Parrot & Parakeet - Watercolor

I recently went through a bunch of my earlier work to find images I could use for greeting cards. Here are some examples of older work that show one of the styles I used to paint, using watercolor with pen and ink.  The disadvantage of using ink with WC is it can give a cartoon-like quality to your painting, as seen here. Although I rarely use this technique anymore, I had fun with it for quite a while.

Blue Jay's World

BLUE JAY'S WORLD, Watercolor, 11x14"
Here's a watercolor I recently finished of a blue jay looking out over a field.  A few of the techniques used in this painting are flat and variegated washes, spattering, layering, and negative painting.  Much of the beauty of watercolor is in the unpredictability of exact outcomes.  This unpredictability is also the greatest challenge to creating a successful watercolor painting. It helps to learn and practice, practice, practice some fun techniques. I teach watercolor classes at my Home Studio and at Pasco Hernando State College

Ibis At The Bay

Newest painting:  IBIS AT THE BAY, Oil, 11x14
I painted this mostly en plein air at Howard Park, Tarpon Springs, FL.  I went to the same location for two weeks to work on it. The three little ibis(es?) came along while I was painting the scene so I quickly sketched them and also took a photo. It's hard to paint wildlife that are moving right along! Later in my studio I added the birds and some finishing touches. I'm happy with the way I caught the light and shade.  This painting is currently on view at the Downtown Gallery, New Port Richey FL.

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January 19 at 11:00pm ·

I've been nominated for the Artist's Challenge of posting 3 paintings a day for 5 consecutive days, by Jana Withers. This is my first day but I've been having some issues with my computer so I'm hoping I can get these posted before the day is over. So here goes ... I'm starting with three earlier plein air paintings, a watercolor - Green Key Palms, an oil - Kayaks on the Causeway, and a pastel - Honeymoon Path.

I'm on Day 2 of the Five Day Challenge. The first three are pastels: Rain and Shine, Bayou, and Sandhill Cranes. The fourth one is an oil: Croton in the Woods. Thanks for viewing!

This is day 3 of 5 of the Artist's Challenge for me. These paintings were done a couple of years ago, all were done in plein air and are 6 inch squares. Two of them are from a "Lifeguard" series I was working on. All three are oils.

I'm also posting day 4 of the 5 day challenge, (which is actually today.I couldn't get day 3 up yesterday) These were all painted from life, meaning not from photos, and represent a variety of mediums. JG Ranch Road - oil, Pond Reflections - Pastel, Floral Still Life - Oil, and Green Key Beach - Acrylic.To be continued, in next post.

I wanted to add some of my watercolors to Day 4 of the Artists' Five Day Challenge. These paintings range from the 1980s to present day works. Also I want to say I appreciate everyone's comments so far - I haven't been responding individually because it's been a busy week, but I hope to go back and do that later. Thank you.

Day 5 of the Artists Challenge. My last day. It has been a good challenge since it's gotten easier for me to post my work and I've gotten such positive feedback. I've asked a few different artists I know if I could nominate them and I'm happy to announce that Eva Allen , and Christine Eckerfield have agreed to accept. Thank you ladies! And thank you Jana Withers andPhoebe Chidester for nominating me!
Now that it's the last day I'm finding it difficult to narrow it down to which ones to post. In the beginning I wasn't sure if I could find enough. These four are all done in Acrylics and have won prizes in competitions. I will end my Challenge with my personal slogan - Paint On!

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Bluebonnets for April

This was a commission piece for a client who was originally from Texas. She wanted a painting of bluebonnets, the state flower. I don't usually do commissions anymore, but I was given free rein to come up with how and what I wanted to paint.   Never having been to Texas, I had to research to learn what the flower looks like and typical terrain where it grows.  This painting came to me from several images I saw while learning about the flower.  

Bluebonnets for April, 11x14, Oil 

SOLD 

 

STUDIO WALTZ this weekend!!

STUDIO WALTZ this Saturday October 4, 2014! ARTISTS' STUDIOS TOUR & SALE 

This is your chance to visit several prominent local artists' studios and see how they work - Demonstrations throughout the day. Visit as many studios as you want - free! 

As the plein air painter of the Waltz, my studio is the great outdoors. I will be set up at #7 on the map, across the street from Carol Sackman & Blake White's colorful house/studio. Please come by and see me !!!

Go to www.studiowaltz.com for a map and more information.

Watercolor class demos

Here's a watercolor painting I did recently as a demo for my WC Studio class, showing how to paint wet-in-wet sunset clouds.

This was a quick demo for a workshop I taught at the college  (Encore Academy, Pasco Hernando State College) last spring.  I was again demonstrating the wet-in-wet technique with watercolors, using it this time while painting trees and foliage.  I like loose, expressive paintings rather than tightly controlled realism.  Painting wet-in-wet is one way to avoid getting too tight, because so much of what happens is out of your control - and often surprises happen - known as "happy accidents" when they come out well!

Here's my painting for this year's Brush with the Blues plein air event for the Blueberry Festival in Brooksville.  I called it "View from City Hall" because I painted it in the parking lot there.  I won Third Place!    Below you can see it framed and hanging inside for the exhibit. The lighting there isn't great but you get the idea.  

