New Painting: Oakland Temple

I just finished this watercolor painting of the LDS Temple in Oakland, California. It's where my parents were married years ago, and it's where my brother will be married in a few weeks.

Tuck

I've sold lots of these little 5" x 7" paintings lately to Josh's classmates. 

It's the Tuck building for the business school of Dartmouth College. 

New Watercolors

I haven't updated this blog for quite a while, but here are a few watercolors I've done lately. Ignore the poor quality photos :)

Newport Beach Temple, California

Spanish Fork, Utah

Collages

The salt and pepper shakers are a dead give away that my current "studio" is my kitchen table.

The last few weeks I've been adding collage elements to my little watercolor paintings of our California neigborhood. Most of the collage paper is from yellowing, old books I bought from the Huntington Beach library. My husband is still mad at me for cutting up an awesome book from decades ago about caring for pet monsters. The illustrations are awesome.

Neighborhood Studies

I don't have space to paint on large panels anymore, so I've mostly been making small watercolor paintings. I've been working on a series of simple scenes from my California neighborhood. They have been quick, fun paintings that will hopefully evolve into a more substantial exploration of my surroundings.

It's About Time

Watercolors were once my forte, but then I got going with acrylics and oils and I haven't painted with watercolors for nearly three years. This past week I finally dove back into it. What a great feeling. I took off the lid of my palette and immediately smelled that old familiar smell of the paints. I never liked the smell before, but now it's a welcome scent! My palette was still covered in the mixed colors of my last watercolor project from 2006. How glad I was that I hadn't washed it off. Now I feel like I can mix back into those colors and start right where I left off, with the same remnants of yellow ochre and pthalo blue that I left years ago.

It's been a wonderful week of painting, painting for at least an hour a day, with Brynlee either by my side or napping. I've got to keep this routine up. I had forgotten my love of watercolors and the rush that comes from painting with them!

Pictures to come!

Since the birth of my little Brynlee Babe I obviously haven't had as much time to paint, but I've gotten into my routine with the baby and I'm finally getting back into my art. I sold two paintings last week and I have a few paintings just getting started. Pictures will be posted as the new paintings get completed. Wish me luck. I'm feeling a little rusty even though it's only been a few months!