Friday, April 23, 2010

Painting #26, Twenty-second Eastern Kingbird and Painting #27, White-breasted Nuthatch in Purple and Red

...these are experiments, and I loved doing them. With the 100 Paintings Challenge, not everything is supposed to be a finished painting. You have to go out of your comfort zone every now and then. Even though Painting 27 is a little gooky, I love it. I wanted to see how far from reality I could go and still produce a recognizable image. I started with a 20-second paint sketch in red (using a waterbrush) and let it dry. I then went back in and laid down the purple, letting it fall wherever it felt good. I wanted to get really dark with the watercolor pigment to see if I could still maintain form. Both Rick the Reluctant Birder and Matty recognized this as a White-breasted Nuthatch, so that was good! Matty thought it was cool, and Rick wondered if I did it with my own blood...

Painting 27, White-breasted Nuthatch in Purple and Red

Painting 26 is a 20-second watercolor sketch of an Eastern Kingbird, and I love it too! I used one color and sketched it with a waterbrush. Twenty seconds is longer than you think when you're just trying for form and not detail. I will probably turn this sketch into a complete painting one of these days. I want to do more 20-second sketches too. It's fun to slop paint down and see if it looks like something!

Painting 26, Twenty-second Eastern Kingbird

These paintings are part of the 100 Paintings Challenge. If you're an artist and want to join, check out the 100 Paintings Challenge Blog hosted by Laure Ferlita.

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10 comments:

  1. Sarah KnightApril 23, 2010 at 8:12 AM

    Wonderful work — the things we render the quickest are usually the most adroit at capturing the character of the moment.
    : )

    (and your black & white warbler on the challenge blog is quite stunning)

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  2. Jennifer MacNeillApril 23, 2010 at 8:53 AM

    I love nuthatches and purple - lovely!

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  3. MontanagirlApril 23, 2010 at 9:54 AM

    Terrific! I would have recognized the Nuthatch too. And you did a lot in 20 seconds with the Kingbird. Nice job, Kelly!

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  4. Kathy A. JohnsonApril 23, 2010 at 11:50 AM

    It's great to see you (anybody) play with paint. Who says painting has to be only "finished works" or even something you want to share with others? I'm very glad you shared these, though.

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  5. KellyApril 23, 2010 at 3:46 PM

    Sarah....thank you! I went ahead an put the Black and White Warblers up too. Painting in 20 seconds is really freeing. I can tell I'm going to be hooked. It's a great way to feel out another painting too.

    Jennifer...thank you!! It's a very Halloweeny-style nuthatch, isn't it!

    Thank you, Mona!

    Kathy...so true. Knowing everything doesn't have to be a finished painting is so freeing.

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  6. Tammie LeeApril 23, 2010 at 8:34 PM

    I love the colors you have chosen! Makes them a bit more magical, like in the light of the setting or rising sun.

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  7. Laure FerlitaApril 23, 2010 at 9:59 PM

    Love the spontaneity and the play in these! Pushing outside of that comfort zone and then SHARING these are both wonderful steps for you! BRAVO

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  8. JayneApril 24, 2010 at 11:04 AM

    These are so cool Kelly! 20 seconds?? Heck, I'd have maybe one brush stroke down!

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  9. Kathie BrownApril 27, 2010 at 1:30 PM

    After readfing and seeing this I may just have to give water colors a try!

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  10. AnonymousDecember 22, 2011 at 6:23 PM

    These are great. As someone else has said - its great to see you playing with the paint. I like the image of the nuthatch in unexpected colours and the spontaneity of the quick sketch.

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