Painting Watercolour using a Wet-in-Wet Technique

Last summer I made this time lapse video of painting a watercolour using a 'wet-in-wet' approach. That means painting onto wet, cotton paper using wet paint!

Today I added a voice-over to the video. The sound isn't great because I didn't use a microphone - just the built in one in my imac. Still, if you crank up the sound, I think you'll be able to hear it OK.

Working "wet-in-wet" is so intriguing because the dampness of the paper, which is made of cotton, creates a softness, a luminosity and an unpredictability as the paint colours mix together and change.

My inspiration came from a small monoprint I made using the watercolour on plexiglass technique that I've recently written about. I projected it onto a full sized watercolour sheet. Then I traced around the colours using a white oil pastel crayon and applying a lot of pressure on the paper. That line of oil or crayon will create a barrier for the watercolour and will work as a resist.

This is the original monoprint that I drew my inspiration from.

Using a mechanical aid and working from an existing piece of art were departures for me - it kind of felt like cheating. What I learned from it is that I could focus on the actual painting because the colours and composition were already worked out.

I'd like to try it again now during winter while I wait for flowers to grow.

Here is another example of enlarging a sketch onto watercolour paper. This is a sketch I made on location at Brier Island a few years ago.

Brier Island's Big Pond.

The resulting enlarged watercolour.

Here is a very short video of the painting process. It works best if you paint watercolours from light to dark.

Why don't you give it a try?  It's interesting to work on a piece that is so much larger than the original. 

Monoprinting with Watercolours

This coming Saturday I'll be teaching a workshop at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia on the techniques that I used in my pieces that are on display in the show. (The class is full and there is a waiting list!!)
Here is a video tutorial showing how to make a watercolour monoprint. It is so much fun to do …… give it a try!

Tradition & Innovation- an exhibit that invites the viewer to think about print-making as an evolving art form- opens in the Community Room, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Western Branch, on January 5 and continues until February 26, 2012.  An opening reception will be held Saturday, January 7, from 2 until 4 p.m.

Works are from the two print shops in South West Nova Scotia: La Manivelle in Church Point, where innovative, non-toxic methods are explored  and Th’YARC Print Shop in Yarmouth where etching is a traditional technique often used.

Print makers represented include Cecil Day, Ruth Rideout,  Denise Comeau, Bonnie Baker and others who have worked at one or both of the studios over the past decade.

Four workshops, tied to techniques in the show, will be given over the course of the two-month exhibit.

Tradition and Innovation art show

Pink and Orange. Monoprint by Flora Doehler, 2011

Two of my pieces will be in a printmaking show that opens tomorrow (Saturday) at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia - Yarmouth branch! I just finished them last week and framed them a few of days ago. The show includes work from printmakers at two South West Nova Scotia studios. One is in Yarmouth and the studio I use, Le Manivelle, is in the basement of Saint Anne's University in Church Point.

Iris. Monoprint by Flora Doehler, 2011

This is the description of the show:

Tradition & Innovation – an exhibit that invites the viewer to think about print-making as an evolving art form- opens in the Community Room, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Western Branch, on January 5 and continues until February 26, 2012. The opening reception will be held Saturday, January 7, from 2 until 4 p.m.Works are from the two print shops in South West Nova Scotia: La Manivelle in Church Point and Th’YARC Print Shop in Yarmouth.
Print makers represented include Cecil Day, Ruth Rideout, Denise Comeau, Bonnie Baker and others who have worked at one or both of the studios over the past decade. 

Iris - detail

The title ‘Tradition & Innovation’ describes the way in which traditional print-making techniques are used as well as the evolution and discovery of new methods of creating images. At the exhibit, viewers will be introduced to a variety of techniques, some old, some recent, and some recent extensions of traditional methods.
Four workshops, tied to techniques in the show, will be given over the course of the two-month exhibit.
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Western Branch is located at 341 Main Street, Yarmouth; gallery entrance is from Alma Square.
Gallery hours: Thursday – Sunday . Noon – 5:00 p.m. Information: 902 749-2248

It's VERY exciting to exhibit with accomplished artists and I'll tell you all about it when I get back from the opening. I also want to share with you the technique I used.

Blooming time for artist - Doehler works from life; channels nature with brush, paint and canvas

A very special Christmas surprise for me this year was opening the newspaper to read this article about my painting process. Thank you to Heather Killen and the Spectator!
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By Heather Killen
The Annapolis County
SPECTATOR
December 22, 2011

Painting in the garden in Bear River.

 To any painter who feels glum about that cramped studio space at a corner of the dining room table, or in the back bedroom - take heart. Flora Doehler has a perfectly good studio and most of the time she doesn’t use it.

