the outlook for whatever nature puts on display, I was lucky to happen upon a mother robin and her nest. I haven't seen robins' eggs since I was child. And what can you really say about robin's egg blue? It's the prettiest colour.

Not on her watch. Alert and on guard. I didn't want to upset her too much so I've waited awhile and then made a fast trip in to see her babies.




Two fat chicks, tucked in a warm nest and growing like weeds with the help of a package of mealy bugs and two hard working, diligent parents. Robins never use a nest twice. And these parents could raise two more families this year. Lined with mud (how many trips does it take?) and once that's dry, last year's dry grasses up the snuggle effect. The papa bird brings materials, but the female builds the nest. She's a wonderful artist. The grasses are spread out on the sides and the bottom with a real flare.

Flora ...
Lilacs
 Hostas. Wish they were mine.
Pretty in pink.  A Hawthorn tree.

Solomon's Seal

Once again, lovely ferns on the grow. So fresh and green. I can't help it, I am crazy about them.

The wetlands are actually wet this year. Drained for three years to kill off the cattails, it's, once again, brimming with water. The tadpoles are jumping and the frogs are loving it. What a chorus! 

 * * *
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Turtles."

Art for art's sake...

A mock up of violets. Very soon there will be an art show at the mall. I'd like enter two paintings, so I better get back to the painting board.


And finally, this lucky marsh wren was chosen for the spring show and flew off to the local gallery. 

I hope you are all enjoying spring, or if you are down under a wonderful fall.

Thank you so much for visiting. . .hope to see you on Instagram too. Let me know if you are there.

Enjoy . . .