Full Moon Aboard

Collage on Watercolor. 18" X 24"

This is a basket-vase with greenery, and a full moon outside the portal window. I used decorative papers encased in acrylic medium for the wallpaper and lace under the vase. 

That's the technical description. Lately I have seen something in my work that shows where my thoughts have been for some time: We put all the beauty we can find room for in our personal surroundings, but it seems to me that we edge out the aspects of the natural world which we find thrilling, exhilarating, even, but which leaves us a touch uneasy. The wild part. The part we yearn for, but have mostly lost touch with. The part we are losing through neglect. So here is a vase under full interior light, obscuring an inky, foggy night under a close, full moon. Where do we go from here?

NWS Exhibit

Solomon's Robe.

Watercolor, approx. 24.25" X 18.75"

This piece will be in the National Watercolor Society's 2013 Member Exhibit. The opening is June 8 in San Pedro at the NWS headquarters, and will run till August 18. There were nearly 400 submissions, and will be in the neighborhood of 80 to 90 selected, so I'm very happy to be a part of it. If you are in San Pedro this summer, stop by and see some truly excellent watermedia art.

Announcing Spring Classes

I will be teaching two workshops this Spring, one in basic drawing, one in basic watercolor. These are week-end intensives, and are a lot of fun. The goal of each is to help you establish skills and habits which allow you to progress confidently on your own, and to shorten your learning curve in other classes where these skills are useful. Here's the skinny:

Winslow Art Center

Downtown Bainbridge Island, Washington State

www.winslowartcenter.com

Martha Jordan, Owner and Registrar

"Basic Drawing Intensive" 

Sat-Sun May 18 - 19, 9:00am - 5:00pm

$185

materials list provided after registration

"Basic Watercolor Intensive"

Sat-Sun June 29 - 30, 9:00am - 5:00pm

$185

materials list provided after registration

If you don't see my workshops at the website, above, call Martha at 

206-715-6663, 

or e-mail me at 

halcat42@gmail.com

Try Martha first, though. She's the lady you pay.

A Flower Shop

Watercolor and Acrylic ink

 I love tulips' brilliant colors, and the surprise of the stunning interior design when they open. Here I have placed them in a bright central light, surrounded with darker masses and interwoven with intricate design details.

Day's End

archival ink & watercolor

This piece will be hung at the "Danger Boutique" in Bainbridge Island in April. I love to do this ink dropper method with liberal spritzing to create lovely moss and lichens on the branches. The Black-capped chickadee is a resident of the Pacific Northwest. Tree branches are in ink, and the bird and sky are painted with watercolor.

Ancient Spirit

Watercolor.

Daffodils seem primordial to me, ancient and venerable in their waxy structure, posing regally with their heads raised high in the air. They are often depicted as fragile, early Spring harbingers, but I think they are quite hardy, like Spring plants must be. The vase is an old, scarred one with shields and artful creatures on it, which seemed just the container for the bold yellow flowers.

Moving in New Directions

Doing collage and working in mixed media has long fascinated me, so I decided to give collage a try in this ink and watercolor painting. Rather than wait till the end, I will add images as I progress. I work on more than one painting, so I may not post progress here daily. Finished, published work can be found at www.catmartinez.etsy.com. Here goes - !

After painting in the rooster and amaryllis with watercolor, I decided to add textured papers to the composition. The two "vases", one at the bottom of the painting and one in the upper left, will have to be trimmed, coated with acrylic gel medium, and eventually glued in place with matte medium. I really wanted to use the black and white pattern (lying on the rooster's body) for a vase shape too, but I had only a tiny piece. After much foot dragging, I sat down and recreated the pattern in ink, behind the rooster. 

At this point you can see the completed black and white vase shape, plus all the other papers I am considering using in the composition.  I am limiting my color selections to a palette of reds, greens, and a few neutrals in brown, gray, and black. This allows the flowers and rooster shape to pop. I still need the handful of textures in the muted tones to hold the composition together.

Here are the papers drying from their bath in soft gel gloss. Both sides have to be coated.

I decided to unite the objects with a pathway that the rooster is taking. It was made from a printout of the botanical history of the amaryllis. Then I coated the back with matte medium, adhered it to the watercolor paper, and coated the front with several coats of watercolor and a final two coats of soft gel matte.

The areas around the pathway are painted with acrylic inks. I started to put in a few flower shapes in the background ...

"Stalking the Wild Amaryllis"

watercolor, ink, paper collage

Which just grew and grew!

Merry Christmas 2012

 

Merry Christmas Everyone! Celebrate!

Cat

 



Waiting

Watercolor and Acrylic. 18 X 24 inches.

