Thursday, April 28, 2022

Flora and Feathers

Most of the time my watercolor subjects are animals, mostly birds. I love birds. But along with my birds this week, I also painted a little rosebud. This is very uncharacteristic of me, but I did enjoy it. I may do more. 

Apparently I have been in a “Permanent Rose” (by Winsor and Newton) mood here lately!

After finishing the rose, I had fun painting a bird that we would never see in the US. He is so pretty!


Little Rosebud



Australian Rose Robin

For inspiration, here is a verse that I pray most mornings:


🌅“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8


#AustralianRedRobin #WatercolorRosebud #Ps1438 #watercolor #watercolour #LouiseDeMasi



Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Watercolor Style (Mixing it Up)

While my life is not totally controlled by the climate/weather, I do find that it plays a significant role in my mood/attitude, which in turn does at least AFFECT, if not control, my life.

Here in the PNW, spring is certainly not bursting forth with all things fresh and new, like I’m wishing would happen. Instead, she is dragging her feet, reluctant to leave the cold and dreary winter climate behind.

While I’m waiting, my paintings are a bit “unsettled” (in terms of inability to focus in on one style), which is somewhat a reflection of my mood (the blame for which I place on… you guessed it, the weather).

Here are some recent works.



I followed a tutorial by Maria Raczynska for this window. I almost didn’t attempt it, mainly because it is not my usual style/subject matter. But I decided maybe that was a good reason TO try it. I enjoyed it and may do more of that type in the future (I do prefer wet on dry, which was used here, but I usually paint birds and animals).



This little duckling was part of a trial to see if I might like the style and method of Emily Olson. I decided against it, but I did start this little duckling with her instruction. I didn’t like hers, midstream, and so I ended up just doing my own thing and not following her instruction to finish it. I do like it (was fun to have it out for Easter).



Another Easter theme, I loosely followed a tutorial by Louise De Masi. 



This little hummingbird may be my favorite among these four. One of my favorite instructors, Maria Raczynska, has a new series on painting birds, with somewhat of a loose style and yet not just throwing paint on wet paper (as many wet on wet artists do). This one took less than an hour and was very enjoyable. For one thing, I love the colors (mostly a combination of Veridian Hue, Cobalt Blue, and Indigo).

While I wait rather impatiently for spring, my next painting will be an attempt at a rose bud. Along with landscapes and seascapes, botanicals are rarely my thing, but I’m in the mood for some bright color in a flower. So, bring on the Permanent Rose and the French Ultramarine. 

#watercolor #watercolorpractice #hummingbird #bunny #watercolorwindow



Friday, April 15, 2022

Consider the Birds: A Simple Observation


As I was watching the birds (pine siskin at the moment), I was thinking how nice it is that hubby (the birds call him “that man”) just refilled the feeder with sunflower chips. Seeing the feeder all full makes me feel like the birds are well-provided for.

But then I thought about the birds’ perspective. They have no idea (nor concern) about whether the feeder is full or not. They don’t need to know that it is full. They are only interested in the fact that there is always food in the tray that surrounds the feeder, where they perch. 

While one might call this “living in the moment,” this scene this morning made me think about us and our Heavenly Father (THE Man). Sometimes we think we need to see the feeder all full, so that we can feel confident that our needs will be met in the future. But, God is our Provider, and He makes sure we have what we need, when we need it. Seeing the future (the filled feeder) should not be necessary for us.

I need to learn to rest in the assurance that God will make sure the tray is sufficiently filled to meet my needs.

Matthew 6 (NIV):
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.Are you not much more valuable than they?27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life.”

#JehovahJireh #birdsdonotworry #GodsProvision #pinesiskin #backyardbirds #birdfeeding #pleasetellthatmanthatheneedstorefillthefeeder #PNW #Matthew6