Monday, September 3, 2012

Inspired By Friends...


I was inspired by three of my favorite blogging friends who are also artists, to paint something soft and and somewhat impressionistic...

Michele at "Hello Lovely"
with her beautiful beachy grays

 Kerrie at "Sea Cottage"
with her soulful renderings of the sea
and as always she has her seahorses and sanddollars and more...

and i'm always inspired by
Erin at "Erin's Art and Gardens"
  who's beautiful ethereal paintings just blow me away

So with this inspiration I faced my canvas today with just a concept, of softness, and ease, and spirit
and decided to let the canvas tell me what it wanted to be...

I only knew i wanted to use a very soft toned down blue,
and maybe some contrasting dark colors

and here is what i ended up with...

i put a dark frame around it in Picassa because the darker color makes it stand out...


here it is without the frame...


let's imagine it on a white wall now
as you can see, everything is simple, blended in some places, and not blended in others, 
all of it is about not trying too hard...

i had the bottom part on this one very dark brown, but the painting told me to go lighter
so i did
i just wiped out some of the raw umber, 
(one of the reasons i love oil paint, it dries slow, it's quite forgiving) 
and then added in some of the blue mixture from the sky color...
instant grayish softening effect

Since my paints were all spread out, and still wet, i decided to do another
sometimes you just get on a roll like that...


without frame




on a white wall color

Wanna see a mess!?

my brushes

four of those are dollar store brushes

and here is the famous dollar store brush, my favorite,
 the one that costs $1.00 and i always tell you to grab when you're there, i buy em by the handful!



This is the kind of painting i thought i could do a tutorial on 
so you guys would try to paint

I practiced recording myself with my iphone propped up on a tall  chair with about 10 plates stacked up and my iphone teetering up on top of it all...
 it was still too low, and recorded me up under my chin
never a good look

and then i looked at the recording

OMG

holy crap, I look and sound like that!!!?
and what started out as... 
i want to help my sweet friends paint a painting and discover their inner artist.
became

i need botox, and juvederm, and my hair is too long, and my lipstick is on crooked, and i sound stupid

uhhh, ... cindy... what ever happened to your paintings from the spirit 
 and being yourself and being natural, and having fun talking to your blogging friends on video about painting???

the hell with that!
i need an emergency dermatology appt. and about $10,000.00!
or i can never be seen in public again!

anyway, i am working on it still
getting old sucks

you can see that on a  blue wall, the painting is not too interesting, ho hum... yawn, boring...
but put it on a gray , or a darker wall, or even a white wall... and then you have something that would look nice, soft and pretty on a white wall, and it would pop like a gorgeous translucent blue marble on a dark wall!



the paintings above are simple, they're not clutch your chest, pay thousands of dollars for, make you famous paintings

but they're fun, and you can do this!

you don't have to do anything fancy - simple is wonderful!

they're pretty colors,and pleasing to the eye
and they would look good on alot of wall colors
basically i brush in my most intense color up top, then get lighter as i go down,
that's where the dollar store brushes come in

also note the blue is very light, in some places almost no color at all

 notice that some of the sky color is also brushed into the ground color... 
there is a pretty good amount of blue in that brownish looking ground !

another thing to think about is that if you get too bluey, and bright, it can be cartoonish looking, even though you will be tempted to use intense bright colors... because they're pretty... don't!
i even add brown to my blues and white to tone it down

colors used:

ultramarine blue
thalo blue
sap green
raw umber
yellow ochre
titanium white

here is my palette with these colors



all great colors i use over and over for lots of different things!

anyway... i want to end with this amazing photo i found on pinterest
isn't this just so touching, and so so beautiful

(and it has the same colors i used in the above palette, just concentrating more on grays)

click photo to go to source

 

...the end...







28 comments:

  1. Very beautiful! Forget the frames....they totally detract from the art in this case.

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  2. Cindy,
    Your painting is beautiful!!! I try not to look at photos of myself or mirrors LOL.Good thing about picmonkey is you can give yourself a little free tucking and twitching here and there to your photos as I have done to mine!
    xx
    Anne

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  3. Oh my I love them both...and yes they would look good on my white walls :) You are too funny with your dollar store brushes...I'm spoiled because my favorite brushes are expensive! Winsor Newton is my fav! In paints too. Love that last photo...I hope that is me someday. ox

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  4. Girl you are such a riot, and I have to tell you, no matter how bad YOU think you MIGHT be, I would be ten times worse, oh yeah, older and more wrinkled and dorkier! so feel better about yourself !! xo

