More late posts from EDiM-Day 23 and 24

Here are the sketches I'm posting late for EDiM, Days 23 and 24.
DAY 23--An interesting section of a building

Just a very small portion of the old barn on HWY 20

I drive by this place almost every week, whether on my way to meet the Anacortes sketchers during the summer or on my way to teach a class during the rest of the year.

DAY 24--KEYS

When you think of the option of sketching keys, so many things come to mind. See a short list of my other ideas on keys on my May 24, 2015 blogpost......besides house keys or car keys. 

Flowers in the window

I have three new classes starting this week, so I won't be saying too much about this painting. I'm just happy I got it posted.

 

My fellow sketchers are at Rosario today, for one more summer/fall afternoon. Since I am prepping lessons at home in the studio, I am posting a plein air piece that I did around this same time of year at a farm in Issaquah. It's a half sheet (15x22") size. I know a similar treatment could be applied to the picnic shelter there at Rosario. (I am there with you in spirit!)

Skagit River Farm sketches

On Thursday, I mentioned that I would soon post the finished sketches from my two recent visits to the Skagit River Farm Barn. One of the co-owners, Gary, was sorting corn on the flatbed outside the big barn and told me that he ran the gas station across the street for 35 years. I remember stopping there many times on my way to the tulip fields for gas and a bloom map.

My finished two page spread of sketches from SRF.

3 years ago, Gary and his son built a brand new, yet beautifully reminiscent barn across the street from the gas station. They have filled it with fresh local produce and a kitchen that makes homemade soup every day. There is even an old fashioned pie safe, stocked full of fresh baked pies. You have got to stop in! It's right off Exit 221 on I-5 at the Lake McMurray exit.

Barn Shadows

Barn Shadows - Watercolor by Michele Cooper

This is the final result after working on this composition from yesterday. It was a lot of fun working with the variety of shapes provided by the years of wear and repair on this old barn. After sketching in my sketchbooks, it was wonderful, being able to use bigger, better brushes and larger format. It's the first time I've painted this one, but I feel like I could explore it a hundred times over and get a new viewpoint each time.

"Barn Shadows" - Original Watercolor by Michele Cooper
Size: 11x 15"       Price: $200 (unframed)

Weathered Barn

The subject of an old weathered barn gives the artist an opportunity to work with the vast color field of greys.

Your challenge is to decide which greys to use and how you will arrange the rest of the composition. Tip: choose a field of grey that leans toward a secondary color, then accent with a low chroma complementary color.