Grapes

Grapes seem like such a nice subject to paint until you realize you have to paint every single grape. Argh!

I'm using cobalt blue, indigo & perylene violet.

I do like all the interesting shapes in the leaves. When I paint them, I just try to paint the shapes I see in my reference photo and don't try to think of the shapes as leaves. It all seems to work out in the end.

Tropics on hold-- Going Grape!

Hi, I've had to put my tropical paintings on hold temporarily. I'm having a show with another artist at Viewpoints Gallery in Los Altos, CA beginning November 2. The theme is "Fall Into Color", so I'm painting fall related subjects. Here's one of my new paintings:

I've begun a new painting of grapes on the vine from a photo I took at a winery in Kenwood, CA. It's very large, 38 x 25". I'm using a 40x30" sheet of 300lb Fabriano cold press. It's nice not to have to stretch the paper. The pressure is on. I've got to complete a lot of new paintings in time for the November 2 show because I don't have a bunch of fall themed work laying around. The reception for the show is November 13, from 6-8pm, 315 State Street, Los Altos, CA. Please come!

Kings Mountain Art Fair

I've been getting ready for the Kings Mountain Art Fair which is held all three days of Labor Day weekend, so I haven't been painting. I've been updating my website, framing & putting together small prints & greeting cards to sell at the festival. I'm lucky that I live so close to Kings Mountain, which is in Woodside, CA-- artists come from all over the country to be in this art fair. It's just beautiful, up in the redwood trees in the coastal mountain range here in the SF Bay Area. If you're doing a "stay-cation" this weekend, please visit the art fair!

Here's a new painting from last month:

Working on Demo Piece

I've been working on a demonstration for my Watercolor Artist Magazine article for the past couple days. The painting is going well, but I hope the photos come out okay. I had to use the grown-up settings on my camera. I have a nice Canon camera, but I usually just use the "mountains" or "flowers" or "man running" settings, and let the camera figure out the f-stops and aperture. I get surprisingly good photos this way. Here's another new lily painting from the past couple weeks. (This isn't the demo piece). I've been getting pretty productive with my festival season looming ahead. Next weekend I have an art festival in Palo Alto, Labor Day weekend (Sept 5,6,7) I have the Kings Mountain Art Fair in Woodside, CA; and the weekend of Sept. 12-13, I will be at the Capitola Art & Wine Festival. If I'm lucky maybe I'll lose 5 or 10 lbs. from the stress!

Julie & Julia at the Movies

I went to see the "Julie & Julia" movie two nights ago. It was wonderful. It makes me want to be a dedicated blogger. And a better cook. I am a good cook. I have a Julia Child's cookbook. But cooking really good, inspired meals cuts into one's painting time...

I had good news yesterday. My paintings will be in the April issue of Watercolor Artist Magazine which comes out in February. I feel safe in saying this because there is an actual date assigned! A good friend of mine (you know who you are) waited until the magazine was practically on the stands before she told anyone, but I cannot keep a secret when it's about me and it's good news!

Here's an orchid painting I finished about two weeks ago.

Plumeria Painting

This is a 40"x 18" piece of 300lb paper. I've already torn it using a sharp ruler so it has deckled edges & I can paint right up to the edges. I've been doing this so that I can float the finished piece in the frame. Sometimes, I've torn the paper after the painting is finished, but I'm always worried that I'll tear the finished painting!

I'm doing an underpainting of the shadows using a grey made of cobalt blue, permanent rose & aureolin, as well as cobalt blue + winsor violet. I've added a little mixture of aureolin + bright rose (Holbein) in some of the shadows where there is reflected light in my reference photo.

Facebook Page

I set up a Facebook page today. I finally gave in. Now that everyone's switching to Twitter I'm finally getting on the bandwagon. Here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kathleen-Alexander-Watercolors/110830963052

I really have no idea how to use Facebook yet. 

I've been doing lot's of painting lately, just not very much photography while I'm at it.  I'm about to start a new one today so I'll make a point of taking photos and putting them on here.

 I'm working at Viewpoints Gallery in Los Altos on Friday. We have a new show up. It's artwork by Terri Hill and Carol Mead-- all inspired by the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The reception is Saturday, August 8, 2-5pm. Please come by! Some of my new paintings are there as well.