Showing posts with label sand orchids of Greece. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sand orchids of Greece. Show all posts

Monday, March 14, 2011

Does Size Make a Difference?

A question to ponder.....

I remember enjoying painting on huge canvases because it was like a dance. Not only did you move your arm as you painted, but also your body.

When I began painting in watercolors, a half sheet of watercolor paper seemed essential to capture all that I wanted to paint.

Recently while traveling in Greece, I created small watercolor and ink sketches because I was traveling light.

Today as I painted with watercolors, I wondered about the significance of size.

In the third watercolor painting of sand orchids of Greece, I finally loosened up. Yet as I painted today, I became mesmerized by shapes and colors as I worked a small area of the painting. The thought occurred to me to cut out the section of the painting as the final product.

It reminded me of a story my artist friend, Judi Colwell, told of tearing off a section of one of her paintings because the art patron liked that part. It really shocked the customer!

Here is the watercolor painting so far......


And the detail....


Who knows where this might go?


Sunday, March 6, 2011

Second in the Series: Sand Orchid

When I was in Greece, the orchids growing in the sand amazed me. They seemed to thrive in the environment in the sand next to the water. How can this be?

Not only were the orchids a beautiful, but also was the contrast of the curly, straw like foliage emerging from the sand and the blue-green colors of the spent bulbs of the flowers.

I tried to capture this in the second of the series of watercolor paintings of the sand orchids of Greece.



On to the next painting....

Monday, February 28, 2011

First in the Series
Sand Orchids of Greece

Back to painting!

First, we had sunny days which found me working in the yard and thinking garden. Next, we had lots of snow and I had to go skiing. Now, I am back in the studio. Well, since I am painting from photographs of Greece, can I actually be in Greece?

To be exact, I am sitting on Plakias Beach on the southern coast of Crete where the sand orchids are profuse and the vista spectacular.

Ahhh, what fond memories......

Sand Orchids of Crete
Joanne Osband
watercolor