I was unable to upload images to my blog. Not sure why. But I think I may have fixed it, if only temporally. And with Thanksgiving and Christmas I found my time more and more limited. Another change that happened during the same time period was my hubby retiring! So finding time to commit to painting daily has really been a challenge.
While traveling up north I snapped a picture from inside my car of the highway. I hurried up and worked on a small acrylic painting.
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During a trip to our local zoo I was able to take a neat picture of the baboon as he looked up at us.
I'm continuing to try to work with values and to get the contrast in my paintings to look better. It's not easy. But I read a few tips.
Using a value scale to compare the colors you are using in your painting to each other is helpful. However I found that if I took a picture either with my IPad or IPhone and then edited it to only show Tone I could get a very good idea of my paintings values.
With Acrylics it's easy to fix. With this painting I had everything all similar in value when I looked at the photo. So I let it dry and the next day I fixed it. I really love the way it turned out.
5 x7 Acrylic Daily Painting Baboon
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This rusty old truck sits outside a favorite antique store we frequent when we go to visit Fernandina Beach Florida. I snapped a picture one day and saved it, thinking that it would make a great painting one day.
I'm learning, growing and researching value and intensity of colors. I've forgotten so much.
It's easy for me to draw something accurately and color it using my Prismacolor pencils or even my Copic Markers.
Pastels have always been easy for me as well. Pen and ink, I love just creating black and white illustrations.
But painting, without getting it looking muddy, has been a struggle. So I ignored practicing it.
But painting often is really helping.
Again, no matter whether I'm happy with the results or disappointed I will be posting them.
I need to be accountable to myself and keep track of my progress.
5 x 7 Acrylic Daily Painting Vintage Truck
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A dear friend shared some of her beautiful bird photos with me for reference use. She has so many wonderful birds that frequent her feeders.
It was fun playing with loose brush strokes and warm and cool paints.
I'm not focused on trying to paint everyday, with my schedule it's nearly impossible. But I'm trying to paint as often as I can. And I think that is good to do.
To not focus on trying to keep up with others, who are prolific at painting. I'm not them. And to compare ones journey to another persons only sets you up for disappointment.
Having fun and enjoying the process. Learning from my mistakes and being able to look back at my progress.
5 x7 Acrylic Daily Painting Bird
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There are things that I like and things that I really dislike about my painting. But that's okay. It's all about putting paint to canvas and rolling with it.
How else will I learn if I don't make things that didn't come out to my liking.
Too many cool colors. I know that it can be successful to create a piece that leans more towards the cools but if the values are off it won't work. So I must continue to work on squinting and seeing my lights in relationship to my darks. And staying away from paints that are very strong. Ones that dominate other colors, like Phalo Blue.
But again, it's that act of creating that has me excited! Good or bad I'm going to be happy because I'm doing.
Doing, what life is all about. Overcoming your fears and realizing that life is fleeting. So why not just do something everyday that make you happy. Not because you feel like you have to be the best at it or because you need an audiences approval, but because your soul needs it.
5 x7 Daily Painting, Kingleys Plantation Acrylic
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We saw a kitten hiding beneath some rocks while the boys were fishing off the banks of the inlet to the ocean. Apparently there is a huge stray cat problem in the area.
I discovered something while painting this, Winsor Blue is a really strong color! Obviously I learned my lesson to not use it unless I want my painting to be very cool. Which is okay. But I think I may try this photo again and use a different color palette.
But since I'm going to post my painting whether I like them or not, I'm sharing it.
I feel I need to hold myself accountable.
Hence, the blue Kitten!
5 x7 Daily Painting Blue Kitten - Acrylic
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While we visited Gettysburg battlefield I could see a small farm house and it's barns in the distance. I quickly took a picture and it's the inspiration for this small acrylic painting.
I've started to go back to basics and create some color charts. Plus, I've separated my paint brands. Since each brand feels different and even has different colors within the same named tubes, I think it's important for me to not mix them together. Not yet.
I'm going to create a journal to keep track of the color combos I am using and the mixes. Being a bit more careful how I use my colors.
With acrylic, unlike oil, you have to work faster because the paint dries quickly. Therefore mixing up a specific color to use later is not an option. I just mix as I go. But if I have a reference of the color I'm using then I can always try to match it, as a mix a new small batch. Well, in theory at least.
5 x7 Daily Painting Gettysburg PA Acrylic
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We visited this beautiful national part that is a landmarked as a Florida Prairie. Unlike the prairies out west ours are full of water.
Acres and acres of water hyacinths and other beautiful native plants. I was lucky enough to see it while the purple blooms were on the hyacinths.
Unlike the marshes, which have their own beauty, this was so different and unexpected. I will definitely be making another trip.
5 x 7 Daily Painting :mFlorida Prairies Acrylic
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My parents goats. From a photo I took once when I went to visit them. They were the fun to watch and enjoyed coming up to the fence to be fed.
I decided to stop working this piece at this stage. I didn't want to fuss over it anymore and just accept it as it was.
5 x 7 Daily Painting :Goats Acrylic
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Painting number 3 was a challenge for me. But I kept going. And I kept wiping off areas or reworking them.
I think it's okay to struggle because that's how one grows. Not everything that we paint or draw is going to make us happy. Or even be good.
But I'm going to post even the ones that I don't like because I want to hold myself accountable to trying to paint as often as I can.
