November 20, 2009 - New York still on my mind

Last week I was in New York on Friday night and was having my nails done. This week, very different.

Anyway, I spent this evening tidying the kitchen and dining room (got to have it clean before hubby gets home), reading my book online for book club tomorrow night and I thought I should fit in a quick watercolour before settling down for the night with a cup of tea, some ice cream and some tv watching (maybe get caught up on some Coronation Street?). Then I also want to fit in some reading of my photography magazine in bed.

So yet another New York house. This one is a bit sketchier. I was working very small (6 x 4") on paper that I got in Germany. I've never used it before. It is very fine with not much forgiveness. You have to be quick when working a colour through or you see your start and finish areas. I think if I was working a bigger area and not worried about leaving small detail areas free then it would be fine. In case you're wondering it's Lana watercolour paper.

New York photos

In case you were waiting in anticipation for those black-and-white with colour photos of New York well here they are. Frankly, I'm not in the mood to sleep yet so why not post these before bed.

I won't post the one that I did for our Christmas card because some of you may be getting one of those. I just hope they come in time. It took forever getting the website to work (after a failed attempt on another one and finding out a third was going to cost a fortune). You'll be happy to know that the Canadian printer came out on top.

November 19, 2009 - New York brownstone

Been working on photographs of New York today while waiting around. They're much like the Berlin and Paris black-and-whites. I even posted two on etsy. I may even post a couple more. But I really wanted and needed to do a watercolour today as well so I'm posting that first. I may still post the photos.

I love the brownstone buildings in New York. In fact most of the buildings in New York have incredible detail. It's difficult not to photograph them all.

I painted this on my new favourite paper that I mentioned before - Hahnemuhle's Burgund matt. In case you're wondering I also have a favourite photo paper for those black-and-white prints. Unfortunately I couldn't get it again in New York and had to settle for a sample pack of Gekko by Pictorico. The "Red" version worked so well when I printed out the Paris photos. It's from Japan and gives such a nice luminous quality to the blacks.

November 17, 2009 - New York!

So if you've been following and wondering if I have given up or where I was I was in New York for 5 days. And the shop theme continues! I think this shop was on Spring Street. I wandered around that area for a couple of days. Great shopping. There are the big name shops on Broadway nearby but also some quirky and different shops on the side streets especially Spring and Prince. I love it there.

At first I wasn't liking this painting. It's sketchier than the rest but I think it somehow works like that.

Off to have some coffee now, get hubby packed for his trip and have some delicious hazelnut spread from Le Pain Quotidien.

November 8, 2009

Been busy creating more photos than painting the last couple of days but I did get this one done today. It's a beautiful day here so no more of that. Have to get out in the sunshine. It's also my mom's birthday so Happy Birthday, Mom!

Yet another French shop front. This one was near the marche des enfants rouges.

November 5, 2009 - Remember?

Remember some watercolours of colourful blankets on cafe chairs and a mannequin with a pink boot? Well here are the images that inspired those while in Berlin with some adjustments. Really pleased with the brighter colours here. They make more sense in the Berlin photos than in the Parisian ones. The subdued, darker colours in the Paris photos like these have a old world look while Berlin has the brightest of a city constantly changing. At least that's how I see it. I haven't even really heightened the colours in these photos. The blankets and docs were that colourful. I loved the spots of colour in Berlin.

November 5, 2009 - Berlin Florist

Back to the watercolour shopfronts. I had drawn this yesterday but only got to paint today. Saw this shop while wandering around an area not to far from Alexanderplatz.

November 4, 2009 - Cafe awning

If you cursor down to the bottom of the page you'll see this but here it is again. I thought these three images would work so well together as a triptych. I might even fire up the old printer and print them off.

I took this photo from the top of an old railway line that is now a garden walkway. Such great views from there and such a nice walk. On the walk back you go by artisan studio that are under the walkways' arches so something nice and different to see on the return journey.

I have a watercolour of a Berlin shop all marked up and masked and ready to go but off to see if I can get some freelance work first.

November 3, 2009 - Flag

I'm on a roll. This one I turned the everything black and white and selected the flag as colour. I made the colour in the flag a bit more subdued and then added noise for grain as well as another artistic border.

November 3, 2009 - Boulevard

Not a watercolour today but I've been playing around with some free photo borders that I got with a magazine and I'm quite happy with this image. You might even see it on etsy although I was wondering if it would look better with a tint of colour. hmmm...

The rejection letters are already coming in. Well, I applied to two stock illustration sites today but one has already replied. Not deterring me yet.

November 1, 2009

Another shop front image from Paris. I want to add a Berlin one to this group for some variety. Not really pleased with the lettering. I had used masking fluid but then gold watercolour paint which is a little hit and miss.

Looked into the stock illustration thing and I need to get a website to send them to. So I have to get that set up first. Always something...

My cheapy printer is already out of ink (very suspicious about that) so no printing out my images. I'm worried that my expensive printer has sat around too long and may have clogged heads. I'm afraid to try it.

October 31, 2009 - bistro

This image is based on a photograph I took while in Paris. I just love images of their shops, cafes and restaurants. They are always so lovely and so French. I was going to change the name of the restaurant in my watercolour but thought better of it; "Gaspard de la Nuit" just works. I cracked open more new paper and again it's Hahnemuhle. Love it. This is from the matt block. Why don't we have these papers here?

Pleased with this picture. I also used some of my new pans of colour from Germany although I'm afraid the green is one I have already. Oh well. Can't have too much green.

Feel so pleased with myself that I got a picture done today. I have been worrying lately about employment and such but I read a brief thing in a magazine at the library that called my situation "funemployed" - when you have the time to do what you wanted to do and to enjoy it. I've got to start enjoying this time more and trying not to worry. Painting is ever so calming...

I am closer to making this a sideline, though. I've got most of my watercolours scanned and I'm going to try hocking them on a stock illustration website. Wish me luck.