Mingus Day #10. 5.25 x 12 in. watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2018 Sheila Delgado.
I find I am getting thrown off on which day I am to label the paintings. #The100DayProject started on the 3rd. I keep thinking I am two days behind. (Counting the 1st and 2nd). I have a feeling it might get really confusing later in the project.
I know I have said this before, might be a running theme. I have two starts on the table. One that needs a lot of work, and one that is almost finished. So while I am not ahead yet, I feel good about having WIP’s. I hope to get two or three days ahead, in case of emergency distraction.
Mingus is more often the darker mountain range. But now and then, the front range dominates as the dark. Today’s painting was loosely inspired by this photo.
Mingus Light. © 2017 Sheila Delgado.
The more I study nature, the more I stand
amazed at the work of the Creator.
Louis Pasteur, French chemist
We have a couple of Doves. I mean a Dove couple in the backyard. Soon there will be baby Doves. They are called squab or squeakers. I love that! Hey there little squeakers!
If you look close you can see Mom and Pop (bottom) and Mama Dove butt (top), keeping the nest warm. The dark spot is the tip of her tail feather. These are American Mourning Doves, or Rain Doves. I think they are mourning because there is no rain.
They are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The act allows states to conduct managed hunts. Both the male and female incubate and care for the young. They are monogamous and can fly up to 88 mph.
New Neighbors.
So glad to have you follow my #100DaysOfMingus! Say hello, and let me know which Mingus you like best so far!
My good friend and mentor Sea Dean has honored me with a featurette on her blog today. She has also started a Pinterest board called, “Inspired By Mingus”. I hope you will take a few minutes to check them out. Sea has many inspiring boards!
I have added a #100DaysOfMingus gallery page, for easy viewing as project progresses.
See you soon!
Love this one, Sheila. I especially love the color of the sky. And – I think others have said it – the simplicity of using just a few colors is great. Your experience in watercolor shows, beautiful how the colors are laid close against each other. And happy blooms!
Oh, something I almost forgot. I know what you mean about the days of challenges and getting confused. When I did my year of daily creating especially, I got so confused sometimes. IN the end I tried making a list of days , dates and the number within the year. But even then I got confused sometimes. You’ll probably find your own way to keep tab.
There ya’ go… I need a list. Oh I can believe doing 365 would get confusing! So admirable to take a year on!! Thanks Corinne 🙂
Yep, lists can be boring to make, but very helpful. 🙂
Now that I renamed the digital docs, that will help too. 😉
WOW, thank you Corinne 😉 Actually you just made my day. I have been hem hawing about the next painting. Almost done, and that negative voice is creeping in, telling me I am going to muck it up. But your words just gave me a Blessed boost 🙂 Thank you 😉
Oh wow. This makes me happy in turn. Glad to have been of help – all from across the pond. 🙂
Yes, you did Corinne 😉
Love the little details of the grass peeking up. Love the simplicity!
Yes Carol! I am so happy I did simple. Ha ha ha. That I managed to keep it simple and not over worked. You now that is something I struggle with.
I have fallen behind commenting – can’t keep up with all the painting you are doing – which is a good thing -all that painting! I am seeing subtle changes in your Mingus work, use of colour, shape and line – each painting is taking on a fresh look and viewpoint. You seem to be leaving more of the details for me – the viewer – to fill in which is wonderful. This is a huge commitment but will be so worthwhile. Love the doves – hope they will settle in once the ‘noise’ is done and you will have the opportunity to get more photos! Take care and have a lovely day ox
Seeing your comments in reverse Janet. But now you know what I mean. Yes, the simplicity of day 10 is more what I was hoping for in day 11. Somewhere in between no detail, and too much detail. But the reference photo details were so intriguing. I wanted to capture some of them. To see if I could do it. Awesome to hear from you Janet, thanks for following along 🙂
Love what you are doing with these Mingus paintings!!! <3
Thank you Karin 🙂
Love all your paintings!!!!
So nice to hear Lana, thank you 🙂
Today’s Mingus painting is super, Sheila. I like the blooms in the mountains as they give nice texture. It is great that you will be able to follow the activities of the doves and watch the babies grow. How super of Sea to add some of your work to Pinterest – I will have to check it out.
So glad you like it Val 🙂 Thank you! Those blooms a happy accidents. I love ’em.
We are having fun sneaking dove peeks out the dining room windows.
It was an awesome surprise Val, what Sea has done. I have boards on artist friends and artists I admire. I am doing one on you too. (Pulling work from the 30 in 30 challenge boards.) Sea has great boards. I got lost there … inspiration galore!
I love this collection you have already achieved in these ten days. It reminds me of a great lesson that bears remembering. One of the very first art books I purchased was in my teens and it was called The Zen of Seeing, Seeing and Drawing as Meditation. I still have it and pull it out when I need reminding that we often fall in the habit of labelling things we see; example, “That is a mountain” when we see a mountain. And when we do that, we no longer really see the mountain, no longer experience the mountain. When we draw, paint, we really see, we really look, we experience the thing that we’re drawing. And when you are painting and drawing Mingus, the mountain becomes revealed as not just “mountain,” but all of what it is in all of its moments. And it makes everything wondrous when we do that. And what’s awesome is it’s not a trick; it’s the truth. Oh, gosh, there goes me waxing poetic again. And don’t get me started on those lovely little doves.
xoxo
Laurelle, I can’t wait to paint the doves. 😉 I want to try and step outside to see if I can get a better photo. But the neighbors are landscaping, and building a gazebo, and she has already gone too close to the nest. And the doves stayed away. We were afraid they had abandoned the nest. Our back door is close to the nest, I think the noise will startle her. Stay tuned, LOL 😉
As for waxing poetic, I love that you shared that with me. That this painting brought all of that back to you, is wondrous as well! Brought to mind the quote by Georgia O’Keeffe, “Nobody sees a flower…”.
I am humbled, and awed, at what you see in this painting. You are right. It is about the moments. Fleeting moments. I am drawn to the colors I see. Unexpected, startling, magnetic. Deep indigo, bright, crisp nearly white. Greens, golds, reds and pinks. And all of that is dependant on the light of course. The atmosphere. Is it dusty, clear, is there moisture in the air. How high is the sun. Which direction is it coming from.
All the elements of design are there. Color. Line. Shape. Form. Texture. Space. Unity/harmony. Balance.
Thank you Laurelle for sharing, and always feel free to… wax. LOL 😉 Here’s to the artists’ heart and soul! YOURS dear friend 😉
Are you selling any of the originals?
I will be Dave. I did the gallery page so they can all be seen easily, I just need to get prices posted. Thanks for asking!
Awesome! Thanks!
😉
Sheila, I REALLY like how the paint and water interact, at your hand, in each of the three land bands. You have glorified the scene in your painting, bringing SO much life and richness to what shows in the photograph you used as a loose reference. The contrast with the more ‘even’ paint in the sky adds to the punch here. Brava!
Blooms are so fun Dotty. Uncontrollable fun. I got lucky here, and I think that is part of why I like this one so much. LOL 🙂 Love seeing it all through your discerning eyes 🙂