A gorgeous unexpected rainy day! Hooray! Takes more than a terrific camera to get a great shot. LOL. These are all slightly out of focus, my apologies. The colors were calling me. I guess I wasn’t paying close enough attention. Mingus has a cap of snow, behind the cloud cover.
Golden Light, 3 29 22. SMD
I love how everything can be shadowed and gray, and then the sun peeks out and highlights the hills, or electrifies raindrops. Simple treasures.
Dusty Hues and Rainbow, 3 29 22. SMD
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain. Vivian Greene.
I am putting some of my scraps to use. The flowers were late night play. I was inspired by our moody clouds today, and had fun trying to capture the moment. I think I know why saguaros are so often painted with curved arms. This one looks like a creature from outer space, or a weird desert cheerleader. Rah, rah, sis, boom, bah.
I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. Maya Angelou.
These tiny 2 x 2’s are fun to paint. A nice change. I think my favorite size hovers around 8 x 8 inches. Or 10 x 10. This weekend I will be continuing work on the bear. And I have started two other canvas pieces. One is 4 x 4, and the other is 12 x 12 I think.
The skyscape below was inspired by a real sunset. When I stepped away to get my phone, the light changed, and I missed getting the shot. The clouds were all shades of pink and orange, The sky was blue and lavender grey. Storm clouds moving through.
I first learned about the color Green Gold from Angela Fehr. She is one of the artist ambassadors for World Watercolor Month. Laurie Mueller uses it often in her work also. Or maybe it is her own blend, but it has the same jaw-dropping effect. Diluted, it is almost blindingly neon. But you can get a deeper, rich hue as well. It’s a favorite in my palette.
I am sharing two revisions with you. The scans came out too dark, and I was not happy with the “black” band at the bottom. I was behind, so I went ahead and posted them. In reality, The indigo was softer, and blended to a rich, dark green. The color bled into the wet areas above, and there are some soft “finger” like details. But I needed to blend the dark with the rest of the foreground.
I added a few more blades of grass, and I think they work much better now. What do you think? The revised scans are true to life, not as vivid as the first scans. The setting wasn’t right. I like them better now. To me, I think the green gold stands out more. The oranges are not overpowering. Do you like the first version better?
Stay firmly in your path and dare. Be wild two hours a day! Paul Gauguin
When art critics get together they talk about Form and Structure and Meaning. When artists get together they talk about where you can buy cheap turpentine. Pablo Picasso
July is World Watercolor Month, founded by Doodlewash. I participated a few years ago, and thought it would be fun to join in again. Prompts are provided. This round, instead of objects, the prompts are moods, and descriptive suggestions.
The painting above was inspired by a gorgeous, gloomy twilight. The photo below does not do it justice. The colors and light were incredible.
Stormy Sky, 7-2-21. SMDelgado
My belated beginning is due to a day in Phoenix. An appointment, and then some window shopping. And shopping shopping. A trip to the city is never complete without visiting favorite shops or restaurants that we do not have here in town. As usual, a day filled with activity (and driving to boot) meant a day, or more of “recovery”. Rest, and low energy.
On my way down, I saw smoke over the Bradshaw Mountains. Just southwest of the Sunset Point Rest Stop on I-17.
Fire on Bradshaw, mid morning.7-1-21, SMDelgado.
Leaving Phoenix at days end, there was smoke over the city, from several fires.
Smoke Over Phoenix, 7-1-21. SMDelgado
Thirty minutes later I reached the Bradshaw area.The fire was still going, and I could easily see flames against the dark of the hills. It did not seem to have grown much. Thank goodness. Fire travels more quickly uphill.
Fire over Bradshaw, dusk. 7-1-21, SMDelgado.
Fire over Bradshaw, dusk. Close up. 7-1-21, SMDelgado.
This video shows how much has burned since Thursday. WOW!
Later today I will paint days 5 and 6. I will not post on the blog each day, but you can follow me on Instagram for daily updates. Here are days 1, 2, & 4.
