Glistening

$99.00
Original Watercolor on Paper
10"x8"

The wet road glistens after the rain and leads us right on down to winter. I promised myself I wouldn't paint snow until December.....and I just barely made it!

This was pure fun! No preliminary drawing, just wet paper, wet brushes and wet paint!

Autumn Currents

$99.00
Original Watercolor on Paper
8"x10"

One of my favorite painting spots for plein air painting. It was so cold today, though, I stayed in the studio and used one of my recent "sketch hunting" photos.

A Few Grapes Left

$99.00
Original Watercolor on Paper
6"x9.5"


After having my family over for a week, there are a few leftovers. I think these grapes are the most paintable ones so far.

This one was a balancing act between the grapes and the stems. Sort of like "sticks and stones". Grapes are so much like gemstones to me.

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What is art?

I've been completely immersed in entertaining out of town family members for the past few days. The last one left yesterday, so I'm back in the studio. While I'm working, here is something for your entertainment.

What is art to you?

Autumn Sun Breaks

Work in Progress
Original Watercolor on Paper
15"x22"

This is the demo I did for my class tonight at Skagit Valley College. I tweaked it a little about 15 minutes ago, and it will remain "on the easel" until I feel it's a little more finessed. Then I will post the finished one and a link to this image as well as the reference photo from which I painted.

Mushrooms

$60.00
Original Watercolor on Paper

This was a small demonstration for my class on still life.

Aceto

#99.00
Original Watercolor on Paper
6"x10"

Balsamic vinegar or lemon? Add one of them to your olive oil and you have salad dressing. It was fun to play with "light versus dark" and saturated color versus paler color in the lemon.

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Rural Delivery

"Rural Delivery"
Original Watercolor by Michele Cooper
8"x10" -- 11x14" framed

This location reminds of where my parents used to live. Everyone knows when the mail comes and they all keep an eye out for the postman.

Birchbark Textures

$99.00
Original Watercolor on Paper
10"x8"

I grabbed my painting gear and drove around my favorite painting spots all day, looking for an autumn subject. I found dozens, but all inaccessible for any period of time.
I returned home and the light was perfect on the Himalayan White Birches by our mailbox. I was ready for some texture, mixed with the silvery autumn sun breaks.

Wishing for Spring

$204.00
Original Watercolor on Paper
15"x11"

Pie birds and silk flowers on the window sill of my studio catch the filtered light from foggy windows. The rain outside is not from April showers. It's only November, but I'll remember spring today.

Cut Pear and Starbucks Mug

$99.00
Original Watercolor on Paper
8"x10"

What to do when you wake up hungry AND wanting to paint?
Paint first. I started having breakfast and realized the shapes that I was cutting into the pear had a beautifully sculptural quality. So a few hours later, I am posting this painting, having already eaten the pear, and on my way to fill my coffee mug at Starbucks!

Fragile Wings

$99.00
Original Watercolor on Paper
8"x10"

My hydrangeas froze one night last week, and walking past them today, I thought of the flower fairies that were painted in the 1920's. The fragile flower petals reminded me of their wings.

They look a bit darker and greener on my monitor than in the actual painting. Some of the subtle blue-greens aren't registering as well as they could.

Lavender Earl Grey with Lemon

$99.00
Original Watercolor
71/2"x101/2"

It's always a challenge to paint "white on white", especially in watercolor.
I don't use any masking agent or white paint. Just pure transparent watercolor. The tea bag is made of silk.

Red Onion, Green Grapes

$99.00
Original Watercolor on paper
6"x10"



Here is a slightly different take on the complementary color scheme of red and green.

Pear with Grapes

$99.00
Original Watercolor on paper
6"x10"


I finally have time to paint just what I want. This is a new pear. I ended up throwing away two other boxes of them that I carried around with me to classes for weeks.

The grapes are so full of colorful facets, just like jewels. It's hard to know whether to eat them or paint them!

Daily Painting in Earnest

Even if you paint in the laundry room, this little easel is portable enough and easy enough to tuck away when you're finished. I recommend it for my students who carry everything to class in a sport bag. This fits!

Now that my 13th annual studio open house is over (thanks to everyone who came!) I can get down to my resolution to make a painting a day, with one or two days off a week for class prep.

Let me know if there is any particular subject you wish to see here.