sketchbook :: Edisto Island, SC, part I

We had four artists, two dogs, and ten days in a rental cottage at Edisto Beach, South Carolina. The cottage we chose for this trip is nestled among palm trees and live oaks dripping with Spanish moss. And only a short walk to the beach.

The huge screened front porch served well as our "studio". This is where we spent most of our time when we weren't out at the beach or seeing local attractions.

It was such a pleasant spot for listening to the variety of shore birds and the rustle of the palms in the breeze.

The large picnic table on the porch was a great place to sit with my sketchbook. Something always turned up to capture in paint.

Of course we found more than our share of sea shells on the beach. 

And while there, I delivered fifteen new art works to With These Hands Gallery. 

Although I haven't scanned every sketch from this trip, I do have more sketches from Edisto to share, that I am saving for another post.  After such a wonderful trip, it is good to be home and inspired to get busy!

sketchbook :: tulips again

The last three out of four paintings I have completed have gone into the bin. I am still thinking about the fourth painting. So while we wait, here is another page from my sketchbook, tulips again, painted with watercolor only.

sketchbook :: it's magic

Here are some sketches I intended to post much earlier than now, but life, you know, sometimes gets in the way.

Back in March I saw Laura Frankstone's wonderful sketches with Koh-i-noor's Magic Pencils. I was so intrigued that I ordered a few for myself, and they are fun! Not being able to resist adding splashes of paint to my sketches, I discovered that the Magic Pencils are waxy enough to act as a resist to watercolor paint.

I suppose one could be careful to control the color when drawing with the marbled multi-colored lead of these pencils. However, I enjoy the delightful surprise of a new color that changes - like magic- every time you draw a line.

sketchbook:: a brief escape

This past weekend we had perfectly lovely springtime weather here in our Southern mountains. With a few free hours Saturday afternoon we drove out on the Blue Ridge Parkway and stopped at Moses Cone Manor to do some sketching. Our trees here have not leafed out yet, but the sky was clear and the sun felt warm.

We settled on the hillside along side the manor house. The Professor and I sketched the view of Bass Lake. Then Kiddo and I played tourists and browsed through the gift shop.

Here is the view of Bass Lake looking across the carriage trial at Moses Cone Manor. Soon there will be more green in this landscape with leaves on those trees. For now it's nice to enjoy these rare sunny spring days whenever we can.

Ocean Dreams

Ocean Dreams III

watercolor

7.5 x 9.5 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

Here is my most recent painting, dreaming of the sea and watching the waves move over the sand in the soft early morning light.

My postings have been lacking here lately as I have been busy with moving my elderly mother into her new home. And all I am going to say is that it hasn't been going smoothly. Not even close. I have managed some sketches these past few weeks and I am hoping to return to more regular postings soon.

sketchbook :: a practice sketch

In my 12 x 9 inch Kilimanjaro sketchbook, I am working on establishing my dark values more quickly when I paint, with this sketch from a photo of Edisto marshes. I am not entirely pleased with this one but do like the sky.

sketchbook :: more flowers

Even though we celebrated the first day of spring last week, our weather is under the impression that it is still winter. Longing for color and lightness, I picked up a bouquet of flowers at the grocery, because. . . well, I felt I deserved them.

sketchbook :: crocus

On an errand to the grocery, the Professor and Kiddo came home with these wonderfully cheerful crocus bulbs blooming in a Dutch styled ceramic clog. Just the thing for the icy, gray days we've had way too many of lately.

Sea and Sky III

Sea and Sky III

watercolor

8 x 8 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

I am finally calling this one finished. It's the sort of painting I could tinker with endlessly with all the little splashes and bubbles. It is a view captured when standing on a jetty at the beach, watching the waves splash upward against the rocks while catching the early morning sunlight.

Sea and Sky II

Sea and Sky

watercolor

8 x 8 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

available

Here is the second piece completed in  my Sea and Sky series. I am challenging myself with these by adding more complex details to the two elements of water and sky. I like the simplicity of the compositions, with one calm, flat horizon dividing the space.

I have already begun the third painting for this series. Here is a snippet of it in progress.

Lots more to do yet. The initial washes are in and I have begun working in those areas where the masking fluid was removed. I am slowly adding definition to the splashy and foamy bits. This will take a while.