We have been working on Stargazer Lilies and a Rose. Some have finished, some have not, but they are all coming along really well. These are lengthier pieces than we have worked on before, so they have had to practice watercolor patience as they complete these beauties.
In our last watercolor class we used a light source to cast exaggerated shadows on our flowers. We then used complementary colors to create our flowers and cast shadows. For the most part we finished up, but still had a little work to do on some. Once again the ladies did a fantastic job.
Last weekend, I painted at the Grapevine Botanical Gardens with several other artists in honor of National Public Garden Day. The Gardens were beautiful and the weather was very nice, a little warm, but breezy. I enjoyed talking to all the folks that came out and I really enjoyed drawing and painting. I was inspired by a very interesting tree trunk, I sketched in a few more roots and made it a little more gnarled, then painted it with watercolor. Working in my experimental journal, I sketched the tree in lightly, getting things where I wanted them, then began to glaze with my watercolors. I had already created the background colors with some acrylic inks and then began to put the transparent glazes of the watercolor on top, building up the beautiful colors. I’m not sure the image does the colors justice, but the tree and background are done in a vibrant yellow oranges and very earthy browns. Once I got home, I added the interesting handmade paper on the right side of the tree and then journaled a favorite verse of mine from a song by Joni Mitchell.
“They took all the trees and put them in a tree museum
And they charged all the people a dollar and a half just to see’em
Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”
I love spring! Well not the bad weather that we can get here in North Texas, but I do love the flowers and butterflies. Thought I would share a few of my favorite photos, all taken this spring. There are just so many flowers and butterflies to paint! I’m pretty sure you will see my vision of some of these on a canvas coming to you in the near future.
Buon Giorno Wall
The Funky Finds Experience this past weekend was definetly a different venue. Enjoyed meeting all the different creative people and seeing their wonderful creations. It is so inspiring to see so many folks using their gifts to create. Monday afternoon I took a few paintings and giclees over to the Buon Giorno Coffeehouse to hang on their Gallery Wall through November. Such a nice cozy venue. Drop by, have a cup of coffee and enjoy the artwork.
http://www.buongiornocoffee.net/
Summer II by Sharen Chatterton
Our city is in the planning stages of a community garden, called Common Ground. I am so excited about the ability to have a larger garden plot than we have in our small side yard. This community garden will provide the opportunity for people to participate in a venue that will not only allow them to grow some fresh vegetables, yum, but to educate folks about organic gardening, beneficial and harmful insects, plant diseases and organic controls, as well as getting kids involved in gardening and becoming better stewards of our earth. We are, as I said, in the planning stage, but I am so excited to be getting in on the ground floor of what promises to be a wonderful adventure. There has also been talk of an art component to the garden, which would allow me the opportunity to do some of my work in a format that could withstand the Texas weather; providing vibrant colors in the Common Ground Garden all year long. Can’t wait to see the end product. The city is planning to break ground in October and be ready for spring plantings. I’ll keep you up to date on the progress.
Beginning at the GAP Show
I started a new painting last weekend at the GAP Show in Grapevine. I was inspired by the beautiful Spring Clematis blooming in mass on our side yard trellis. These Clematis are perennials that come back ever year, they love the cool spring and fall and will bloom twice a year, spring being their most showy bloom. They grow best when another plant shades their roots and their tops receive full sun. Interestingly enough the Clematis is famous as a flowering plant, but its true flowers are in fact very tiny, the parts that we think of as the colorful flower petals, are actually the sepals. The blooms and sepals eventually fall away, leaving a cluster of seeds and tails. These spring-blooming clematis, flower on the previous year’s stems, summer/fall blooming clematis bloom only on the ends of new stems, and twice-flowering clematis do both. Enjoy my first video, it won’t be hard to tell it’s my first; it gives you a little more insite into my new piece, try not to laugh too hard!
Putting on the paint, beginning to build the flowers
Painting in our booth
Although the weather was a bit dreary, we really had a great time at the GAP Art Show at the Lancaster Theater in Grapevine, this past Saturday. Karen and I had a great spot, thanks so much to all who braved the wet weather and came out to support the arts. I was able to get in some painting and Karen and I were able to visit with so many great people about our art. People loved Karen’s new “Fiber Art” and it was so interesting to hear her talk about her loom. It’s a whole new vocabulary; one which she has learned well, and is excelling at. I am working on a new piece featuring Clematis flowers which are going crazy on our trellis in the side yard. I’ll keep you posted on it’s progress.
Karen's Fiber Art hanging at the show
Gallery Postcard
It feels like Christmas! Having my work on exhibit in the Gallery at Texas Discovery Gardens is so amazing. I feel so very blessed to be able to intertwine my art with such a beautiful venue that supports our environment. My work will be on exhibition beginning March 22 and ending July 31, 2010. There will be an Opening Reception for the Exhibit on March 26th from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm at the Gallery. Texas Discovery Gardens’ 7.5 acres offer a wonderful diversity of garden styles and botanical collections. The Gardens feature native plants and plant species from other regions of the world that are adapted to the challenging climate and soils of North Texas. Plants are also selected for their benefits in providing habitat for native wildlife, including butterflies, bugs, and birds. You can also enjoy more than 15 native species of butterflies in the Rosine Smith Sammons Butterfly House and Insectarium, as well as many new tropical butterflies. They offer many fun, hands-on environmental education programs for children and adults. What a great place to spend a Saturday enjoying art, flowers, butterflies and fun!
Sunflower Summer in progress
A couple of weeks ago, at a GAP meeting, I had the opportunity to speak with a fellow artist, I had met at a GAP show last summer. She wanted to get together, visit and share ideas. So, I invited a couple of other artists, I had met recently and we set a date. We met at the Corner Bakery, had some lunch and then spent about 2 hours brainstorming. We shared ideas, encouragements, fears and frustrations. It was such a great experience. Those opportunities to share real life experiences of doing art, marketing your art and building an art business with other artist are priceless. I came away with some great ideas, three new friends and a date to meet again next month. You can find information about two of the artists and there work below:
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