Fuzzman the Dog

Fuzzman relaxing after a snack of pellets and lettuce

I have been getting into doing pet portraits recently. Check them out at my Etsy Store. Here's the most recent one I did for a friend. This adorable pastel is of my friend's puppy who her kids call Fuzzman. Before they got the puppy they had two guinea pigs and now apparently Fuzzman is convinced he's a large and adorable guinea pig. He eats the pellets that fall out of the guinea pigs' cage and loves lettuce. Isn't he just the cutest?

Why don't I get to live in a cage?

Come join the fun and link up to Paint Party Friday:

White Rabbits

Sometimes things just happen organically. I had ordered some masking fluid, although I have never tried it before so I was a little apprehensive. I opened the bottle, and wow, let's just say I haven't smelt such pungent fumes since my girls were in diapers! Nevertheless I decided to give it a whirl - even though some people have told me it leaves very hard clean edges. But sometimes what a girl needs is hard edges! In this case to create hard tufts of rabbit fur.

I  used watercolor paper and decided to start drawing out some white rabbits in pencil. Then I started putting down the masking fluid with a tiny brush where I wanted bits of highlighted fur. Then I started sponging in the shadows and forms of the rabbits. Things were looking good but I needed more texture so I troweled on some acrylic base that has these gritty beads in it and scribbled around in it with a fork to make it look even more like fur.

Then I let the painting dry trying to control myself from peeling off the masking fluid. When  the paint had tried I let it rip! Let me say that peeling off masking fluid is great fun  - a bit like the thrill of peeling off strips of sunburnt skin (or maybe that's just me). And it did indeed leave white patches that gave some wonderfully stark highlights to the rabbits' fur.

You can use an eraser or your fingers to take off the dried masking fluid

Leaving some interesting whiskery textures

Hmm....yes....those rabbits are starting to look very rabbity

That's it folks!

How do you find working with masking fluid? What subjects do you use it for? I think a lot of people use it for straight lines but it was fun to use it for something organic like rabbit fur.

Creating a Watercolor Step by Step

At school I had an art teacher who said 'A line is a journey from point to point.' That phrase meant both something and nothing. In the same way, a painting is a journey between a blank sheet of paper and one that is splotched with paint (with varying degrees of success.)

But to be a painter you have to keep on truckin! And keep on tryin'

You have to start somewhere!! Be it with a pencil scribble or a dab of paint.

I thought you might be interested in my process of creating a watercolor picture step by step so you can see how I do it. You never know, you might just learn something.

First, before we begin, look at your sheet of blank watercolor paper.

What do you feel?

Nervousness? Or maybe a smidgin of terror?

If like me you often think, help I am staring at a blank sheet of paper and don't know where to start, remember that a good place to start is with a wash. In this case I was painting a sunset so I diluted red, yellow and blue with water and did my first wash.

Slop the paint all over the place in several different directions.

When it had dried my first wash looked like this:

The second wash was more concentrated and I liberally used my water sprayer to keep things moist:

Working wet in wet I started adding in the skyline and the boat dock.

At this point I was happy with the airiness of the sky but I felt the bridge was too blue so I warmed it up with some warm browns. Also I felt that the angle of the dock wasn't dramatic enough so I made some adjustments. I liberally added another wash of red and one of yellow.

Then I decided to add some pastel highlights in warm golden tones to the water to bring it to life and to add dark green pastel to the horizon to give better perspective.

Finally I thought I had captured the view and the light glittering on the water and decided to leave it like this:

Sunset at Middle River, 2013 by Emma Kaufmann

I am pretty happy with the final picture. It is a view of a sunset at Middle River. I think the angle of the dock gives some added drama to the gorgeousness of the sunset.

Let me know what you think and hope you have enjoyed coming on my journey with me!!

Do stop by again soon.


Prints, mugs, cushions and other items of this painting can be bought HERE at Redbubble.

Wordless Wednesday: Girl and Pomeranian

Just did a lovely summery watercolor 'Girl and Pomeranian.' Isn't that doggie so adorable? I want one! Only I don't want to scoop poop. I have enough of that with my two guinea pigs.

The good news for pet fans everywhere:  I am now doing custom pet portraits at my Etsy Store so convo me if you want to know more!

Happy Wordless Wednesday to dogs everywhere. Join the doggy bloghop!

Novica Handmade Gifts $50 Giveaway (Ends 9/10)

I have been wanting to show you this batik robe I fell in LOVE with from Novica and am adding to my boudoir collection.

The robe is made by a talented artisan in Bali and one of the many beautiful creations found on NOVICA, a company that works with National Geographic to give talented artisans around the world a place to express their artistic talents and provide access to the world market.

When you order one of these unique products Novica don't just have them stockpiled in a warehouse. The product will come direct from the artisan, in a lovely drawstring bag (if it is jewelry) with a note from the person who made it. A lovely touch don't you think?

I must say I have spent quite a few hours ogling their site and can just imagine myself lounging in my batik robe on one of their amazing double hammocks....the breeze ruffling my hair.....

 

While I am in the hammock I can also see myself  sipping a margarita from one of these stylish glasses:

The wonderful people at Novica have given me a $50 Gift Certificate for one lucky winner. So hop over to the Novica site and check out their wonderful summer collection including cotton dresses and cool batik clothing.

Then enter my Rafflecopter giveaway below. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Anyone in any part of the world is eligible to join in and I'll announce a winner on 10th September.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Flea Market in Berlin

Coming back after a trip from Berlin I really wanted to capture the hustle and bustle of a street market at Fehrbelliner Platz which takes place on Saturdays. What a great place for people watching and snapping up bargains.

At first I wanted to do a watercolor to capture all the hurly burly of dogs barking, elbows shoving and people grabbing antiques to see if they might be priceless rather than decorative bits of tat. But I found I had no watercolor paper at home. Since necessity is the mother of invention I found some pastel paper and coated it with gesso. Gesso gives such a lovely three dimensional feel doesn't it?

Then I did  a bit of watercolor over it and finished it off with chalk and oil pastels. I think it captures the atmosphere nicely.

Whatever you do don't miss a trip to Berlin. It is so bohemian and unique. The people wear colorful and outrageous clothes and don't give a fig for what is 'on trend.' And the gelati is simply to die for.....

Flower Bouquet from Friends

On Monday there was a terrible storm here in Baltimore and we lost power all evening. Luckily we have a generator which illuminated part of our house, so we invited our (powerless!) neighbors who have three small kids to have dinner with us. It was great fun. The next day our neighbors gave me this bouquet to say thank you. It made me so happy and it was so beautiful I felt I had to get out my watercolors and paint it.