Tag Archives: watercolor

Ampersand Aqua Board and fixatives

Here’s a Watercolor painting of my husband and our dog, Chandler. This Watercolor painting is on the Ampersand Aqua Board. My intentions of painting on this board was the thrill of “No matting or framing under glass”. But as this painting is nearing completion (it is in progress in this photo) I started contemplating the thought of a fixative or varnish on top of Watercolor paint. I started contemplating how a Juried Exhibit would perceive this painting. Would it be perceived as a ‘Traditional’ watercolor? Especially if it is framed with no glass and has a varnish on it? Hmmm…. My questions to myself started to make me wonder and worry.

Because I really like this painting a lot, and I have high hopes for it, to be entered into some very traditional venues, I didn’t want the end result keeping it from being the ’star’ that I feel it could be.
So, I projected my questions out there onto two different art forums. I have been getting some great feedback and a lot of ‘food’ for thought.

One place I visited and laid out my question was at the WetCanvas forum website. My gosh that place is huge! It is everything art, all aspects of it and from around the globe. It’s bigger than Disney! And it’s free! Free advice, Free help…..hmmm….I like that. I can mull over the answers and suggestions and take what may work for me, and leave the rest, as I graciously thank everyone for their help.

The other forum I went to is a private forum for the Equine Art Guild. This is an awesome group of Equine artists ranging from many different levels of expertise in their field.
Here’s a little feedback that I got from both places.

  • Ampersand makes a Clayboard fixative for this board. (But there is no scientific evidence of how well it holds up over time).

*I was advised that the above fixative needs to be handled carefully on ‘dark paint’ and especially when used in a cold environment.

  • One artist uses Krylon uv Acrylic spray as an isolation layer (spray it over the watercolor paint first.) Then brush on a few coats of Acrylic varnish to protect the whole painting.
  • Another artist suggested Acrylic fixatives and making sure to seal the edges of the board also.
  • Yet another suggested a fixative with uv coating for Prints, sprayed onto the watercolor, then seal with an Acrylic varnish.
  • Other traditional watercolorist felt that watercolor paint should never be sprayed with any fixative or varnish, no matter what support it is on. That the paint would soon be sent to it’s doom. ( I Have to say this one rung a little bell for me….ding-dong!).
  • Also to think about (that rang an even louder bell for me….) that many Exhibit venues and Galleries may not accept this kind of watercolor. The argument being that it is not a traditional watercolor. Traditional meaning….watercolor on paper with no varnish and framed with a mat and under glass.

So, because I want to really enter this painting into an upcoming competition, I am opting for repainting this scene again! I have it almost 3/4 done on a Cold press paper that is on Cresent Premium Watercolor Board. This board is 100% museum quality Archival.

This painting on the Aqua board will be my ’study’ for now and it just may become a mixed media painting with the addition of acrylic paint, or I’ll just leave it and enjoy it here at home, with me and my family.

There’s something to be said about ‘Tradition’.

Makes me think of Pumpkin pie and Turkey……

Deb

Debbie Flood, Artist. Equine, Wildlife, and the natural world.
http://www.debfloodart.com

©Copyright 2008 by Debbie Flood. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Debbie Flood’s website.

Icelandic-Head Study

I have been captivated by Icelandic horses since a friend introduced me to them..she raises them. I actually first saw them at Equine Affaire years ago…..the awesome drill team and their thrilling exhibition of the Icelandics gaits! Mind you, I ride Tenn. Walkers……..a very comfortable ride..but the Icelandics have it over them in spades as far as thrill!!!
This handsome “guy” was at Equine Affaire….I loved his mane and eye. I captured him in a 11 x 8 1/2″ watercolor and am putting it up on my website.

©Copyright 2008 by Kathi Peters. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Kathi Peters’s website.

The Task at Hand

The Task at Hand
Since starting to work in watercolour again, Ive chosen some challenging subjects. This one was no acception with the checked shirt. The folds of his chaps where wonderful to work on with their folds of leather.

I hope Ive done justice to my subject. My next challenge is a black and white watercolour portrait of a horse and rider. But first I have a beautiful immortal collie dog named Tye to complete.

To purchase this work email me directly catherin@animalarthouse.com

©Copyright 2008 by Catherin McMillan. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Catherin McMillan’s website.

Glowing Fall days gone by

‘Golden Glow’ is a Watercolor on an 11 x 14 Ampersand Aqua board.

