Sponge Painting

One of my art therapy clients liked the effects of sponge painting. Upon her closure with therapy she gifted me with a couple of sponges.

When I was in Greece, I fell in love with the olive tree. After a few attempts painting them in watercolors, I have been disappointed with my ability to capture the silvery shimmer of the leaves in the sunlight. I have been enjoying painting the shapes and forms of the bark of the olive tree, but the leaves have escaped me.

Glancing at a photograph of a grove of olive trees, I realized that the leaves in the distance looked like the texture of a sponge.

With wild abandonment, I began to sponge paint.

I remembered the enjoyment and freedom that I observed watching my art therapy client sponge paint. I, too, was playing as I built up the layers of color and watched the sponge texture. What FUN!

I have been staring at this painting for a few days and decided that after all my fun, I had over worked the sponge painting process. Although it had wonderful texture, it was too dark. I thought about using pastels over it as some artists do, but I did not want to lose the watercolor effect. Looking though my supplies, I found some acrylic paint that I had won at an art demonstration. Hmmmmmm......

As I lighten the leaves of the olive tree, I still desired that lovely sliver-blue sparkle. To my delight, I found a metallic white which I mixed with greens.

Painting done!

Sunlight Dancing in the Olive Grove

mixed-media

Next Watercolor Painting of Greece

Being that the rains have set in here in Washington and those "sun breaks" are few and far between, I have begun to stay indoors and paint.

Greece is still very fresh in my mind and painting from my photographs actually brings me back into the experience. Painting Greece will be a great way to spend the dark winter months.

This second painting is a composite of favorite elements of the Greek landscape; olive trees, the hillsides, and the architecture. While traveling by car with a friend into the mountain area of Crete, we came across a huge, ancient olive tree which begged to be immortalized in a watercolor painting.



I am just getting warmed up.......there will be many renditions of this theme.

First Greek Watercolor Painting

Having spent three wonderful weeks traveling in Greece, I took many photographs and did several sketches. Finally, I am creating watercolor paintings from my travels.

I must admit that have developed a fondness for olive trees. I love trees in general, but the olive tree became a focal point as I traveled. The bark has these twisted looking vines with wonderfully shaped holes and the branches stretch out very gracefully. The leaves are silver green; they extend from the branches in all directions especially when laden with lots of olives. The branches in clusters look spotted with olives so you have this wonderful contrast of circles and lines. I learned that it is VERY easy to get lost in an olive grove.

Here is my first watercolor painting of the olive grove.

Last Day on Santorini

Since the ferry to Crete did not leave until evening, I had one more day to spent on the lovely island of Santorini.

I chose to take photos and sketch.

View from Firostefoni looking towards the volcano on Nea Kameni.


Looking North with the island of Thirasia in the background.



Looking South towards Fira, Santorini's capital.



The magnificent village of Oia.




I have a fascination with olive trees; their gracefulness, curly carved trunk, silvery thin leaves, and the profusion of olives. I created a sketch of one tree while waiting for the ferry to Crete.



Since returning home, I am on my second watercolor painting featuring olive trees.

Olympia-Rafah Solidarity Mural Project (ORSMP)

The Olympia-Rafah Solidarity Mural is an inter-disciplinary, interactive, multi-site public art project that will innovatively make use of new media and social networking technologies to increase the strength and visibility of movements organizing for social change in Palestine, Israel, the US and the world.

ORSMP crosses borders, recognizing and exploring the relationship that exists between the people Olympia, Washington, the people of Rafah, Occupied Palestine and all people who struggle and work for justice. ORSMP will move from the local to the global by bringing people together across social justice movements. The images in the mural will articulate how the social and political struggles in Palestine and Israel connect to local and national and international issues that include environmental justice, racism, colonialism, rights of indigenous people, and anti-war movements, to name a few.

ORSMP uses creativity in public space to cope with and mourn traumatic losses in resilient and transformative ways. Inspired by Rachel Corrie, an Olympian killed in the Gaza Strip in 2003 in a non-violent act of civil disobedience, the mural serves as a reminder of the thousands in Gaza and elsewhere lost in struggle, and, also, as inspiration for those who carry on quests for justice and for the unity and peace that the olive tree represents.

For more information about the project