Flamingo in Rippled Water watercolor painting

Published on by kmgunnart7 Comments

I did complete the seven day art challenge, even if I didn’t post everything here.  In all, I have six flamingo paintings and one beach sunrise painting, all in watercolor. This is the flamingo painting I like best of the six, although others have said they prefer another from the series … but that is probably why we are all individual people!

watercolor painting Flamingo in Rippled Water
Flamingo in Rippled Water. 9×12 inch watercolor on paper, original available

A pink flamingo feeds in rippled blue-green water along the shore, with its feathers and the water ripples catching the early morning sun light.  This is a twelve by nine inch watercolor painting on watercolor paper.

The (unframed) original painting is available, sealed with art wax and in a plastic sleeve to protect it, for $125 USD.  Prints are available at my Pixels store, and accessories and apparel at my RedBubble store.

Award-winning watercolor painting

Update: I entered this painting into two art contests. The first was the inaugural art competition in the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans’ Healthcare System Creative Arts Festival (say that one fast) and it took first place in the watercolor division, though it did not place at the national level. We veterans tend to be quite the talented bunch. The second time was in March 2022, when I entered in my local county fair. The judge bumped it up to the professional category, and awarded me a red ribbon (which had a prize of $2.00!). Considering the Best in Show went to someone in the youth category, and that will look great on a college application, I have no regrets.

I should probably note I am working on repainting this on a 16×20 inch stretched canvas. I have the layout done, and a thin layer of acrylic as the base because charcoal and graphite tend to rub off canvas. Watch for a further post on this piece, which will be a one-of-a-kind since my scanner can only fit 11×17 inches, so there will be no prints of it.

Let me read this to you

I am trying something fun: recording myself reading the blog post (with a little extra) as a podcast. Listen here.

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Flapping Flamingo in watercolor

Published on by kmgunnart4 Comments

A new art challenge has begun!  This is a short seven days, with the theme of “liquid,” which to my mind cries out to be done all in watercolor for the medium.  I have my seven reference photos picked out, cropped, and gridded … and all seven involve one or more flamingoes, which are wading shore birds so it was merely a matter of making sure they aren’t on dry land.  I have been wanting to paint a flamingo for almost two years now, and have done sketches to get a feel for the bird’s lines.  Now, it is time to paint some.

page from sketchbook of several flamingoes in various poses
page of flamingo sketches from my trusty sketchbook

First up is a young bird, molting from the grey-purple chick down to the vibrant pink feathers of the adult flamingo.  The wings change over before the head and neck, just like chickens.  The brilliant rose pink is a perfect contrast to the blue-green I used for the water, with the distant shoreline a blurry combination of yellow ochre for sand, brown in the shadows, and three shades of green.

Flamingoes usually don’t come this far north, nor this far inland, in Florida, but down in the southern part of the peninsula they are believed to be starting to come back and be a part of the wildlife again. Personally, I love the thought of the American flamingo regaining its Florida native status.

Flapping Flamingo, watercolor painting
Flapping Flamingo, 12 x 9 inch watercolor on paper, original available $100 USD plus shipping

The original is twelve by nine inches, sealed with wax to protect against humidity, and available to purchase through Daily PaintWorks.  Prints – both smaller and larger – are available at my Pixels store.  Tee shirts and accessories are available at my RedBubble subdomain.

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Winter Snowman watercolor painting

Published on by kmgunnart2 Comments

We are now in the second half of the year, which means it is time for those of us in the gift-making sector to turn our focus to the year-end winter holidays like Christmas.  I will certainly be doing Florida-themed paintings very soon, but I thought I should spotlight the watercolor paintings I did at the end of 2020. First up is this whimsical piece I just call Winter Snowman.

I had a very enjoyable time painting this, with the merry red scarf and hat, the black buttons, and the blue and purple shadows, with the swirling green in the background to make the reds pop.  Just pulling this painting out again to scan and upload has brightened my mood today!  I often use the word “whimsical” to describe this one.  While it has a different look compared to most of my other artwork, I still love it. Sometimes, it is just fun to experiment with different styles to keep myself from feeling too “stuck in a rut.”

