Waiting for Halcyon Days

Waiting for Halcyon Days

watercolor

11 x 14 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

This painting developed intuitively from my response to my initial mark making and paint application. I began with a resist of masking fluid in a big, sweeping, circular motion. Then with the paper randomly sprayed with water I applied washes of color. From there I considered what I wanted to happen in each area. I used a stamp inspired by a fossil shape that I created from a white plastic eraser as well as stencils to create some of the shapes. I have long been fascinated with mythology and folklore. As the painting began to suggest water I imagined the kingfisher from the Greek myth of Halcyon and its power to calm the waves. As our time of Halcyon Days ends for this year I wish you calm waters in the new year.

Halcyon days, now wars are ending.

You shall find where ere you sail

Tritons all the while attending

With a kind and gentle gale.

~Halcyon Days by Thomas Shadwell~

12 in 15

As a review of the year this post is a selection of twelve works I have completed in 2015. I actually had a fairly busy year creating approximately 48 paintings, not counting the ones that went into the bin. I often feel that my work is going in several directions at once, not that it's a bad thing, but it is helpful to take some time to review where I have been and assess where I'd like to go next. I was inspired to choose twelve for this review by artist Jeanette Jobson and her recent 12 in 15 post. They are listed here in order of creation, not by preference. I would love to know which are your favorites and why.

Sea Souvenirs

watercolor

6 x 12 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available at With These Hands Gallery

Ocean Dreams V

watercolor

8 x 8 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

Dreaming of the Sea

watercolor

6 x 12 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available from the artist

Market Sunflowers

watercolor

11 x 14 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

sold

Calloway Gap

watercolor

8 x 10 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

Tide Rising

watercolor

12 x 12 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available from the artist

Midsummer

watercolor

8 x 10 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

Endive Basket

watercolor

8 x 8 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

Sunflower Play

watercolor

11 x 14 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

sold

Gathering Season

watercolor

11 x 14 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

Autumn Spirit

watercolor

11 x 14 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

Landscape Study III

watercolor

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

winter light

Landscape Study III

watercolor

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

This is a view from up near Howard's Knob as you head towards Rich Mountain. With this small study I was interested in pushing the values in order to express that low and intense light we experience in winter. After doing this small study I would like to have a go at making a larger painting from this scene. But for now it's on to more landscape studies.

landscape studies

Landscape Study I

watercolor

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

I have decided to close out this year with a series of small landscape studies. I am revisiting some of my favorite scenes with more interpretive landscape compositions emphasizing an expressive approach to watercolor painting.

Landscape Study II

watercolor

8 x 8 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

The advantage of working on a small scale with such a big subject as landscape is that I am prevented from becoming too obsessive with detail. And I get to play with using a new color to my palette, cobalt blue, as well as with my new brush, a Robert Simmons 1/2" dagger. I bought the dagger brush to use in my sketch kit, but I am enjoying painting with it too much to reserve it for only sketch outings.

December Bloom

December Bloom

watercolor

8 x 10 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

It wouldn't be December without a painting of a poinsettia. My poinsettia sits in a sunny spot on our table. I enjoyed the play of sunlight and shadow on those velvety red leaves.

The Tree I Can See

The Tree I Can See

watercolor

11 x 14 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

Weather can be quite dramatic here in our Southern mountains. Winter's snow, ice and wind aside, we tend to get a lot of foggy days in the autumn. And summer. Well, winter and spring can have foggy days too. And my neighborhood lies in what is known as the "fog likely zone".  Living at an elevation even higher than our town, there are days when we are socked in with fog at our house, yet a short drive down the hill reveals an entirely different kind of day. Once down the hill our road meets another and there have been days so foggy that I sit at that stop sign unable to see beyond the front of the car. Cars zoom by at that cross road and when the fog is thick and I am unable to see if one is coming I roll down the car windows and listen. Then when all seems quiet I hold my breath and pull out fast. But because I would rather avoid this kind of excitement when driving I have come to rely on our local weather guy's web cams to see what the roads look like before venturing out. Luckily for me there is a web cam right beside this very cross road. It shows a view of the farm there, and on a nearby hill sits a lone tree. When I am considering going out on foggy days I consult that web cam. When the fog is very thick the entire image is gray. When it's not so bad you can make out some shapes. If I can see the tree, then I feel confident. All of this to say that the painting above is of that tree, although from a different view point than the web cam, inspired by my own reference captured in the late autumn on a rather pleasant day.

