New paintings

Here are 3 new paintings of dried fall woodland detritus. I'm really enjoying getting back to details. I spend hours and hours on each of these and get totally lost in them. I've found it's rather like meditation. I get up from my chair after 3 hours and I'm not stiff or sore, just relaxed.

Leaves and Grasses

Watercolor on Fabriano Hotpress paper

Sumac

Watercolor on Fabriano Hotpress paper

Pine Branch with Lichen

Watercolor on Fabriano Hotpress paper

Workshop with Lara Call Gastinger

This past weekend I took the workshop with Lara Call Gastinger and 11 other students at a delightful bed and breakfast near Charlottesville. We all worked from actual bits of trees, bushes, berries, leaves, etc. I chose to draw the seed pods from a redbud tree which I have always found fascinating. We drew on tracing paper then transferred the drawing to the watercolor paper. This gave us a clean line with no erasures which disturb the surface of the paper. The paper itself was new for me as I am accustomed to using coldpress paper. I found I really liked the hotpress. I was able to get cleaner lines and the color blending was smoother. It was ironic that I've been trying to get away from being so exact and putting in every detail and here I was doing just that again. But I really enjoyed it. The only problem with the weekend was we were stuck inside and it was a gorgeous couple of days. I would much preferred to have been working outside. I did get to take a walk each day so that helped.

Hope you enjoy these. I still have a little work to do on the poppies but thought I'd put them here anyway.

Redbud seed pods

Watercolor on 140# Fabriano hotpress paper

Redbud seed pods detail 1

Redbud seed pods detail 2

Poppy Seed Pods

Watercolor on 140# Fabriano Hotpress paper

New Challenges

Two new exciting challenges for me this month: I'll be taking a workshop with Lara Call Gastinger doing botanical drawing/painting and beginning a 6-week online class with Cathy (Kate) Johnson on sketching and drawing. I am really looking forward to both of them and will post my work (good, bad, and indifferent) here for your always-welcome feedback. I love the autumn and having these artistic endeavors to look forward to makes it even better this year.

P.S. thanks to all of you who came to my opening in October and to those who visited the show later. It was an interesting experience.

Oct. 30 sketch

Oct. 30 sketch
Originally uploaded by paularaudenbush

Oct. 30 sketch

Oct. 30 sketch recto
Originally uploaded by paularaudenbush

Oct. 31 sketch

Oct. 31 sketch
Originally uploaded by paularaudenbush

Oct. 31 sketch

Oct. 31 recto
Originally uploaded by paularaudenbush

Flickr

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Solo Show in October

Hope those of you who are in the area can make it to the opening of my solo show. Here is the info:
First Friday (Oct. 1) 6-9 p.m. at Studio A (1011A Princess Anne Street, upstairs). Many of the work shown below will be on display (and for sale!). Do hope you can come. The exhibit will be up through the month of October and the gallery is open MWF during the day and by appointment.
Thanks for all your support!

My screened porch where I spend a lot of time. It's a great seasonal studio.
Plus, there's a place (just out of sight) for naps!

Jack

watercolor on 300lb Arches

Mrs. Chin Sleeping in the Sun

Watercolor on Arches #300 hotpress

Pyne Mt. sheep

Watercolor on Arches 300# Hotpress