This is my promise
 to the little ones who help me keep my balance about what is important: from time to time I will paint one for them. Original available at http://catmartinez.etsy.com

Creating Heals



I recently had a nice conversation with a woman who has been struggling with illness for a couple of years. She feels her creativity has been disrupted by her concentration on her therapies, plus taking care of her family and doing all those daily things we must do. But she was crying out for a quiet, pulled-together moment in her mind, so she could concentrate on making something instead of focusing on ending her illness.

 

As a painter/artist/creative, I know how tough it is to take oneself into the studio daily and allow the creative energy to flow through you, allow it out onto something that comes through your hands, your voice, your brush or keyboard. Or your kitchen or workshop, garden, sewing machine... Seeking to exercise your creative spirit, you unavoidably start to see the many ways that creative moments are available to you. How many places in your home, yard, surrounding neighborhood or workplace tickle your brain cells, touch your heart, call you to add one little unexpected flourish to the job? Have you slowed down long enough to let the possibilities in?

 

Spider crawling out of its old skin

 



Hunting for a creative moment in a busy, noisy world is like stalking a bird with your binocs; you slow down, keep your mind chatter low, relax your body, breathe and just observe. When the bird appears, you don't have to do anything more than continue to be available to the moment. So be the stalker of your creative inspiration and expressive opportunities. If you can't do 8 hours, go for 10 minutes. Calm your brain chatter and see what pops up. At the very least you'll feel better, which is where this blogpost started: creating by its very nature, heals.

 

 

 

Standard Frame and Mat Sizes

 

 

 

 

Below are notations that will help you decide what standard mats and frames to buy, based on the size of the image you want to frame. Posters, prints, giclees, and photos are generally printed in standard sizes (see mine at www.catmartinez.etsy.com), to make framing easier and less costly. A mat is required to prevent the image from sticking to the glazing (glass or acrylic) in the frame; but it also adds to the overall appearance of the framed work.

 

Keep in mind that "standard" does not mean that all framers everywhere use all these sizes. Many frame shops will carry them, but some shops may choose to limit the number of standards they stock. But it may help to know about standards to compare costs with custom framing.

 

In the table below I have left a number of potential image sizes and mat sizes blank. The frame is a standard size, and so may the mat size be; but if you have a custom size image that fits inside a standard frame you may still save dollars by having the mat cut to fit both your image and the frame.

 

(An aside: If you have an image to frame, the traditional rule of thumb is to allow a similar number of inches of mat around the top and both sides of the image, but add an additional 1/4" drop on the bottom side to give proper "weight" to the overall image once framed. However, framing the image with a mat cut the same all around is frequently done and aesthetically pleasing. All the mat dimensions below are for same size cuts.)

 

Standard Frames inches		Mat Openings		Image Size
4 X 6		2.5 X 4.5		3 X 5
		none		4 X 6
5 X 7		2.5 X 4.5		3 X 5
		none		5 X 7
8 X 10		3.5 X 5.5		4 X 6
		4.5 X 6.5		5 X 7
8.5 X 11				8.5 X 11
8 X 12		5.5 X 7.5		6 X 8
9 X 12		5.5 X 7.5		6 X 8
11 X 14		7.5 X 9.5		8 X 10
12 X 16		7.5 X 11.5		8 X 12
		8 X 11.5		8.5 X 12
		8.5 X 11.5		9 X 12
12 x18		10.5 X 13.5		11 X 14
14 X 18
12 X 24
16 X 20		10.5 X 13.5		11 X 14
		11.5 X 15.5		12 X 16
18 X 24
20 X 24		15.5 X 19.5		16 X 20
20 X 30
22 X 28		17.5 X 23.5		18 X 24
24 X 36				20 X 30
30 X 40				22 X 32

Pears in Brown Paper

Watercolor.   20 X 16 inches

 

The promise of ripe juicy pears.

This is my favorite way to use watercolor, loosely and slightly drippy so you don't have ultimate control over the results. The transparent nature of the medium add to the glow. Prints are available at http://catmartinez.etsy.com



Solomon's Robe

Watercolor. 18 X 24 inches.

 

My family is like many in their love of gardens. If you have a bit of ground, a plant goes in. Nowadays the plant is as likely to be a veggie, but there's always room to show a beautiful flower or two. This amazing iris grows in Knoxville, Tennessee, and was shared with me by my brother Dan.
Available at http://catmartinez.etsy.com 

 

Small Doings on the Arc of the World

Watercolor with oil pastel

 

 

This is a contemporary watermedia painting, beginning with watercolor and incorporating oil pastel. Available at http://catmartinez.etsy.com 

Which Inks?

digital image from my studio

 

If you decide to paint with colored inks, be sure to determine whether you care about archival quality. If you want the color intensity to last for many years, then go with lightfast inks. Traditional inks are transparent. Acrylic inks are slightly transparent, but can be made to cover over the color underneath. Each of these has different characteristics, so be sure to read about how they are made, and perhaps try a few of each to decide what you prefer. I always use archival quality materials, because I put a lot of work into my ... work! and I want it to stay colorfast for many years.