The days of golden has disappeared and the days of gray have hunkered down upon us. It’s nice to look upon this painting and remember the day my husband and I took an afternoon to go for a drive. The colors were still hanging on and the sun was illuminating them enough to create this glow. The blue of the hard rocks and the golden glow of the soft leaves created an image that just popped at us both. He stopped the van, not a word spoken as we looked at the trees and ground and then at each other. We got out and let the leaves crunch and tumble about our feet. It was a glorious golden day for sure.

I hope that this painting evokes some wonderful memories of your own and brings a feeling of peace and joy upon you.

~Debbie

Debbie Flood, Artist. Equine, Wildlife, and the natural world.
http://www.debfloodart.com

©Copyright 2008 by Debbie Flood. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Debbie Flood’s website.

The Filly Coming Five

Yesterday I painted the barn doors…and I also finished up this 12 x 8″ watercolor of the filly. She has been the subject of my work a lot in her four short years. I was with her when she was born…and she is my helpmate when I am down doing barn chores. Maggie is always willing and curious to have her picture taken. A willing subject…but sometimes a little too willing and up close for long shots! But I LOVE HER EYE….. and so will be painting it often…and willingly!

My barn now sports a bright yellow door….as does Les’ work shed. I have started the back barn door and prepped the potting shed door…all to be painted yellow. When I finished up the front barn door and was watching Maggie watching me painting the door…..I saw the lovely red in her bay coat against the yellow door………..yup! This will be a new painting I am sure!

Today dawns a bit cloudy. But I need to get the barn doors done before the weather changes…I know it will turn cold and wintry soon. So the watercolor I am working on now of a Cardigan Corgi herding cattle will have to wait a bit.

©Copyright 2008 by Kathi Peters. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Kathi Peters’s website.

October road, Some days are diamonds

I have attached a watercolor painting I did on an 11 x 14 Aqua board.
This painting is ” October road”.
Though this isn’t a road, it is a driveway that belongs to a close friend of the family’s, oh heck, he is family! He lives up on top of this mountain and you can see a large pond below, though not in this painting, and all the tree tops you couldn’t possibly count! He built his home up there many many years ago and the view is gorgeous year ’round! He had recently emailed me some photos of him releasing a young Bald Eagle back into the wild.
So a few weekends back, while the trees were colorful, my husband & I went up there with my camera. And this is one of those views. And remembering his Eagle release, I put a few of them up in the sky in the painting.
This was one of those ‘diamond’ days.

~Debbie

Debbie Flood, Artist. Equine, Wildlife, and the natural world.
http://www.debfloodart.com

©Copyright 2008 by Debbie Flood. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Debbie Flood’s website.

My Google Posts aren’t working!

Hi all,
I am in hopes that my google group members will be reading this, as you are probably wondering where my Monday google email post is! Well, you’re not alone….I’m wondering where it is too!
I have posted it 3 times starting Monday into Tuesday and it is lost in Cyber world.
As soon as google comes back to life, I will send the post on to all of you members.

Without any further ado, I’ll post a little info from that post here. The puzzle piece and the new painting will have to wait for now. Please enjoy this cute graphite painting that I rendered up, “October leaves”….and October sure is leaving!

Things are rather quiet at the moment on the art show front. The New Jersey Equine Art Exhibit has ended this past weekend. My painting “Cowboy’s delight” should be returning back soon.

The American Academy of Equine Art’s Fall Juried Exhibit will be closing Nov. 2, 2008.
You can check out the exhibit on line at http://www.aaea.net

The Mural mosaic has ended it’s tour in Ohio at the Quarter Horse Congress. Next slated route is Las Vegas Nevada! Look for it to be there in December of 2008! Naturally it will be at the large Rodeo event going on there in December.
You can read about the mural at the Congress in Ohio here on Phil’s Blog: http://philalain.blogspot.com
He’s very entertaining and he posts video along with the photos. It was wonderful to read about his days and the days of the mural.
The mural has also been in the Western Horse Magazines. So look for it to be in your favorite magazine soon! (I hope!). One Magazine we do know it is in, is the ‘Cowboys and Indians’ magazine, published out of Texas.

I also have another little surprise coming. I will spill the beans in a few more weeks, but let me tell you that it has to do with a compilation of a huge amount of my “Children with their 4~legged Friends” Paintings. A series of Watercolors. Many of you reading this already own some of those paintings or Reproductions and this will be a real treat for you and your child and for those of you who have enjoyed my paintings of children and horses. This is for the spirit of the child and the horse, and those of us who are still a child at heart!
Poetry is being written, also, to go with each painting, (written by myself), so stay tuned for this new and exciting development and artistic endeavor!
~Debbie
Debbie Flood, Artist. Equine, Wildlife, and the natural world.
http://www.debfloodart.com

©Copyright 2008 by Debbie Flood. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Debbie Flood’s website.

