WAOWed in San Diego

Hi Painters, Friends, Family, and Collectors,


I am so excited to tell you I have two paintings juried into the Women Artists of the West 44th National Exhibition.

WAOWed in San Diego will be hosted by Women's Museum of California, 2730 Historic Decatur Road, Barracks 16, San Diego, Calif.

Opening Reception May 2, 5:30 - 8pm
Artist Demos/Quick Draw - May 3
Exhibit open for the month of May.


Here I am wrapping paintings with bubble wrap to protect them until hung in the museum.

I delivered the paintings Saturday, so now we are on count down to Show Time!

I am showing you the back of my paintings in the bubble wrap!

I invite you to come see what the WAOW artists have painted for your enjoyment.

Questions, call 760 662-3547 or e-mail barbaraparish@verizon.net

Barbara

On Location Painting Adventures

CJ-5 Jeep
My Mule

A new Season!
2014 March, weather good for painting on location.
Here in the High Desert of Hesperia I have choices where to paint, High Desert or San Bernardino Mountain range, I like both.

In the desert, intense yellow flower brush are blooming, the landscape hosting a greyed quiet color.

I pack my painting gear and snack ;-), head out for the day, looking for my next visual story.

I feel it's important to break down, or simplify the landscape into five sections on the paper, then fill in the objects that tell my visual story. This really helps me with placement of objects.  Try it for yourself, let me know if this method works for you?

On location I use 140 lb. watercolor paper 11"x15" called a quarter sheet.  I take a 9"x 9" watercolor sketchbook to record my ideas, color schemes, and a camera for reference photos.

2014 painting adventure begins!

Good News I want to share!  Below is a press release from Women Artists of The West on the upcoming annual exhibit in May. 

* * * 
Barbara Parish of Hesperia, Calif has been accepted at the 44^th annual member’s exhibition for Women Artists Of The West (WAOW) held in San Diego, California.    WAOW is a national organization with over 250 award winning, professional women painters and sculptors from across the country.  This non-profit group fosters appreciation and promotion of art created by women.  Barbara had to meet strict criteria to be juried into this prestigious organization and her work also had to be juried into the art exhibition. “WAOWed in San Diego” runs from May 2 through 31, 2014, with an opening reception to be held on Friday, May 2 at 4:30 pm at the Women’s Museum of California, 2730 Historic Decatur Road, Barracks 16, San Diego, CA. For further details visit http://womensmuseumca.org/ or http://www.WAOW.org.

* * *

I invite you to join me on Saturday May 3rd, for a WAOW Quick Draw Competition, then enjoy viewing over 230 paintings in various mediums.  

Questions: barbaraparish@verizon.net  or www.barbaraparish.weebly.com

High Sierra Paint Out

Sherri, Dick, Kathy, Louise, Judy, Barbara, Ann

Cardinal Village, Bishop, Calif
2013

What FUN! 

Two days of painting on location in the High Sierra at 8000 foot elevation.  Above are the Plein Air paintings finished on Tueadsy.  Everywhere we looked was a painting at the Cardinal Village Resort.

These painting are hanging on display for the month of October, Hemet Valley Art Gallery, 144 Harvard Street, Hemet, Ca.  

November Road Trip for the Plein Air Paintings. 

Next stop: 

C & L Coffee & Deli 

4210 E. Florida ( N. Santa Fee Street & Florida) 

Hemet, Ca. 951 282-3139

Stop by to see the paintings, also stay for a delicious lunch with a gallery environment. 

Barbara

En Plein Air ~ Bishop Painting Adventures

                                          Hello!

Colors of Fall
©Barbara Parish 2014

The Plein Air Painters of Hemet are leaving town next week to paint the Fall Colors in Bishop, California.

We will meet and paint with the Plein Air Painters of Bishop.

Our on location paintings will exhibit the month of October at The Hemet Valley Art Gallery, Harvard Street, Hemet, Ca. I invite you to come see our Plein Air exhibit on panel 14.
Barbara

Painting the Fall Colors of Bishop

On the road again...

CJ-5 Jeep
My Mule

The High Desert Plein Air Painters will paint the Fall colors of the Eastern Sierra.  Leaving in September for Bishop, we will paint the contrast of Winter Green Pine and Golden Birch, white water rushing over boulders down the tree lined mountain side, and the cool rugged mountain reflection on Lake Sabrina.
In the picture on right, find my "Mule" a CJ-5 Jeep, parked alongside Bishop Creek at 7000 elevation. My four wheel drive Mule takes me around the back roads to find my next visual story.
I plan to post paintings of the High Desert Plein Air Painters.  These paintings are for your pleasure, if you want to "own to show" leave a comment.
Barbara

Surprise Image in my Painting

Every once in a while I am surprised by an unplanned image that appears in my painting.
Can you see it?

My first thought, paint over or wipe out the image.  I know the image sends a message, not part of the painting plan, but I am smitten with the Elephant image that is infatuated with the Bird.

In this painting I use several painting techniques, positive and negative, glazing, and mingling and merging of color.

