Flowers in my garden

I can't believe I took this picture myself! I am loving these coneflowers this year!

Been working in watercolor the last couple of weeks, including the week I was on vacation in Traverse City Michigan.

I just got a new printer, so when it is completely set up I will have some scans of my work to show. But for now, just flowers from my garden!

My palette

I got my new palette from Cheap Joes yesterday, and spent all morning setting it up and painting a picture of it. I put this painting in the scanner and it is just coming out so bright, it really looks better in real life. Maybe I should take a picture instead of using the scanner.

Anyhow,

 this is the way I have set up my palette for now. A lot of my colors are Koi and Cotman, and I would eventually like to replace them with Windsor Newton. Some of them are just not as transparent as WN.

I need to add a violet next, so I don't always have to mix it.

I love my new palette and I am learning so much about color mixing from this book:

It really explains everything so clearly.

A peach

A peach!

Brushes

I didn't produce much blog-worthy art over the weekend. I spent a lot of time watching watercolor videos on youtube. I still have a long way to go! LOL! This is the only one I really like from the last few days.

I ordered a bunch of books on watercolors from the library that I will pick up today. Our library has this awesome drive up window, so you can go online and choose books and they are waiting there conveniently at the window. It so totally rocks!

I am still waiting for my round palette from Cheap Joes, I hope it comes today!

Red Pear

I had very little time yesterday, but I did manage to get this one pear painted. I still think more contrast with the shadow. I do have trouble building up some very darks.

Still, I like the pear. Its a good pear.

I used quinacrodome  rose, vermillion hue, some glazes of windsor yellow and some carmine red.

I want to try again when I get some more reds, like alizarin crimson and the coveted quinacrodome coral! :^)

3 Pears

Working my way through the Pear-ology workshop this is my work from yesterday. I still want to go in and add some darker tones in the shadow, and perhaps more shadowing between the pears. I have always had trouble building up enough contrast in my work.

I also want to do a study of the red pear-I feel like I could work up a more vibrant red somehow. I don't have the quinacrodome coral that Martha uses in the example, but I definitely want to get it. It is only sold at Daniel Smith, so I have to order it. I will have to wait until the budget allows. I am really pining for it because coral is my all time favorite color! In fact I am pining for ALL of the Daniel Smith quinacrodome colors!!

I hope I will have time for painting today. Not sure I will because the youngest has an awards ceremony at her school and I have to run my mother around on errands a little bit.

Have a wonderful day my friends!