Thursday, August 8, 2013

Art Catch Up

I am way behind on my art challenge drawings, but I had time to do a few on vacation -- and a few NOT part of the challenge. Like this one, from a photo taken at the Tuileries.
The subject for this was "Over There" -- taken from one of my photos from the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach.
"Cool" was done straight from life, sitting on my beach at the lake -- sigh!
"Small Pleasures" is a piece I started LONG ago -- a peek at a window with its delicate lace curtains. You will never know how I struggled with this -- it just looked blah.
Then I read Vivian Swift's "Le Road Trip" and noticed she had made her lace curtains by making the background VERY dark and then the white tracery of the lace actually showed up. I tried it here using a white marker for the lace and while my work will never look like Vivian's -- it is a start. (You'll learn a ton about painting at her terrific blog with a weekly painting lesson!)

"Flowers" is neither from life nor drawing nor photo. It is from my brain as I was playing this week. I may cut this into pieces for bookmarks.
 
Try this version of "Flowers" instead -- sunflowers from a photo taken at one of last summer's farm markets!
For "Hunger Pangs" I went back to the France photos. I had been so motivated by the beautiful macarons Carol draws in her Paris Breakfasts blog. I had to try.
Somehow Carol's look like macarons. Mine look like pink blobs. But I still had hunger pangs! Here is the original.
"Wishful Thinking" again finds me in France -- this time in Giverny at the famed bridge. I don't know HOW I was able to get this photo without people in it!
Here's how it translated to my drawing.
 
Here are a few others -- the problem children, I call them.
 
The one above was my neighbor's little well (actually it is a faux well that hides some sort of outdoor thing). As you can see, I was having trouble with the perspective as I hit it from an odd angle that I just couldn't make right.
 
This one is from the Medici Fountain in Paris -- a tight shot of the sculpture. Oddly, the woman on the left looks like a man, and the man on the right looks like a woman, specifically like my mother. I think it looks more like a woman holding a child instead of her man. Try again (although I like it in its own way, just so long as I don't think about what it really is!).
 
And this one is from some photo I nabbed and for the life of me can't remember where! It's not so bad. I'm thinking the path leading to the beach at Myrtle Beach.

I call the one above "Road Trip."
It was done from this photo as we drove through Normandy several years ago.
Well, I'm caught up! What's next? Wait and see!

25 comments:

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Thanks for the visit, my dear.... don't seem to be on anyone's "FEED" anymore....I don't understand anything about that...!
I'm catching up on all of your posts I have missed...I really like your drawings, a lot. And I like the one out of your head, very very much.....
The Family Get Together looked like it was WONDERFUL!
And I always love your Paris Posts....Great pictures of a fabulous city.

Right after my Birthday I had a difficult time physically---Lots of trouble breathing. But it is better now, Thank God! Life is not easy these days.
I hope you are feeling okay, my dear....!

Anonymous said...

Very, very nice! How wonderful you can capture your snaps in watercolors. You're very talented.
be a sweetie,
Shelia :)

anno said...

Beautiful, Jeanie -- it's amazing to see how much your work has developed. Love those details from the Medici fountain and the lace curtains!

~*~Patty S said...

Your drawings are wonderful Jeanie...so many sweet details to enjoy!
You should be VERY pleased I would say!
oxo
p.s. your gorgeous French pastries both photo and drawing are really making me hungry too ♥

Joanne Huffman said...

I love your art and am very impressed that you are all caught up (I still have to do "cool." I hope to send the list for the next batch this week-end. I think your drawings/watercolors are terrific.

Jeanie said...

Despite your self-criticism, I think you do a beautiful job....I'm very impressed.

Marilyn Miller said...

I love your artwork. The bridge is I think my favorite, but love many of them. You tried and you did it. Hooray for you!

Jennifer Richardson said...

LOOK at you....your drawings are wonderful! You see awfully well
with your pencils and pens:)
-Jennifer

Tracy said...

VERY pretty, Jeanie! "Over There" has a lovely poignancy... well done. FUN with the rendering of the lace curtains--great idea with the light on dark approach to translating this. Your bridge from Giverny is wonderfully done! I will have a macaron framboise please. ;o) This was such fun... I love how you've used your holiday photos for creative inspiration & practice. Happy Weekend ((HUGS))

Bella Rum said...

I cannot pick a favorite so I won't even try. I've told you before, but I have to tell you again that I love it when you share your art with us. I imagine that you derive a lot of satisfaction from creating a painting from something you see in nature or a photo. These are wonderful. Now I'm going back for another look.

Anonymous said...

I wanted to come back and wish you get well wishes! Hope your gum surgery heals well and you'll be chewing popcorn soon.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Unknown said...

Art is fantastic. I love it. Is there anything that you can't do. Your dad is surely smilin.

The Old Parsonage said...

How did I not know that you are can do these beautiful pieces?????

How, tell me how??

They are wonderful m sweet friend:)

Enjoy your weekend!
Leann

Sally Wessely said...

Not being an artist, I think that every single one of these is just amazing! I love the one that came from your brain, the one not taken from an object, a place, or a photograph. I would have a hard time picking my favorite. I really would. I think it just might be the framed bridge from Giverny.

That photo of the macarons makes me want to indulge in a very sweet treat. Wow. I'm drawn to the fruit topped ones. I will follow that by then having one of those chocolate fondant beauties. ;)

Arti said...

Very artsy collection, Jeanie. All beautifully done, esp. the tiny sweets filed so neatly, both drawing and real picture. What kind of drawing medium did you use? (pastels? pencils?) And thanks so much for the link to Paris Breakfast. Wonderful stuff!

Genie -- Paris and Beyond said...

You are spending your time well, relaxing and creating. I am very impressed and now will have to check out my copy of Le Road Trip for the curtains.

Bises,
Genie

shoreacres said...

I think we've had more bad weather than I realized, or at least I'm predisposed to see it. Your "Cool" looks to me like some family's car being swept away in a river flood!

I love the study from the fountain. I think that's one of the best you've done. So what if male/female got reversed or reinterpreted. Isn't that what artists do?

Some day I'm going to have one of those macaroons. I've never had one. Our coconut macaroons were quite different!

Dr. Kathy McCoy said...

I LOVE your watercolors, Jeanie! It was so interesting to see, in some cases, the creative translations from your earlier photos. It was fascinating to hear how you solved the problem of the lacy windows and to see the simple, but very affecting rendering of the cemetery at Normandy. Absolutely beautiful!

Willow said...

Love the creative transfer you show when you turn photos into paintings and sketches. It's fascinating!

Annie Jeffries said...

Love what you've done here. Just think how much MORE time you will have very soon to do all that you like. Oh. And hey! Happy Birthday.

Friko said...

You’ve done well. I’m sure it gives you lots of pleasure too and immersing yourself in creative work helps to lighten the load too.

Did I see you had a birthday? Happy belated birthday greetings.

Cottage and Broome said...

Your watercolors are just beautiful! The bridge and the window are my favorite but they all wonderful…. Have a great week, Laura

Cheryl said...

You are such a great painter, you should paint all the time!

Anonymous said...

Ooh!!! I love them all, but the lacy window is gorgeous. Just so you know how well you captured it, I knew it was French BEFORE I read your description beneath it. I LOVE it!!
xoxo

paris parfait said...

Lovely! It's terrific that you can look at a photo and reproduce it in art! Such talent!

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