Thank You All!

Thank you to all who have missed my writing, posting, blogging.
I'll get back here with painting soon as I can.
For now you can find me at my 'Journey' blog.
That's always been sort of a diary for me and I've written a post there.
Barbra Joan 
 

A Party on My Head

   

   
 I'm about as far away from a party mood as I can be, but that's what I thought of when I finished this. 'There's a party on my head" .
This is mixed media, mostly watercolor, pencil and a bit of pen. 
 I chose to keep the face in pencil , and her clothes simple . 
 Not my style you say? Well you never know. !!!
P.S. I was asked how I came up with this...no, not my idea, but I'd seen something like it a long time ago.. a model with all colorful scarves on her head.. I've always wanted to do it ... I HAD to do it.!!! So I DID !!!! I have just added my second and final  version of this. 

BJ 

Rose of Sharon

 

I could easily say I'm stuck in a 'rut'. But it just so happens that I love painting flowers. It's just that simple... Rose of Sharon is also a simple flower so I've painted them in my white ceramic pot...

Tranquility

I've lost a couple photos, came onto my blog and what happened to  the Bird of Paradise painting in my last post?  It was there this morning and now it's gone..Google took it ...

Bird of Paradise

 So where's the photo you ask? I have no idea what happened to it.. 

Oregon Barn

When I was out west  this time last year, I snapped a photo of this barn as I passed it.. Not my thing to paint barns but I've come out of my comfort zone a bit..That day was spent with my friend Jerry who lives in Oregon... Thanks again Jerry for a wonderful day. 
Barbra Joan

WHOOOPPPEEE DOOO !

It's all fixed ... thanks to a special friend who knows everything. ! 
I really must get all my Picasa photos onto a cd or flash whatever.
Some of my photos are the only record I have of my paintings.
 Everyone should remember if you delete anything in Picasa it will get deleted in your blog ... any changes you make .... well same thing.  It's a happy day ... again. 

This is one I could mat either horizontal or vertical .. The whole jar is there, but I thought it more interesting this way. It's drawn quickly with a micro pen ... I liked the effect but don't think I'll do much more with that technique. I'm still sticking to traditional watercolor. The transparent pigments, no white, no black. 
I know I should break the rules sometimes, so that accounts for the pen work... 11x14" .  WN paints, Fabriano paper 140 lb. cp

Getting There?

The journey is half the fun of getting to the destination. And that's what I'm doing.!

I have a collection of white ironstone pitchers. Perfect for flowers.
I drew this in ink first, then watercolor.. .

I don't mess around with 'photo  fixing'. At the most I crop, 
or adjust  light. 
I'll do some more of these, as I was pretty happy with it .. It's me!
Not realistic and not too sloshy. Now there's a technical word! 
I know in my heart I'm a painter of flowers first, then comes all the other subjects. I do like to try portraits, landscapes (my downfall ) and still life , which I'm a disaster at. 
Finish today with a drawing done a couple years ago. 

                     Daisies always reach for the sky. BJ 

In My Quest

Struggles and grief, struggles and grief.  lol! In my search for fast , loose watercolor at least it's keeping me trying if nothing else is accomplished.. I do like this, but don't consider it loose the way I see
'loose'. Like the color palette, . The composition was taken straight from the photo and so the center of interest is saying, "ok follow me and jump right off the page HERE! lol!  Ok I'm learning with each one and that was the lesson for today.  I had a suggestion from an amazing landscape artist to try some timed painting.. set 30 min then stop... OMG! that is the hardest thing for me to do .. this little 8x10 took me twice that long and that's why I can see the piddling and poking mostly on the leaves. NOT necessary to define each vein...It's so strange that I  know that, but still insist on doing it .. not giving up though, and thanks Keith for the suggestion. 

Coconuts

OK! So in order to get rid of the peaches, I did coconuts. LOL !
I''m happier with this one, it's ALIVE'... The coconuts were in  shadow so they were painted that way. Bye peaches, helloooo coconuts. !!!