Tomorrow, I'll be on location in the High Desert of Hesperia painting the Joshua Tree Blooms.

Searching for Spring 2013

Joshua Bloom

The Joshua Bloom nestled in
protective spines.

Searching for Spring in the High Desert of Hesperia 2013

I came across the Joshua Bloom with its tight creamy colored textured flowerets protected by spine like leaves.

OK! This is my painting challenge for Monday.  I'll go back on location to paint this bloom.  mmm, I might post a step by step along with the finished painting. Yes?

High Desert in Bloom

This time of year the desert comes alive with intense color and new growth.  The Joshua Trees will bloom soon with a huge ball of off white artichoke shape floweret.  The brush, in a variety of sizes, comes alive with a  carpet of yellow flowers cascading to the ground. The twelve inch purple nubs trying to be noticed along a pathway of ruts and stones.  I find it interesting how nature will team yellow flowers with its complement of purple nubs.  Even the sizes are varied to excite the eye. Nature!

My on location painting gear is ready, soon I will take the soft top off my Jeep.  Oops! I might be rushing this a little.  March will bless us with rain.  Okay, I won't take the top off the Jeep yet!

I use a view finder in gray color to locate my next visual story.  The gray color is #5 middle value.  This helps me with painting light or dark values.  On location with the sun and glare, I find I can't tell with accuracy the values of how light or how dark to paint.  Looking through the gray view finder I can SEE the values by comparing lighter than #5 or darker than #5.

Have you used a view finder?
Leave a comment.

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year 2013!

How fortunate we are to have another new year to practice our passion with watercolor.
I would like to hear from you about what is happening in your art world for 2013. 
This year, look forward to video and interviews with working artists and authors.  How fun!

Mondays, I will paint on location with a group of dedicated painters, aspiring to raise their painting skills and exhibit.  You know what to do if interested, right?

Friday Painters Watercolor Class will start a whole new year on January 4th.  The class painters are all skill levels.  I hope to show their paintings and interview them about desires and goals.  This will encourage you to "pick up a brush and paint".

New Years Day, my favorite day to schedule "what's happening in my art world in 2013".  In January I will post the monthly on-location Watercolor Workshop dates/places, on-line monthly class "The Flow of Watercolor", and my Demonstration/Lecture dates and places.  Join me?

This year, I will offer my paintings for sale through my website and monthly exhibitions.  I plan to make a video each month, giving you insight into my painting process.   Also, on video I'll feature my working studio in Hesperia and Hemet.

Join me, let's travel together to enjoy this adventure in painting.
Barbara

Paint With Me ~ On-Line Watercolor Class

Try something fun! Join an on-line watercolor class. It's private, it's fun, and you will learn the how-to of painting with watercolor. Class starts November 1st (this Thursday). 
We will paint the Poinsettia in time for holiday note cards. I will show you how. 
Register on my web site Barbara Parish or e-mail me with questions barbaraparish@verizon.net 

On-Line Class ~ Introduction Video

The Flow of Watercolor On-Line Class

What's happening in my art world?

The Flow of Watercolor on-line classroom starts Oct. 1st.

Just a Note:
I am tickled to bring my teaching on-line for watercolor painters.   The last four months I've been busy creating steps to take this watercolor technique class on-line.  Recording video instruction is challenging, but I know you will learn faster with this visual aid.
The class will include composition and design, color theory, perspective with line and color, value to color relationship, brush work, and more...

Your benefit for on-line learning:
*  the classroom is open day and night, your choice when to enter and learn
*  weekly class lesson, monthly sign up
*  weekly critique, plus Q&A's
*  video demonstration
*  daily contact, consider me your mentor!

Check out The Flow of Watercolor for more information or e-mail barbaraparish@verizon.net

Panama Rose
Watercolor Demonstration ~ SOLD
11"x15" watercolor paper
© 2012 Barbara Parish

Curves, flips, connected. 

Soft folds, crisp ruffled edges. 

Color intense to tone. 

Values light to dark.

All on a stem with thorns. 

Can you guess what I am talking about?  Yes! ROSES. 

Roses are one of the most beautiful flowers, yet a new painter has a hard time with all the edges and close action of the petals.   

Here comes the word SIMPLIFY.  Ask yourself what does SIMPLIFY mean to you?  I look at the word simplify and think of less, fewer, selected.  My job of creating a painting is to grab the essence of my subject, not to report every edge and line I see.  Got it?
The rose side view painted with fewer petals, hard edges, with lost edges on the leaves.  

Another technique, I start painting a rose in the center with a dash stroke, and then with the chiseled edge of a flat brush I carve one small line after another, each overlapping in a continuous swirl.  After three layers of swirl I rinse my brush, tap my paper towel to absorb some water from the brush, go back to the rose and touch some edges to release the line.  Now I have lost edges and hard edges.  Try it! 

This technique can be used in all your paintings to create a painterly look.

