October starts

I was attending the Watercolor Society of Oregon Fall Convention in Hermiston, OR earlier this month. My husband went out for a hike while I was taking the mini workshops and critiques.  He came upon this bird in the brush and scraggily Juniper stumps.  We later learned it was a magpie.  I love the color and drama he created in his environment and wanted to use my webbing and spraying technique as the background.  I chose the colors I thought would reflect the area and then played him up.  Still working on the branches.  This is painted on a 16x20 AquaBord panel so it is easy to lift and then apply more paint.  As I have said before the Dr. Ph. Martin Hydrus Watercolors are staining so you usually can't get back to the white of the board but close.
Any comments?  I think some more darks are in order and the nest or burl in the tree might be drawing too much attention.

Nature abstract No. 10

This is the underpainting and I really love the colors and how they blended in the spraying process.  Several family members don't want me to change a thing and just hang it.  I am trying to be brave and look at the shapes to develop an abstract painting coming out through the colorful backdrop.  I feel some movement coming from the left but don't want it to overtake the beautiful colors on the right.  I see several interesting shapes to develop so wish me luck.  If you have comments I hope you know they are always welcomed.

www.diana-nadalart.com

Latest "FUN painting

After Harvest Slim Pickins

This painting is on 16x20 AquaBord using watercolors.  It will be sealed with archival varnish before framing which will bring out the colors even more than they are now.

This painting started with my most frequently used technique of attaching the webbing in a predominantly vertical pattern before spraying with concentrated Dr.Ph Martin pigments.  I limited the palette originally but then applied a second spraying using some darker pigments at the bottom.  I ended up wiping those off but then added them back by hand as I developed the painting.

I saw a cornfield in the beginning and a harvest moon.  This subject didn't develop liked I wanted because the sky was so bright.  I eliminated the moon and started developing the corn husks.  Next I looked at photos of different harvested cornfields to see if this painting could become part of my Nature and Bird series.  I did find some awesome photos of pheasants which I haven't painted to date but in order to fit them on this painting you need more spacing with their long tails.  Next I realized that I had never painted a crow and have taken many photos on our walks.  They always greet us, sometimes unhappily, when we walk in the morning -- like we are disturbing their mission to wake up the neighborhood.

I never seem to stay with simple so I played up the cornstalks and the sunlight contrasting it with the main crow and two of his friends or foes -- your guess is as good as mine.  There might be enough to share.  Joe thought of the title and so I believe this painting is done.  Hope you enjoy it.  Halloween is right around the corner and the corn stalks will be abundant on porches as decorations.www.diana-nadalart.com

Back in the Saddle

It feels so good to be back on my blog and having something to post which I hope is of interest to those who visit.  I am an avid follower of The Tour de France and take a lot of photos during the live feed of the stages.  This year I found a fascination with those team members who day after day were leading the Pelaton sacrificing their energy for the good of the team leader.  Below you will find four that I picked from many.  I also captured one between Chris Froome and Quintana which is fun because the leaders are always sizing one another up on the climbs.  Lastly I knew from the second stage that Chris was the real deal and wanted to paint him from 2 years ago so I came up with this design.  I shared these with the cyclists on Twitter but I'm sure they get lots of art after a race.  Hope you enjoy these quick peeks into the Tour via my brush!

www.diana-nadalart.com  Check out the website for more information on each painting on my home page or the People Gallery.

Alberto Contador in breakaway

Matthew Ladagnous of FDJ was outfront on many of the days 

Nicholas Roach--one of the key work horses leading the pelaton--protecting Froome

Peter Sagan certainly deserved to be painted finishing 2nd on so many days of the Tour.

Froome Emerges Leader 2015 Tour de France

Quintana Testing Froome On a Climb Tour de France

Pumped Up Series for Village Gallery Art Challenge

I have finished my four paintings for the 2015Village Gallery Art Challenge which opens May 5 at 10:00 am.  They are hanging in my entry waiting to be delivered to the Gallery in a day or two.  I hope you will visit the Gallery on the first day if you are interested in any of these individually or purchasing them as a group.  They are priced at $55.00 each or $200 for the four of them.  59 other artists will be having their fabulous art pieces displayed as well. Many artists will be present at the Artist Reception on Saturday, May 9th 2-4 pm. It is quite an explosion of color and different types of art so I know you'll enjoy the trip to see them.  The art hangs for the entire show even if sold so if you can't make it on the opening day you will have other opportunities to go when it won't be so crowded.

