What a challenge...I actually through away the first attempt at this painting. Second time around I got a little smarter by doing a few small practice paintings of the pearls and and the background before getting into the 'real' painting. Even at that, this was a real struggle.

The photo colors aren't real accurate and the highlights on the pearls are more subdued. I did a wash on them when I was done and scrubbed the edges to soften. The camera just wouldn't pick up these subtle changes.

My framer is doing her summer window in a beach theme this year...this painting will be part of the display. I hope to get a couple more done but time is getting short.

She has been a real blessing...framing and displaying my work (not charging me until it sells). All my other water colors have sold this spring except two. How good is that?

Anyway, here's my latest...open for critique.

Well guys...It's been almost a month since I've sat down to write on my blog. The bout I had with the shingles took much more out of me than I thought and I stepped up to my regular schedule way too soon.

I'm not one to be sick or let a little pain keep me from 'life'. Therefore, once the major symptoms were past (fever, nausea, severe headache), I forged ahead...resuming my regular day to day schedule, pushing through the fatigue I felt.

This return to work took much more out of me than I expected and when I complained of lack of energy and stamina along with the continued sporadic nerve ending pain...I was told plain and simple by my Doctor to (slow down and rest more to give my body time to heal)!

I've always had tremendous energy and stamina to push forward through any obstacle to get things done....this experience really through me for a loop! For someone who has always been early to rise and late to bed...burning the candle at both ends, this was a most difficult prescription to follow.

I had to rethink my daily life. Do the things that absolutely NEEDED to be done and let the other things slid. I continued to work my salon schedule (although cut back a bit on the hours) and worked my tech. support job in the evenings...after all the bills did need to be paid!

Backing off from the house work was easy...I hated it anyway and could always find something else more important to do like write in my blog or draw! But I followed my Doctors instructions, putting my creative life on hold to allow for the down time to let my body heal.

You're going to laugh but I actually covered my drawing board with a huge bath towel...so I couldn't see it. I put my paints in the closet and shut the computer off except for work hours.

Well OK...I will confess, I did do some reading on the computer...but no blogging! And, I also did a few quick sketches as I sat in my chair watching TV...that was a change for me, I never watch TV (still not sure I get the attraction).

I usually draw or paint in the early afternoon and on the weekends, but instead actually took a nap or read a book. Yes, the Doctor put a bit of fear in me when he said that if I didn't slow down I may never get over this. I think he said something like "Your body is telling you it needs rest and you need to listen."

I'm not sure I'm up to par quite yet...but do believe at this writing, I'm most definitely getting there. My energy level is returning and plan on getting my paint brushes out tomorrow.

It's awful...I feel like if I don't do something creative I'm going to 'burst'.

Any way...I thought I would sit down and let you know that I had not dropped of the face of the earth and that I hope to be posting a new painting soon.

I want to thank all of you for your prayers and encouraging emails. It's amazing the relationships you can build with people you have never seen or spoken to. You have been such a blessing.

It's just great to be back.

The Story Behind the Image: It was early evening and the mist was rolling into the low places on the course. Everyone was joking and adding up their final scores. The golf bag was just sitting there in the cart. The light reflecting from the club heads and the deep shadows caused by the late day sun were what caught my eye.

I was never very good at this sport, and tonight I was just along for the ride...but for those avid rain or shine golfers, this is drawing is for you.

I used carbon pencil for this drawing...concentrating on the "mood" of the scene. The angle of the setting sun produced wonderful shadows and the fog rolling in added a certain mystery to the drawing...all this and the reflections on the club heads themselves made for what I considered a very interesting setting. I used a piece of felt to create the smoky background and chamois to render the shadows and reflections on the club heads (used some graphite here).


Links:
My Website...Marsha Robinett Fine Art
The Extraordinary Pencil...blogspot
My Squidoo...Drawing Techniques

Tutorial...see the full progression of this drawing.

Well, I'm back from NY...actually got home late on the 21st and flew home sick. I started getting sick Friday evening after I arrived. (flu like symptoms, aching and nausea...along with welts on my left eyelid and in the hairline) I had been outside playing catch with my grandson and thought I had been bitten by gnats.

I just kept getting worse and the headache...oh my. We did have my birthday dinner on Saturday, but it was hard to enjoy.

Monday we started looking for a doctor I could go to. The doctor took one look at my forehead, hairline and eye...diagnosed me with SHINGLES and prescribed 'mega antibiotics". I still tried to object, even as I was sent to an eye doctor because of concern that the eye was involved. (I had spots on the lid and it was swollen and itchy). I still thought I had gnat bites!!

