Tuscan Memory

 Often I dream of traveling, but the actual logistics of flying, sleeping in a different bed, trying to figure out where to eat are details I don't always flow well with. I endure these minor inconveniences to feel and experience the wonder of a new place, leaving that imprint of the unfamiliar yet exciting space forever on my soul. Isn't this truly why we seek to travel? Or perhaps others pursue their travel interests for cultural diversity, or exposure to new foods. For me, it is the sensation of the colors, the smells, the landscapes that I wish to drink in personally rather than view it on a screen. 

There was a time I had the bucket list of all the places I wanted to visit. I don't keep such a long list anymore, but maybe a handful of places I find intriguing. 

My great grandparents both immigrated from Sicily in the early 20th century. They came as young adults and didn't know one another until they had moved to the U.S. My grandmother was 100% Sicilian, grew up speaking Italian, and eating Italian recipes. I don't know if she was ever able to visit Italy or Sicily as she passed away in 2000, and I didn't get to know her as well as I would have liked. 

And for whatever reason lately I have wanted to understand Italy more because of my family connection. It's been over 3 months now that I started learning basic Italian, I've mastered making homemade pizza, will only buy Italian pasta, and am keeping a vision of sipping a glass of wine in central Italy (either Tuscany or Umbria) on a beautiful day surrounded by lavender fields. This is my manifestation of what I will see.

The cat on the barrel refers back to a 2022 memory when my husband and I visited a local winery with barrels as tables, and the friendly vineyard cat sat on top enjoying our company. This is a 17 inch square drawing with watercolor paints that took over a month to complete. I consulted a color palette book to get the greens and ochre yellows just right. Fine liners of various colors enhance the details. I am very pleased with it, and it now hangs in the dining room to remind me of my goal to get there.

Another small paint/sketchbook I have dedicated to Italy has one page displaying my visions of Italian lavender fields. This one uses watercolor crayons with less details. These sketches are done typically in a couple of hours, but gratify that urge to splash color with a future memory of where I'd like to visit someday. 

This large piece of Tuscany/Umbria has taught me a lot. While I love and appreciate art immensely, I'm coming to realize that my work is more the illustrative type. The combination of details, colors and my whimsical imagination has convinced me that my work is a focal point of a time and place that captivates happiness, tickles the senses, and gives appreciation for our beautiful world.

Fairy Forest

 Lately I have been reading more fantasy novels and find my imagination inspired by the other worldly scenes described in these books. I finished Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock recently and now about half way through Stardust by Neil Gaiman. 

A hike around Mirror Lake in Mt Hood National Forest gave me an idea for my next project. The views of Mt Hood were incredible, and we had gorgeous weather.

The hike itself was steep up to this view, as this is a glacial lake! The trail was super forested and this kept us cool as we climbed up. 

This magical walk made me think of how cool it would be to see a big mushroom house for the fairy folk, and so I created what my imagination envisioned. This is 9 X 12 hot press paper with fine liner and watercolors.

Tuesday Afternoon

Tuesday Afternoon is a song by The Moody Blues. The simple lyrics of just embracing a Tuesday Afternoon brings me back to the moment of appreciating the beauty all around. The melodic guitar and flute opens the door to whimsical imaginations, and thus helped influence this ink and watercolor painting. 

Originally I found an AI image on social media thinking this was a real home. Upon further investigation however, I was able to determine the source of my inspiration. Here is the original photo I used to paint from.

Thierry Lechanteur Digital Creator and Photographer

Isn't it ironic using AI images to inspire my own use of traditional media of paint, ink and paper? Thierry Lechanteur is a photographer and digital creator located in Belgium (a fantastic country I have painted and wish to visit someday).

Incorporated in my own work is a little bit of Zentangle images. While I think Zentangle is a lot of fun to practice, I don't prefer the abstractness of it on its own, and instead enhanced the whimsical aspect of this piece with bits of Zentangle doodles.

Daniel Smith Watercolors are what I used for Tuesday Afternoon. While I typically use Graham Watercolors for most pieces, the Daniel Smith palette I own has watercolors with actual ground gemstones, such as Amethyst, Rhodonite, Hematite and others. This gives a slight shimmer to the work which is just what I had wanted in this particular piece.

Tuesday Afternoon by Kerrie Ann

This whimsical style might just become a new type of work I run with. While creating this, my imagination soared to places that are fantastic and whimsical; where peace, joy, flowers and sunshine surround everything. A time and space that knows only love and leisure; where abundance of colors and calming fragrances surrounds the senses. Let's go there on Tuesday Afternoon.

