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.

Marsh Trail

Marsh Trail

watercolor on 140lb Kilimanjaro cp

7.5 x 9.5 inches

 ©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

 

On Edisto Island, across Jungle Road from a small string of shops, there is a park with a trail that meanders along the marsh edge. I have wandered over there several times to gather imagery for painting references. Each time, the views are different, depending on the tide and the time of year. It's an ever changing landscape.

Sketchbook Tuesday - summer color

You know I like to begin with a new sketchbook at the start of each season. I did put together a new sketchbook for summer, to begin at the solstice, but life got in the way and it was a few days before I could actually do a sketch. Although I did sit with Cathy Johnson's book, Watercolor Tricks & Techniques, late one evening, just for a bit of inspiration. So I added a quote from her writing to start my journal off on a good note. This first sketch was done with ink and wash. A new, or not often used, technique for me. Our hydrangea is gorgeous this year.

And a whole bag of peaches came home from the farmers' market last Saturday with Kiddo and The Professor. I see a peach pie in my future.

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.

Sketchbook Tuesday :: this and that

We have had such beautiful, early summer weather. Highs is the low 70s, and a fair amount of rain. It was cloudy, but warm, the afternoon I sat on the front stoop and sketched this corner of my herb garden.

 One of the two loaves of French style bread that I made to go along with dinner the other evening. The recipe is from my well worn James Beard book, Beard on Bread. The binding is actually falling apart yet I love this book with it's variety of bread recipes written in such a familiar tone. The accompanying line drawings by Karl Stuecklen are wonderful. James Beard actually says that it is very difficult to make a true French bread. His recipe is what he calls, "Continental". Whatever the name, we really enjoy these loaves.

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.

What's on the drawing board

7:56AM - WIP

colored pencil on museum board

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

Betcha can't guess what this is. Or maybe you can, knowing my obsession with the surf and tides. So I am indulging that obsession for a while longer in this newest colored pencil piece. By getting the part that is already drawn color corrected to match the original I lost most of the color of the parts that are merely mapped in, but they're there. I begin by loosely blocking in shapes in a light value for that area and then go back and continue to add color and value in each area until the entire piece is up to the same level of completion. At the end, I go back and work the entire piece, pulling it together in terms of color and value. Of course there is also much working and reworking, back and forth throughout the composition, along the way, but basically, that is my method.

By working small I can complete a piece more quickly. In this way I can explore many more ideas than I would be able to if I worked on larger format pieces that ultimately would take much longer to complete. And I get so many ideas for works that I don't know if I will ever get to them all. Which brings me back to my obsession with surf and tides. Every visit to the beach I use a ridiculous amount of pixels photographing what almost seems every wave that I am there to see. I would be embarrassed to tell you just how many wave photos I have taken over the past few years. However, that does give me plenty to work from for a good long while.

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On another note, I am in the process of updating my Fine Art America shop. Over the next week or so I will be switching out some of the works and replacing them with, you guessed it, beach and coastal themed pieces. You can visit my shop, here, or from the link over in the side bar. If you don't see something there that you would like as a print or card just let me know, and I'll be happy to make it available.

Sketchbook Tuesday :: pineappleness

Our grocery had a coupon last week for a free pineapple with purchase. Pineapples are very complex. So I went for the idea, the pineappleness of a pineapple.

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.

...and still

Still Morning

watercolor on 140lb Kilimanjaro cp

7.5 x 9.5 inches

 ©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

 

Continuing with my watercolor exploration, another marsh scene from the South Carolina coast. In the morning hours, tide is in, and the water reflects the sky. I am enjoying the spontaneity of this media. I would like to focus a bit more of the abstract qualities and less on the details of the landscape. Those bits that draw me in. So I'll keep going, and maybe I will hit on just that someday.

Sketchbook Tuesday :: waiting

These marigolds were waiting to be planted when I decided to sketch them first.  They now live in my window box style planters that grace the porch and deck railings.

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.