Green and Red Glads

Watercolor. 

These intricate stems never grow straight up. The flowers bloom from the bottom up, so you are tracing the ageing of these blossoms from bottom to top.

 

This painting is done directly, meaning there is little or no glazing, or layering of paint. Each color/value is laid down at the desired intensity. available at http://catmartinez.etsy.com

 

A Final Bow

Watercolor

I love the colors and transparency of old, fragile petals. This tulip cought my eye because it seemed to be taking its last bow.

Bottles #2

Watercolor
 

I love glass for the way it refracts light, and for what happens to light and objects when water is added, as in the olive oil bottle. Stems get all lovely and distorted.

Some of you have asked how I get deep, nearly opaque passages in watercolor, such as at the top of the tallest vase. You don't always have to add water, or perhaps just enough to allow the paint to move.

A Family Gathering

Watercolor

Rhododendrons are huge, lush, brilliantly  colored compound flowers on a shrub that can grow into a tree. Most of the flowers bloom within a week of each other, so while they are full, rocking back and forth in the wind, they appear to be having quite the conversation. Available at http://catmartinez.etsy.com

 

 

Exhibit April and May 2012

Paintings hung over the shampoo area

 

There will be an opening for my exhibit during "First Fridays", May 4, 6:00 - 8:00pm, at the Ericksen Avenue Salon, 176 Ericksen Ave. NE, Bainbridge Island, Washington 98110. The salon is closed on Sunday and Monday. Otherwise, you can see the work during regular business hours. Drop in at the opening, enjoy the company, the paintings, and have a glass of wine. Be sure to meet Jennifer Corbin, salon owner and artist. I look forward to seeing you there.

A Rainy Tacoma Night

Digital Photograph

We stayed in Old Town in Tacoma one rainy March night. This pier and walkway led from our hotel out into the water. The sky had just shut down, going from intense blue to blue violet to indigo so fast that I almost missed this shot. How much mystery a light in the dark inspires!

White and Pink Tulips

Watercolor, watercolor pencil
 

I painted these tulips three times before I finally figured out to simply draw in the wrapping paper. Less is more. Available at http://catmartinez.etsy.com

Daffodils in a Red Vase

Watercolor

The harbinger of Spring, along with robins and hummingbirds.This work is done with liquid watercolor. It is lightfast, but you do have to watch your choices of liquid wc's because any dyes present might not last as long as wc pigments.

"Day Quilt"

Watercolor, oil Pastel
 

This painting is rich with the happiness I feel when a beautiful day dawns, and with the peace of filling spaces with living things. All the shapes are eventually caught in the circular masses of the primroses, the tea cup and saucer, and the table edge.

This is a collage style design. All the shapes are created with watercolor. Colorless oil pastel provides the dot textures that give a happy feel to the image. Available at http://catmartinez.etsy.com



"The Artist's Library"

Watercolor

 

A work of art may begin with a single object, or a thought, a mood, a color - one never knows what will kick off the next dive into paint and paper. This is my library. It has references of every kind: literary, decorative, and imaginative.

 

By blending realist and imaginative shapes I get a slightly surreal, collage-like effect to my work. Available at http://catmartinez.etsy.com

"The Fourth Tomato"

Watercolor

 

This light is warm and raking, like the setting sun, so the shadows are strong and warm also. All the objects here are old, from the WWII vintage hankies (my Mother's), to the old porcelain, and the tomato, the last one on the vine.

I traded this work for a beautiful necklace made by my friend Su Olsen, who has traveled the world finding ancient beads to make her wonderful jewelry. You can see her stuff at www.bistudiotour.com, Venerable Beads.

"The Three Pears"

Watercolor

 

Women are very attracted to this piece. Pears are luscious, and they have waists! The single shadow on the tablecloth unites the three.

"Below the Wave - Stained Glass 2"

Watercolor and Acrylic Medium.  14 X 19.25.

This is part 2 of the Stained Glass work. The text below applies here as well.

"Below the Wave - Stained Glass 1"

Watercolor and Acrylic Medium.  12 X 19.5 inches.

If you have ever stuck your head just below the water and opened your eyes, you see how the light plays with everything. It breaks and flutters against all the objects carried along by the current, and refracts in splendid ways as it hits the moving water, the sand, rocks, and shells, even itself!

"Below the Wave"

Watercolor.  20 X 30 inches.

In this work I wanted to use watercolor and the white of the page to depict the momentary exposure of the sea floor, as wave action pulls up the skirts of a wave and shows off the sea’s treasures.