A Boy and His Puppy

 10 x 13 watercolor on Arches 300 lb paper

Super happy with this one! My watercolors are usually like all my other pieces - too rigid and a lot of attention to detail. But, this time I managed to back off and let the paint do its thing. Not easy. Not for me anyway.

As I've mentioned before, I'm doing a lot of playing this month. I've gotten back to drawing basics, and also experimenting with the paints and supplies I have on hand that I don't pay enough attention to. Watercolor is one of those supplies. 

Here are a few of my playtime experiments:

Here I applied masking fluid, with a palette knife,  to a 5"x7" piece of watercolor paper, .

Then, using a very wet brush, dabbed in some color and sprinkled on some chunky salt. 

(I was pulling out all the stops!)

Once it all dried, I removed the masking fluid. I'm sorry I don't have the photo before I started drawing on it, but here's what happened when I pulled out a photo of my grandson, that I had recently received, and started laying down some color with my old Prismacolor Art Stix. I don't think they're still available, but Prismacolor pencils would give the same result.

In the end I had this 5x7 study. With all this wonderful experience, I decided to do a "real" one. 

So once again I got out the masking fluid and palette knife, but this time I started with a light pencil drawing on heavy Arches watercolor paper, and before using the palette knife technique, I applied the liquid mask, with a small brush, to areas of highlight where I wanted to maintain the white of the paper. After all the masking fluid was dry, I laid in watercolor, using a very wet technique, in colors more in line with the image. Here is what it looked like when the masking fluid was removed.

Below -  I was getting excited!

Here I was super excited and very afraid of messing it up. I didn't want to over-do and lose the freshness and flow of the watercolor! The problem was, I didn't feel he had enough contrast in his face. Oh no! If I was gonna mess up it was gonna be the face. I let it sit for an extra day while I built some courage.

The finished piece is at the top. The face isn't perfect, but I managed to not tighten up terribly. I definitely had a lot of fun doing this and can imagine more watercolors coming up in my future.

Thanks for stopping by!

Loving the charcoal practice

Olive - 5 x 7 charcoal on gray paper

Below is the photo I took a few days ago, specifically for the purpose of practicing charcoal with a subject I love (my granddaughter).  I dropped it into Procreate and added the layer of red lines to help you see what I'm looking at when I draw.  For example, the corner of her eye lines up with the top of her ear. The corner of her mouth lines up with the bottom of her ear. I not only look for these lines but there are all kinds of shapes, both positive and negative which I'll talk about in another post.

I lightly sketched the image out on gray paper. Then dropped this one into Procreate as well and used the same red lines. I was only off by a little, (circled in blue) I had placed the eye and the eyebrow a bit too high.

For the initial sketch I used vine charcoal. I wouldn't recommend it for a finished drawing as it's too easy to simply wipe off with your finger. You barely need an eraser. But, for an under-drawing it's perfect. That's a small piece of vine charcoal in the photo and also the white charcoal pencil that I began using. 

I love adding the light and prefer to work back and forth between the white charcoal and regular charcoal pencils as I go along. I put it back into Procreate and it passed the red line test.

Another step

Another step

And lastly you have the image at the top of the page. The finishing touch was punching up the highlighted hair on top. I used my tiny mechanical eraser and a bit of the white charcoal pencil.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Back to Charcoal Basics

 

approx.9' x 12"charcoal on drawing paper.

For the last couple of weeks I've been doing some drawing practice with old charcoal sticks I've barely touched in 40 years.  I thought I'd share this one because as I was drawing I remembered how nice it had been to work on hand-toned paper. 

I did this version first:

All well and good practice, but it was at the end of this piece that I remembered how I used to tone paper first and then do a lot of the drawing with the eraser. 

First 2 steps: 

- a light covering of charcoal (above)

- then blend it all by rubbing in circles with a paper towel, until you have a smooth gray surface.

Using a kneadable eraser, a harder plastic eraser, a charcoal pencil and a blending stump, I began getting the figure placed.

 

- nearly there and down to last details and heavier erasing.

The supplies I used - moving from upper left and clockwise: A couple charcoal sticks, kneadable erasers (for lifting color in a more subtle way), a few different plastic erasers including 2 with tiny heads that I just purchased (yay! new toys!) that are great for detail, two different types of charcoal pencil and lastly, the blending stump. I end up doing a lot of drawing with the blending sump when it gets dirty! Also, the more you can stop yourself from using your fingers to blend, the better. Our fingers have oils that can ruin a good drawing. Case in point - those two weird splotches in the bottom left of the drawing. I must have been holding the paper there or something. I'm not sure how they happened but there's no getting rid of them. 

I also want to note that the image (because it is only for practice purposes) came from an online google search of seated female figures.

Many years ago I had privilege of attending an author's night at a local café and listening to a presentation by the late Floyd Cooper. He was a children's book author and illustrator and he shared with us one of his tricks to making his illustrations so beautiful. He would tone a canvas with a light layer of oil paint, and while it was still wet would begin using a kneadable eraser to lift off color, acheiving that beautiful gradation of light and shadow and bringing form instantly to the canvas. 

This is one of his book covers that I believes shows this very technique.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Time to play!

 

Abstract #1 -  12"x12" modeling paste and acrylic on canvas.

Friday was my last day at New Madison Public Library where I've worked, part time, for the last 8 1/2 years. It is a lovely library with lovely women who became my friends and I would say I'll miss them all terribly, but I enjoy reading (a lot) so I'll be a regular patron and see them frequently. Win - win.

