A Walk In Manteo

A Walk In Manteo

watercolor

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

Here is another study of trees that I had finished up before the holiday but am just getting around to posting now. The view is from the Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo, North Carolina. A beautiful, magical place graced with many magnificent trees, flowers, and shrubs lining meandering walkways.

sketchbook :: winter solstice

The winter solstice is tomorrow and I am so ready to begin the turn towards the light again. I am nearly finished with this Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook, and right on time too. A new season, a new sketchbook waiting. Perfect.

I have many pages of notes in this book, and several sketches. It seems this sketchbook handles these sketches that are lightly washed with watercolor a bit better than the previous sketches that I posted where I am doing more "painting" than sketching.

And here we are at the winter solstice. Yes. I am ready for a new season. All of my notes are preparations for changes to come. Planning for the upcoming year, goal setting, setting my intentions. But for now it is time to do a little relaxing, like Sam up there, and contemplate the beauty of this season. May you find time for quiet contemplation and enjoy a delightful holiday!

sketchbook :: fruit

I didn't intend to be away so long from posting. I have been filling my sketchbook and here are two to share. They are both watercolor only, done in my Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook.

The jury is still out on whether or not this will be sketchbook that I will stick with for future use. As you can see, the paper buckles a bit, which I am sure is due to my soupy washes. I don't mind that so much as it is a sketchbook after all. However the further I work into the book the more difficult it is for the pages to lay flat while I am working.And the paint does tend to sit on top of the paper, which requires me to adjust my painting application. Again, not a deal breaker, yet something to consider. I have one more commercially made sketchbook to try before I give up and return to my hand made sketchbooks again.

And here is a sneak peek at my current painting in progress. Still thinking about trees. I am most happy with that tree trunk in the foreground. We'll see if this little study develops into a finished work.

sketchbook :: tree farm

We made our traditional visit to a local Christmas tree farm this past Friday. This year we hiked way up a slick, snow covered hill to select our tree. The views were incredible but the air was cold. I did this sketch after we were back home from one of the photos I snapped, while sipping hot chocolate.

thinking about trees

The Walk To The Pond

watercolor

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

I have been thinking about trees lately. And when considering trees and their many forms while I sifted through my references, I found this view from a nearby Christmas tree farm. It is our family's tradition to visit a local Christmas tree farm the day after Thanksgiving where we "choose and cut" our tree for the holiday season. The November light and color of this scene seemed a perfect place to start when thinking about trees.

Wishing to all who celebrate a Happy Thanksgiving holiday!

sketchbook :: squash and other thoughts

This is the first sketch in my new Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook. I used up the Strathmore watercolor sketchbook and was curious to try something else. Compared to the Strathmore sketchbook, the Stillman & Birn paper in the Beta is a little smoother in texture and a bit brighter white. Although I liked the paper's texture in the Strathmore watercolor sketchbook I am thinking that the smoother paper in the Beta will better lend itself to a greater variety of media. (Something I keep saying I am going to do in my sketchbooks but rarely happens) They both take watercolor well, however is is a bit easier to lift the pigment from the Beta paper. Actually somewhat too easy at times. I do use very soupy washes of color and enjoy dropping pure color into very wet areas and letting the paint mix on the paper. I like a paper that will hold onto that initial puddle of color and continue to accept additional color dropped into it while still wet. Nothing really does that like a good cold pressed paper but both of these sketchbooks, the Strathmore watercolor and the Stillman & Birn Beta, are the closest to having that quality that I have found in a commercially made bound sketchbook.

The Strathmore watercolor sketchbook that I was using was the soft bound cover in the 7.5 by 9.5 inch size. This Stillman & Birn Beta is a hard bound cover 5.5 x 8.5 inch sketchbook. They both lay flat when opened, which is important to me. Now the soft cover of the Strathmore was a treasure to hold and the 7.5 x 9.5 inch was a very comfortable format for me to work in, even if it didn't fit my scanner bed. The 5.5 x 8.5 inch size of the Beta does fit my scanner (yay!) and you get a nice 8.5 x 11 inch format when working across the page spread. Yet I do wish Stillman & Birn had more size options in the hardcover Beta sketchbook. Something a little less rectangular, more of a square sized format, but that's just my personal preference. I know they have a square format in the spiral bound but I can never warm up to a spiral bound sketchbook the way I do with a hard (or soft) bound book.