Small, Loose, and Colorful

Doing some very quick small paintings .. Not very good, but I used pencil to draw, left them in there, and must say I really enjoyed working this way... Now if I can do it again 100 more times. LOL !
BJ   

Happy Mothers Day

To all the blogging moms out there. 

Finished Journal

Finished my journal for Alaska. A lot more pages can be seen on my  Art HeartsJourney     
 A   A

                                         

   A

Thank you, thank you

To all my blogging friends both near and far, thank you for all your thoughts, your prayers and wonderful emails.. 
Without going into it, I had a scare concerning my health.. 
 But it's going to be alright.. and hopefully not cause me any problems.. 
 I'll get back to painting, blogging , creating, gardening and all the things that keep me putting one foot in front of the other.
 It's what I do.  It's what I've always done. I'm not going through this life as though walking on eggshells.
 

For my Florida series.

Not feeling well all  this past week and still not good.  So I'm posting one of my Florida pieces that I did just before I started feeling like something is not right. Thanks for visiting and the comments.. 
They always make me feel better.. See you soon. 
Yes, I just added a piece done a few weeks ago. Not mentally ready to paint. But I'll get there. We'll see..  I send hugs to all my blogging friends. 

Conch Cottage #2

Still working and learning on landscapes/seascapes.  
What constitutes a series?  3?, 5?  I sure wish I'd taken more photos of the Bahamas and Nassau when I was there. 
One of the most colorful places I've visited was Key West, Fl. The most southeastern tip of the U.S. and they have the sign to prove it.
Everything you've heard is true. LOL! People, places, and things. 

Conch Cottage #1

Seascape? Landscape? not sure, but it has land, water, and a building.
I've always backed away from landscapes. Maybe that's because I was trying subjects that I'm unfamiliar with such as hills, barns, mountains, you know.... rows of corn.   LOL ! 
I was encouraged by a fellow blogger to try more landscapes and I thought of what I'm most familiar with and that would be tropical scenes.  Palms trees instead of Pine trees, and sea and sky instead of hills and mountains.. If you've ever been to the Keys in Florida you'll see lots of little cottages like this.. they are hardly more than shacks but the sky is so blue and the water so green that even a tent looks good there. !
 Anyway this is my attempt that I finished this morning.. I'm sure there are lots of things a good landscape painter would change.  Yes, I'll try it again.. Barbra Joan

Carmel Ca.

In the late 80's lived in northern Ca. and loved to take drives to Carmel... I took this photo of one of the cottages. 
and painted it yesterday.  I've never been good at landscapes. But that doesn't mean that I don't try from time to time... 

Tulip Time

When I was on my trip out to the Northwest I went to Pikes Market in Seattle... I'd never seen so many beautiful flowers all in one place. Bunches  stacked together.. I took a lot of photos.. and  today I painted a few quick ones. Below is the picture of just the tulips.
Amazing !

An Artists Story

There was a time I painted in oils.
In fact it was the first medium I chose when I  started to paint seriously.  It was the early 80's . Before that it was mostly drawings, and a few attempts at watercolors.
I did quite a few oils , some commissioned portraits, animals, even an old sailing ship on a stormy sea and others.  Lots of seascapes. 
Some sold, some landed in the trash, and I have only one to myself.. 
The violin painting went to a woman whose father was a violoinist. 
 She said that when she would walk home from school she could hear her father playing the violin.. Usually people want a painting because it reminds them of a certain person, place or thing. Unless they're wanting a color to match their sofa.. 
 I  took a 3 year break from any painting, not by choice, just didn't have the want or need for it. At the time I'd lost half my heart.  It just wasn't in me.  
 When I started again I was  determined to try (again) watercolor.. which I do to this day.  Sometimes I look at my oil paints,  yes still have them and  don't care if they're dried up .. can't bear to dispose of them.. There they sit, packed in those plastic bins.. Memories? yes...Maybe one day.  Barbra Joan 
 

3? maybe 5?

Wanting to do a series of fruits and veggies to mat and frame for my kitchen..  Found these on Wet Canvas .. I need one more... maybe a red pepper for a series of three.   
I've also taken the bold step of signing in RED. 

You Know It's Around the Corner When...