This Bear River-based painter is now living her long-time dream. Her life is filled with art and flowers. Best of all, she has a beautiful art studio that she shares with her life partner and silversmith Larry Knox. Green Willow Studio is a nice space with lots of good light, yet Flora’s best paintings seem to happen in the yard.

Knox said he loves to watch her work because it’s seeing art in motion. Almost like a bellet of brushstrokes.

“It just happens”, he said “She’ll be walking and suddenly stop. Then the paints, the canvas, and the brushes disappear outside where she first saw the painting.”

Studied in Toronto

Doehler studied fine arts and fine crafts at the Art Centre at Central Technical School in Toronto where she was introduced to painting, printmaking, and weaving. From there she went on to study painting in Berlin and found the German Expressionists. She became mesmerized by printmaking techniques of artists like Kathe Kollwitz and Wassily Kandinsky.

Until three years ago she lived mostly in Toronto where she worked as a librarian in the school system. An avid gardener, she dreamed of a time when she and Larry were able to pursue their art and life in the country.

“I love colour and texture”, she said. “And being in the elements makes the whole process thrilling. I’m interacting with what I’m painting. I hear the birds around me and feel the moment.”

Painting in the studio in winter.

Paints From Life

She will work from photographs, but says she prefers to paint from life. Completing a painting therefore can become a race against time and the elements. In some cases the paintings take years to complete as she waits until the scene emerges the following season.

“It is a great feeling to be present with a living flower and to sense the life force of it,” she writes in her blog. “When a painting is working for me, I get lost in it and I feel like I am channeling the essence of the object of my gaze.”

Green Willow Studio is part of the Bear River Working Artists’ Studio Tour. For more information visit http://greenwillow.ca or see them at 967 Riverview Road, Bear River. (902) 467-0553.

Holiday Craft Shows

Larry and I are busy creating pieces for the upcoming craft shows in the area.

Our first stop, this coming Saturday, is the Holiday Spirit Craft Show at the Rebekah Hall in Bear River.  (See poster below).

Each pendant has a different look on each side.

Sometimes even a different colour!

There will be lots of wonderful crafts for sale as well as home made soups and bread and more!

Copper enamelled pendant

The back of the pendant above.

On December 3rd, we'll be at the Annapolis Royal Farmer's and Trader's Christmas Craft Market on December 3, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Annapolis West Education Centre.

Please drop by and say hello, we'd love to see you!

Flora's paintings in one place

I have created a website as a display for my large finished paintings. It is a 'work in progress' and I think you will like the feature that rearranges the images when you click on a tag at the top of the page. For instance,  clicking on 'landscape' brings up all the landscape paintings.

I had looked long and hard for a web design that showcased images on the home page, because this is what I want to see when I look at other artists' sites.

 I'll be adding more images and some 'back stories' about the paintings. For now, I am glad that I have taken this step to show what paintings I've completed - all in one place.

Check it out!

http://floradoehler.ca

In the meantime, I'll still blog here about the painting process and about the end results too.

Metal Arts Guild Awards for Larry Knox

Larry joined the Metal Arts Guild of Nova Scotia after moving here from Ontario 4 years ago. It is the only Metal Guild in the province and the majority of its members live in the Halifax/ Dartmouth area, a 3 hour drive from our studio. Like all things Nova Scotian, the members are friendly and welcoming. At the first meeting we attended, we were invited to stay overnight at the guild President's house - and he'd only met us once for 15 minutes at a gem and mineral show in Parrsboro! 

This month the Guild celebrated their 60th Anniversary with a show called "The Journey"and Larry entered a few pieces including this ceremonial plate inspired by the Tara Broach, found in an Irish bog.

Ancestral memory by Larry Knox
material: Brass and Lapis Lazuli.
techniques: sinking, chasing and repouse.

Larry was thrilled to win the Ellis Roulston Memorial Award for his Brass plate in the non- jewelry category, reserved for non-wearable functional items.

His second award was for this gorgeous copper vessel, part of a series he's been working on for the past year. He takes recycled drainage pipes on a journey to a new beginning as sculptural pieces that are shaped and twisted and then torched to create a patina.

New Adventure by Larry Knox
material: Copper.
techniques: sinking, raising, planishing and patina.

The title New Adventure is a nod and a wink to our blog Our Bear River Adventure that chronicles our personal journey settling into rural life in Bear River, Nova Scotia. The move made it possible for us to devote most of our time to our creative adventures.

New Adventure by Larry Knoxdetail:  Mouth of the vessel.

The show presented an opportunity to enter the competition in the production category. Although Larry didn't win, his necklaces are featured in the poster advertising the show at the Hydrostone Gallery in Halifax which was another delightful surprise:

The necklaces were inspired by the inuksuk, stone markers built by Arctic peoples and possibly used for navigational purposes.