Brush with the Blues - Brooksville FL - Plein Air Competition 2014

Here are my best plein air painting buddies after a delectable lunch at Mallie Kyla's cafe in Brooksville, FL.  I'm the one in the middle. Last week we were all  painting out in different locations around Brooksville for the annual Brush with the Blues Plein Air competition (except for Rhonda - at top of stairs - who was in charge of organizing the event and had to work during it )  In order starting from the top of the stairs are: Rhonda, Jana, Jenna (me), Anneke, and Phoebe.   The awards were presented at the Blueberry Festival at a Sunday morning breakfast for the painters, judged by Tom Jones -the well-known watercolor artist.  Anneke  won First Place this year!  I won Third Place!  Everyone did beautiful work!  I will post my painting soon.  

Morris the Cat

Here's an oil painting of my daughter's cat, Morris.  This cat has one of the greatest personalities of any cat I've ever known!  He's friendly to everyone and especially wonderful with my almost-one-year-old granddaughter Esme!  Sleepy time Morris, Oil, 16x20 "  .  

More watercolors ......

Violet Rose

Wood's Edge

Another Rose

Here are two of my favorite watercolors painted this year:

Lilies

Vase of Roses

And of course, if you are interested in buying any of these, or any other paintings you see on my blog,  please contact me and I will get the relevant information to you.  Thanks for visiting.  Paint on!

Time to Get Back on Track

Vase of Roses

Blue Jay's World    

I thought I'd put up some watercolors for a change.  Some are done during class demos and some during my own time, but most of them have not been named or sized or matted and so are not ready to be put on my website --
www.jennastarfriedman.com   --

                    

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted.  I'm always painting -- I have to! --but I'm not great at keeping up with the stuff that needs to be done to get my paintings out there.  Like photographing, filing, naming, sizing, signing, matting, framing, organizing, posting etc etc -- the stuff that's not actually painting.  I don't like to do the business side of art. I don't know many artists that do. Enough excuses. Here goes, I'm making another resolution to get consistent and organized.

First Place Winner in Brush With the Blues Plein Air Competition

 Brooksville Palms - I painted this during the Brooksville "Brush with the Blues" plein air competition,an event that is part of the Blueberry Festival in Brooksville, Florida. I was very happy to be awarded FIRST PLACE for this painting!!!  A little background story:  We had Wednesday, Thursday and half of Friday to paint on location anywhere in Brooksville.  The paintings were judged and the reception held on Saturday, May 4.   It rained both days that I went there to paint, but luckily there were  periods of just drizzle and I was using acrylics this time so I was able to paint anyway. I set up on the street, looking at a back view of the courthouse. I was drawn by the composition of the magnificent palms that were in the parking area there, with the old courthouse in the background. I tried to capture the drizzly gray weather contrasted with the colorful foreground palm leaves. As I was painting on Friday morning before the noon deadline, some landscapers came with their cherry-pickers and cut off all the bottom leaves and seeds of the palms -- leaving them looking vastly different with just a few of the top leaves left!  Luckily I had already gotten most of it painted.  Plein air painting has many challenges: difficult weather and energetic landscapers are two of them!
BROOKSVILLE PALMS, Acrylic, 11x14"

 


A writer for the Tampa Bay Times, Logan Neil, took a picture of me as I was finishing up before the deadline on Friday.  Below is a clip from the newspaper:

Two recent  six inch square paintings:  Gulf Harbors II (oil) and Green Key Beach (acrylic)

Both were painted en plein air.  They are on the very wide edge stretched canvases and look great when hung without using frames!

Floral III

This was one of my star paintings at the Artists Market show at the Leepa Rattner Museum in Tarpon Spriungs last weekend - Oct. 13 and 14. It got a lot of interest and I told a few people it would be up on my website so they could look at it later.  Unfortunately I couldn't get it to post until today for some reason. This fairly large painting is a lively still life of lilies in shades of pinks and golds.  Looks especially good in the wide gold fame I showed it in. FLORAL III, Acrylic, 16x12", $325, add $100 for the frame.

Storm Approaching, Oil, 11x14 - This is one of the original paintings I sold on Saturday Oct. 20, during Studio Waltz in Dunedin, FL.  Unfortunately I don't have photos of the other two originals I sold- or at least I can't find them on my computer right now.  I also sold several matted prints and handmade cards during the day.  The weather was beautiful - in the low 80s with a fresh breeze all day - I had a great time!! As I have for the past few years, I was set up by the lake in front of Blake White and Carol Sackman's amazing Mozaic House - studio #9 on the Open Studio tour.  So I got to paint en plein air in between talking to all the visitors.  A wonderful day!

Great Publicity for Plein Air

Recently I was contacted by a reporter for the Tampa Bay Times who wanted to do a piece about plein air  painters in the area. After a few conversations, she came out one day while our group, West Coast Plein Air - Florida, was painting at Orange Lake in downtown New Port Richey. Click on the link below to see a great newspaper article about it.  (Unfortunately, I haven't yet been able to figure out how to post the actual article here without all kinds of ads and other extra bits.)

http://soc.li/2jEmNXI

Three from Honeymoon Island

Our plein air group, West Coast Plein Air - Florida, painted out for a couple of months during the summer at Honeymoon Island.  We were comfortable despite the Florida heat because we were invited to paint in the shade of the South Beach Cafe.  Of course we followed our tough mornings of painting the surrounding beauty with delicious lobster rolls for lunch from the Cafe. Good times!  These three paintings are all done in oil. From the top: Honeymoon View, 8x10; Secluded Beach, 11x14; Storm Approaching, 11x14.

Swamp Spring Morning

This oil painting was painted, mostly en plein air, in May. Our plein air group was painting in downtown New Port Richey near Orange Lake.  So it's actually not  in a swamp, but the vegetation, Spanish moss, heat and humidity made me feel like I was.
Swamp Spring Morning, Oil, 11x14