Showing posts with label watercolor paintings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label watercolor paintings. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Minis at Cannon Beach

Back in action!

Two of my mini paintings submitted to the Cannon Beach Annual Miniature Art Show were accepted. The show takes place at the Cannon Beach Gallery located at 1064 S. Hemlock in Cannon Beach, Oregon. It is open during the fall and winter Thursdays through Monday from 10am - 4pm. The show runs from November 2nd to December 2nd.

All entries must be 6" X 6" or smaller and does not include the frame. I photographed the watercolor paintings in their frames hoping to capture their small size. Not sure it worked well plus not the best way to display the art.

Joanne Osband
Lily
watercolor & ink


Joanne Osband
"My Garden"
watercolor & ink


Here are better images of the actual paintings......

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Oriental Dogwood Enchantment

I am totally in awe watching the daily transformation of the Oriental Dogwood Tree which a friend highly recommended I plant in my yard.

Not only are the flowers a study in grace dancing on top of the branches, but the color of the flowers have changed from a blush white to a dazzling pink in just a few days.

I see several watercolor paintings in the near future!

But for now, here are some photos of the beauty.....

The full tree is rather small; I am not sure how big it might get.


Check out the cluster of flowers!!!




And a close view of the flowers.




Subject matter for my Sunday Sketch....stay tuned!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

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....

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Sidney Art Gallery

If you are interested in visiting a quaint little museum and gallery, head to Port Orchard, Washington.

The art association and museum are dedicated to preserving the local history and fostering the fine arts. There are three buildings; The Log Cabin Museum, The Sidney Museum, and The Sidney Art Gallery.

This May two of my watercolor paintings will be on exhibit in the Sidney Art Gallery. Here is a preview for those of you not able to visit.

Joanne Osband
"Iris Family"
watercolor

Joanne Osband
"Freckles"
watercolor


The Sidney Art Gallery is open Tuesdays-Saturday 11AM to 4PM and Sundays 1-4PM.

The address: 202 Sidney Avenue in Port Orchard, WA 98366.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Endings and Beginnings

Time to change subject matter.....

Having painted three pictures in the series of sand orchids of Greece, it is time to move off the beach and on to another subject.

Here are the three watercolor paintings in order of creation:




Do you have a favorite? Tell me and why?

I appreciate your input. Thanks!

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....

Sunday, February 20, 2011

What You Can Miss Seeing

At the moment, I am working on two watercolor paintings. The subject matter for these paintings is the sand orchids of Greece which I mentioned in my last blog.

As I was painting and enjoying the range of colors which were happening because I was using a technique called glazing and defining negative space. I use the technique often because it is truly one of my favorite watercolor techniques. As I was enjoying the moment painting, I realized how this beauty and detail is lost in a reproduction of the painting.

You miss seeing this color and detail when you view a watercolor painting online or buy a print. Only when you see the original watercolor painting can you see the variation of colors. It is similar to viewing the dots or blobs of paint of a pointillist or impressionist painting. From a distance, these dots and blobs blend and the experience is different than viewing up close.

Thus, when you view a watercolor painting online you will miss out on all the nuances of its creation. Always ask to see the original or treat yourself to a visit at an art show of original works.

Here are a couple of details of the stems of the sand orchids in my current watercolor paintings:


Thursday, December 30, 2010

Number Three

The third in the series of bougainvillea watercolor paintings is conpleted, I think.

Having entertained a fleeting thought the other day of adding pastels or contour lines, I did not divert from painting with watercolors. As I look at all three together, maybe I will add something different......especially to the second one which feels a bit too stiff. I seemed to have loosened up as I painted these delicate flowers.

Here is the series with the newest painting first.
Let me know which one is your favorite.




Bougainvilleas seem to be very happy and abundant in Greece. As I painted them memories abound and brought smiles to my face.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Third Time

Do you find the expression, "third times the charm," rings true for you?

Many times it takes me three times before I learn the lesson or make an attempt to get something just right. This THIRD time I am hoping to achieve a final and expressive watercolor painting of the bougainvillea from my travel photos of Greece.

