Goodies in the Mail and More Practice

I've been participating in a monthly swap with a Yahoo! group, Watercolour Pencil Buddies. This is the second one I've been in on. This month's theme is purple. I sent mine out yesterday, but forgot to save a copy and wouldn't be able to share it until the participant received it anyway. I sure hope she likes my contribution. This is what I received from my swap buddy:

Isn't it beautiful; and not only did I get this lovely work of art, but she enclosed it in a handmade card that is also lovely.

I am a little worried that my attempt won't in any way compare with the loveliness of these, but I did my best. I am hoping that with each of these I do, I will get better.

For more practice in this medium, I am working on a still life that Jean Haines offered as her July challenge. I linked to it yesterday. I first tried to paint it free hand and was hoping to be loose and free with it. I painted it wet in wet and was standing hoping to add to the looseness. And it was a disaster. It helped a little bit to add some ink at the end, but I surely overworked it again!! Is there any hope for me at all???!!!

I was planning not to share this because it makes me wince just to look at it.

So for my next attempt at this still life, I am planning to use watercolor pencils to see if I can use lots of light layers of varying colors to get a reasonable likeness. I know that it doesn't have to look like the original, but I am working on doing that before I go off and try my own interpretation. Of course if you can stand to look again at the watercolor attempt above, it looks like I've already migrated to my own interpretation, doesn't it?

I sure hope there isn't a penalty for tracing some of the outlines before beginning.

I will share the stages of this one as I go.

Meanwhile, I heard from Lillian at Weekly Art Lesson and she is going to do more on Adirondacks in the next lesson. I'm thrilled and can't wait to see it. Meanwhile, I've attempted a few more chairs and think I am getting a little better, but still have a long way to go.

The first one at top left had a man sitting in it in her examples. I tried to sketch it empty and failed miserably.

It is time for my second cup of coffee, and although I am trying hard to turn a deaf ear, I am pretty sure the treadmill is hollering at me again this morning. Yesterday, I did my half hour around 8 am and then did another one around noon before getting in the shower. I am hoping to do two a day for the rest of July.

I just checked the forecast for today and I think I am going to stay indoors once again. I think I am developing cabin fever. I don't expect this condition except in the dead of winter, but I think it would be more pleasant to dress up warmly and go out in a snowstorm than to go outside on a day like today.

I hope you are staying cool if you are having this awful heat (and envy you your coolness if you live where it is still winter).  Take good care of yourself and try to make time for your art.

xoxo