Here is a closer look at Larry's necklaces.

The Wanderer by Larry Knoxmaterials: Copper and Enamel with hand-formed Silver findings. Leather necklace.
techniques: planishing and enamelling.

The Wanderer by Larry Knoxmaterials: Copper and Enamel with hand-formed Silver findings. Leather necklace.
techniques: planishing and enamelling.

The Wanderer by Larry KnoxHand-formed Silver findings. Leather necklace.
techniques: wire-wrapping 

The Wanderer by Larry Knoxmaterials: Copper and Enamel with hand-formed Silver findings. Leather necklace.
techniques: planishing and enamelling.

The show and sale continues in Halifax until October 30. After that it will journey to the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design where it will stay until November 17th.

There are 19 participating metalsmith artists in the show including Elizabeth Goluch, Dana Grund, and Candice Prior.

Scenes from the Garden - Paintings at the Mym Gallery

Scenes from the Garden. Showing September 24 - October 12, 2011.

I am showing a selection of paintings of my garden at the ARTsPlace Gallery in Annapolis Royal starting today. It's a great feeling to see my work on display in such a sun-filled space.

That Day in the Garden. 30" x 36"

The Gallery is open from Tuesday to Friday, 9 - 4 pm., and on weekends from 1 - 4 pm

I will be at the Gallery on Saturday, October 8th from 1 - 4 pm, after the last outdoor Annapolis Market of the season. Please drop by!

Here is a video of the work in situ!

And here are photos of all the paintings. Clicking on the images will enlarge them.

Crocosmia. 7" x 9"

 

Blue Horizons. 10" x 12"

 

The Dancers. 10" x 12"

 Dahlia and Nicotiana. 9" x 12"

I added black and white photos of my flowers to the display to give the viewer a sense of the setting I'm in.

 

The Studio. 9" x 9"

 

Flowers in a Blue Jug. 11" x 14"

 

Red Gladiolas. 9" x 9"

 

The Blue Jug. 9" x 9"

 

Iris Seed Pods and Zinnia. 11" x 14"

 

Gladiolas. 9" x 12"

 

Joe & Tansy. 9" x 9"

 

Cordelia's House. 22" x 22"

 

Nasturtium. 9" x 12"

The price list for the paintings is here. 

Paintings can be purchased through the Gallery or you can contact me at flora.doehler@gmail.com.  

New Paintings for the Gallery in Bear River

Hello again! Where does the time go? I've been busy in the studio finishing up canvases to take to the gallery at the Flight of Fancy here in Bear River as the tourism season approaches.  It's feels good to finish up these pieces and to make more space in the studio for new work.

In the Sunlight
30" x 36" acrylic on canvas by Flora Doehler $1200 CAN
at the Flight of Fancy, Bear River Nova Scotia

In the Sunlight was painted while snow still covered the field outside our studio which made it even more thrilling to study these tulips.....actually 2 different bouquets because it took me a while to finish this painting.

Feeling Sentimental
24" x 30" acrylic on canvas by Flora Doehler $900 CAN
at the Flight of Fancy, Bear River Nova Scotia

Feeling Sentimental was painteds with acrylics using a wet-in-wet approach. I wanted to get a dreamy mood to the painting to convey the joy of a summer's garden bouquet. I started this late last fall when the blooms were still coming, and finished it over the winter.

Gladiolas
24" x 30" oil on canvas by Flora Doehler $1200 CAN
at the Flight of Fancy, Bear River Nova Scotia

I painted Gladiolas using a combination of oilpaint and oil sticks. I love the smell of oil paint and would eventually like to replace my acrylics with it. I enjoy building up texture with oil and I also like the line I can get with the oil sticks.

Hidden in the Shadows
24" x 30" acrylic on canvas by Flora Doehler $975 CAN
at the Flight of Fancy, Bear River Nova Scotia

I blogged about painting Hidden in the Shadows. I really liked its outcome and feel inspired to explore more interiors in my painting.

The Green Trees Whispered
24" x 30" acrylic on canvas by Flora Doehler $850 CAN
at the Flight of Fancy, Bear River Nova Scotia

The title The Green Trees Whispered is taken from a Longfellow poem. This bucolic scene is my interpretation of the view out of one of our studio windows. We are up the hill from the river and these trees serve as a wind break and are always moving and dancing. I love the sound of the wind in the trees. It sounds like an ancient conversation.

It feels great to move these paintings downtown where I hope they will find happy homes! If you are curious about any of them, please let me know and I'll try to answer your questions in a timely manner!!

There is no actual rest though. The garden beckons and we must prepare for the upcoming outdoor markets int Bear River (Sunday afternoons) and Annapolis Royal (Saturday mornings). But, it's all good!