TyQuilts Designs

We have been having a Marvelous March– Sunshine, warm days and not a single bit of snow which is unheard of for us.  My Tulips are just starting to poke through the ground and the journaling prompt “Sunshine” inspired this page in my journal

I am learning so much from Laure Ferlita’s Visit to the beach class, and trying things that I would never have tried before, like this flamingo.

I am taking and imaginary visit to the beach with Laure Ferlita. This is the perfect time of year for this as February is always so cold and snowy and depressing and seems to last forever.

This painting breaks all of the rules of composition, but I am pleased with it. It has the moody intense feeling that I was going for. Done on colorfix pastel paper with pan pastels, pastels pencils and a bit of soft stick pastels adapted from a reference photo with permission.

Happy New Year to all!

This is my first, crude attempt at painting with pan pastels. I have never tried the more traditional pastels, but have fallen in love with pan pastels for use in art journals etc. Since I really love the glowing, vibrant quality many pastel artists achieve, I thought I would give it a try. I wish I could find a book or better yet a class on painting with pan pastels. In the meantime, I guess I will have to look for how to’s on using regular pastels, and see if that helps me improve.

The watercolor pencil class I am taking is coming to and end and I am sorry that it is. It has been a wonderful class with lots of encouragement and participation from the students and a supportive teacher who really knows how to teach. Our last lesson was on mixed media. This painting of Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior in MN was done with pan pastel for the sky, pitt pen, watercolor pencils and crayons in a large moleskine watercolor sketchbook. I used a reference photo that I took myself. I have learned a lot in this class and really hope to go on to learn more about watercolors and painting.

Lesson 5 of the watercolor workshop class I am taking with Kate Johnson was on feathers and fur. I finally got so frustrated trying to draw my subjects so I could paint them that I traced the basic shape from my reference photo. I know I need to work on my drawing, but I wanted to be able to work on the principles of the lesson. I am hoping to go back and paint both of these subjects again, starting with doing the sketch myself. I am pleased with the texture I got in Annies Fur, and think the softness of her ear comes through pretty well. We are now on the last lesson of the class and I am sorry to see it end. If you have the opportunity to take one of Kate’s classes, go for it, they are well worth it.

I love Vinca they are so hard to kill. They live through heat and drought and in the worst soil. They also look great and have lots of blooms. When this weeks watercolor pencil workshop assignment was on flowers how could I resist doing this little painting?

I haven’t been able to show my quilting on this blog lately as I have been working on this baby quilt.