Sketchbook Tuesday - daffodil challenge

Daffodils are quite a challenge for me to paint. I attempt sketching them every year, and every time I do it is a struggle. Getting the lights light enough, showing those darks and shadows without getting mud. They are so delicate in color, such happy flowers. I love seeing them popping up every spring. This year, because of our mild winter, our daffodils are blooming a full month earlier than they did the past two years. But yet again, they bloomed and then we had a snowfall. That does seem to happen every year!

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Are the daffodils blooming where you are?  I would like to issue a daffodil challenge to anyone interested. Sketch, paint, or draw daffodils and leave a comment to this post with link to where we can see your artwork. At the end of this month, March 31st. or there about, I'll share all the links to everyone's daffodil inspired art in a post on this blog. Happy spring!

right now

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"right now" staying focused on the present, mindful and in the moment, an image from the week, with no words or a few words, that acknowledges the "right now".  If you would like to join me in this mindful weekly exercise, put a link in the comments for this post to share your "right now" image.

Spring Marsh

Spring Marsh

watercolor on 140lb Kilimanjaro cp

7 x 9.25 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

 

I am still enjoying watercolor painting, almost to the exclusion of anything else. But I'm okay with that. As winter is sliding into spring here in our mountains, I was inspired to paint a springtime scene from the Low Country marshes.

Breezy greens

Summer

watercolor on 140lb Kilimanjaro cp

7 x 9 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

More watercolor play, inspired this time by the greens of summer. My references really are just that, a point of departure for playing with color and shape. I would like to eventually be able to leave the reference even further behind and find only those essential elements that interest me about the scene. In this case it was the impressionistic feel of green on green in the summer landscape that intrigued me.

right now

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"right now" staying focused on the present, mindful and in the moment, an image from the week, with no words or a few words, that acknowledges the "right now".  If you would like to join me in this mindful weekly exercise, put a link in the comments for this post to share your "right now" image.

Sketchbook Tuesday - blooming

I received a gorgeous potted lily for Valentine's Day. And I have made a couple of attempts at sketching the buds and blooms. The right hand page I sketched on Sunday, but made the color of the flower buds too warm. Yesterday I had another go at it since one of the buds had opened. The pink is a little too cool this time. Each day this lily has another blossom opening up. It is wonderful having a blooming plant indoors, especially at this time of the year. I am hoping we can keep it long enough to plant in our yard this coming spring.

right now

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"right now" staying focused on the present, mindful and in the moment, an image from the week, with no words or a few words, that acknowledges the "right now".  If you would like to join me in this mindful weekly exercise, put a link in the comments for this post to share your "right now" image.

Raven's Ridge

Raven's Ridge

watercolor on 140lb Kilimanjaro cp

6.5 x 9 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

 

Another watercolor inspired by an old photo, taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Raven's Ridge Overlook. One of my favorite Parkway views. I love it when you can see the cloud shadows on the mountains. I have to tell you though, that I am taking quite a few liberties with color interpretation from these photos, and really enjoying the process. However, I have no idea where I am going with these watercolors. They don't fit in with my current plans for colored pencil drawings. I just can't find a tidy category in which to place them in the whole scheme of my art. In a way, they are distant cousins to my oil paintings. Am I allowed to change media for my painting project? For now, I think I'll just allow the paintings to give me direction. I'm okay with that.

Sketchbook Tuesday - asparagus

It's asparagus season. Yay!

right now

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"right now" staying focused on the present, mindful and in the moment, an image from the week, with no words or a few words, that acknowledges the "right now".  If you would like to join me in this mindful weekly exercise, put a link in the comments for this post to share your "right now" image.