DonaReedArt

Artists have all copyrights to their artwork, please respect this. All rights reserved.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Fountain pen, watercolors and first day of school drawing

Every Friday, a new Sketch Book Skool a 6 week online journal art lessons gets my creative juices flowing. This week Mattias Adolfesson, from Sweden, showed his journals and demonstrated drawing with a fountain pen and adding some Winsor Newton watercolor. He creates his pages using his  imagination and reality.  Mine is from memories of my first day of school. Mother said I had to learn to tie my own shoes before I could go. There was also memorizing my phone number and address.  The coat closet was fascinating.  Very organized which I loved.  I was delighted with the kitchen play station, not so much with the noisey boys playing fireman, and felt weird doing the elephant dance.  Decades later, I love to draw the Elies at the Tulsa Zoo.  I wanted to go home when nap time was required. I hated that! I felt locked up in school.  Where's my Mommy?

Saturday, August 30, 2014

A Tribute to our dog of 14 years.

Drawing and watercolor painting is a way of living in the moment.
The last day of our 14 year old, Andy's life, I painted several studies of him.
His bone tumor in his muzzle could not be removed again and affected his breathing.
He was stiff and his hind quarters collapsed while he walked unexpectedly.  He struggled to get up one step back into the cabin.  
His time with us was ending. The hard decision was made.
The Adirondack Vet was kind. Chuck, my husband, said we had to be brave for him during his last moments.  We stroked Andy while she injected medicine into a catheter. 
It was seconds after receiving the anesthetic that his heart stopped.  He just rested while it happened.
I noticed how still and quiet it was.  That's when I knew it was really over. 
We cried in the car. I am so grateful for having this wonderful dog in our life.

 I remember how cute he was when we picked him up at 7 weeks.  We told our older Golden Retriever he was the Back Up dog.  She accepted him and even let him take over her toys and tennis balls.  She let him sleep with her.  On her last day, we carried her out of the car to the park.  So she could watch him retrieve her tennis ball.  I took him once a week to Tulsa Dog Obedience School when he was 6 months old. We both enjoyed the training. He passed Novice level.
There are wonderful memories.
Why is it so hard to lose our dogs? 
Chuck wrote a tribute to Andy Bear on Facebook on 081914 
The photo of Jackson, a 6 month old neighbors puppy liked to great him enthusiastically.
Andy was a gentle soul.



Thursday, August 7, 2014

Sketch Book Skool week instructor Cathy Johnson

This week the assignment was draw birds, in nature. I went to a farm and drew and water colored Dave Newkirk's Rooster and a hen. 
The next assignment: mix your greens with blue and yellows, try them all.

Friday, July 25, 2014

Sketch book Skool Class Seeing


Enrolling and following homework assignments in a 6 week on line art journaling has been the way to get back doing daily artwork.  One posts a photo of our art journal homework on the designated website.  Each Friday a new instructor is introduced.  There are several videos to watch their process and encouragement.  The downside is the numbers of students are in the hundreds from all over the world.  I can't get to know any artist in a consistent way.  A few works show up on my Facebook page. I love seeing others art work.  The instructors have developed their own websites.  I'm grateful I can follow their work.

Week 1 Danny Gregory fast slow assignment.  The fast part is the blue watercolor gesture.
The second part is using ink looking working on some detail.

Week 2 Selfies Koosje Koene Instructor.



Brenda Swenson was the instructor.  Week 3,  Continuous line 3 objects and watercolor. 


Friday, July 11, 2014

Self Portrait

This self portrait was painted while the cruise ship was at sea in June 2014.  My model was cooperative and I chose a youthful pose. Creativity is fun.
This coming week the Sketchbook Skool, 6 week semester on Seeing,  the assignment is daily self portraits. I have a head start.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

I attended a landscape watercolor workshop led by Joyce Hicks, AWS in San Antonio in January 2012. My landscape painting is of the Hudson River, Riparius NY





I attended Joyce Hicks,  AWS Watercolor Landscape Workshop San Antonio, TX Jan 2012
The landscape painting, in the midst of these workshop photo's  is my landscape painting of the Hudson River in NY.