More Totems

Hi--Well, here is the mostly completed photo of the totem painting I was working on in my last note. I have been "fighting" with this totem for about four different tries now, and finally realized that I needed to cut out most of the surrounding foliage and concentrate on the image instead. I then decided to add some more NorthWest Indian images to give the painting more interest. Here is my third try:



I still wasn't too happy with it, so tried a new approach. Here it is--I think I like this one!



Anyway, it is going to be framed and put with the other totem paintings for now. I may try another approach later, but this one is the last one of the group for now. I am not through with totems and have still more totems I want to paint in this series in the future.

I am going to be working on a sketchbook project with 10 other artists. We each choose a theme, enter it in our sketchbook, then hand the book to the next artist who draws in it something relating to the initial theme. This artist continues handing the sketchbook to the next artist, etc., at one month intervals. It will be interesting to see how others depict each others theme. This same group wants to start exchanging artist's cards. I am not sure about how interesting that would be, I will try it though.

Painter's Progress with an apology to John Milton

Hi, I am Allene Soshea, and I am (mostly) a watercolorist who paints realistic scenes, subjects and other things that intrigue me. I paint in my studio in my home. I also teach watercolor to several students of varying skill levels. I presently show my paintings at the Arts of Snohomish Gallery in Snohomish, Washington. I plan to use this blog to inform you what I am currently painting and what I have done in the past.

I have been working on a series of totem paintings. Most of these are totems, found in various spots in British Columbia. Some are abandoned in the woods on various islands. They were abandoned after potlatches and left to return to the earth. I have entitled them the “Forgotten Ones”, numbers 1,2,and 3.





I am presently working on this painting of Totem # 3 in the “Forgotten Ones”series (19” x 20”’) . In this painting, I have used pen and ink to draw various N.W. Indian motifs found on totems and carvings and have arranged them into a border on the top and bottom of the watercolor painting. After some considertion, I have decided to bring the painting down and around each motif. I will do the same on the top motifs. Although I usually work on Arches 300# cold press, this painting is being done on Arches hot press paper.

I have just begun to paint the totem itself. It is made of wood as are the other two in this series. The wood probably is still damp from the frequent rains in this part of B.C. and so looks like a very dark wood. I will most likely finish this painting in the next few days, and will reproduce it inhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif my next blog.

Please view my website and contact me if you would like to purchase one of my paintings or discuss a project.