The eye doctor confirmed...SHINGLES. The good news was that the eye itself showed no signs of infection. I was to fly back on Tuesday...thought about canceling my flight as I was so sick but I just wanted to get home and to my own bed and my own physicians. (I was told that with 24 hours of antibiotics in me I would not be contagious.)

So, Tuesday morning, looking and feeling pretty rough, I covered the offending part of my forehead and eye with Neosporen...covered that with makeup...carefully combed my hair (the left side of my head was now involved and very sore)...put on some big sunglasses and headed to the airport. (Hoping people would just think that perhaps I was an 'old movie star' and not notice how sick I was.)

After two doctor visits, four appointments with the optomitirst, various antibotics, pain pills, and lots of PRAYERS from everyone... I'm going back to work this week (both Salon and Tech Support).

Despite everything...I am surely blessed. My flight home was good, my eyesight was unaffected, and I have this wonderful support system of friends. They brought in groceries, meals, and took me to my doctor appointments. They called my salon customers...no small job in itself.

Most importantly...they prayed.


It's so good to once again be part of a functioning society...good to be alive!
Sincerely,
Marsha

Just a quick post here to let you know 'my new camera' and I are headed to NY to visit my daughter and grandson. I can hardly wait. I visited Christmas for Teddy's Barmitzvah ...but things were really hectic. There was very little time to just sit and enjoy each other.

This trip is just for pleasure. They live on Long Island, about 4 blocks from the water...you can actually smell the water when you step outside. Wonderful. The weather doesn't sound great but who cares about the weather when you are in good company.

My daughter "the chef" is fixing me a 'live lobster' dinner for my birthday with my favorite desert "coconut cream pie"...can't you just taste it?

The first time she fixed fresh lobster I almost jumped out of my skin...I'm such a midwest country girl at heart. I didn't know you could buy them live and keep them in a box in the frig until time to cook them.

Tami set the box on the table...I didn't know what was in it. When the lobsters got warm, they began to move and the box was jumping around. For a moment I thought perhaps I had had too much Scotch!!!!

My, My, My....I really don't think it gets much better (a little 'good wine', fresh whole lobster, drawn butter, a loaf of hard bread, fresh roasted asparagus and coconut cream pie....all served up with the company of family)

The food alone is worth the trip!!

I will write more in a week or so and hopefully have some pictures to share.

Take care, I will miss everyone.

The Story Behind the Image: Have you ever looked into your rose garden on a warm summer night when there is a full moon. Take a look sometime, you'll find your roses dancing in the moonlight!

I thoroughly got into this drawing. I swear I could almost feel the velvety petals in my mind as I worked. I applied carbon directly to the paper in the deep creases of the petals, using a stump to blend towards the areas touched by the moonlight. I then applied graphite with a chamois square to the brightest highlights and used a 6B carbon pencil to fill in the background.

I'm proud to share an exurb from Matthew Merrighn's essay, "The Gray Rose". I sponsor a Literary Contest each year for Young Authors at our local High School ...and Matthew's essay won third place this year. The students must select one of my drawings as their subject and Matthew chose to write about "Midnight Rose". Read all winning entries.

The Gray Rose....by Matthew Merrighn

"The gray Rose is most desired, not for it's beauty, but for it's uniqueness. The Gray Rose Will be immortalized for it's uncommon color. As time progresses, people will realize the greatness of the Gray Rose and in doing so the Gray Rose will become most desired. But only those who first recognized it's significance will have a Gray Rose of their own."
Click here to read Matthew's entire essay.



Links:
My Website...Marsha Robinett Fine Art
Portfolio of Works...learn more about "Midnight Rose"
Literary Contest...introduction to the 2008 Literary Contest
Literary Contest...2008 winning entries
"The Gray Rose"...by Matthew Merrighn

I've posed the question "which small camera" on this blog before. I have read your recommendations and researched, and looked, and pondered...what am I giving up to have a camera small enough to carry in my purse?

Saturday I took the plunge and purchased the Cannon PowerShot SX110.
Here are the things I liked about it.... 9mp, 10x zoom, manual choice of flash use, good auto modes (for quick shots), manual settings as well, and a great macro.

The 'icing on the cake'...it is only 4.4 x 2.8 x 1.8 in size...actually fits into my hand, I'm in love. A man might not consider this a true 'pocket camera'...but it will fit into a jacket pocket or perhaps a pair of dockers. As for me...in my purse, I hardly know it's there.

I have to admit, I spent most of Saturday playing with my new toy.