Village Gallery of Arts:  website:  www.villagegalleryarts.org for directions.

I have two other in the series done which have been posted before.  If you have a favorite shoe you would like to have painted and mounted like these, send me your image and we can discuss.

Diana

email:  dianagnadal@gmail.com
website:  www.diana-nadalart.com

Paintings 3 and 4 for Village Gallery Art Challenge beginning May 5th at 10:00 AM

Paintings 3 and 4 of my contribution for the Village Gallery Art Challenge which opens on May 5th at 10:00 am.  I continued to have fun with both of these paintings.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I did painting them!
I decided that the original spraying of the background didn't need much more than the original result.

Blue Viper
Watercolor Sealed on 6x6 ClayBord
Mounted on 6x6 Canvas

 I wanted to find a snake with yellow and blue and found the Blue VipEr which can be found in India.  Real snakeskin shoes have always been a luxury and now you can own one without any harm to the reptile and at a bargain price.

Watercolor Bliss
Watercolor Sealed on 6x6 ClayBord
Mounted on 6x6 Canvas

Painting 4 is based on a pump which was created from a watercolor. Obviously the background is very typical of a painting with watercolor so I wanted the shoe to be different in texture and color.  

Shoe Series Update

It has been a lot of fun painting this shoe series!  If I were younger I would love to design "fun" shoes and of course they would have to be comfortable which pumps often are not.  I'm pretty happy with the shoe designs but haven't decided on changes to be made to either of the backgrounds.  Any thoughts or comments are always welcomed (either here on this site or in an email if you want).

I might want to make the cheetah's facial features stronger is one thought but I do like the background since it reminds me of a lair.

On the Fast Track--Cheetah Pump
Watercolor
6x6 on ClayBord to be mounted on Canvas and sealed

Kick Up Your Heels--Calico Pump
Watercolor
6x6 on ClayBord to be mounted on Canvas and sealed

This one was a little tricky and I made up the design from researching calico prints and especially the bandana prints.  I would love to have a pair like these to wear with denim skirt and a matching ban dana for a casual party.  I love to wear slings anyway.  I'm concerned about the background in the in between areas around the heel and the top by the sling ties.

Village Gallery Art Challenge for May

Calico Pump

Kitty Pump

Snakeskin Pump

Spring Watercolor Pump

It has been several weeks since I've been able to paint.  My husband is now on phase of his cancer treatment where they collect the stem cells for the transplant which will be next month.  I knew that I wouldn't have the time and energy to paint every day but I have been working on selecting the shoes I want to paint for the Village Gallery's Art Challenge which will be coming up in May.

I carefully chose how I wanted the webbing for each one and the colors.  Several of these are still wet from the spraying.  These are 6x6 ClayBord tiles which will be adhered to the 6x6 canvas cradles which were supplied to us as part of this project.  I will use mostly the Dr. Ph. Martin Hydrus watercolors to paint the shoes over the background layer.  It should be fun and relaxing.

I hope you will follow my progress over the next several weeks.  Maybe you have some shoes you would like to have included as I probably will be painting for in this series.  I'm still thinking of a name for this series.  I want to express how these are the perfect pumps --  you don't have to spend hundreds of dollars, no animals were killed in creating them and what a fun painting for your closet area!  Ideas are most welcome for naming this series..........

Day 31 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

Collage of 30 Paintings completed during the Jan 2015 Challenge

Yeah! This was quite a journey this time.  I felt so much more at ease with creating paintings each day.  I was confident in my choice to use the webbing and spraying technique with Dr. Ph. Martin Hydrus Watercolors as the under painting in each piece as a first step which one two occasions ended up being the painting. It was an adventure to see what image or focal point I ended up with.  I hope you enjoyed the "before" and "after" images on the blog. I also finished 4 paintings that I had been hesitating about which direction I wanted to go with them.