sketchbook :: there was this feast

Thanksgiving at our house involves food, yes, and many hours spent sketching and painting with watercolors. It's a routine we fell into many years ago and one that has stuck around ever since. Our table holds an array of items used in still life, paints, palettes, and brushes, until it's swept away to set for a meal. And all the while food is being prepared for the big feast. As I worked on the sketch above I had to relinquish the cranberries for making the sauce before I was finished painting.

The day following Thanksgiving we make our annual visit to a nearby Christmas tree farm to select our tree. This year was quite warm for late November but the light still betrayed the season. I love the softness of November's colors and the long afternoon shadows.

There were more sketches done over the long weekend but these two are my favorites. I enjoy looking back through my sketchbooks and seeing all of the Thanksgiving sketches done each year and remembering the wonderful time we had and the delicious meals. These were both done in watercolor only in a 7.5 x 9.5 Strathmore 500 series mixed media art journal.

Red Pears

Red Pears

watercolor

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

Warm reds, cool reds, almost orange to almost violet, so many reds in just these two pears made this still life a lot of fun to paint. The grocery's produce section is always such a visual feast of color and form. And cooked up with a sweet syrup these pears were a tasty treat too.

Mountain Dreams

Mountain Dreams

watercolor

11 x 14 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

I began this painting with thoughts of the undulating movement of our mountain landscape. I then allowed that basic idea to direct my painting choices of color, value, line, and shape. Some wonderful things can happen when you allow watercolor to be watercolor and let the painting tell you what it wants to be.

Hunter's Moon

Hunter's Moon

watercolor

8 x 10 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

I awoke early one morning to see the full Hunter's moon peeking through the trees just as it was setting before dawn. That magical sight inspired this painting, with the last of the autumn leaves and the birds gathering for the start of the day all against the backdrop of a pale sky. That moment before sunrise seemed an expansive one, as the color of the landscape begins to deepen while the sky grows lighter. It was this expansion of the start of day that I wanted to express with this painting.

Another Autumn Morning

Another Autumn Morning

watercolor

8 x 12 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

This painting is inspired by a scene very close to my home, on one of those glorious fall mornings when the low sunlight makes the autumn colors glow. Now that we are well into November the color has faded here and the mountains begin to take on a more subtle kind of beauty. But I do love those vibrant colors of autumn.

Gourd Trio

Gourd Trio

watercolor

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

There are so many fun things to paint in autumn. This trio of gourds made a lively still life of color, shape, and texture. I also liked this arrangement for the spinning movement that it suggests - turning, like the seasons.

Bird in Hand

Bird in Hand

watercolor

8 x 10 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

My journey into abstraction continues with my theme of birds, flight, and wild foliage. This piece began by drawing with masking fluid with only an idea of shape and movement. Then I applied wet into wet washes of color. After that it was a matter of layering stenciled shapes and lines drawn with watercolor pencils. Thin glazes of color provided further definition to give a sense of space and unity. I enjoy the spontaneity of working this way, without a clear plan for the result, just to see where the painting will take me. And it provides me with a nice balance to my more realistic paintings that I also enjoy.

Garlic

Garlic

watercolor

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

I rarely cook a meal that doesn't include garlic. And I cook a lot so we go through quite a bit of garlic at our house. Very humble in appearance yet so full of healthy goodness. The challenge with this was how to paint a white,or nearly white object and still have the contrast and color that I love. I began by painting around the garlic, to determine where the darkest shadows would be and define those papery edges. After that, it was easier to find the values that I saw within the garlic itself.  It's a bit of a departure for me in terms of color, which also made this a fun subject for me to paint.