I have the Rebel XTi...and two 'very nice' lenses. Love this camera and I use it regularly to take photographs for commissioned portraits, still life setups, and to photograph my art. Yet, of late, it remains in my studio...just too big to keep with me all the time. I'm continually missing good photo ops.

I'm heading to NY in a couple of weeks to visit my daughter and grandson. I'm really looking forward to 'traveling light' with my new camera. I'm sure I will have more to say when I get home...for now, I'm excited with what I see.

Here is another look at my progress with watercolor. I actually took the photo last summer at a friends house with the idea of using it for a drawing. Every painting is a 'new' struggle. I'm still 'fiddling' too much...in my fiddling, I'm loosing highlights. The background is a little darker and the leaves not quite as prominent as they show here. Yet, the colors of the tulips are fairly accurate...interesting.

I've always wanted to do really 'loose' watercolors...I think I'm stuck on the detail. When you figure I came from drawing, I guess it's only natural. So...I guess I'm going to quit fighting it and settle for the realistic style of watercolor you see here. Maybe I can loosen up later.

When walking in my own garden this week I noticed that my tulips were bursting through the ground. It always fascinates me...once they stick their heads up, it's like they grow in front of your eyes. My tulips aren't nearly this pretty. Possibly because my flower garden doesn't get the care it should.

My friend is a 'master gardener'...I just love visiting (with my camera) and sitting on the patio with a glass of wine. She doesn't even have mosquitoes! We have a deal...she provides the wine, the grill, and the 'extras'...and I bring the steak. Such a deal. We get together several times during the summer months. She is just as a good a cook as she is a gardener.

I'm open for critique...I look forward to your comments

Well guys, I'm posting this only because I said I would. The painting does look a little better than the photo. The background and foreground are fairly accurate. The cherries are considerable brighter when looking at the actual painting.

This painting is waaaaaay different than the first ones I did. I've seen the really dark backgrounds used and liked the contrast...obviously I need more practice at this. It looks a little muddy here, but when looking at the original...I think that is actually one thing I managed to avoid.

Obviously...unlike many of you thought, I have not found my 'style' yet:(

One lesson (of many) learned here...Friskit does not last 10 years! I had planned to use friskit on the stems so I could do smoother washes on the background. Got my brush all soaped up and when I opened the friskit jar...it was a mucky mess. Absolutely unusable.

Trying to paint this dark around those skinny stems did not give the look I wanted.

I also REALLY had a difficult time staying out of this one...it is definitely overworked in a few places. I learned that I had to have more paint on my brush than I expected or the painting lightened up on me. And, if I used the paint too thick (not enough water) it tried shiny!

I wish the cherries popped in the photo like they do on the original...they're actually the coolest part of the painting. I'm going to also have to learn how to do a little better on my photo editing.

Anyway...I'm open for critique and advise. I look forward to your opinions.

I cleared my drawing table, put away my pencils...and got out my watercolors, brushes, and paper. As I neatly placed my drawing stuff on the shelf and closed the door...I did feel just a little 'unfaithful' to the thing I love, but I did promise to return.

I started trying to paint water color maybe 10 years ago and my instructor stressed so strongly the importance of drawing and composition and being able to 'see' light and shadow that I laid the watercolors down and took a drawing class. The drawing class rekindled my childhood love...and you know the rest.

I've written often in my comments on other blogs and in the things I write here that I am a "watercolor want-a-be". I have never lost my desire to conquer 'watercolor'...I'm always drawn to the medium as I look at your websites and blogs.

OK...you said you wanted to see. I wasn't going to post anything until I was satisfied but thought my 'journey' might be an inspiration to others who want to try a new medium.

My love is of course Portraits and Still Life...and would love to someday be able to paint some street scenes. Yet I chose to start with flowers because I thought they would be less complicated and help me practice the layering of colors and once again learn my pallet.

I probably struggle most with watercolor styles that I like and what I am able to do now. I'm not a patient person and very critical of my work. Right now...I tend to rework too much and wow, staying away from the wet areas was a challenge. In my drawings I start on one side of the paper and move to the other...this jumping around to stay out of the wet areas so the paint didn't run together was a challenge.

My plan is to paint again next weekend. Most likely more of the same 'simple' subjects. I'm still trying to learn my pallet and get a feel for the process.

Be kind. Remember '"I'm still just a watercolor want-to-be"....with much to learn.

Sincerely...I'm very open to critique and would love to here what you have to say. This is a learning process and I'm no where near where I want to be.


Links:
Website ...Marsha Robinett Fine Art
The Extraordinary Pencil...blogspot
My Squidoo ...Drawing Techniques