THANK YOU  THANK YOU  THANK YOU  THANK YOU  THANK YOU  THANK YOU!!!!

Thanks especially to Leslie for hosting the site and creating this event.  She is a marvelous human being and so talented to boot.  Secondly I have to say "thanks" to my husband, daughter and grandson since they have to put up with me being the focus of what happens and doesn't happen each day.  My house definitely needs a thorough cleaning starting today!  My friends and extended family were so important in the daily responses to my creations.  They lifted my spirits and gave me that extra little nudge to approach each new day with positive energy.

Now the hard work of marketing begins.  Good luck to the other artists who completed the Challenge in your journeys.

Day 30 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

Forests of the Sea
Watercolor on 300 lb Fabriano
11 x 14

This final painting of the Challenge is also done with my webbing and spraying technique.  I almost made two paintings out of the under painting but decided to try to develop an underwater ocean scene with the shapes which had been created.  I'm happy that I decided to go with one because I could put in a few fish which I had promised my Grandson Will that I would add the next time I did one with the fishing theme.  I did a little research on the "Brown Algae" that grows from the ocean floor upwards.  That was my education lesson for the day.  I've only been snorkeling once but think I need to go to warm waters and check it out again.

I'm one of the luckiest people to have such awesome friends and family! Thanks to each one of you who have commented and kept up my enthusiasm and creative juices flowing.  I couldn't have done it without you! I learned more about myself and my emotions when deciding on a subject and design to enhance what is already there in the first layer. I love to paint even more and plan on continuing to commit to being in my studio each day.

Now to the marketing phase which isn't as much fun and obviously lots of work.  If you are interested in purchasing any of these paintings, please let me know.  Keep checking back on my website and blogs to see what I'm up to next......

Forests_of_the_Sea

Day 29 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

Nets Ropes and Floats
Watercolor on AquaBord
12 x 36 x 1/8

I decided to finally tackle the underpainting for this painting.  The webbing hadn't come through strong enough for what I had hoped to achieve so I had to create more of it than I usually like to do.  The colors were stronger and so I just decided to "play" with what I had.  It has a much more designer look than my others in the series but that's what I was feeling.  I have one more in this series and then I'll be on to something else.  Hope you enjoy it.

Nets_Ropes_and_Floats

Day 28 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

It is hard to believe that I started this painting with my webbing and spraying technique using yellows and reds.  I thought of my favorite French rooster as a good subject with those colors.  Before today I had completed the two hens and the rooster, except for the tail feathers.  After critique there were several suggestions on making the background enhance the rooster by darkening around him.  When we were chasing them all over the property at Maison Blanche in France there were wonderful shadows from the chestnut and hazelnut trees so I decided to add the tree shadow colors and the chicken coop to the background.  It definitely is darker now and the he does "pop" more.  I had to change the design to the diagonal with the horizon line obscured. I might need to rename the painting "le coq gaulois" the unofficial symbol of France.  He also has a look that says, "Don't mess with my hens!"

This is a full sheet painting and he makes quite a statement when hanging in a room.

Ruler of the Roost II
Watercolor  22 x 30

Day 27 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

This is a sneak peak at a painting I had started awhile back and had been waiting for a "quiet" time to be able to concentrate on the detail work which remained.  This really isn't that "quiet" time but I wanted to get this painting finished to complete my series on the Fishing Nets and Floats.  I painted yesterday and early this morning on this part of the painting.  I still have a third of the painting left to finish so that is the "sneak" part of this.  Look for the finished painting on this blog after the 30 Day Challenge is finished.

The dock at the Port at Saint Jean de Luz in France is one of those places which you always want to return to.  We have been there twice now.  It has the quaint resort town with a small port. The combined cultures of architecture, food, and art of both the French and the Basque communities is unique. Finally it has an historical attraction since King Louis XIV of France married the King of Spain’s daughter, Maria Theresa, in Saint Jean de Luz in June 1660. This royal wedding is one of the most important political marriages in France's history. 