Autumn Spirit

Last week while I was working on a couple of autumn themed paintings I had the idea that I wanted to do something in a more abstracted way. Something that captured the spirit of autumn. Inspired by the colors of autumn I began with only that idea, and the thought that I wanted to capture the brilliant blue sky using my flying bird shaped stencil.  As well as the pattern of crimson leaves, gold and russet grasses, the crunch underfoot and the birds gathering in flocks overhead. 

My color inspiration resulted from the glorious week of fall color we experienced here in our mountains, and this photo of a neighborhood road only hints at how rich the colors were everywhere.

I made this painting on a 12 x 16 inch 300 lb block of Kilimanjaro cold pressed paper. With no real plan except that I allowed for the possibility of cropping the final painting, perhaps into two or more smaller compositions. Here is how it might appear as two 8 x 12 inch paintings.

And here it is cropped to fit into an 11 x 14 inch mat. As I look at these possibilities I can't decide which I most prefer. I almost like the top image best, which shows the full 12 x 16 inch painting, raw edges and all. So as I mull that over a while I have more ideas brewing for continuing to work in this somewhat abstracted way, if for no other reason that I am curious where it will take me.  

Gourd

Gourd

watercolor

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

I just love autumn's seasonal decorations. This little gourd has a wonderful variety of color that already appears painted, which made it a fun challenge to capture in watercolor. But it was really because of that long twisty stem that I selected this one, which gives it such a jaunty attitude.

Mini Pumpkin

Mini Pumpkin

watercolor

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

This series of small paintings is becoming rather addictive as I keep finding more objects that are fun to paint. The mini pumpkins displayed at the grocery were too cute to resist, I had to bring one home to paint. I liked its happy orange color that is so perfect for the season.

Red Pear and Plum

Red Pear and Plum

watercolor

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

I spotted beautiful red pears at the market and knew that I wanted to use them in a still life. Nearby the red plums were displayed. I loved the variety of all the vibrant reds with just these two fruits placed together. Yes, I am one of those who is often inspired by just a simple trip to the grocery.

sketchbook :: finding time

Busy days lately and while I have a shiny new sketchbook for the season my sketching time has been lacking. So when I saw this pretty leaf on our front walk I had to make time for a quick sketch.

And this is at the start of my sketchbook. I always break in a new sketchbook with a page devoted to my current sketching color palette. I found this little "mini pumpkin" at the grocery and decided it would be the perfect first image in my autumn sketchbook. Now my sketchbook waits for more time from me, which hopefully will be easier to find soon.

Gathering Season

Gathering Season

watercolor

11 x 14 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

I see autumn in our mountains as a season of gathering. Birds are gathering in flocks preparing for migrations to warmer climates. The last harvest is gathered while the leaves turn to shades of red and yellow. And we begin to gather in for family celebrations and to make preparations for the coming winter. I adapted and revived some old bird motifs along with some newly created flower shapes to play with color and pattern in this painting. It is inspired by a view from one of my favorite spots along the Blue Ridge Parkway, not far from my house, called Thunder Hill. 

At their core, the things we really like do not change over time. Putting your house in order is a great way to discover what they are.

~ Marie Kondo ~  The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Apples To Apples

Apples To Apples

watercolor

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

A study of apples to celebrate apple season here in our Southern Mountains. The days are turning cool and crisp and the local trees are heavy with fruit. It's time to make some dried apple chips. They are so good for snacking and when making apple slices seasoned with cinnamon the house smells wonderful.

Summer ends, and Autumn comes, and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night; and thus he would never know the rhythms that are at the heart of life.

~Hal Borland~

sketchbook :: summer wrap up

Now that autumn is here it is time for me to begin a new sketchbook. I realized, however, that I have neglected to post any sketches since the very beginning of summer! So just in case you thought I was no longer sketching, here is a sampling from my summer sketchbook.

I had such hopes for these potted flowers and tomato plants growing on my deck. But with our short, cool summers tomatoes are always a challenge to grow. I did get a handful of grape tomatoes. And the marigolds continued to bloom but the geraniums didn't last well at all.