And I know that the more one does anything, whether it's art, music, writing or any other skills, we get better.
My hubby use to coach my boys and other young kids baseball and football. And I remember him saying to them that it takes "x" number of times throwing the ball or swinging the bat before you get good at it. And it was in the thousands.
So practice and practice. Good or bad. It's what I'm going to do.
5x7 canvas panel Acrylic Painting using a photo I took of Magnolias blooms
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Well. I must say that day 2 of my painting attempts brought with it many challenges.
But I'm satisfied with the outcome, even after all the wiping and wiping away of paint on my bird. Yikes!
I kept going in and being too detailed. The feathers were just so busy. And it was frustrating. Needless to say I put the painting aside and worked on it the next day.
Sometimes you just have to step away from and project to see it in a new way.
I decided to just go with the red. Just blocks of color for the wood, snow and bird.
5 x 7 Acrylic painting Cardinal : Daily Painting
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My first daily painting.
I'm choosing to work on canvas panels that measure only 4 x 7 inches. The hardest part for me is trying to not be as detailed as I normally am. But of course for my first attempt I still kept some detail. Tried to keep the brushstrokes looser.
But hey, it felt good to put paint on my brush again and just do it. No matter the outcome.
This is a bird that I photographed at the Jacksonville Zoo. I wish i could remember what he was called.
I loved his blue coloring and bright red eyes.
Holding myself accountable by posting on my blog again. This way I can keep track of my progress.
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I just finished reading a great book called Daily Painting: Small and Often To Become a More Creative, Productive, and Successful Artist by Carol Marine (I prefer the Kindle version, because you can click on the links and go to the sites.)
This book made me really think about what direction I want to go in this next stage in my life. Hubby is retiring and I no longer have any desire to work with stamps. Whether it's illustrating them or using them. I sent a huge box to a dear friend of my supplies for her to share with her stampers.
My "Art Strings" are tugging at me and I can't ignore them anymore. Even though I haven't completely stopped painting I know that I am extremely rusty. Well, I'm back to the beginning. Hence why I decided to read Carol's book. I agree with so much of what she has written.
So...I'm going to try to paint daily. Well...if not everyday at least force myself to try to paint 5 times a week. I know I'm really rusty. And it's scary. But I'm going to do it.
Share the good, the bad and the ugly.
I agree with what she wrote that one has to paint everyday in order to grow as an artist.
This is the beginning of my 4th daily painting. I'm working from photos, for now. But will start setting up still life studies. I just need to get use to the feel of my brushes and my paints again. It's humbling.
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It's fun to re-discover something you colored a while back and forgot how fun it was. This is a image for one of my stamp sets. I may have to use it and create a card. It's been a while since I've create a card, I've been busy doing other things. But I may have to dig out some of my old stuff and create one.
Coloring, drawing, painting and crafting are a part of my life. Lately I've been crocheting, it calms my world.
Plus, I'm listing most of my older SU! sets for sale. Check out my Etsy store.
I ant to get back to my first love, painting. And it's time.
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Although I haven't been stamping lately, my cards can still be found in Take Ten magazine.
Stampington continues to be one of the few magazine that still inspires me.
I love Where Women Create! And look forward to getting the newest issue.
One day I hope to have my own room for all of my art supplies.
A room where I can close the door and be in my own creative world.
Being able to create art again will be good for my soul.
At this time I am purging.
If I haven't used a stamp set in over a year and it holds no sentimental value to me than I'm selling it.
All current product can be found for sale at my Etsy Store.
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I created this quick acrylic painting for an art swap. I have yet to watch the movie Gone With The Wind but really enjoyed using an image I found for inspiration. I kept the color palette limited to only a few paints.
I have listing some used stamp sets in my Easy shop. Enjoy
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I had so much fun working on my projects for a pet portrait swap that I joined.
She messaged me a picture of her sweet pup and I did a 8x10 acrylic painting.
While I was working I decided to also do a small 5x5 Prismacolor Pencil illustration.
I had fun just sketching away while I watched a movie with my family.
I may have to try another pet painting again! It was fun and challenging. I really enjoyed the process.
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A little acrylic painting that I created using one of my dear friend Amy Westerman's photographs.
It measures 4x6. I created it for an art swap and it's on it's way to my swap partner :)
I would love to continue to create more small art paintings as this was such a wonderful experience for me.
Watercolors, pastels, pen and ink, acrylics...they are all calling me.
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A fun 8x10 Acrylic painting I created for part of a winter exchange art group.
My dear friends in colorado often have these beautiful majestic animals come by their home in the winter.
I asked if it was okay for me to use one of their photos for the inspiration for my painting.
It was so much fun to get my brushes and paint out once again.
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I was having a relaxing night sketching this little lizard.
So I decided when he was finished that I would scan him in
and use my Copic markers to color him.
Copyright © Asela Hopkins 2016
I penciled in some foliage in the background and continued coloring!
So much fun.
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I know it's been a long time since I posted. Life, it got in the way ;)
I have been coloring, drawing and painting. Along with cross-stiching, knitting and crocheting I have kept busy. Last year was a year full of change and heartache. Some things were good, while others were not. But what doesn't break us makes us stronger. And I go into this new year full of hope and full of a longing to create again.
I drew this strawberry last year and colored it in using Copic Markers. Then I added some details with Prismacolor Pencils and white gel pen. So much fun to create!
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