Fishing Nets On the Dock St. Jean de Luz
Watercolor (finished panting 12x36)

Day 26 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

Country Fashion on Wheels
7 3/4 x 10 1/4
Watercolor on 300 lb Fabriano

Country Fashion on Wheels
11 x 14
Watercolor on 300 lb Fabriano

This was a fun collaboration using an image from a cycling friend of my husband.  It was fun to know what I was going to paint before placing the webbing and spraying the concentrated watercolor pigments for a change. There was a lot more detail work to get this the way I wanted it to look.  I extended the painting out as you can see from the background image to 11 x 14 but decided to crop it for the Challenge.  I like both but the smaller image definitely puts the focus on the red boot.  I liked the larger painting because it didn't place the boot in the center.  What do you think?Country_Fashion_on_Wheels

Day 25 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

Wringin' Wet
8 x 8 Watercolor on 300 lb Fabriano

From the first time I saw the underpainting I saw a figure and it was hard to rotate it and see a bird that was as exciting to paint as the figure.  It is a simple painting but that is what I chose to do today.  I started a second painting which I wanted to spend a little more time and so you'll see it tomorrow.


Wringin Wet

Day 24 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

The Web Master
8 x 8 Watercolor and Gouache
on 300 lb Fabriano

My inspiration for this painting came from a photo taken on one of our Fall morning walks in the neighborhood.  We came upon the perfect spider web which was glistening in the morning sun covered in dew and stretching in all directions to whatever it could find to attach itself to.  It was interesting how the spider had entwined its web around the seed pods from a bush.  When I looked at the underpaintng and saw a bit of a curve and some seed pods I pulled out my photo for reference.  I decided to use gouache to bring out the frosty web since it is more opaque.  It was lots of fun and I knew some day I would paint that web.


The_Web_Master

Day 23 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

Rare Rest Stop
6x6 Watercolor on 300 lb. Artistico paper

I painted my first dragonfly last year as part of my series on birds, animals, and insects and I wanted to paint one before the end of the Challenge.  I love to sit outside and watch them dart from one part of the yard to another, occasionally taking a quick dip on the pool surface.  They seldom rest and so it is difficult to capture them at rest.  Hope you enjoy this painting.

Rare_Rest_Stop

Day 22 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

Several years ago I painted a Flamenco dancer series.  My Flamenco Dancer IV was the painting featured in many of shows, used on the cover of the CD Valero! by the Otterbourne Brass in England, the cover painting of the Dade Heritage Trust in Miami, FL for its fund raiser invitation and one of the most visited paintings on my website over the years.

I put a couple paintings in the drawer and the one you see below has been cropped, and the background refreshed.  It was painted on Yupo so it is very fragile when not sealed so there needed to be some touch-ups.  I decided to center the focus on the shoes rather than the dancer because the footwork of the dance is so complex and important.  Though I had reworked it in December it has never been published on my website or been in a show.  So tonight I bring it out as part of this Challenge.
Flamenco_Magic_in_the_Shoes

Flamenco Magic In the Shoes
12x12x5/8 Cradle
Watercolor on Yupo Sealed

Day 21 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

the Camo Pump Tribute
6x6 Watercolor on Fabriano paper

Since one of my dear artist friends suggested I might consider doing a series of shoes I found myself inspired after watching the Republican Rebuttal Speech following President Obama's State of the Union Address.  They flashed the shoes which Joni Ernst was wearing and so once again I went shopping to find just the right pair to paint.  Since she is a Veteran who has seen combat and chose to wear the shoes, I wanted to honor her service and other women in our military by painting a camouflage pump.  A Valentino Garavani Camouflage pump for those of you in the market.

The_Camo_Pump_Trib

ute

Day 20 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

People Going About Their Day
16x20 Watercolor on AquaBord

Day 20 Vertical View
16x20 Watercolor on AquaBord

Day 20 Vertical View 2
16x20 Watercolor on AquaBord

I started two larger paintings today with the idea that they both would probably take several days to finish.  I struggled with which way to hang this painting.  I like the first one at the top the best.  I might still want to do some finish work in defining some of the figures I see in the painting -- each doing something different.  I've posted the same painting turned to both vertical positions for you to see as well.  Sometimes letting the buyer choose is the best way.  There are some interesting designs and patterns in each.  Which you do like the best?

