Two miniature paintings

I am currently dividing my attention between two types of painting: a large commission and small miniatures that I want to include in a three-week, three-artists show to be held in March.

Here are two small watercolors I have painted in the past 10 days. Both are on  6" x 6"  X 1.5" paper-covered wood panels and will be displayed without glass. The first one is already varnished, the second one will be as soon as I give a last coat of black on some of the lines.

Pond Queen

For "Pond Queen" , I used a reference by Stephie on WetCanvas. On my monitor, it really looks like the colors could have been turned up a bit more...

It's Lunch Time

The butterfly painting has not been varnished yet. I will go over some of the black lines again, although they are darker than they appear under the lights used for the photo.  I was pleased by smooth  my background. Thanks to Jacqueline Gnott for her great tips on painting smooth watercolor backgrounds.

Working on paper that has been adhered to a wood panel requires getting used to. The paint does not flow as it usually does on watercolor paper; the water dries very quickly and the paints don't mix on the paper very well. Nevertheless, if I want a varnished watercolor painting, I prefer to attach the paper before painting rather than risking ruining the finished painting when it's time to glue it to the board. Believe me, it hurts when you ruin a 16" x 16" painting at that stage.

I hope you are all doing well and are having a creative and healthy January.

January Art Shows

January is going to be a busy month for art shows. On Wednesday, a new group show is starting at the Foyer Gallery: Brush with Colour. On the poster above, you may recognize my Abe Lincoln posterized portrait which I have never displayed in a show before. I will also be showing 2 Venetian cityscapes: one photographic work and the other, a photo-based digital artwork. I am currently working on a large commission and at the same time preparing smaller pieces for a big show in March.

Venetian Life - Photobased Digital Artwork

The Venetian Way -  Photography

At the same time, I have 3 paintings at the Civic Hospital Mall Gallery until the end of January. The Rothwell Gallery Miniature Show where I have several paintings ( including the Inukshuk in the invitation poster above and some of my painted earrings) continues until Jan. 16th. I am also showing a large varnished watercolor, The Independent Ones,  at the Ottawa Little Theatre with the Ottawa Art Association. And, of course, I continue to show my jewelry and small pieces at the Ottawa School of Art, downtown campus....My house is starting to look bare with so many of my paintings on the road:-)
I hope that your 2013 is off to a tremendous start!