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The Unexpected

The unexpected. It happens. It is unanticipated but it still happens.

Such has been my year particularly in regards to my health. I had surgery at the end of May. Happily, the journey seems to finished and once I recover from the surgery I will be back at full strength. That is a blessing from God which I hope I no longer take for granted.

In this post are some sketches I did while watching a movie with my family. I've had lots of time to think about where I am heading with my art and I have some exciting plans to implement as soon as I can...stay tuned!

After Sargent: Wind in the Willows Author

After Sargent, Kenneth Grahame
watercolor on paper

Bedtime stories. That's how it began apparently. Kenneth Grahame told his 4 year old son Alistair stories about a toad at bed time.

Grahame was a gifted individual that could have had success in many areas and certainly had it in some. He was successful in his career at the Bank of England. He published several stories, although none were as popular as his book The Wind in the Willows.

The rest of his life is fairly sad. His son Alistair struggled. His marriage apparently was not all that happy. But his memorable characters and their stories live on, bringing joy to children and adults.

More information can be found at the Kenneth Grahame Society website, where I gathered this brief look.

This watercolor is a copy of a drawing by John Singer Sargent.

After Sargent: Ernest Thesiger

This bright eyed young man and I wish you a good weekend.

I do believe I am having more fun then is strictly allowed with this Sargent series.

After Sargent: Eugenia Errazuriz

This is another Sargent copy. Here is the version I did in 2007.

The great thing about doing these portraits in watercolor is that I can't really fix things that go awry. That gives me a fair amount of motivation to be diligent and have the shape I need to place in mind before putting brush to paper. At this point, my skill is inconsistent. But I hope as I continue, I will be right more often then not.

This is also a really fun way to play around with watercolor try out ideas and learn the medium.

After Sargent Flora Priestly

Flora Priestly, after Sargent.

I do know that I did a very bad version of this back in 2007 - I have it in the sketchbook. But, apparently I never posted it. Trust me, this one isn't great, but it's better.

These portraits provide a good challenge:

• getting the shapes right the first time, no drawing
• practice fixing the shapes when they are wrong the first time
• practice controlling hard and soft edges

After Sargent Gordon Greenough

I'm working my way, for a second time, through Sargent's portrait drawings.

Here's the version I did early back in 2007.

After Sargent in Watercolor

I think I may have started a new project for myself. Last night I flipped through a book of Sargent's portrait drawings. It's the book that I began with when I began blogging over six years ago.

This time I plan to paint my way through with watercolors - no drawing, just heading directly in with paint. Above is after Sargent's Paul Helleu. I don't think I drew him last time, as I can't find the post.

Happy Thursday

Enjoy your day.

Practice, practice

Still working away on the watercolors. This was a quick practice after a Watteau sketch. While it looks almost nothing like Watteau's, it was done without a pencil drawing and still resembles a human being, so that's progress.

Spring Flowers - Take 2

Last night after my charges were tucked in bed, I decided to have another go with the spring flowers. Yesterday I lightened the yellow by adding chinese white, but it occurred to me later that I just needed to add more water to the yellow (quinacridone gold) to brighten it up. I'm happier with this result.

Spring flowers

Last week I started reading Jean Haines latest book on watercolor. While I don't necessarily want to paint as she does, she does talk about allowing the picture to emerge from the paper - which is uncommon in the other watercolor books on my shelf. To find a happy medium between planning, beginning, defining and allowing the watercolor to do its own thing - that's the goal.

Trying out new ideas

This morning I spent some time reading about watercolor techniques. Here is a little doodle with the new techniques.

A Visitor for the Observant

American Goldfinch
watercolor on paper
7in x 5in
copyright 2013 Rose Welty

Yesterday my husband and I enjoyed a brief influx of American Goldfinch to the yard. They are a tiny bird but in color, the brightest yellow you can imagine. They eat seeds, so you tend to see bright yellow flashes bobbing in the grasses, almost like flowers under a breeze from a distance. They also eat the seeds from liquid amber trees. When they are in the trees they are quite acrobatic, bending every which way for a crack at more food. But, as I said, they are quite small and quiet, so you have to be looking in the trees to find them.

It's probably for the chance to see them that I keep the liquid amber trees - picking up those little balls is one of my least favorite yard jobs.

Chasing Adventure

I found this little guy racing off to his destination, his mum and sister following slowly behind. I was inspired by that sense of adventure.
So, with this painting, I tried out some new adventures:

• streaked washes - giving the wash a sense of direction


• graded washes - changing the intensity of the wash (and building edges with that)


• mixing color on the paper rather than the palette

I hope to keep chasing that which lies ahead and get better going up the hill as I go.

Have a good weekend everyone.

That sort of day

That sort of day in the studio, where the ideas seem just beyond reach and the execution quite short of expectation. Yes, that sort of day. But, there are all sorts of days and seasons and I am still very blessed to be able to do this!

So, the best of my efforts today.

Sketch - Sofia, Bulgaria

Just a quick twenty minutes today. This is a tiny sketch of a magnificent church building in Sofia. I hope to do this again with a bit more time and I'll give you the link then.

Drawing Statues from Google Street View

Today, in Edinburgh, I found a statue of William Pitt the Younger.

One of the great things about Google Street View is that the images are blurry and lack definition - this makes it easy for the artist to focus on the shapes. We see by shape not line. So focusing on shapes while  drawing tends to a more successful drawing. I think this is why I can't resist a statue I find on GSV - the outcome tends to be better than I thought when I began.

According to Victorian Web, William Pitt the Younger was the youngest British prime minister to take office at 24. He was in Parliament for 25 years, serving 19 of those as PM. He never married and was in debt most of his life.

Learning a new medium

National Gallery Tidbit
Edinburgh from Google Street View

I picked up the watercolors today after my sickness break. I'll admit that I was a little scared - things had been going pretty well in the new medium and I was a bit nervous that it was going to head down a different path with a week off.

All in all, I'm pleased I was able to control the sky wash here. The "mingled washes" of the building, while not perfect, aren't terrible either. Plenty more to learn and therein lies the fun!

Another Go

I woke up Easter morning not feeling well...and spent the rest of the week in the bed. It wasn't the flu or strep, just a virus to wait out. Today I am better, although still coughing a fair bit and being careful to not push too hard.

So, I thought I'd post the second go I had at the scene in Edinburgh from last time.

Hope you can enjoy whatever weather is outside your window!