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  5. So beautiful, so funny and sharing, all in one post, WOW. I scared myself the first time I did face time with my granddaughter, thank goodness she is too young to remember such a tramactic event (at least for me:)
    I have a new house in Florida needing lots of art, I would love to paint something like this. I'll have to wait and see if I have the courage to do it.
    Enjoy!
    Kelley

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  6. Oh Cindy!
    I just love the colour of the sky with white fluffy clouds,it looks so beautiful,you are really talented!.....I think i have all these colours and i am going to give it a go you have really inspired me xxx

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  7. It's beautiful! I've been experimenting like this lately too. Mine never come out this nice though.:)
    Actually, I've been thinking about doing some farm animals again. Give me a tutorial for that! Yours are so lovely!

    ♥Linsey

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  8. Cindy~
    ...oh! my side is splitting, you make me LAUGH.OUT.LOUD.!!!! You don't need a thing...I like you just the way you are...you don't even need a lifestyle lift! You are beautiful...and you have the funniest sense of humor for sure!
    I've not read the other blogs you mentioned...but am going there now to look at their 'stuff'!

    I think painting would be wonderful. After opening my own Etsy shop this weekend...I think I could do anything now! I've always thought I could paint but never tried to seriously...
    I've seen those brushes-- I want to grab some next time I'm there-- at Dollar General!
    The other thing is, I've seen the $20 kits at Walmart that come in the box... maybe I could start with that. I want to paint ...you've encouraged it for sure!

    ...and you gave me a good chuckle. Pat

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  9. I love your posts--I want to see that tutorial :) Thanks for taking the time to inspire us not so talented. I may try it. My problem is I am never satisfied with the simple--I would be trying to paint a sheep or something. I would mess that up big time. Have a good week!

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  10. OMG Cindy you are so funny! I love your sense of humor! You are so talented. There is such a calm and serene beauty about your art work. The colors are gorgeous!

    leslie

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  11. Your blog always makes me laugh out loud! Your talent, on the other hand, makes me marvel how dollar store brushes can lend themselves to create such lovely paintings! I believe it's all related to whose hands hold the brushes!

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  12. oh what a loverly surprise and nice compliment, you mentioning me!! thank you! right back at ya dahling! love the paintings and of course the familiar (to me) palette and softness and mood (it's all about the mood, baby) of these paintings....i even love the photo of the your palette...those are the colors in my home. my garden and wardrobe! that really is an amazing photo of the older couple walking off together forever.....we should all be so lucky.
    you are funny and adorable,
    erin
    xxoo
    p.s. i avoid cameras and mirrors these days. don't know who that person is looking back at me.

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  13. I love your honesty and your sense of humor. If we were all more honest, our lives are never perfect and neither are we. Still, beauty can be found and it heals our souls. Thank you for sharing your gifts of beauty with all of us!

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  14. Very pretty Cindy ! They have a soothing relaxing feeling to them ! And yes you make me want to pick up a paint brush again ! Maybe when these craft shows are over...

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  15. You are SO FUNNY!!! I love reading your blog!
    The paintings are great and you're great!
    And you look adorable! :)

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  16. Awesome paintings!!! You are so talented, Cindy.
    xo

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  17. well it does suck getting old...its hard getting through it..the time when we once looked in the mirror and it was not a time to judge our bad things...we just looked at our images. Now its not fun, just necessary to pull out those hairs and whatever else needs to be done...ugh!!
    but I think it would be so fun to see and hear you on video. so reconsider it and be brave and then maybe the rest of us can do it too...just maybe. not saying i will...love the soft landscape paintings...I know not to use the bright colors, I learned that with wall colors.

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  18. Please don't talk about my friend Cindy like that LOL! We are our own worst critic, that is for sure (that said, last time I tried to take a pic of myself with my phone, I about died. I'm hoping I messed up the self-portrait function, otherwise, my face is on crooked!). I must say the Cindy I know is beautiful inside and out, with an amazing artistic eye and talent, and a wonderful, sometimes wicked, sense of humor! You do make me laugh, though, everytime I come by your blog I find myself smiling or laughing out loud.

    And, as per usual, your paintings are gorgeous. I'll never understand how such a relatively simple landscape can capture such mood, such ambiance. Must be your amazing talent!

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  19. Hi Cindy,
    Your words are way to kind. Your art is as I have said over and over amazing.
    I too have been inspired by these ladies namely Kerrie at sea cottage. Did you see my sea oil a couple of postings back? I now sea, see :) that you have painted the hem of the sea with its grays and natural tones of the sand to capture its beauty for all of us to be inspired by the beauty you artistically painted soulfully.

