Bay in Sepia

Bay in Sepia,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

Here's my latest ATC done with burnt umber and a warm white in acrylics.
I enjoyed doing this monochrome and hope to do a larger one.

Frosty the Snowman

Frosty the Snowman,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

Another ATC done in acrylics on Canon acrylic paper. Although you can't see it, the snow at the bottom was painted on with a palette knife and is 3D in texture.

Plum blossom

Plum blossom,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

Here's what I've been working on all day. Had to do 2 as the first one got messed up.
My wife wanted one like this, so here's what she got.
Done on 140# Canson watercolor paper using Art-Kure Watercolor brush pens. Size, 8 x 10.
It was framed right away and already hanging in our living room.
The brush pens I had gotten from JetPens.

Items of Yesteryear

Items of Yesteryear,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

This month's theme for Kate's alumni coffeehouse is Yesteryear. So I found a couple of items to cover that theme.

Done in pen and ink on 110 # white paper (Robert Bateman sketchbook), 6 x 9 inches.

Tortoise & Dragonfly

Tortoise & Dragonfly,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

The tortoise, with its hared shell and sumbering gait, is contrasted with the elusive dragonfly, that flies here and there.
Done in the same book card this time using Derwent's aquatone watercolor pencils and Niji waterbrush because I couldn't get the colors I wanted from the Chinese watercolors I had.
The tortoise and dragonfly are the perfect illustration of the traditional Chinese contrast between yin and yang.

Chinese lanterns

Chinese lanterns,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

Chinese lanterns originally came from Japan. Although they are attractive in their early stages, it is in the ripe, dried stages that they are best known. The common name comes from their similarity to the lanterns used in the New Year celebrations that take place in most areas of China. This painting includes small and large fruit.

Done with Art-Kure watercolor brush pens, Pental pocket brush pen and Yasutomo sumi-e watercolors on a green office paper. This is in a homemade book card made for me by Rita of North Dakota. It has 8 pages. Takes ink just fine, buckles a little with the watercolor, but when dry, smooths out.

Design

Design,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

Here is a design I did with pastels on a dark green pastel board. I don't know what the make of the board was, but it was a sample I had received. Gioconda pastel pencils were used.

Waterfall on Yupo

CBP Waterfall on Yupo,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

Another attempt on Yupo. This time a Chinese Brush Painting of a waterfall. Chinese calligraphy on left says Waterfall, my Signature on the right.

Prairie Clouds

Prairie Clouds,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

Here is my first attempt at painting with watercolors on watercolor canvas. Size was 8 x 10, using M Graham watercolors.

Very different painting on canvas, everythng lifts so easy, even with facial tissue. If you make a mistake, you can wet it and wipe it clean with a towel. Amazing.

New Akashiya SAI Watercolor brush pens 2

New Akashiya SAI Watercolor brush pens 2,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

This is a sample page for my "Color sample book" of the new Akashiya SAI Watercolor brush pens I got from JetPens. They are all transparent and pretty vivid. As you can see, they don't lift too well after being dry for a couple of days. They lift easier when wet or damp. The Outliner is waterproof.
They Yellow was hard to lift at all, the Tea Brown the easiest.

Seascape on Yupo

Seascape on Yupo,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

This is my first attempt at painting on Yupo paper. I used Bienfang watercolor brush pens. The boat was M Graham gouache.
I was very pleased with the way the colors went on the paper. I could easily move the paint around without having to worry about it drying too fast. I haven't tried this with regular watercolors yet, but the brush pens was a surprise. I liked with they could do.

Chinese Landscape

Chinese Landscape,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

My latest attempt at a Chinese Brush painting landscape. Size is 5 x 8.5 inches done on 140# HP paper and Yasutomo Sumi-e Watercolors. Red seal says Peaceful Time and Wonderful Scene.

The Plum Blossom is the National flower of China. It represents perservance, rejuvenation and winter.
The red seal says "spring warmed the stream". The 2 Chinese sybols in the lower left spell Plum Blossom or Flower. The Chinese symbol on the right is my name.
This was done as a post card to be sent to a fellow classmate of Kate Johnson's on-line classes. The classmate lives in Canada.

The Chinese word for cat--mao--is pronounced the same as the work for longevity. For this reason, the cat is a symbol of good luck and long life. Chinese artists often paint these playful, curious creatures interacting with butterflies which are symbols of love.
The Chinese symbols in the lower left are butterfly and cat. The red seal means peaceful time and wonderful scene. Chinese symbol in lower right is my name.
I have done this same painting for a post card exchange. A couple of people wanted one, so I did it again.

Xieyi Lotus with flowers

xieyi Lotus with flowers,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

This is one of my lotus that are painted by Chinese brush artists. The lotus is a symbol of summer and fruitfulness. It represents purity and perfection. The flowers are normally either white or pink, and the leaves are dark-bluish on top and light green underneath. The edges of the leaves start to turn brown almost as soon as they reach full size.
This was done with Derwent Inktense watersoluble pencils instead of Chinese brushes. Watercolor paper was 140# Canson. Size about 5 x 7 inches.

abstract

abstract,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

Here is an abstract I did for class on watercolor pencil. I normally hate abstracts, but saw something like this and it was interesting. It was done with Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils on Strathmore Bristol Vellum paper.

Rock and Wood gate

Rock and Wood gate,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

Here are 2 more pen and ink sketches done with the Lamy pen, Extra Fine nib, Noodler's black ink in Canson Sketchbook.

Sample sketches Lamy pen

Sample sketches Lamy pen,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

Here are samples of pen and ink sketches using my new "toys"! I got 2 Lamy Vista pens this week, one with extra fine nib the other with a fine nib.
It was the discussions on EDM (EveryDayMatters) that led me to ask more questions about this pen and finally get them.
I am really pleased with how they draw and sketch with. I used Noodlers black ink on Canson sketchbook.
At least I'm fulfilling one of my goals for this year.....doing more with pen and ink.

Seascape 2

Seascape 2,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

Another seascape attempt done on 4 x 5 inch black multimedia artboard sample I received.
Done mostly with PanPastels but it was very hard because of the size. Some pastel pencils were used for the flowers, grasses, and waves.

Tree stump

Tree stump,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

Here is part of my new year's resolution to draw more with pen and ink. This was done on 6 x 9 inches Stonehenge paper. Used Micron and Pentel pocket brush pen.
Photo came from Wet Canvas and an aritcle on pen and ink shading techniques.

Fence sketch

Fence sketch,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

This new sketch was done with an Ackerman pen, Hunt 101 pen. Some were having trouble with theirs so I thought I'd try mine. It was scratchy just like my regular dip pens, but this one has an ink resevoir. Done in my Canson 6 x 9 inch sketchbook.

Seascape with PanPastels

Seascape with PanPastels,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

This was my first "real" painting using my new PanPastels. Paper was blue, pastels used were Phthalo Blue and its tint, Turquoise and its tint, Paynes Grey ting, Black, White, and Violet.
Using rougher paper makes a big difference. Easy to add one color over another, and the blending is easy. This was done in about an hour. Size 6 x 9 inches.

Our orange tree Jan 6 2008

Our orange tree Jan 6 2008,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

This was done outside while sitting on our back porch, so I guess you can call it plein aire. It's sitting in a planter outsie our porch. It was a gread 70 degree weather today and enjoyed sketching outside.

Pen and Ink sketch

Pen and Ink sketch,
originally uploaded by Donn2006.

Got ambitious today and did some pen and ink sketches. One of my goals for 2008 is to do more pen and ink sketches. So I drew these while sitting on our back porch in 70 degree weather!