Dave's Tulip

DAVE'S TULIP

6" x 6" watercolor on 140 lb Arches

This spring, I visited the blog of a photographer/artist, David Patterson. He had some of THE most beautiful pictures of tulips on his blog, including one single bloom. I contacted Dave and asked if I could use his photo to do a painting, and he kindly gave me his permission.

This is a little watercolor study of the bloom, which I hope to do in large format, oil on paper in the New Year. Make sure to check out Dave's blog and his website. Thanks, Dave for sharing your gift of photography with me!

Hostas

HOSTAS

11" x 15"

watercolor on 140 lb Arches paper

My dear friend Donna, who lives in Whiterock, B.C. sent me a beautiful picture of hostas to paint. I love how hostas have such a variety of color in them - and no two leaves are the same! This hosta (don't know the name of this one) has fabulous blues and greens in the leaves- which are set off perfectly by the brilliant pink flowers growing right beside them! I also enjoy how there is just one shaft of sunlight hitting a couple of leaves... she takes great pictures. She sent me several other photos as well, which will be in my line up of paintings this fall.

My husband and I am going to visit Donna soon. She and her husband just celebrated a "significant" birthday while we were in Mexico. We missed the big celebration, but this way we get to spend time with them all by ourselves. (Selfish, I know, but we always have a wonderful time with them.)

Donna is also an avid collector of art, but she has unfortunately run out of wall space! So... this painting is destined for someone else's wall. If you are interested in finding out more about purchasing this or any of my paintings, please contact me: jogiesbrecht@gmail.com

Baby Giraffe - completed

BABY GIRAFFE

22" x 30" on 140 lb. Arches

closeup of BABY GIRAFFE

(click on pictures to enlarge)

I'm baaaaacccckkkk - and want you to know that I had a great time on vacation! We visited my daughter and her family in Guadalajara, Mexico AND we also spent almost a week at Paradise Village (a resort) in Nuevo Vallarta. It was so hot and humid... I loved it! I finally felt like I experienced summer! We were on the beach and in the ocean each morning, then into the shady part of the pool later in the day when it was too hot to be out in the open. The ocean is so warm there that it literally feels like walking into a big bathtub. In fact, my husband said it was warmer than he takes his showers!!!

After supper, we went for long walks on the beach, and just relaxed. One night we walked a long way down the beach to where there is a turtle sanctuary /reserve. The kids got to release baby turtles into the ocean. Late every night volunteers go out and rescue the eggs which female turtles lay, and bring them back to the sanctuary. They bury them in the sand in neat rows with little markers for each one. When the eggs hatch, the caretakers keep the baby turtles until just after the sun sets before they are released. That way, the turtles' chance of survival is higher... especially from the birds which are not as numerous in the dusk. Each night, there is opportunity for those who have attended the talk and demonstration to actually take one of the little turtles and place it behind a line in the sand. Then the baby turtles flap their way through the sand and into the water. It was so wonderful to see those little creatures bobbing on the waves - little dark patches floating out to sea.

The drive to and from the beach was long and windy, up and down mountainous terrain - with 2 out of 3 kids getting carsick. But they were all troopers, and it was great to be together again. Our flights to and from Mexico were the smoothest I have ever experienced, so all in all, I can say that this was one of our best holidays ever.

Now that I am back, I have completed the painting of Baby Giraffe. Three years ago this summer, I took a picture of this little giraffe in the San Diego Zoo. He is part of my "pouring series" which is where I do several pours of pigment on the paper before I begin my painting. This sets lights and darks in various places on the paper. Two other creatures, African Elephant and Rhino are a part of this series. I do have plans for more paintings in this series, but they may be a while in making it onto my easel.

If you are interested in Baby Giraffe, or commissioning a similar painting, please contact me: jogiesbrecht@gmail.com

New Watercolor WIP - Baby Giraffe

I have begun a new 22" x 30" watercolor on 140 lb Arches paper, which I have discovered I really like for this "African" series I am doing. African Elephant was on 300 lb. Arches - which is beautiful paper, but which has become quite expensive. I painted Rhino on 140 lb. and liked how well it stood up to all the texturizing I did, so I am going to see how it works for this painting as well.

This is the third and perhaps the final in this series of creatures. They are all based on photos which I took while at the San Diego Zoo a couple of years ago. On that day, the baby giraffe was outside with its mommy, and I got this gorgeous shot of it against the mother's hide. The baby was quite active in spite of the heat - lots of energy to burn off.

I am beginning the painting once again with masking off the areas I want to remain white when I do the first pouring of color over the entire surface of the painting. I will be pouring 3 primary colors - red, blue and yellow - to create light and shadow in the painting. After 3 different pours of color, and removing different areas of masking at different times in the pouring process, I will be ready to begin actually putting brush to paper. And that is when the real fun of creating begins ... seeing my vision come alive as I work the paint on the background of poured colors. I will be posting Baby G. as the stages progress. 

