Coy Koi Pond

15x22 watercolor on gessoed board, photographed at Flamingo Hilton hotel in Las Vegas at their koi pond within the flamingo wildlife habitat or sanctuary.

Poolside

22x15 watercolor imaginary scene based on our old pool and me in a floating lounger without a care in the world.  Different levels of potted plants flank the poolside figure in repose.  This was completed today on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper with Daniel Smith/American Journey paints.

Memorial Day - Remembering Freedom is Not Free

Poppies signify those soldiers who fought and died for our freedom whether here at home during civil war, or abroad such as two world wars, and middle east conflicts. This is Flanders Fields that I painted while reviewing that poem by Lt. Col. John McCrae that says it all. This is watercolor 20x30 and is SOLD to our good friend and Navy veteran neighbor Jim Murray.   Here are the words McCrae wrote:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields!

Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw
The torch: be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

Composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915
during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium

Plenty to Crow About

9x12 watercolor on Strathmore 140 lb cold pressed paper; Daniel Smith/American Journey paints., drawn yesterday in 10 minutes or so then painted in 45 minutes, part of a timed exercise on WetCanvas! This weekend drawing event host was Gail Bowers who provided 16 references and a challenge.  The challenge was for us to paint something then make it appear at nighttime, which would be hard to do for a crow being black as the ace of spades! So I made this fellow as colorful as possible so he still reads as a blackbird, but he does appear to be contemplating suicide on this window ledge.  Working only from a black and white image it was a real challenge to make believable with an abstract background as well.

Orchids

8.5x10.5 watercolor of pale yellow orchids I photographed while plein air painting at Alldredge Gardens in Midland, TX recently.
The handmade A4 rough paper was bought when visiting the Tate Gallery in St. Ives, Cornwall and I was afraid it would not be suitable for a fluid floral.  The bottom image is sans background just to show the difference a little dark makes.  In the finished work you can see other orchids and some pots top center.  Quite fun and entertaining! I can paint them but not grow them.

Art & Sol Beach Figure

12x9 watercolor on Langton 140 lb cold press paper, Daniel Smith/American Journey paints.  I've been working on this for days for a monthly challenge contest on WetCanvas! We had to use bird of paradise plants coupled with art nouveau designs in unusual ways, so here is my figure wearing bird of paradise earrings at the beach with art nouveau (French for new art) design behind and the beach and ocean distant background.  We were encouraged to study artist Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) and what a fascinating painter and master he was! Look him up online for some intriguing style worth seeing.

Dutch Art Gallery New Summer Workshops



The Dutch Art Gallery has scheduled Saturday Summer Workshops each Saturday until September.  Classes will vary in price as some require an extra fee for models. 
My watercolor class is $125.

June 2 – Nancy Standlee – Mixed Media Collage

June 9 – Liz Hill – Mixed Media, Watercolor

June 16 - Pat Meyer – Roses

June 23 - Tina Bohlman – Watercolor

July 7 - Kay Smith – Watercolor

July 14 – Sheri Jones  – Palette Knife

July 21 – Nancy Medina – Florals

July 28 – Bob Shepard – Oil Painting

August 4 – Nathalie Kelley – Watercolor

August 11 – Laurie Pace – Palette Knife

August 18 – Caroline Ratliff – Pastel

August 25 – Barbara Jones – Still Life/Oils

Sign up for my one day watercolor workshop: Saturday July 7, 2012

Dutch Art Gallery

10233 E Northwest, Suite 420, Dalllas TX 75238

http://dutchartusa.com/

Classes are limited in size 

Contact: Pam Massar     Dutchart1@aol.com  or call 214 348-7350