Day 19 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

The Perfect Pump
6x6 Watercolor on ClayBord

I studied this underpainting for several days and saw many interesting creatures and had a few ideas building on the "red" dominance but finally saw the high heeled shoe.  So I literally went shoe shopping online.  I actually had a fun time.  I was thinking of a beautiful red shoe, all shiny or with sparkles and then thought about a classic black pump which would have looked great again the red/yellow background but in the end I decided to have some fun.  I saw this one shoe (at Nordstrom of course) and it was the one!  Can you imagine having one shoe to wear with all your different outfits from Paris!  This painting day turned into much fun.....

The_Perfect_Pump

Day 18 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

Revisiting My Roots
6x6 Watercolor on ClayBord

When getting my inspiration for today's painting the underpainting had a very intricate pattern of shapes, star-like yellow lights and several constellations.  I thought it might be too difficult to pull the design of Virgo out of the painting due to the colors.  So this morning I went surfing on the Web since I also saw a figure in a blanket.  I looked up the three Native American tribes which I have been told are in my ancestry.  What a wealth of information when you are looking for symbols, textiles, art and artists who paint Native Americans.   It was truly an exciting venture I went on.  So I wanted to include a landscape with trees symbols since we drove to Government Camp yesterday for a family get-together.  I wanted the underpainting to show through so decided not to add other colors to the blanket.  Finally I had to add the Big Dipper since it is visible in our skies.  This is also a tribute to my father-in-law and all that he taught all of us about the stars and to my youngest son, Eric, who followed that interest from his grandfather in his studies.  He keeps us up on what is going on in the Universe.  I think she is a Medicine Woman letting the stars out into the night sky.  I've always had a great imagination......

Revisiting_My_Roots

Day 17 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

Filly's Crown of Roses
6 x 6 Watercolor on ClayBord

When I was looking at this underpainting for inspiration I saw horses (I found 3 - can you?).  I also was thinking of how it reminded me of Roses.  It reminded me of the commission piece I did several years ago when Rachel Alexander ran in the Kentucky Derby as the first filly in that event and won it.  I knew about it in advance of the Derby so I watched and photographed the race and the horse.  I decided to pay tribute to this filly today by painting her again.


Filly's_Crown_of_Roses

Day 16 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

Boats in Port
6x6 watercolor on Claybord

I immediately saw three boats in the underpainting and so I needed to figure out what colors to keep the basic color scheme going.  I knew I would have to add a third color and possibly a fourth.  I ended up changing more than I originally thought but am okay with the result.  I love painting boats and this should satify the "itch" I've had for months or not.....  This goes back to a style of painting I haven't done for years but that is what came out from me today.  Hope you like it.


/Boats_in_Port

Day 15 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

Zebra Pose
10 x 8 Watercolor on Yupo

I turned this underpainting around and around and soon saw the eye and nose of an animal.  There are several animals that would have been good for this design but I haven't done a zebra in almost 10 years.  The yupo surface combined with the Dr. Ph Martin Hydrus watercolors makes for interesting layering.  They are staining and it is more difficult to lift back to the white (even with alcohol).  I did have to be careful with using very little water when painting over the existing colors an then lifting back.  I almost gave up a couple of times today but am happy now that it is done for today. Day 15 Zebra_Pose

Day 14 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

Fishing Floats and Nets 2
8 x 8 Watercolor on Yupo

I really love the three primary triad colors I used to create the background in the last four days.  It made the floats and ropes really stand out.  Yupo is such a great surface to lift out your whites and the colors stay vibrant since they sit on the surface.  This one will definitely be part of my series on Fishing Nets.

Fishing_Floats_and_Nets 2

Day 13 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

The Dawn of Hope and Light
8x8 Watercolor on Yupo

The colors as they flow one in another are so beautiful in person.  The patterns and shapes of the webbing makes this painting especially captivating.  It is one of those that doesn't need any further touches.

The_Dawn_of_Hope_and_Light