I have been out of the studio for a long time and finally got back in to work on this commission of two poodles. The client loves them-yeah. It is a watercolor about 8×10. I am also working on graphite drawings of two little girls for a girlfriend and I happened to send her a sketch of the two poodles to show her what else I am working on. She was surprised to see the two little girls looked like poodles-haha. But I have done one of them and it’s turned out fine, as well. She is pleased. I don’t want to get too cocky, but my human drawings have taken a turn for the better, finally. There’s no reason they shouldn’t, it’s all a matter of observation. Anyway we’ll see if the next one looks like a caveman, not that there’s anything wrong with being a caveman-I love cavemen!

©Copyright 2008 by Judy Johnson. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Judy Johnson’s website.

Hafflinging water, New Materials

Here I am splashing in the water again! This is a new watercolor and also ‘new‘ in a new way!
I thought it was time to stretch my creativeness a bit and try a few new things. This painting is done on a Textured Clayboard, Aqua Board by Ampersand. Though it has the qualities of a Hot press paper (which is very slippery and the paint wipes off easily) it still has a tooth to it. I thoroughly enjoyed painting on this hard board and will be creating some more new works.
One of the great things I like about this support is that I don’t have to mat it or frame it under glass. How awesome is that??! I’ll need to spray it with a fixative to protect it and just place it in a frame, the way one would an Oil painting or an Acrylic painting.
This painting is Titled: Hafflinging water and is 11 x 14 inches.
Ok, back to the studio for me….so many paintings…so little time….
~Deb

Debbie Flood, Artist. Equine, Wildlife, and the natural world.
http://www.debfloodart.com

©Copyright 2008 by Debbie Flood. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Debbie Flood’s website.

New Western Art

So many wonderful things have been happening lately. I am now working with renowned US equine photographer Tami Gramont, to create works of art off Tami’s amazing photos.

Above you can see the first of these which I have titled Concentration. The photo on the left is of Kathleen Lindley at one of her clinics (taken by Tami) , with my rendition in watercolour on the right.

I’m looking forward to working with Tami and am very excited about creating more western style works of art.

Check out Tami’s photos at http://tamijopix.smugmug.com/

©Copyright 2008 by Catherin McMillan. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Catherin McMillan’s website.

‘Partners’ Belgian Draft Horses

Watercolor painting of two Belgian draft horses copyright Debbie Flood, all rights reserved.

Here is ‘Partners’. This Draft Horse watercolor painting has just been listed on eBay.

You can find “My eBay World” link in the navigation to the right. All my auction listings are grouped together on that page. These two draft horses enjoy a bit of hay in the evening summer sun. I really enjoy this painting, but I simply cannot keep them all.
Thanks for looking!

~Deb

Debbie Flood, Artist. Equine, Wildlife, and the natural world.
http://www.debfloodart.com

©Copyright 2008 by Debbie Flood. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Debbie Flood’s website.

Haflingers and the hitches

Painting of a Haflinger in harness copyright Debbie Flood, all rights reserved.

This is a wonderful watercolor of a Haflinger and a lovely lady I met at a horse show. The horse’s name is Paul. Paul is the lead horse of her teams of Haflingers. On Friday the 15th I went to a draft horse and pony show. This pair was there along with the other 4 hitch mates. They usually drive a 6 hitch team, but one was new to the Farm and didn’t make the trip to the show. There is another hitch that goes with them, so they borrowed a 6th horse and drove together in the 6 horse hitch class. The scenery there was awesome, including 18 hand tall dappled gray Percherons, Black Percherons, Belgians, Shires, all black, dark brown & bays, even some babies, who really didn’t look like babies! Boy are they huge! Needless to say, I had an awesome day, into the late evening. The fair was going on and on the midway was a circus tent, with guess what????…. Freisian horses! Black stallions as black as the night that was falling upon us! Over the course of the winter, you will be seeing many paintings from the photos that I took on this one day.

At the moment I am rendering a 4 horse hitch from this ladies team. Upon request.
And yes, she bought this one of her and Paul.
Thank you!

For more updates, weekly, go to my website or this blog and sign up your email on my google group. I post an image each week, and starting next Monday, I’ll be introducing something fun and new only for subscribers of my google groups! It includes a game with the chance to be a winner each month!

Hope to see you signed up soon!

Debbie

Debbie Flood, Artist. Equine, Wildlife, and the natural world.
http://www.debfloodart.com

©Copyright 2008 by Debbie Flood. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Debbie Flood’s website.

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