In the Shade

The prompt for day two of world watercolor month is, "in the shade" which couldn't be more appropriate! We are experiencing a beautiful sunny week of perfect 75° summer weather.

Just got back from a trip to the nursery and I'm  going to let these flowers rest in the shade while I have my lunch. I'll come back and add watercolor in a little bit and post the results on Instagram for #WorldWatercolorMonth. Then as the day cools off I'll plant them in the pots waiting for them out on the deck.

This is also a "momentcatchers " weekend. Candace Rardon hosts an online gallery the first weekend of each month for creatives around the world. I shouldn't wonder if this moment is shared by a good number of artists in the summer hemisphere this weekend.

My Haul from Pike Place Market last Saturday--And CSI

A day at Pike Place Market is full of treasure. My sketchbook, and a bouquet, of course.

And then there's the eerie parallel of my life with scenes from "Caddy Shack."

4.17.16---First, I noticed the decapitated tulip blossom on the deck. Then, the squirrel stared me straight in the face while he insolently consumed the entire stem like a stalk of celery. I've got evidence. CSI-Criminal Squirrel Investigator, Michele Cooper

The last day for my tulips from Roozengaard.4.16.16

Edible Flowers Make Lovely Tea

I am stuck in a dilemma--garden or studio? Planting or painting? Oh, and I could use a cup of tea!

Well, who says you can't do it all?

I ended up racing the late afternoon light, so I'll stop for now. I decided to keep the teapot lighter than the actual subject. It just seems to suit the floral mood.

There's an additional photo of the subject with preliminary pencil sketch on my IG at michelecooperart

Tiny Spring Flowers

I wanted to sketch these sweet little grape hyacinths before they finished blooming. It was just too cold to stay outside, so I picked a few and drew them at the sink in the studio where I washed them off.

Come to think of it, the squirrels in the tree nearby were shaking their heads and "tsk tsking" as I provided a bad example about digging up bulbs. No wonder they ravaged my crocus with impunity!

Happy Summer Colors

Have I said how much I love summer? I LOVE SUMMER! I love being able to wear sandals and no jacket and sit outside at night and drink mojitos with fresh mint right out of the garden, listening to the sound of our garden fountain, birds twittering as they bathe in our birdbath and most of all the flowers--they make me happy.

I added some flowers from my garden to the bouquets that I brought home from Schuh Farms yesterday. 

We have three Rose of Sharon trees in our garden, this white one, a pink one and a purple one. 

I took my watercolors out of the studio and had fun with flowers today.

White Lilacs

 

Our white lilacs are in full bloom and the whole house smells like spring!

Decades ago, I planted a row of ten white lilacs to protect the embankment of a natural swale in our back yard. We have a few days before it rains again and turns them all into "burnt popcorn". Good opportunity to do some drastically needed pruning and cut come bouquets for friends. 

Seven signs of Spring

These have been in bloom for at least two weeks already!

The calendar says it's February. As long as I can remember, that's included in the winter months in the Pacific NW.

However, every indication seems to be that it is spring! The weather, the temperature, birds, flowers, etc. I saw Flickers gathering nest materials in the back yard last week. My star magnolia looks like it will pop open its little white buds any moment!
You can actually sit out on the patio for lunch!

How about a commitment to drawing and/or painting every day from Sunday to Sunday this week?

Each day, draw a different sign of spring.

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!)

More from the UW Medicinal Garden

Off he went, back to the herbal garden.

Amanda, five-minute sketch

We were at the market on a very busy weekend day, we were in a workshop being instructed by Gabi Companario, we were given just five minutes to do a live figure study and the time starts now!

 

This was my 5 minute sketch done on location at Pike Place Market, just inside the flower stalls. Amanda, a fellow workshop participant, was in a hurry and got tangled and twisted with her shoulder bag and jacket. I was struck by the similarities and comparisons of the girl, the bucket of paper wrapped flowers and the column. Sort of a transition of static to lively, masculine to feminine, and all "wrapped" around in a way. 

Since my drawing was only allowed 5 minutes' time, I felt it only fair to do the color in equal time.  It's not meant to be a finished piece, obviously, but I feel I caught the wrapped up quality of the moment. 

A Bay View and a Garden View

Here's my sketchbook after the First Annual Sketch Crawl with ASk and others at the Padilla Bay Interpretive Center this afternoon. Most of the photos I took today were with my iPhone, so the resolution or focus may not be so great. I'll try to replace them with better ones soon.

I sometimes write haiku to further express the experience of the moment. See my sketch above right of poppies for an example.

I want to keep it

Have you ever planned a gift for someone who really deserves something special...then it turned out so well that you wanted to keep it for yourself?

Well, here is my hand painted thank you note, temptingly sitting on my studio window sill. No, no, It was intended for my friend. I am putting it in an envelope right now!

Line Drawing for Spring Blossoms

Here's what's on the easel today. I am about 2/3 of the way through the line work on a line and wash painting.

Yesterday I put a handful of flowers in a glass of water and left it in my kitchen window. I haven't been able to stop looking at it. So, in between the rest of my life this weekend, I plan to see if I can capture the cheerfullness of life during my garden's spring bloom.

Come back for a visit tomorrow, when I plan to do the watercolor work.
Update: Sorry if you have experienced broken image link. Having trouble with uploading images this weekend. Working on it. Soon as I can, I will post the wash stage of this one.

Summer Flowers, Hollyhocks

 "Hollyhocks with a View"
Section of Original Watercolor
by Michele Cooper

 What a lovely day we are having here in the Pacific NW! I have been relaxing on the deck, surrounded by my beautiful blue hydrangeas and can't wait to paint them......coming soon! :-)

It takes me back to another summer when I painted hollyhocks with a view for the annual plein air event on Whidbey Island.

Free Watercolor Video Lesson

Iris Fields
5x7" Original Watercolor
by Michele Cooper

Foregrounds and value studies seem to be two of the most challenging aspects of painting a watercolor landscape.

This subject was covered in one of my recent classes, but I wanted to connect those two aspects to a finished example. So several days later, long nights and editing out lawnmower sounds and a tiny spider descending into frame from my skylight............and......Voilà! I have one more YouTube demonstration to add to my channel!

You can watch it right here on my blog or click the little rectangle to the right of the YouTube logo in the lower right corner of the video to see full screen here or on YouTube. Let me know what you think, okay?

Rhododendrons

Rhodies
18x24"   Original Watercolor
by Michele Cooper


All our rhododendrons in our garden are in bloom. In fact, some of them are getting soaked in the rain and blossoms are falling off.

You can get a pretty nice bouquet out of just a few branches. I hear the best time to prune them is when they are in bloom.

Spring Tree and flowers, sketchbook

This is the right hand section of a 24" accordion fold sketchbook panel.
It measures 5"x7".

The sunlight comes through the flowers, almost as if they are lit like candles. This type of back light in watercolor is best depicted by painting the negative space...the space around the flowers....and leaving the white paper to be tinted later.