As I work on this large painting, I will also be doing some more small watercolors in series (like I did with Pears and Apples), and hopefully some acrylics or oils on panel in the style of Catch.

Fiesta Pears

Fiesta Pears

11" x 15" original watercolor

Today is the day that Fiesta Pears gets auctioned off in a live auction. And I get to attend... how exciting!

I donated this painting to the fundraiser for a beautiful 7 year old girl, Dawsyn Harke, who needs a "Seizure Assistance Dog" for her rare form of epilepsy. They are attempting to raise $13,000 to buy and train the dog through 4 Paws for Ability in Ohio.

If you want to donate to this great cause, you can donate money to http://www.4pawsforability.org/ and indicate it is "in honor of Dawsyn Harke" so that it goes toward her dog. You can also call them at 937-374-0385.

Have a great weekend.

SUNNY TRIO

A number of weeks ago, I completed this painting, and tried to get a good photo of it to post. I never did get a good likeness and when I tried to correct for color in Photoshop, some were too yellow, some were too green. I posted a picture of Sunny Trio anyways, and when I spoke with a new artist friend, Vern, he told me that the colors looked pastel and washed out on his big, beautiful monitor. I was really disappointed, and wouldn't let my husband mat and frame the painting because I didn't have a good enough photo for my portfolio.

But - FINALLY - I have figured out how to get an accurate replication of my paintings!!!!

I have scanned the painting in sections, brought it into Photoshop and merged the sections to make the final picture of this painting - and it finally looks RIGHT!!! You can see the beautiful batik background and the brightness of the yellows and the centers of the flowers. And the greens and blues are the right hues. I am so excited to learn how to do this! It will revolutionize all my efforts from now on with my paintings. No matter how many sections I have, Photoshop will merge them into one picture. I LOVE technology!!!

So Vern - I have reposted this one so that you can see it as it truly is. Thanks for pushing me to find a new way to get it right! :-)

If you are interested in purchasing this original 15" x 22" watercolor painting on 300 lb. Arches paper, please contact me at

jogiesbrecht@gmail.com

Joy!

This was such a fun painting to do! Everything about it is filled with happiness and joy. These times are definitely worth preserving - either on film or in a painting.

This painting is the first to be completed as a full-time artist. (Yes, I have now finished my job.) Yesterday was my last day, and the wonderful people I worked with had a fabulous Chinese food luncheon for me. It was a great time of laughter, reminiscing, and just enjoying one another's company. My friendships with many of my co-workers will continue. They are very special people to me. 

Now my task is to learn how to relax, rest, and regain energy... some believe I will work harder for myself than I did for others! The difference will be that I can stop at any time, and go for a walk, hop in the Jeep and go hunting for spectacular pictures, or run down to my garden and do some digging in the dirt. Just thinking about these things fills me with the same kind of joy that is in the painting above! Hmmmm... think I will take that joy and begin a new painting. :-)

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, or commissioning a special moment you would like preserved as a painting, please contact me: jogiesbrecht@gmail.com

Common Redpoll

The Common Redpoll is one of the most beautiful birds we get at our feeders in the fall and winter. Each bird is individual in its markings. The female has little or no red, while the male can literally look like it is bleeding from its chest. Some males are more white than others, while some seem to have a rusty glow about them. They are feisty little birds, and do not hesitate to chase away larger birds like the woodpecker from the feeder. They think the sunflowers are all for them! I love them and their cheerful chatter, even in the coldest weather. They are what I call "survivors" - which is what I feel like I am at times!

By the way, a bird like this one in watercolor takes anywhere from 5 - 8 hours to paint... they are tricky little creatures! But they are fun to watch come to life under your brush!

I have been "tagged" by two wonderful artists, Theresa Miller and Veronica Funk.  This is "a fun way to get to know one another as artists". 

The rules are to: 

 1. Put a link in your posting to the artist who tagged you.

 2. List 7 unusual things about yourself.

 3. Tag 7 other bloggers at the end of your post, and comment on their blogs to let them know they have been tagged.

Here are the 7 not-so-unusual-things about me:

1.   I have received an Award of Excellence from Photographer's Forum Magazine.

2.   I have had a photo published in a "Best of Photography" book.

3.   I have been a waitress on a large ferry during a hurricane (not too many people in the dining room that day!).

4.   I was an Elementary (grade school)  teacher  for 14 years.

5.   I have written, directed and produced several full length dramas.

6.   I have a daughter who lives in Mexico. 

7.   I live on 6 acres of land outside the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

The 7 artists I would like to tag are:

          Jean Victory

         Cheryl McCarley

         K. Joann Russell

        Mary Sheehan Winn

        Carol Carter

        Susan Carlin

        Lori Andrews

Have a great weekend, everyone! 

If you wish to purchase Common Redpoll, or commission a similar painting, please contact me at      jogiesbrecht@gmail.com.