Abstract & Realism

It's Mosaic Tuesday  with Artmind again. This week I'm obsessed about photos showing close ups of real flowers. I want to paint them all and I now have a folder FULL of amazing pictures. Where I'm going to get the time, I don't know. I just know I want to cover the walls with colorful painted flowers. Here's my mosaic for this week.

From left then top down:

1. Double pink Fuchsia
2. Powder Pink Moth Orchid
3. Red Tulip in Pitcher
4. Pink & White Tulip

Interestingly, all the photos that attracted me this week had some sort of "ruffling" or variegation to the edges of the flowers. The light and shadows seem to play so well over the undulating petals. I think it would make the paintings that much more interesting because of the suggestion of movement. 

One artist (I own one of her books) who captures the amazing play of light and shadow on petals is Birgit O'Connor. The book & CD of hers that I own is called Watercolor in Motion. It is visually stunning and immensely helps one understand how to create smooth transitions between colors and how to move water to your advantage. I highly recommend it.

Her artwork in watercolor is absolutely amazing. The fluidness that she captures in the petals of the flowers reminds me of silk fabric. (Please click for larger images)

"Angel Dance"	"Anenomie"	"Dancing Tulips"

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And finally, as I mentioned the other day, I am going to be doing my first abstract soon. Because of this, I have been looking at some abstract paintings, just to gauge where I might want to go. I put another mosaic together, it seemed appropriate. :o)

Upper Left Moving Clockwise:

1. "Abstract Watercolor", A.E. McDraw
2. "Color Spot 03", Victoria Kloch
3. Ted Scott Graphics
4. "Greater Love", Elizabeth Chapman

I'm so attracted to color and these artists embrace color with enthusiasm. Elizabeth Chapman has done a series with hearts as the theme. I love them all but was especially attracted to this one because of the clear, brightness of the paint. I love how she slaps the paint around. It makes me think of the juxtaposition of happiness and violence. Only in art is it good to be violent. ;o)

Victoria Kloch has also done a series of Color Spot watercolor paintings. She has  great sense of balance and also has learned the difficult technique of editing herself. Of knowing when to stop. I haven't learned that yet and have messed up many a painting. In A.E. McDraw's work I love the straight lines paired with the bleed of color, light to dark that stops dead. It reminds me of stained glass. 

Have a great upcoming week. Talk to Y'all later. Promise. 

P.S. For those of you who signed up for the Postcard Giveaway, I'm just finishing up all the 5x7 painting postcards now. They will be mailed as soon as I find envelopes to fit them. Thanks for your patience and for joining up, it's been such fun creating art for you!

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