Join me for a live demonstration August 18^th, Big Bear Lake One-Day Watercolor Workshop.  
To Register:  click Barbara Parish 

Morning at Boulder Bay
15"x11" Watercolor
© 2012 Barbara Parish

This is the demonstration painting I did for my June, Boulder Bay watercolor workshop.  We painted the island reflection and boulders.
One challenge was the gusty wind; all part of on location painting.

July 21st workshop, Bird Refuge at Big Bear Lake.  Join me for another painting day in Big Bear.  We will paint the marshy shoreline, reflections, and birds.    

To register, click web site 
or call me 760 662-3547

Artist to Artist July

Negative and positive painting, what does that mean?

Does your mind go into a busy mode when you think of learning a new painting technique; oh, I need to take out the trash, or oh, the dog needs a bath? Relax! It's not that hard to understand painting techniques.  The hard part is applying the technique.  Let me help you SEE and understand this valuable technique.  You do the practice.  

Paint the NEGATIVE; visualize a variety of shapes when painting outside the subject line.  Refer to the example below.  On the left side, see the flower formed by the painted area along side the flower shape?  The value change pops out the flower form and gives the impression of depth behind the flower..  

Paint the POSITIVE; paint inside the subject line.  Refer to the example below.  On the right side, see the flower formed by painting the petals and center.  The value change creates form.  

The example below shows negative painting on the left side, transitioning into positive painting on the right side.  I painted this in my weekly Friday Painters class to show a simple example to help SEE this valuable technique.  

Be aware of VARIETY; shape, value, line.

Watercolor Demonstration on Negative and Positive Painting
2012 Barbara Parish

If this post helps you understand negative and positing painting, or you have questions, let me know your thoughts in the comment below.

In my watercolor workshops and class the painters actively work with the features of negative and positive painting.  Click on side bar for Seasonal Watercolor Workshops information.

A Paintings Emotional Tug



Convict Lake
watercolor on paper 15"x 11"
© 2012 Barbara Parish

 I remember family fishing trips to Convict Lake, Ca.  Dad would throw out his fishing line and real in as we walked around the lake.  Big trout, good dinner!

This lake is a trickster, it shows calm in this painting, but in an instant the wind comes up and the lake turns traitorous.  White capped swells pound at the shore line, the howling wind, deafening.

This feeling of place; family memories, the thought you would like to be there, are the emotional tugs of a good painting.   The next time you are enjoying a paintings visual story, be aware of what you are feeling; joy, memories, the pull of color, etc. 

Treat yourself, hang paintings that give you the joy of an emotional tug!
Barbara

Friday Painters Demo with Watercolor




Pretty in Pink
15"x22" watercolor on paper
© 2012 Barbara Parish

 I chose a Magnolia tree limb to create an intense statement of color.  My composition is intimate, revealing soft folds of a gorgeous flower in shades of pink and magenta with green.  I love what is going on in this watercolor painting.

I started this painting as a demonstration for my Friday Painters class.  Water, Water, Water, that is one secret to painting with watercolors.

If you are in the Hemet, Ca. area stop by on Fridays to see what the Friday Painters are painting. 
Or register for a one day workshop.   Next Workshop:

June 16th, Saturday, we will paint at Boulder Bay in Big Bear Lake, Ca. 

Textured Boulders and Reflections will be the lesson.

Perspective on Los Rios Street

Put this date on your calendar, May 19th, Saturday  Yes, this weekend!

We will meet at Historical Los Rios Street, by the Depot, San Juan Capistrano, Ca.

The importance of PERSPECTIVE IN YOUR PAINTINGS is invaluable to a painter.




Values add visual dimension to a flat piece of paper

NO! This is not Los Rios Street :-)

 

Sign up and participate in this watercolor workshop, learn perspective with: 

Color ~ Line ~ Value ~ Shape ~ Placement

I will help eliminate your trial and error by teaching you to SEE perspective in Keystone (looking up), Aerial (looking down), and Distance (looking to the horizon).

Leave a comment, let me know if you are attending?

Barbara

Product Review: Watercolor Ground ~ Daniel Smith

Watercolor Ground, a product from Daniel Smith.                                                      



Ugly Duckling, Not
watercolor canvas board 8"x10"
© 2012 Barbara Parish



I am pleased with the easy application and drying time.                                                  

The watercolor brush crossed the surface with no effort and the color dried almost the same intensity.

I found layering color needs a light touch, the under color might lift or the colors blend.  

Nice! Talk about lifting, a damp brush can lift color back to white.  Be careful of blotting with a tissue or towel, the color might lift blotchy.                                                                 

I have covered three sizes of canvas board, ready to paint.  I will take them out on location to paint my next visual story.

The last step before framing, spray with matt fixative. 

To frame, no need for glass, secure the painting with brads, put dust cover on back, wire to hang, name card on dust cover, and your ready to exhibit.

Supplies:

* Watercolor Ground from Daniel Smith

* Gesso brush, can be cleaned with water

* Craft paper to protect the table

* Water to spread ground easier

* Hand made paper or canvas board 

* Fixative, matt finish