Now I know I can always return to making my own sketchbooks. And by doing so I can choose a paper I like and make a format that I prefer. And I just may do that again at some point. But my book binding skills are not so great and there always remains a gap where the signatures come together. Plus I tend to treat my hand made sketchbooks as being a little too precious, approaching every sketch as I would a finished painting. I needed a break from that mindset. For some reason, when using a commercially made sketchbook I feel more free to have messy unresolved pages right along with a few nice sketches. So I will see where this Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook takes me.

The squash pictured above were sketched with watercolor only and are on the menu for tonight's dinner.

Scott Creek Marsh

Scott Creek Marsh at Low Tide

watercolor

8 x 10 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

Scott Creek meanders behind the park and shops along Jungle Road on Edisto Island, South Carolina. The creek runs from Big Bay Creek and St. Helena Sound to the Atlantic Ocean at the north end of Edisto Beach State Park. The salt marshes change appearance with the rise and fall of the tide. At low tide what remains are the muddy etchings of the water's flow, crabs scurrying about and the sucking sound of the mussels now exposed to the air. I was drawn to the curvilinear shape of that shallow ribbon of water in this low tide salt marsh view.

sketchbook :: season's change

We had stunning Autumn days last week. Tuesday afternoon while Kiddo worked on her science project recording native plants in our yard, I took the opportunity to sketch one of our forsythia that lives beside our drive. The deep reds and purples of its autumn leaves create quite a show against the backdrop of deep blues and greens of the rhododendrons.

Postcard From Autumn V

watercolor

3.5 x 5 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

sold

And here is the last in my Postcards From Autumn series, one that I previously neglected to post. It does seem that winter has arrived, now that we had our first snow over the weekend. The colder temps have me thinking about winter time projects in the studio, as well as lots of cooking and crocheting. How does your creative activity change with the seasons?

Ocean Dreams IV

Ocean Dreams IV

watercolor

8 x 10 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

Sometimes, when walking on the beach at sunrise, the water seems to be on fire with the color of dawn's sunlit sky. It only lasts a few moments and I feel so grateful when I am there to see such a colorful show. Like a gift that I want to hold on to forever. So I'll add this painting to my Ocean Dreams series, a series about light and color on that watery horizon that I think about when I think of being at the beach.

sketchbook :: more Autumn leaves

Have I mentioned just how stunning the color has been here this fall? I just had to paint a few more colorful leaves from our yard and finished the page with a scene of fall color that I captured with my camera on a recent drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. But you don't have to get out with all the "leaf-lookers" on the Parkway to find Autumn beauty, it's everywhere this year. Cheap Joe's blog, The Sketchbook, has a nice post with wonderful photos of local scenes celebrating this year's fall color.

Postcards From Autumn III and IV

Postcard From Autumn III

watercolor

3.5 x 5 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

Postcard From Autumn IV

watercolor

3.5 x 5 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

sold

Here are two more in my series of small, Autumn themed paintings. The color continues to be stunning here this fall season. And those candy colors are so much fun to paint.

Postcards From Autumn I and II

Postcard From Autumn I

watercolor

3.5 x 5 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

Postcard From Autumn II

watercolor

3.5 x 5 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

sold

A friend recently asked if I would consider doing a few small, Autumn themed, watercolor paintings. What resulted were six postcard-sized pieces inspired by the beautiful fall color we have been experiencing here in our Southern mountains. I was just as challenged working in this small size as I am when working in a large-for-me format. The experience helped me realize how good it is to occasionally leave my comfort zone, what ever direction that happens to be.

sketchbook :: autumn leaves

Autumn is such a glorious season that seems to scream for attention. But finding time to create has been challenging for me lately. So many things that I want to do yet so many things that I have to do, and the days fly by filled with "have tos".

Refusing to ignore Autumn's colors any longer, I took a trip around the yard to collect a few leaves and snap a few photos.

And to avoid a point of total frustration over lack of time, I took an hour for sketching in my journal.

Because, if I didn't do it now, all the glorious color of Autumn may be gone the next time I pause to look. And after that brief hour's pause spent with my sketchbook, I felt so much better.

Come Away

Come Away

watercolor

8 x 10 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

Here I am revisiting the marshes of the South Carolina Low Country, if only in my imagination. Sometimes the light creates such a wonderful glow on these watery landscapes. I would love to be there. Now. But when I can't get away, I am inspired to paint my favorite coastal landscapes instead.