In the first watercolor painting, I am not happy with the color of the bougainvillea and I believe there is too much detail.


The second watercolor painting, which I finished today, is more playful and colorful. But then, I found myself laboring on a few details.


The THIRD watercolor painting, which I began today, will flow more smoothly having had some experience painting the bougainvillea.

Stay tuned........

Sunday, December 19, 2010

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

Thursday, November 4, 2010

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.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Sketching in Greece

Need I say, Greece is an awesome place to visit!

Not only did I take about a thousand photos, but manage to do some sketching along the journey. Since I traveled with just a backpack, I took a very tiny Windsor & Newton watercolor set, a set of twelve watercolor pencils, one pencil, and one permanent pen marker. My sketch pad is a good quality paper 9" x 6".

It was challenging adjusting to a limited palette and different media as well as the very warm climate of Greece. I learned that doing a watercolor wash was impossible because the water dried so quickly. I found myself drawn to details and did several sketches with pen and ink.

Sometimes I traveled to a lovely spot to paint and other times I sat in a taverna painting after consuming some fabulous Greek food.

In the next several blogs I will be sharing my sketches and experiences.

After a couple days in Athens, I traveled to Meteora to see the clifftop monasteries. Out of a rather flat landscape, you will see unusual shaped mountains with layers of color that seemed to flow down its sides.

I planned to hike up to the monasteries the day after I arrived, but it rained solidly and not even this Washingtonian was willing to go out in the downpour. Instead I spent the day painting. Here is the view from the balcony of my room in Kastraki.


It was raining so hard that several waterfalls formed down the crevasses in the rocks. Can you see them?

I did another version with just the mountains. They are rather organic wouldn't you agree?


Thankfully the rain subsided and I stayed another day to visit the monasteries.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Thoughts on Watercolors

Recently, I read fellow blogger's, Katherine Tyrrell, post about the best art books.

I am notorious for looking in our public library collection to find the book to read before deciding on whether to make the purchase, or not. The book that came highly recommended is The Watercolorist's Essential Notebook Lnadscapes by Gordon MacKenzie. I think I might buy this one!

His paintings reflect his emotional bond with the natural world. "An artist's work is a reflection of their personal aesthetics; the ordinary things that have extraordinary and hidden beauty, meaning and significance just for them. These perceptions are set at an early age."

I love his definition of watercolor: "a process of applying colored water to a piece of paper so that you can watch, spellbound, while it evaporates; a quest to experience all the subtleties and nuances of diluting paint."

Watch him as he paints.

Autumn Breezes
Gordon MacKenzie

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Third in the Series

My friend and artist, Judi Colwell, believes in doing series of art. Not only do they show well when hung together, but when you get into the flow of painting them, magic happens.

I took her advice when I became enthralled by the fabulous Irises in my neighbor's garden. I created three watercolor paintings while in the enchantment.

Here is the third in the series:

Number 3
Joanne Osband
Watercolor


If you missed the other two, I will save you time trying to find them searching the older blogs:

Single
Joanne Osband
Watercolor

Royal Purple
Joanne Osband
Watercolor

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Peer Review

Today I invited two of my artist friends, Judi Colwell and Ellen Miffit, for lunch and an honest critique of the watercolor paintings I am considering for two shows out of state.

According to Wikipedia, peer review is a generic term that is used to describe a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals with the related field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance, and provide credibility.

Needless to say, their feedback is invaluable!

Thank you again, Judi and Ellen :)

I will be submitting these two paintings in the Watercolor West XLII Annual International Exhibition, at the City of Brea Art Gallery in Brea, California.

Mother and Child

Freckles

This painting I will enter in the Blossom 2 - Art Competition which will have a premier exhibit at the Naples Museum of Art in Naples, Florida.

Royal Purple


I know juried exhibits are very subjective, but I am open to new possibilities.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Spring Surprise

Having purchased my home last summer, I have not experienced the unfolding of spring. I knew that there were two large lilac bushes, but I did not know more than that. To my surprise, I have a lovely dark purple lilac and a light purple one.

