I really wish I had more time to myself to paint these little watercolors. I am quite enjoying them. I think it's not only the learning a new process thing, but also that I don't have to make them look like anything. Most of our art pieces have to end up looking like something (a rocket or portrait...)  or performing some function (like holding up a table). I have always wanted to be more loose in my paintings, to paint or create more abstract or impressionist pieces, but that so rarely happens.

These pieces let me delve a little deeper into that. Yes, it's still a rose, recognizable, but it's more free in what I can do with it, and the backgrounds are quite abstract.

Here is the latest piece:

ACEO Rose

The texture on the petals is very nice - the colors went on smooth and blended just beautifully. The background was a lot of fun too. There are some leafy shapes in there, but I forced myself to not make any of them actual leaf paintings, but let them flow in and out of each other, letting the focus be on the rose itself.

Most of these initial ACEOs were done with the focus thing being off center. I like it, but I think it's a little too far off maybe. I don't want to put the rose smack in the center, but I think I'll play with even closer crops or making the focus the stem or a single petal.

What do you think of it? Do you like it? Is it successful as an art piece on it's own? Please comment and help me grow.  If you'd like to own this little beauty, send me an email.

Peace,

Joy

Related Posts

1. My First ACEO!
2. Butterfly ACEO
3. ACEO Watercolor Skier

I am trying new techniques in my watercolor paintings. The result I'm hoping for is to figure out which would be best for an upcoming children's book that I'm writing. It has a lot of flowers and bunnies and such in it, but the simplistic, very muted colors that I see in most bunny children's books just doesn't do it for me. I want vivid, rich, beautiful, so I'm trying various things with these ACEOs to see what I like best for my new book.

This is a wonderful contrasty piece showing a little skier at dusk. What do you think of it?? Is it a good piece? needs more detail? more color? less color?

ACEO Watercolor Skier

It's an ACEO, so it's 2.5" x 3.5", so I didn't have a whole lot of room to work with. Please post a comment and tell me what you think, good or bad. I'm learning, so critiques will help me grow.

If you love it, by all means please tell me that too, and maybe consider supporting my career with a purchase of this or another beautiful little piece.

Peace,

Joy

Related Posts

1. My First ACEO!
2. Butterfly ACEO
3. ACEO Rose

I've been having fun with both the small format of ACEOs (art cards), and also the watercolor techniques. Since most of my paintings are usually done with acrylics on glass, having the white paper as a start and then having the paints absorb into it are new for me. It takes a lot of getting used to.  The biggest thing is getting used to working from back to front instead of details first like I have to do in my glass paintings. I find that I keep putting details down and then they get overrun or covered completely when I have to lay in a bigger wash of color. There are a lot of D'Oh! moments learning a new medium.  But it is fun too.

I was amazed at the feedback for my first one. Let's hope this one is even more!

Butterfly ACEO

I like this one, but it had a lot of the detail-first moments to it, as I was decorating the wings.  If you've looked through my website, you'll see that I really like wings. If you have seen me at costume contests, you'll know that I **really** like wings. I enjoyed making these, but know that I need to do more of them. Butterflies, fairies, dragonflies... wings.... Must do more wings.

Please tell me what you think of this one. Like it? Don't? Why? Why not? Help me learn what you see with these. It'll help me become a better painter, all because of you!!

Peace,

Joy

Related Posts

1. My First ACEO!
2. ACEO Rose
3. ACEO Watercolor Skier

Well, I said I was going to do it... It just took me a bit longer to rev up the time to sit down and actually get started. In my defense, though, we had that huge conference that takes over the whole studio for a good month or two - getting ready, getting stuff shipped, going and then the two weeks of recovery because I always seem to catch some hideous disease there or on the way back.

So, I've wanted to play more with the watercolors, so I thought that would be a good way to start - little ACEOs (Art Cards, Editions or Originals) (they're art trading cards, same size as baseball cards, 2.5"x3.5").  These would let me get my hands dirty with watercolors without any real stress or duedates or anything. And it worked! I had a very good time, very relaxing, could paint what I wanted, and most importantly, I allowed myself to stop working on them probably long before I really wanted to - which is my biggest problem so far with regular painting - I nerdle stuff to death, until it looks completely ruined.

Here is my first one:

Rose Closeup

A closeup of a tiny rose. I really like how the greens fade in and out with rich colors. I also like the rippled edges of the rose petals. A very pretty painting.

It is for sale. Since we just migrated over to wordpress, I don't have the auction or buy it now stuff set up on here yet, so if you'd like to have it, please drop me an email, make me an offer. And remember, it's an original piece of art, and will will actually gain value as my career progresses.

And let me know what you think of it too. Should I do more flowers? Should I stick to something else? What should I try next time? I'm not much of a fan of still lifes, but maybe landscapes? Butterflies? Cats? Nudes? Space? Ocean? What do you think?

Peace,

Joy

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1. ACEO Rose
2. Butterfly ACEO
3. ACEO Watercolor Skier

I've gotten a great response for the little watercolor I posted of Shadow, so here is another one I did a bit ago. This is of Larry, our beautiful Maine Coon tuxedo boy. He is from a kaboodle of 5 abandoned kittens we rescued (yes, we're suckers for cuties....)

Larry's First ACEO

Since my watercolors are only personal projects so far, I don't often get time to work on them. Paying jobs come first. Today, it's raining and dreary though, so maybe I'll take some time, get a mug of cocoa, put on my slippers and lose myself in some little paintings.

Yes, that sounds like a really good plan.

Please post a comment here and on Facebook. I'd love to hear what you think, suggestions....

Peace,
Joy

Related Posts

1. A Painting A Day #3
2. My First ACEO!
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