Links to purchase original artwork and prints

The original is listed at Daily Paintworks, available for purchase if you have a eleven by fourteen inch space on your wall or desk.  For smaller or larger (up to 30 by 40 inches!) prints, visit my Pixels store.  If you want apparel or accessories, there is both my RedBubble subdomain and also a few at the Pixels site alongside the prints. (links open in new tab/window) I think it would make a great set of Christmas cards – both Pixels and RedBubble offer those. In fact, you could team this piece up with my two watercolor paintings of red and blue Christmas ornaments that are also perfect for greeting cards. I recommend ordering this early in the year at avoid shipping delays.

Winter Snowman watercolor painting
Winter Snowman, 11×14 inches, watercolor painting on paper, original available $140 USD
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Pink Rose in watercolor

Published on by kmgunnart2 Comments

Continuing with my love of roses, here is a small square watercolor painting I simply call Pink Rose.  While I painted the flower itself in a very realistic style, I went completely abstract for the blue-green background, just making the outline along the petals radiate towards the edges of the paper.  My husband commented that this stylization of the background is often used in comics, which I had not known previously.  Of course, at this moment, neither of us can come up with the name for this effect.

Shadow layer in blue

I actually started out using just a normal photo as my reference to get the shapes and particularly the shadows right. Once I had it sketched out, I had to decide what kind of background I wanted to give it. Since I already painted the shadows in blue I figured a light wash with a bit of green would be perfect.

shadow layer for 7x7 watercolor Pink Rose
the blue shadow layer for 7 by 7 inch watercolor Pink Rose

The original is available through Daily PaintWorks, and is on the small side at only 7 by 7 inches.  It is wax-sealed to protect against humidity, spills, and dog drool.  I can ship to buyers outside the area.  If you would like a print, I have up to 24 by 24 inch prints available in my Pixels store.  Accessories and apparel are available in my RedBubble store.

Pink Rose watercolor painting finished

square watercolor painting Pink Rose
Pink Rose, 7 x 7 inch watercolor on paper, original available $49 USD

I’m not really sold on this small of a painting. Along with the issues of finding a frame in this size, it just feels so small. Maybe it’s because I spent an entire semester working on an 18 by 24 inch sketch pad, or maybe I just feel an urge to work larger. Either way, I will likely not be tearing through this small watercolor block just because it really does feel tiny to me.

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Goldfish in oil pastel

Published on by kmgunnart1 Comment

 I did this piece as a test of a new set of Mungyo Gallery oil pastels along with a new DVD art lesson on how to use oil pastels effectively. As I followed the instructions and sketched out the goldfish with my new oil pastels, I quickly realized the beauty of the lines and colors, and decided to finish it into a completed painting.

A vivid and colorful goldfish changing direction effortlessly and gracefully in the blue water, its scales seem to change from a deep gold to a fiery orange. This is not a complex piece of art, but elegant in its simplicity.

spotted goldfish in blue background to simulate water, worked in oil pastel
Goldfish, 11 x 14 inch oil pastel on paper, prints available

My mother has claim on the original piece, which is oil pastel on 14 by 11 inch primed paper and sealed with Mod Podge to prevent smudging.  She also has a watercolor I tried to do of this image, but made a mistake on and my husband refused to use it as a fire starter for our woodburning stove. Mom agreed with hubby, so I gave her that, along with my first ever oil painting, of the exact same subject on flat canvas. Mom complained that I did not sign either the watercolor or the oil paint pieces, so I promised her this one after ensuring it has a legible signature and date.

Prints are available through my Pixels store, and shirts and accessories through my RedBubble shop. Update: RedBubble has started offering pet mats, and one is in a general fish shape, intended for cats. I love it! It appeals to my (probably corny) sense of cute.

image of my oil pastel artwork Goldfish on a fish-shaped mat for cats
My oil pastel painting Goldfish on fish-shaped cat mat
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