The Golden Pheasant

 I had never heard of these birds until I searched online for 'the most beautiful bird'. These are truly striking birds that are native to China. This painting is the male which has the colorful feathers, where the female has more muted colors. While these birds aren't endangered, there is concern that deforestation will impact their numbers. Watercolor on canvas, alcohol splotches on wet paint for the background. 

Drama Free

 Llamas are amazing animals. They provide wool and llamas are often used as pack animals. Their wool is one of my favorites to knit with as it's light but warm. Generally, these are gentle easy going animals, but occasionally they will spit to assert dominance or if they are annoyed. Other than that, not much drama from them.

Here's my tribute to these sweet animals of South America. Sketched in fineliner pen and enhanced with watercolors.

The Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep

 On the Endangered Species Act list, a unique breed of these Bighorn Sheep roam the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. I made this one very detailed with the finalizer, and then added washes of watercolor. The background is a very wet wash of watercolors lightly dotted with alcohol.

Paradise Found

 Very pleased with how this one turned out. M Graham watercolor on paper. This sketchbook isn't 100% cotton watercolor paper as it began to ball up with heavier water usage. Still like how it turned out.

The Hawaiian Monk Seal

The Hawaiian Monk Seal resides in the northwestern Hawaiian islands, and is on the endangered species list. About 1600 remain today.

This is the final of a series of four paintings dedicated to marine life. The links to the others are:

The Sea Turtle

The Blue Whale

The Giant Squid

As with the others, watercolor on fine watercolor canvas.

The Honeybee

 One of those quick sketches in watercolor that turned out exceptional. 4x6 on hot pressed 100% cotton paper.

Cape Flattery Washington State

 A destination on my bucket list to hike into, possibly camp nearby, this gorgeous northwest corner of Washington State captivates my heart with the utmost beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Watercolor on paper.

The Keel-Billed Toucan

 Thought this bird was beautiful when looking at photos of toucans. Watercolor on paper in my bird journal.

The Seahorse

 My last post was about paintings in my daughter's bathroom, this one is about a new painting for mine. Certainly not as scary, but just as fun to paint.

Watercolor on paper.

The Anglerfish

 In my early days with experimenting in watercolor painting, I did a beautiful bearded iris in metallic watercolor paints (student grade) from pans. I used a canvas material, and didn't realize that wasn't the norm for using watercolors. Still, I was proud of how it turned out (I did use a stencil). That painting has been in my 16 year old's bathroom now for several years, and I thought it was time to update her paintings. When I asked her what type of animal or fish she might like, she chose the Anglerfish. I had no idea what one was until I searched for it online. If you know my daughter, you would see why she suggested this scary looking fish.

I think this one turned out quite well actually, so it now hangs proudly in her bathroom. I used paper instead of canvas this time however..

The Monarch Butterfly

 The most amazing moment I felt many years ago when outside a monarch landed on my finger. She chose me to trust, perched to rest until she was ready to flutter off. Monarchs always capture my attention, freezing me in the moment, reminding me to appreciate the here and now. M Graham watercolor on paper.

The Tree Frog

 Oh to see one of these cute frogs hanging in a lush tree would be such a treat. Frogs represent fertility, properity, wealth and transformation. Delicate animals with such a sweet song. M Graham watercolor on cotton paper.

The Conch

 For such a simple painting, this one was a challenge. I used an actual conch shell I have to use as a model, but getting the texture down was tricky. I did use a gray ink outline but used watercolors as much as possible for the highlights and shading. Final size is 9x12 on Arches paper.

Gnome and Butterfly

 Another watercolor painting on paper featuring a mystical being. This one was another fun one featuring a sweet little gnome making friends with a monarch perched on a giant mushroom. 

El Capitan in watercolor

 Painted for a family member who recently visited and posted this as a photo, I had to copy it in watercolor on paper. I resisted using a black ink outline, and I'm pleased with the outcome!

Ametrine Tree

 Watercolor on paper, this whimsical tree goddess is fueld by the ametrine crystals lying at her roots. Definitely different from my other works. 

A snow leopard

These cold-weather loving cats are so rare and unusual. According to WWF, they don't roar but instead they 'yowl'. Also, they are more related to tigers than they are leopards. I find them beautiful and mysterious, so here's my painting.

Painting felines is not easy, probably one of the most challenging paintings I have done yet. My favorite part are the eyes, a multi-faceted array of greens. I struggle with green in general when I paint typically. This is watercolor on a 10x12 canvas board and will be sent to my dad who also loves snow leopards.