Sunday Sketches

I broke the cardinal rule of composition; placing the subject matter in the center of the painting.

BUT, this showy Iris deserved center stage and I did it!


Rebellious, aren't I :)

Another Beauty Erupts

What a surprise!

Having been gifted with Iris bulbs from my neighbor when I moved into the neighborhood, I had no idea what they would look like. The first year the lavender ones bloomed (the other day's blog) and I thought they were soooo gorgeous. What a treat to see the addition of a new beauty which erupted upon the scene this morning. I am in awe.


Close up view


The lavender Iris group's display, so far



Did you notice there are a couple of buds on another plant behind the newest arrival? I wonder what it will look like?

Which one will I paint?

Stay tuned for the unraveling mystery....

Getting Ready To Open

I can hardly wait......

The beautiful Iris in my front yard have started to open and what a gorgeous sight! Hopefully the coming rains will not wipe them out.



Ebony could not understand why she was not getting attention.



Definitely a future watercolor painting subject!

INVITED!

One of my watercolor paintings has been invited to an art show. What an interesting way to convey that one's art was selected by the juror to be included in an art show.

Having applied to several art shows, I was uncertain which show this was and which painting as I have a tendency to change painting names.

According to the e-mail, I am one of 224 artists from every corner of the state of Washington who submitted artworks for consideration by the juror, Dennis Peacock. Dennis selected 129 pieces for inclusion in the show from nearly 700 that were submitted. WOW!

Collective Visions Gallery (aka CVG) is an artist-owned and operated gallery representing over 25 Puget Sound artists working in a variety of 2D and 3D modes and media in contemporary, abstract and traditional styles. The Gallery is located in the heart of downtown Bremerton. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 to 5 and Sundays from 1 to 5 during the summer months & February CVG Show; the one my painting will be included.

And now the watercolor painting....

Iris Family
Joanne Osband

Single

Back to watercolor painting.....

Last time I left off, I was inspired by the Irises blooming in my neighbor's garden. I was transfixed by the delicate details and colors as well as shapes and lines of this variety of Iris.

Today I finished the painting that has been drawing dust on my drafting table and reflected on the idea of "single"; single flower and single as in the status of relationships.

Single leaves time for individual exploration and unfolding.

One can be the "center of attention" and it is okay.

Single
watercolor
Joanne Osband

Wild Irises

With my recent Iris love affair, I could not resist taking photographs of the Wild Irises I saw at Earth Sanctuary on Whidbey Island in Washingtion. In yesterday's blog, I shared more about this fabulous place.

Today, it is Wild Irises!


Look at the incredible details in this lovely specimen.


And now for the purples...



Aren't they amazing?!

Iris As Promised

In a previous post, I talked about my recent love affair with Irises.

Also, I mentioned that the Irises have inspired me to paint a watercolor portrait.

As promised...


These beauties are growing in my neighbor's flower gardens.

In Love With Irises

My most recent love affair is with Irises.

Is it because they are in bloom here in Washington?

I am intrigued by the colors, shapes, and details of the lines. I have begun a watercolor painting of my neighbor's beautiful purple, lavender, and yellow-orange, Iris and have patiently awaited the bloom of the Iris I was gifted with last fall.

They are just beginning to open.......


Look at this lovely specimen!


We had a terrible wind and rain storm last evening and this morning I found one of my beautiful Iris on the ground. Hoping to be able to stake it for support, to my dismay, I saw that a slug had chewed through its stem. Then, observing the others...........I found one bud tip chewed off.

THIS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! Tonight with flashlight in hand, I will eliminate the guilty slug or slugs. No mercy!

Why Irises?

Now I know why the Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh painted irises, and one need not be isolated in an asylum either. They are ablsolutely stunning!

I took some photos of my neighbors iris patch.




Take a close look at this magnificent flower!



And they have a fragrance similar to the smell of grapes. Wonder if it has anything to do with the flower being purple?

Maybe it is time to get out my paints...

Irises and Vincent Van Gogh

Irises are blooming now which makes me think of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings. Here is one of my favorites and its story.





Irises
Vincent van Gogh
Dutch, Saint-Rémy, France, 1889
Oil on canvas
28 x 36 5/8 in.


In May 1889, after episodes of self-mutilation and hospitalization, Vincent van Gogh chose to enter an asylum in Saint-Rémy, France. There, in the last year before his death, he created almost 130 paintings. Within the first week, he began Irises, working from nature in the asylum's garden. The cropped composition, divided into broad areas of vivid color with monumental irises overflowing its borders, was probably influenced by the decorative patterning of Japanese woodblock prints.

There are no known drawings for this painting; Van Gogh himself considered it a study. His brother Theo quickly recognized its quality and submitted it to the Salon des Indépendants in September 1889, writing Vincent of the exhibition: "[It] strikes the eye from afar. It is a beautiful study full of air and life."

Each one of Van Gogh's irises is unique. He carefully studied their movements and shapes to create a variety of curved silhouettes bounded by wavy, twisting, and curling lines. The painting's first owner, French art critic Octave Mirbeau, one of Van Gogh's earliest supporters, wrote: "How well he has understood the exquisite nature of flowers!"