    I hear you with those cheep brushes, I have a few of them, they paint such imperfect beauty thank you Cindy for brightening my night with you beautiful comment.
    Lots of artistic love.
    Xox
    Dore

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  20. Just found on Pinterest this morn you pinned those yummy chocolate bars.I attended Farm Chics antique show years ago and a gal was selling and making something like those bars..I finally sent a message to the gal that puts on Farm chics..she said this lady that made those wont give out the recipe..so when I seen these they almost looked like them...So I dont need to make them but someday...haha...I so love you paintings...would kill to be able to paint like you...so been thinking of trying to paint a big head of a sheep..I raised sheep growing up..but oh where do I start..back ground scares me..so was even thinking of this morn of asking you if you ever give tutorials...so went to your blog and here is your post..still scared..haha You are so funny...I bet you look really young...so I have been a hairdresser for years..so my theory of looking younger...when everything is going down to to the floor that is when you have to make everything go up...hair,boobs..let me see what else...I just might soon get me a big canvas and try your colors..let me know how the bars turns out..sally

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  21. Lovely paintings! Talented people always seem to think anyone can do it! But you certainly inspire the taking up of brushes. That picture you found is amazing. I looked at it a long long time. So evocative.

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  22. Oh Cindy!!!! I am SO glad that you visited Heaven's Walk and left me a comment there....otherwise I never would'ave visited you and saw your incredibly beautiful paintings!!! Holy cow, girl---you are so talented!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the first painting in this post. It reminds me of the beach on Sanibel Island where The Husband and I vacation each year. It's so calm and serene and the colors are just perfect. I'm definitely going to be checking out your other paintings in your Etsy shop. But I think this one just may have my name on it.... :) FABULOUS work!!!! I'm your newest happy follower!! ♥

    Oh, and your living room is soooo sweet! I adore the way you put your vignettes together!

    xoxo laurie

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  23. Thank you for your comments today and enquiry about whether I have started painting again. Sadly I haven't yet Cindy as I am overwhelmed with trying to sort out my mums house and her collection of things over her life. Mum never threw out and I am finding amazing things as well as being totally overwhelmed at times with so much stuff. I am bringing boxes home to my little cottage only to find I now have no more room in my own cuboards so now having to sort out what to sell, what to go to hospice etc.

    I am hoping I can start painting again soon though. Spring is here in New Zealand now and I am waiting for the Peonies to be available in the florist shops (usually November) I will then take heaps of photos to inspire me.

    I love this new work you have done above, its very peaceful and will look stunning when hanging. I have never painted a landscape but have a friend that makes a very successful living out of her New Zealand landscapes.

    I am sorry I haven't visited lately but the loss of my mum etc I have not spent much time on the computer, just enough to get a post up. I will be back again soon as I should be motivated by watching your updates.

    Lee :)

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  24. PS...just signed up for email so I don't miss out on any posts.

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  25. and that's why you will never see me on a video Cindy!!!!!! You crack me up every time.
    I love your painting, like all of your artwork, it just soothes something in me. BEAUTIFUL!

    I love your tip on the dollar store brushes!
    sending hugs your way....

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  26. cindy! no idea how i missed this...i was simply missing you and decided to pop over (usually i read you via my reading list).

    inspired by me? poppycock. you are my muse so fogettaboutit. you know what you're doing. i put no thought into it whatsoever and am simply attuned to color and not getting too much hair on the canvas.

    i'm gonna start posting videos, then you have to follow suit. if you haven't tried botox you may not want to. i bet it is addicting. my sis and i got some freebie botox (husband works with doctors) for frown lines above nose and holy cow!!! we loved it. it only lasted for 2 months but man oh man we totally see what all the fuss is about. now juvederm is what i need. and howwwwww. no fat in my face and gravity is a bitch. but i am frugal so it won't happen unless the restylane fairy visits.

    smiles, pretty lady.

    michele

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  27. Let me just say those are gorgeous! You got it girl......and I know it is not as easy as you keep saying ...
    As far as getting old....well it does suck. I just can't figure out an alternative though:)
    Keep painting....I love to see you explore.

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  28. Hi Cindy- I think your paintings are beautiful and I would LOVE it if you offered a tutorial. By the way, judging by the few brief glimpses I've had of you, I think you are beautiful as well! I recently purchased a photography book titled "STILL" by Debra Bloomfield and her photos and your paintings must be from the same muse. Very calming to look at. Lovely!

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