Ocean Tide Study IV

Ocean Tide Study IV

watercolor 

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

One more tide study. This was another with early morning light on the water. I love that glow of sunlight illuminating the wave from behind and the challenge of trying to capture that with paint.

Store Creek Marsh

Store Creek Marsh

watercolor

11 x 14 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

Beautiful marshes grace both sides of Highway 174, the road onto Edisto Island, in South Carolina. This painting is inspired by the view from The Old Post Office Restaurant, which also happens to be right next door to With These Hands Gallery, where I have art on exhibit. I enjoyed playing with the bands of color in this composition as well as further exploration with various ways of expressing trees in watercolor.

Ocean Tide Study III

Ocean Tide Study III

watercolor

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

I simply never tire of painting the sea. Not yet, anyway. My intent is to paint several of these small studies in preparation for a few larger works. And I am still having fun with these small captures of light and water in motion.

sketchbook :: looking out my back door

We had a good deal of rain this past weekend. I made this sketch while sitting at our dining table, looking out the back door, watching the sky through the trees darken with approaching rain clouds.

Ocean Tide Study II

Ocean Tide Study II

watercolor

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

This is the second in my series of small paintings studying the waves at the beach. I am not wanting to be too literal, yet still convey that glow of early morning sun on the water. And I am enjoying the process of allowing the watercolor paint be watercolor paint, where colors flow into each other creating unexpected results that are just right.

sketchbook :: pepper picker

This past Saturday morning our farmers' market was a very busy place. I came home with lettuce, tomatoes, corn, apples, two lavender plants, and a few photos. It was so full of shoppers that I was not able to get very close to this glorious display of bell peppers, which was crowded with folks picking out the perfect peppers. I wonder what dish she made with her red and yellow peppers? This was sketched in my Strathmore watercolor journal with pencil, watercolor, and a little white gel pen for the chalkboard signs.

Ocean Tide Study I

Ocean Tide Study I

watercolor

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

I have begun a series of small paintings inspired by the ocean tides. A recurring theme in my painting that continues to inspire me to put paint to paper. They are about the light, color, and movement of the sea as it comes to shore in its eternal, comforting rhythm. As a subject, these images provide me with a place to expand on my painting vocabulary, how to show all of that watery motion with sharp and soft edges, brush strokes, and changes in value and hue. This painting was inspired by the beach in the early morning light of the sunrise, when the pastels of sea and sky blur on a misty horizon.

sketchbook :: sunflowers

We went to our local farmers' market last Saturday where sunflowers were abundant. So I brought some home to paint in my Strathmore watercolor sketchbook. Of course, I put the wrong date on the page - it was sketched on Sunday, the 24th, the day after the market.

However, the sunflowers are still glorious today as they continue to grace our dining table.

watching the river run

Watauga River at Valle Crucis

watercolor

8 x 10 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

We live in a place where rivers begin. I have always thought there was something special about that. One of our rivers, the Watauga River, runs through the beautiful Valle Crucis Park here in our mountains. It is a spot we often visit for sketch outings. This painting is inspired by one of the lovely views of the river there.

Morning in the Neighborhood

Morning in the Neighborhood

watercolor

8 x 10 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

My little rural/suburban neighborhood is not more than a stone's throw from the Blue Ridge Parkway. And it can be, at times, full of noise and activity. Lawn mowers, kids, the summer sounds of cicadas and the nearby cows calling. But early in the mornings there is a peacefulness when the light is soft and the grasses are still damp with dew. This painting is inspired by such a morning in summer.

sketchbook : random still life

It has been cool, very wet, and very foggy for days on end here in our Southern mountains. Wanting to sketch I chose random objects from my kitchen for a little watercolor play time.

I am still enjoying this Strathmore watercolor sketchbook. However, when I sketch across the page, as I did here, the entire page spread does not fit on my scanner. So you are left with a less than crisp photo in order to view what's inside my sketchbook.

Where Huckleberries Grow

Where Huckleberries Grow

watercolor

8 x 10 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

There is a hiking trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway where we have been told wild blueberries, sometimes called huckleberries, grow in abundance. We have not picked the wild berries, or even been along there when they are ripe, but the views from the top of the hill, looking down on Bass Lake, are beautiful.