I took photos today, but even with photoshop I cannot correct the color. I do not know why purple is such a challenging color to reproduce. I have that same situation with prints of my watercolor paintings.

Here is what I came up with...

light purple(?) lilac

dark purple(?) lilac

You need to use your imagination :)

My favorite place to see and smell lilacs this time of year is Hulga Klager Lilac Gardens in Woodland, Washington.

Their goal is not only to preserve the lilac heritage developed by Hulda Klager, but to maintain the gardens for visitors to experience the tranquillity of a pioneer Victorian farm and garden. The Hulda Klager Lilac Society fully funds the care and upkeep of the farmhouse and grounds from donations, sales of lilacs and proceeds from our gift shop sales. With the help of volunteers, friends, and members the Lilac Gardens continue to carry on the work of growing and showing the beautiful lilacs hybridized by Hulda Klager many years ago.

It is a MUST SEE GARDEN!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Spring Arts Walk In Olympia

This weekend was the Olympia, Washington's, famous Arts Walk.

Famous because the "Procession of the Species," the Arts Walk parade which takes place on Saturday, has been noted in many regional sources. The Procession of the Species — Olympia’s celebration of Earth Day, creativity and community spirit — was honored by Readers Digest last summer as America’s best procession and parade.

An estimated 3,000 participants with masks and costumes honoring nature gather accompanied by chest-thumping drums, and parade downtown with an anticipated 30,000 spectators cheering them on. The big art pieces — whether it be a whale or rhinoceros or zebra - are always popular.

The parade is part of the spring Arts Walk celebration, which continues from noon until 7 p.m. at various businesses in downtown Olympia. Dozens of artists have their creativity on display — from metal art to photography to oil paintings. Arts Walk and the Procession of the Species provide a perfect opportunity to showcase talent and the great businesses, restaurants and entertainment venues that populate downtown Olympia. And it’s free.

Friday night's "Luminary Parade"


This was my first year in many that I did not show my watercolor paintings, but it gave me the opportunity to see other artists and their art. My favorites were Alan Adams, wood & stone sculpture at the Black Box in the Washington Center for the Performing Arts; Stephanie Holttum, mixed media sculpture at Mixx 96.1 KXXO; and Alica R. Lewis, ceramics at the Painted Plate.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Latest Watercolor Painting

Feeling caught up with my house projects at the moment, I spent time creating another watercolor painting of water lilies........one of my favorite subjects.

Although this is the third rendition of this painting, each time it is a new experience. I went more colorful and if you look closer, I used the watercolor in layers actually getting paint thick as if using oils. What fun!


Waterlilies 3
Joanne Osband


I might be on to a new painting technique. Stay tuned.......

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

More Progress on Waterlilies

I have two paintings in process these days. As I have mentioned in an earlier blog, I will be doing a series of watercolor paintings featuring waterlilies a favorite subject of mine.

This first one has turned into a collage. The question now is weather to leave the window frame white or to paint it? What do you think?



The second work in progress watercolor painting is taking on more color than my last post. It is interesting to note that I have been drawn to using larger paint brushes with a more fluid "sketchy" motion. Needless to say, I am enjoying the process. As Paul Heussenstamm relates in his book Divine Forces, it is as if a guided force of the soul takes over.



Next is to add color to the lilies.

Stay tuned.......

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Creative Juices Flowing Once Again

I have returned to painting!

Being so focused on my new house, both inside and out, my watercolor painting has been non-existent.

Waterlilies are a favorite of mine and I have decided to do a series of paintings around this subject matter. I am attracted to the beautiful essence of the waterlily, lily pads, and the surrounding water. The image connotes peace and tranquility. Maybe I am looking for this feeling in my life?

The first painting that I created I turned into a collage which at the moment is pressed under a load of books waiting for the glue to dry. If we have a break in the weather, I will photograph the painting and post.

Here is the next painting in progress. The photo is taken this evening in my studio under the daylight light which I use when I paint.



Stay tuned for it's next transformation..........



It feels good to be painting again!