Although cut flowers from our yard and flowers from the market did often grace our table.

Summer foods, too.

My sketchbooks still hold many sketches as an artists' journal but they are also part planning and record keeping. Lots of pages are now used for preliminary sketches for painting, notes and ideas, and a place to record quotes from my reading.

And my reading tends to be a bit eclectic.

I found this lady in my neglected herb garden.  All of these sketches were done in a Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Art Journal. It has 90 lb paper and is 7.75 x 9.75 inches with a soft cover. I really like these books for their versatility. Plus they don't seem so precious that I worry about using pages for less than stellar images. I have found these books to serve well as a working sketchbook and an art journal.

Equinox

Equinox

watercolor

11 x 14 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

That time of year when day and night are equal length signals a turning of the season. This painting was inspired by the changing light that accompanies the cycle of the seasons. As the days grow shorter light becomes more of a celebration, something to notice and treasure. And I couldn't help but notice the sunlight shining through the flowers and the glass milk jug on my table. I enjoyed creating shapes inspired by the shapes of the flowers. Circles and dots repeat like the cycle of seasons while the flowers dissolve into a pattern as a pattern of years.

Just Pears

Just Pears

watercolor

6 x 6 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

Sometimes it's the simplicity of a thing that gives the most joy. And these simple pears had such wonderful color that I couldn't resist painting them.

Daisy Daisy

Daisy Daisy

watercolor

11 x 14 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

. . . give me your answer true...a song I remember my grandmother singing and one that I would sing to my daughter when she was very little. These daisies grew in our yard and along with the peaches sitting on our kitchen table in one of our hand made ceramic bowls made for a fun still life to paint. I created stencil shapes inspired by the shapes of the petals, leaves and the pattern on the bowl. The movement and repetition of their shapes throughout the painting reminded me of that old song while I painted.

Low Country Marsh

Low Country Marsh

watercolor

6 x 8 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

When working on a larger piece I often work on a smaller painting at the same time. This is one of those smaller works, completed while a larger painting was drying between stages of development and when I needed to contemplate my next move. I like the immediacy of this one, with a very direct response to the mood of the landscape. I find a serenity in the coastal marshlands which I attempted to capture with this painting.

looking back to move forward

Sunflower Play

watercolor

11 x 14 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

This painting celebrates the cheerfulness of sunflowers accompanied by daisies and phlox in a brightly colored pitcher that graced my summertime table. I was inspired to enhance the liveliness of the blooms with a repeat blossom and leaf pattern dancing throughout the composition. I especially liked the light streaming in from behind the flowers as well as the unusual angle of the photo, with the pitcher and table in a slightly skewed perspective. That was my starting point for playing with this composition. I had previously sketched this same flower arrangement here. If you are interested in my process for this painting, keep reading. . .

*I will warn you now that this post is much longer than my usual postings and contains a lot of photos!*

Now for the history of the development of this painting. You may recall my big studio re-organization earlier this summer. This was when I unearthed my old box of stencil shapes. I have been waiting for the right opportunity and inspiration to put them to use again. The stencils are all hand made by me. The oldest stencils I made from scrapes of card stock and cardboard and are nearly 30 years old. At one point I began making stencils from frosted drafting film. You can see the layers of acrylic and oil paint that built up on those very oldest stencils.

Here is a detail of an oil painting from the mid-90s where I used a bird stencil. That bird shape was one of my favorites and showed up in several paintings. Sorry for the poor photo, the painting now lives in our bedroom.

Now back to my current painting. I discovered that cosmetic sponges are the perfect tool for applying watercolor with a stencil. And in some places, I used a squirt from a water mister to soften the shape after paint was applied.

With watercolor paint the stenciled shapes maintain some transparency, which I found delightful compared to when I used acrylic or oil.

And glazing over a stenciled area adds depth to the color. 

Here is the finished painting again, where I am mining the past to move my art forward. And thank you for scrolling this far! My most recent purchase was for more drafting film, a new x-acto knife and erasers to make stamps. Did I not mention stamps? Yep, I used to make those too.