Grandfather Mountain Light

Grandfather Mountain Light

watercolor

8 x 10 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

At 5,946 feet, Grandfather Mountain is a notable landmark here in our North Carolina Mountains. It's a mountain where rivers begin, one flowing east and the other to the west, and from the top on a clear day it seems that you can see for nearly 100 miles. It has been the subject of many artists' paintings and Forrest Gump even ran the curving road up to the top.

I was inspired to paint this view of Grandfather Mountain because of the rolling hills in the foreground that were glowing in a light that seemed to be coming from the mountain itself. As if some ancient magic was alive in the mountain's rugged profile.

new sketchbook and other stuff

I am trying out a new sketchbook. As you know, I have been making my own sketchbooks for quite some time. Occasionally I give a store-bought sketchbook a spin, but I have always returned to making my own. I have tried some that were hard cover but the paper was too thin, or the pages didn't lay flat, or the paper was good but I didn't like the spiral binding. So when I saw this sketchbook advertised I was interested in testing it out. It's a Strathmore Softcover 400 Series Watercolor Art Journal.

Here is my first page spread. I like to paste in a calendar on the first pages for reference. I like the size and orientation of this sketchbook. At 7.75 x 9.75 inches it is a manageable size, and when opened I will have 9.75 by 15.5 inch area if I wish to work across the page. The binding seems sturdy, the pages will lay open flat, and the cover makes it feel very nice to hold. Because it is a soft cover the book is a bit lighter weight as well.

The other day I was in an office supply store and their display of tablet cases caught my eye. The size seemed about right to hold my new sketchbook and a few supplies. But they were expensive. Then I found this case here. I have smaller cases and pouches for supplies but nothing that my entire kit fits into, sketchbook included. Now this seemed like a workable solution. Everything I need fits easily into one lightweight bag. And it has a shoulder strap!

The larger of the front zippered pockets has pockets for pens and two elastic bands that work perfectly to hold brushes. The sketchbook fits easily into the main interior compartment.

It was a gray, overcast day but I didn't let that stop me from test driving my new sketchbook. As I often do, I painted what was right outside the window.

Although it is not the quality watercolor paper that I use in my handmade books, it did work well for my sketch. I have tried sketchbooks where the paper was rather hard and slick, which doesn't suit the way I like to paint. This paper has enough absorbency for dropping color into wet washes and allowing the paint to mix on the paper, which I like. Yet it does seem sooth enough that dry media should work just fine too. I know that sketchbook preferences are very personal things. I have even found that my own taste in sketchbooks changes from time to time. It is nice to occasionally try new supplies as a change in materials can sometimes bring a freshness or even a new approach to the way you are working.

housekeeping

Misty Morning

watercolor

6 x 8 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

I have had a busy time lately creating new watercolor paintings. So much so that I am beginning to run out of storage space for them all. So I am doing a little housekeeping, here on my blog and in my studio, with the intention to free up space for new art to be created.

Mountain Spring

watercolor

6 x 8 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

In my cleaning frenzy I discovered that I had never posted these two paintings. They had been sitting in my file waiting their turn so it was time to bring them out. The top painting is a view of my neighborhood in the early summer morning. And this one above was inspired by the colors of spring along the Blue Ridge Parkway. They are both now available in my newly re-opened Etsy shop. I have quite a few other works that I will be adding to my Etsy shop, priced to sell, so if you are over that way please do drop in for a visit!

Thunder Hill

Thunder Hill

watercolor

8 x 10 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

This painting is inspired by my favorite spot along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Not far from my home, there is an overlook named Thunder Hill, where you can park your car and hike up to the top. From there you can see beyond both sides of the ridge, almost to forever.

sketchbook :: lemons

They looked so nice with the sunlight coming in behind that I made a quick watercolor sketch in my handmade sketchbook.

deep greens and blues are the colors I choose...

Mountain Moon Rise

watercolor

8 x 10 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

It is somehow a comforting sight, seeing the moon peeking through clouds. I was inspired by this past weekend's full moon to attempt this dreamy painting of our night sky with the moon rising over the mountains.

Summer Mountain Meadow

Summer Mountain Meadow

watercolor

8 x 10 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

I am enjoying painting these summer scenes inspired by our mountain landscape. I find the subject of these small paintings to be as much about color as the landscape itself. And I am inspired by the colors of summer!

sketchbook :: fireworks

Flowers from our yard explode with color like fireworks in a milk bottle vase on our kitchen table. Sketched with watercolor only in my handmade sketchbook.