New Work!

Well here it is! In one of my last posts I described that I would be moving onto a different color palette and I have completed a sample painting on both the off white and black felted wool boucle .


The Hummingbird was the first and is done on the off white boucle wool felt. I decided to make a few pieces in the round which is often found in Sumi-e. This piece is not quite finished though. I will add a silk braid or cording around the perimeter of the paper in a coordinating color to frame out the piece. I love this little guy and I can't wait to see him completed!


This is the second piece done in black. The photo doesn't do it justice. I am very pleased with the way this piece turned out. I have always been drawn to the black Sumi-e paintings using color density to create the depth of the image. There's something very intriguing to me about the simplicity which depicts a subject. Although I have achieved success with the brown color way in the past, I was anxious to see how the black would translate in this medium. I feel I was able to achieve a sense of depth in the painting using various thickness of fiber to create tonal variation which is done with different dilutions of black ink in Sumi-e. I did add a bit of magic green in the center of the flower and yellow for stamens to help create a bit of interest in the piece. I expect to frame this piece out with a braid or cording of some kind also. I will be visiting the states soon and will look forward to shopping for an appropriate option.
Bermuda has many fine points but shopping is not one of them! I drool thinking about spending some quality time in Michael's, Joanne Fabrics, Marden's, Walmart, Sam's club and grocery stores when I get home! I run the gauntlet of stores and malls in search of things that I either can not find here or are too expensive to consider. I shop for clothes only when I need something and prefer to fill my baskets with art supplies :-)


To learn more about Sumi-e visit the Sumi-e Society of America's website at http://www.sumiesociety.org/frame.htm

Sunflowers

Well the Bermuda weather is finally settling in and giving us sunny, warm and calmer days. Spring has been slow to come to us as with many parts of the world. My little garden has had it's share of gusty winds and related stress!

I though, have been making progress on the body of work for the Audubon Show on August 16th & 17th at the Gilsland Farm in Falmouth, Maine. I have recently finished pieces of Heron, Sandpiper, Loon, Rose Bud and Sunflowers. All of the birds are in the monochromatic color way but the flowers I have done with color. I am especially pleased with the "Sunflowers" painting that I added to this post, which began as a drawing that I did a few weeks ago.

I have only five more weeks to create paintings that I will have time to have framed before the show. All finished paintings will travel with me to Maine on July 1st when I will spend time with my family, prepare the dispay booth for the show and take paintings to the framer.

So off to work on my next subject! More later.....