4th in the Series

The decision was made that an additional watercolor collage painting was necessary to balance my display for Splash Gallery. It is run by local fine artists who work in a variety of media and I just joined them. Splash Gallery is located at Percival Landing in Olympia, Washington; 501 Columbia Street NW.

This month I will feature watercolor collage paintings. Six paintings have been hung and today I finished another to round out the collection. Five of the paintings were created very recently and the subject matter is waterlilies. The other two paintings are ocean themed and center around starfish. The exhibit of paintings will be rotated, if you live in the area be sure to stop by regularly.

Here is the fourth painting in the Yellow Water Lilies Series.....

Yellow Water Lilies Series # 4
Joanne Osband

The other three watercolor collage paintings were featured in previous blogs. Scroll down....

Art In Ecology

A solo Art Exhibit of fifteen watercolor collage paintings are on display until May 15th at the Department of Ecology in Lacey, Washington.

Watercolor paper when torn creates distinct shapes with wonderful uneven edges. In a fleeting ray of inspiration, I decided to tear parts of paintings and recreate a new one; thus, the birth of my collage watercolor paintings. I have always been an avid recycler! The process continued to evolve when I began to tear shapes resembling nature out of older watercolor paintings, assemble the composition, and continue to paint the picture. More recently, I have added water-based oil paint to the collage to provide greater depth and deeper color. Now, I find myself going back and forth between traditional watercolor and collage watercolor painting so much that they have begun to merge as one. This new dimension of painting continues to inspire my creativity and provides me with a unique way to express myself.


Found Treasures At The Seashore
Watercolor Collage
Joanne Osband

Because of the security for the building, you will need to phone ahead for an appointment to view the art.

The main phone number is 360-407-6000 or Jeffree Stewart, art coordinator, 360-407-6521. Other people you might ask for if Jeffree is not available are Janet Hyre or Kim Collins who are art committee colleagues. The hours are weekdays 8AM to 5PM. The Department of Ecology is located at 300 Desmond Drive SE in Lacey just past the Martin Way exit from I-5.

To Crop or Not To Crop

Cropping is one way to transform an image for emphasis.

When I first began to create watercolor collage paintings, I chose the areas of previous watercolor paintings that I liked. In other words, I cropped a portion of the painting. Having done several paintings of the same subject, I had several paintings and areas to choose from. Then, I recreated a painting using my favorite croppings. Thus, the birth of watercolor collage painting!

Recently, I have cropped the encaustic paintings I created while at a painting & yoga workshop in the Berkshires into miniatures, and entered them in the Miniature Art Show in Cannon Beach, Oregon.

Now, I am toying with how to crop another pastel painting done in the Berkshires. I am not happy with painting as a whole, but I do like aspects of the pastel painting which might make smaller individual paintings.
Let me explain.......

Here is the original pastel painting:



The cropping I like with the three trees as the subject.



Then, I am intrigued by the cropping of the light on the hillside....



Are they "keepers"? What are your feelings?

Two Little Munchkins

Recently, I returned to Cannon Beach to pick up my watercolor collage paintings and visit galleries. Cannon Beach is one of my favorite "art towns" with the added attraction ........ a beautiful beach.

A MUST for me when on the coast; putting my feet in the water.



These two little munchkins caught my attention:





A possible painting, soon......

Woodinville City Hall Art Exhibit

It is very exciting to hang an art show!

Today I hung eleven watercolor paintings and watercolor collage paintings in Woodinville City Hall. They do a fabulous job to make sure the art shows well, and Brenda Eriksen is very helpful.

My first rule in hanging an art show is to take more art than can possibly fit in the space allowed. This way you can arrange paintings as you see fit. Be sure to ask ahead of time about art identification cards and if price information is acceptable.

Second rule is to work with the person who hangs the paintings and not just drop them off. Besides getting to know more about the person and their role, you are able to see that your art is shown in its "best light".

Third rule is to set aside plenty of time to take in the atmosphere and visit with people passing through as well as staff. It is just good publicity!

