Private Idaho

living in my own private Idaho....


Just recently got back from a vacation we...(the whole crew...plus two dogs)... took to Idaho...to the Sandpoint area...which is an amazing place....

where every single sunset feels like a miracle.

and....it was-of course- when most people are done with summer vacations....and the place was quiet...and private-like.  :) which was lovely.  

the lake....cool and clear...the sun....warm.


I took some time to paint and work on an idea I have for some landscapes.


Here are some pics of my fun studio...and supplies...and rocks I found....

in the background, Lake Pend Oreille.

It was a lovely few minutes of painting...

and working out a potential idea...

I just used small square watercolor sheets...

also....

this....

I'm not that excited about melted marshmallows....but...where there's a campfire...well...it's just- not an option to skip out...especially when kids are around...just burning marshmallows....that's...just...fun...and if the marshmallow is perfectly golden...and smooshy between chocolate and graham...ok- I can't resist...it is...yummy.


This part of Idaho...is so beautiful...

and this...

This was a great time of year to visit...

and I could just get lost in my own private Idaho....indefinitely...in a dizzy daze.

where everywhere I looked...turned into a watercolor scene....with colors bleeding...greens and golds....into the water.....mesmerizing... dreamy.  

16 minutes...

also today....

I worked on this...

Totally different mood....going for calming...soothing....green.  

I did the first sketch and pass of watercolors in 16 minutes.  I wanted to keep it quick.... 

movement....color...shape....simple...and that is enough. 

crisp... 

a fellow watercolorist commented of my style..."loose and concise"....I love that.  (thanks Martin) 

here it is....

maybe a little more concise today.... but still loose.

a bigger view....

and another step back...

and there it is...a rather quick one...not just 16 minutes... more than 16 minutes... maybe 16 minutes times 2.


peace and love <3....and tranquility.

Finger tips...

The soft...tender touch of a finger tip.

I've only one other time painted this way....a very long time ago when I left my brushes at home accidentally....out with a friend on the lake on a summer's day...out in the middle of a lake in Minnesota....on a boat....no brushes....just finger tips...thanks for the idea Martin.


and here I am writing...starting this blog post before I even touch the paper with my fingers...before I even sketch....

I will be back.....
**********************



starting....this painting...I had hopes I would do the whole thing with fingers.... but the flat brush kept calling my name....and pulled me to it.

and continuing....looks like a drop of blood...bleeding life into the paper.  

I had a mix of fingertips...flatbrush....and round..... 

I hope to come back to this painting and push the lights and darks further....

love the red...burning through the paper.  

and the bleeding watermarks.  

and a close up...I will probably re-work this a bunch...a fun study to play around with and see how far I can push it.  

and later on...

I darkened some areas and then added instagram pic...looks softer...still....will work on this more later.    

peace...and love.... <3 and paint...here's to paint (and caffeine).   

<3

Music

Music is my coffee in the morning...before I get coffee...

it's like pre-coffee.

Music...sets the emotion...

If I could be that person who figures out the most perfect song to play at that most crucial moment in a movie...I would love that.


In the Thomas Crown Affair.... that song...at that moment...chills.  I won't say what it is..in case you haven't watched the movie...and want to..but.... it is incredible.   love that song.  if you've seen the movie...you know exactly what I mean.

and...AND...the moment little Christian Bale sings the Welsh song in Empire of the Sun.....is....perfect....



anyway- ramblings today...ramblings of music..and all it does...changes moods....chills my kids out when I play them Jazz... mood altering drug...music.

elevating....essential...



and inspirational....calming....mystical...sensual.  music.

I make mix CDs for every trip...by the end of the trip...those songs...that music....sticks....sets memories to song...and when we hear those songs....we remember.


music....also melody in language....which I love....intonation...(see Linguistics blog post)



Driving in the car today...I thought of art and linguistics...and something that connects them...I'll have to further that thought later...but...things that seem unrelated....so distant from each other...can have strong connections...heck....everything is connected in some way...with some degree of separation...take Kevin Bacon for example.  :)


I feel so very 80s in the pic below...

peace... love...and music... and Christian Bale.

the game...

the game....

Recently I commented on a fellow watercolorist's painting...about how I loved the way he treated light and shadows...

he replied, "I am absolutely captivated by the game of light and shadow everywhere I go..."

Amazing....it's amazing that he said that....it really stuck with me. I feel the same way...something I will expand on in a future post.

His name is Beni Gassenbauer....and here is his site. Check out his work.


Today....a game of light and shadow... first the sketch....as always...the sketch.... with my yellow...and pink today.

work....the studio today...inside...wherever there is natural light...that's where I set up...

a close-up

a different view....

and that was today's painting...on a cold and rainy day....celebrating the game of light and shadows....

Peace.....love  <3 and lovely light....and doing something daring.  

it makes me absolutely blissful when I paint something...that I love.  

Morning

morning....


always a fresh start... and this morning...was...a whole new ball game for me.  running around....getting kids ready and take a new first grader to school...and then the puppy pooped in the house....ugh.

and

I am NOT a morning person...   but...I try.... :)

random ramblings today...

i rarely overcook veggies...i love when they still have some crunch to them...

i can drive a manual...and both love and miss it

i make a pretty decent batch of spaghetti sauce

living with me, means living with paint...in really weird places...

and paint brushes everywhere...at the ready.

i love Sade...I know...I know.... :)  I can't deny it.

i prefer coffee....cold- full of ice and milk...whole milk...

obstacles...or challenges in my way...only make me work that much harder...i'm not easily deterred, my poor Mom knows this so well...so well- and bless her heart for it.

i think...i might have a super power...or two.  (especially after....a whole lotta caffeine)

and.... i love watercolors...

this was a really quick sketchy watercolor I did the other day and then i kicked up the colors using a camera app...

i took a long long break from painting while I was working on my dissertation (Linguistics)....and i really didn't know...when...or how the painting would come back...but...it's back... now...i'm really trying to paint every day...even if it's just for 15 minutes...


Peace....love...and super powers.

Summer...bum.

bummer....  :)

ahhhhhhhhhhh........ Summmmmmmer......




As summer....comes to an abrupt stop...with the start of school...and a new Fall schedule of chauffeuring kids around...I think back on....the heat of the summer.


I painted this today...with warm glowing colors that remind me of summer...and those hot days...when all I did was wear a bikini all day long...could NOT be bothered with clothes...not having air conditioning does that to a person....


this reminds me of those summer days...hanging with kids and cooling down with the sprinkler...going to the pool...getting slurpees...

and so... here it is....I started using my favorite yellow watercolor pencil...and then...a pink on top of that...and re-worked the drawing...

and re- working it....almost like molding....as if with clay.  

These colors...just...can feel the heat...

a close- up...


and the full one....

I guess it's time to find warmer clothes....

Peace...love...and summer.