Painted this just this morning . It was a quick one and I see lots of
'shoulda', coulda'  etc.  But the whole idea of this painting is that I know when my blogging friends up north, and across the pond,  see the crocus peeking through the snow, they know it's not far from Spring..

 

 

Strawberry Festival Art Show

 

The annual Strawberry Festival starts in 2 weeks. 

 Plant City, Florida is known for it's strawberry farms.  People come from all over to be at the festival.. Of course more than strawberries are there. It's from Feb. 27 - Mar. 9. 

Our art guild puts on an art show, which I've participated for the past 2 years and again this year.

 This year I was asked to donate a painting for the raffle which benefits a scholarship that we support.. So above is my donation. I hope it goes to a good home.. I painted it a couple years ago.. it's matted and in a 16x20" frame.

As for an entry into the judged show I'll be putting in 'Prima' the  ballerina girl. While I'm at it I'm posting another finished piece that I did recently .. (below)

A young Jamaican girl.. I believe I found the photo on Wet Canvas, one of the copyright free sites for artists.. I have another site that I use and can never remember which one .   BJ

 

'Prima' A WIP

 Finished framed and photo... under glass so not so good.. but  read on to see how I got here .

OMG! so here I am back in my Art Hearts Place.
This post is about painting so thought it should be put here.
A while ago I did a quick sketch/study of a little ballerina
I liked it but knew I would do it larger, and on Arches 140 CP paper.  Frame size 18x24.
 I freehand sketched in pencil , then did the first wash of her skin.

Leaving that to dry I started working on the hair and ribbons.
I tend to 'piddle' with hair and hope I haven't overworked it..
So far this is where I'm at and will work on it tomorrow.

It's large 16"x20".  Well for me,  anything bigger than 11x14

is large. It's usually where I get into trouble.

Tomorrow's another day. And you still can visit with me on my 'Journey'  blog ..  BJ

Although not signed as yet, I worked on this today doing the tutu and don't want to 'piddle' too much.  That's a bad habit of mine.
I'll leave it on the easel and look at it for a couple days.. Then decide if it's worth a mat and frame..
It might be that I'll enter it into the art exhibit at the Strawberry Festival here in Plant City, Florida.. Feb. 27 - March 9.

. Life

My bead painting was never so true about life .

Big events, small ones, some bright and shiny and some not so

wonderful.

I keep that painting hung in my bedroom and see it every morning when I wake. I've also posted a small watercolor of a fuchsia and a cover of a journal that I made for a friend. I'm trying to follow that advice.

I'm sure I'll be getting back to this blog at some point.

Right now I need a respite from blogs.

If you care to follow me without much art you can find me at my old blog which is http://artheartsjourney.blogspot.com   

Big hugs for all my blogging friends.

Barbra Joan

Shady Lady 2 and Mr. Elephant

 

 

An older pencil piece  (top).   I hadn't learned the art of softening/blending yet.  And the Elephant is one I just did..
Posting today as I'm not doing any painting except for my walls.. It's tiring and will finish up soon.
  I have the Art Guild Christmas Show in a week, so lots to do..
Missing watercolor painting but will be back to it soon..
Happy Thanksgiving to all.. BJ

Is it Live or Memorex?

Some years back I painted these on a porch wooden floor.

Thought you might like to see them. 

 

 

 

Not Excactly Painting but.....

My friend Peg out in Washington state calls me last night just to see if I were alright. Reason? No new posts.
Your right Peg and that's because no new painting.
I'm painting my walls !!! That's painting right?
   In the meantime I'll post my art/studio room where I live most of the day. Computer, phone, etc.

The hutch that was saved from Hurricane Katrina and brought here just about a month before that storm.. it holds my small journals, sentimental  'stuff' that I can't live without.

Some of  The Journals. Others have found new homes.

One of about 5 shelves of books and other things close to my heart.

Far corner for painting and right hand side for my zillion other ideas, journal making,  mixed media, sewing  etc. At this end a comfortable loveseat, and my computer just out of sight.

I've always enjoyed looking at other artists work places, tools, equipment, etc.  So here's part of mine.. and Peg, I'm still here.!