Remember to bring a camera to take pictures of the art exhibit. It is nice to have photos for your records.

Bring cards and a bio or artist statement; more publicity.

Also, have an inventory list of the art with titles and prices to leave with the person in charge of the art exhibit.

Take a step back and take in the feeling of success!

Puyallup Fair Art Show

The 2009 Puyallup Fair begins September 11th and runs until the 27th. I decided to enter the art show again this year.

It truly amazes me how organized and efficient they make the process of entering the show. In addition, the people are extremely helpful. I entered five paintings and brought my friend's six art pieces. Can you imagine me juggling all these?!?!?

The process begins with a check in to make sure you have filled out all the forms correctly for each art piece. The next station checks the wires and frames of the pieces. The final station gives each piece a number in the category entered and a description.

I am pleased to announce that all of my paintings were accepted! I entered these two watercolor collage paintings:


Creek at Whistler


Moonlight

An oil painting of my cat:


Gypsy

And two mini acrylic paintings 4" X 5"


Colorado Moment


Monet's Garden

"A Good Idea"

I just finished hanging twenty of my watercolor paintings and watercolor collage paintings at the Lynnwood Library Art Gallery.

Within a day I received a call from an artist who complimented me on not only my paintings, but also the way I matted and framed the art.

Let me explain. I came up with a process which is easy for me and displays well because the art is uniform in size and color.

I like to paint on a half-sheet of watercolor paper and I matte all my paintings with a double matte; a pebble white with 1/4 inch charcoal inner matte. My choice being that a white matte allows the color of the watercolor painting to "pop" as my friend, Deb, likes to say. My paintings tend to be colorful.

The outside dimension of the matte is 18" x 24." It is a standard size for frames and makes it easy for customers to change frames if they choose. I use the frosted silver thin metal frame for most of my paintings which gives them the uniform look when in a solo show.

I think you can get an idea from this photo of my art exhibit at Reflections Gallery in Olympia, Washington.

Lynnwood Arts Commission Gallery Exhibit

The City of Lynnwood has an active Arts Commission.

I just returned from hanging 20 watercolor paintings and watercolor collage paintings in the Lynnwood Arts Commission Gallery located inside the Lynnwood Library, 19200 44th Ave W, Lynnwood 98036.

Each month a different regional artist exhibits art in this spacious gallery which is free to the public. Artists are juried once a year for this opportunity. I am honored to be selected.

Here is a schedule for the remainder of this year.

More Lupines

I could not resist capturing lupines in another watercolor painting.

This is a newer version of lupines seen through a window. The window is previously painted watercolor paper torn to shape.



Here is a favorite painting I did several years ago. It is one of the earliest watercolor collage paintings; when I began to experiment with this form of creativity.



Lupines Through The Window
Private Collection of Ron and Leslie Case

Lupine Garden

I first met the incredible large purple lupine when I strolled the Metolius River in Central Oregon. It grew profusely on the stream banks.

My neighbor and I planted a patch two years ago and they have multiplied. They are in full bloom at this time.



Last year I created this painting which is part watercolor collage painting and part traditional watercolor painting. In addition, I cut out a few leaves so that they come forward of the picture plane. Not sure if you can see this clearly on a computer screen?


Lupine Garden

The Challenge of a New Art Medium

Do you ever feel stuck?  Similar to writer's block, but for a visual artist it feels more like doing the same thing over and over again.  After twenty-five years exploring watercolors, I am beginning to feel the urge to try something new. 

Jump start creativity?  Last time I felt this way, I began to tear up old watercolor paintings and create new paintings (watercolor collage paintings). Talk about a metaphor!  As a challenge of new art media, I have been playing with water-based oil paints (sounds like a misnomer) and tried a few small acrylic paintings.  

Most recently, I have picked up a watercolor pencil set.  Now, you are probably thinking that is not so different for an artist who has painted with watercolors. BUT IT IS! TOTALLY DIFFERENT! For you  control freaks, watercolor pencils are a more controlable medium..........well, until you add the water :)  It even looks different. AMAZING!

Later, I am off on another discovery...........