I now have extra hours in my week to pursue art, and this first month I plan to do a lot of playing. This is the first official piece by Tracy Onoz the retired lady. An artist who plays. 

I watched a few videos on Instagram that showed artists using modeling paste and wanted to get my hands dirty too. 

Step one: I applied strips of tape (artist's tape or painter's tape) in a simple grid pattern and around the edges. (tip - paint white acrylic or gesso over the edges of the tape so that when you move on to the next step the color does not bleed under the tape).

Step two: I added a bit of acrylic paint to some modeling paste just to give it some color but you can stick with just white modeling paste if you prefer. I applied a thick layer of the concoction to the canvas, stuck my fingers in, and swirled them around. Swirled my fingers around in circles like I was three years old!

Step three: I very carefully removed the tape when I was done swirling. I would imagine it's very difficult to remove the tape after the hot mess of modeling paste has dried. When I pulled up the tape, it didn't look like such a hot mess. It looked cool like this:

Steps 4, 5, 6, and however far I was going to take it, were just about coloring the swirls. 

I threw some paint around with a brush, a sponge, my fingers etc. Just . . . PLAYED!

I used acrylic paints, but I would imagine you can experiment with all kinds of materials.

Remember, I'm a novice at this, but I did read that you can put oil paints over modeling paste, you just can't put modeling paste over oil paints.

Added burnt umber paint around the squares.

Pulled in more of the burnt umber into the squares. Also, Iworked in some more dark green paint -watered down so that it flowed, and dabbed at it, while still wet, with a paper towel.

Then, I threw in some more flecks and details to get the image at the top. Is it done? Heck, I don't know. I thought it was done when I added the burnt umber around the edges. I was wrong. Haha! I watch videos of other people doing abstracts and always wonder how they know when to keep going and when to stop. I'm assuming I'll figure that out for myself at some point. I've got a lot more playing ahead of me.

Thanks for stopping by!

Snow Day Memories

 Snow Day 7 x 10" pastel

I'm currently reading a book titled "The Midnight Train" by Matt Haig. With no spoilers, it is about an old man who dies and boards a train to eternity. During the trip he views the passing of his life outside the train windows. The train stops at pivotal moments during his life where he can examine them more closely. I'm enjoying it very much, but there was one sentence that I appreciated so much, I had to stop and write it down: "Doesn't the mundane starch of reality always turn to sugar with memory." Goodness that struck home! You don't aways comprehend the happiest moments or times of your life until they are reflected upon.

I was on vacation recently with family and was thinking how I couldn't wait to get home to journal about it and review the photos. It's as if, even though I try to "be present" (and I think I do a pretty good job of that), I can't fully process how wonderful it all is until a can take that time to reflect - let it become sugar. 

This piece is from a photo taken more than 20 years ago. It's a beautiful memory that has become more beautiful with time. My kids are grown. We don't get snowfalls like this very often anymore. Life speeds by - like a train. When it is my turn to board that train, I hope it stops here. I will soak up the joy of my babies and throw myself down into the snow and make a snow angel and bask in the blessings that my life has been so full of. How sweet is that?!

Speaking on the piece itself, I haven't done a pastel for a very long time - years actually. But I was just in the mood and pastels are a quick medium. Here are the steps:

I did a small pencil sketch first then switched to Nupastels and pastel pencils on colored pastel paper. 

The last thing I did was tone down the snow a bit. Didn't want it to be quite so brilliant of a blue.

I'm not sure how much time I invested, but each step was less than an hour.

Thanks for stopping by!

Swans

Swans - oils 12 x 22"

My most recent piece and some of the steps:

I started on a clayboard surface with a yellow ochre wash. I think it's more difficult to start on white and if you're not too heavy handed with paints (as I tend to be), some of the warmth can shine through.

The neck of the big swan was just a bit too long so I shortened it a bit.

For me, the water was the most challenging part. I think I did a decent job with it.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Tara

 Tara 11 x 14 oil painting

Goodness, this one was a long time coming. This is my niece who got married last June in Jamaica.

I started this piece on June 17th of 2025 and finally finished it May 14th 2026. I had pieced together a few different photographs, and some of the background I had to just figure out without reference.

I would work on it for a few sessions, get excited about it, hit a snag, put it away for a couple months, and then try again.

I won't share all 16 steps but here are a few:

6-17-25

6-30-25

I wanted more ocean in the background.

7-28-25

This is where I was happy that the portrait part would work out. Like with the bridal portrait of my daughter that I posted in April, that's a pretty tiny face!

1-12-26

I wasn't liking the landscape area on the left so I painted most of it out. Also, started a bit of the greenery on the right.

2-23-26

Then, I went for a more dramatic sky. 

There had been quite a few afternoon storms while we were there, so the choice was valid. haha!

After a few more months and more detail, I finished!

I'm always going to second guess myself on whether or not I should have darkened the sky.

Alas, the problems of being an artist.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Gift

 11"x14" oils

This was not an easy reference photo to take. I had to be stealthy. Really stealthy. There were several female cardinals outside the window, but I only got in one photo before they caught my un-stealthy movement and flew away. At least this one photo, I did get, turned out to be pretty cool.

I wish I could have invited her in for a bit. It was just a few days before Christmas and I would have loved sharing some hospitality.

Step 2: getting the layout down.

(Step 1 was starting with a canvas that had been coated in burnt sienna)

Step 3 - started to place the branches and the bird

Step 4 - working across with the leaves and some of the woodwork

Step 5 - Added the brass window latch and more detail in the wood.

The last step, at the top of the page, was more detail and especially more leaves.

I used a palette knife to dab in more texture.

Thanks for stopping by!