Is this really watercolor?

HOT WEATHER

2009-08-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

We have had a most unusual occurence here in the cool northwest. We had a week of 100 degree plus temperature. With fans blowing on us, we survived. Our house does stay relatively cool because of thick insulation and triple glazed windows--which keeps heat out, but, we are finding them not repairable when the spring mechanism (that keeps the window up) is broken.
But, it was cool enough for my intrepid band of painters to come here on Tuesday for their class, and again on Thursday for the "all paint together" session.

I have started a painting of land iguanas, three of them, eating prickly pears and generally looking iguana-ish. Some of them are wonderfully colorful. After this I want to do a large tortoise as found in the Galapagos. He (or she) has a wonderful expression which I want to capture. An article in the Christian Science Monitor, with pictures, whetted my interest in the Galapagos. I usually don't know where my next painting subject will come. Makes things interesting. I expect that I will return to painting the Northwest soon, though. There is so very much beauty here. Allene

I am back

2009-06-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

I have been silent for a while as I have been under the weather, but now am healthy again, and have recovered from my illnesses and from the methods used to cure them. The cure in some cases was worse than the illness.

I have been painting again, and am still working on large northwest scenes. My biggest problem is to be critical of an area and then work on it until it is half dead!--or totally dead! My first painting is the best, not the redone one.

Carole, Eric and Gina (the kids) brought dinner here last night and cooked it for Fathers Day. Actually I really enjoyed watching them in the kitchen. They are all pretty good cooks. If I can figure out how to add photos to this blog once again, I will do so. Otherwise Ièll have to wait until I get the durn thing figured out. Allene

A sunny day

2009-04-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

Yippee, a sunny day. So wonderful to have one! It is even 72 degrees outside. Dick is planting his garden as the soil is at last warm enough.

I am working on my newest painting still. It has a complicated rocky background, so has a lot of different forms in the back. It is still fun to work on it, the painting hasnt gotten to that difficult finishing up stage yet.

You may notice that I am very short on my supplies of apostrophes. My keyboard simply wont print one. I have brushed it, banged it on the desk, blown compressed air into the keys, and still cannot dislodge whatever is stuck in that key. I may have to actually buy a new one. grrrr.

Carole (daughter) is coming for dinner. She is one of my toughest critics, but usually right on. I will have her take a look at this newest painting.

I now have my paintings on Imagekind and Yessy. So far no nibbles for sales. But, I remain hopeful. I have been looking at Artspan, they sound as if they have good services for artists, but they are more expensive. So, I am still thinking about them. I would like to sell some paintings through them. On Imagekind, I can order prints at a reasonable price and have them sent to me to sell. I plan to do that for a couple of open air sales we will be having in May and June. Well see hos productive thatis. Allene

Grandchildren

2009-04-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

My grandchildren, ages 16,11 and 8 are coming here for a visit this weekend. I have paintings to give to two of them, and must get them framed. One is of Garfield for the 8 year old, The other is of the 12 year old playing and practicing baseball. They both were fun to do, especially the baseball one, as I painted Andrew (the grandchild) in 5 different activities on the painting. (Well, One activity was Andrew showing his dog at a dogshow, the rest were baseball.)
The 16 year old, Maria, does not have her birthday until June, and I have to decide whether I should gift her now or later. She will be working this summer, and wont be out here with the rest of them, sigh.

A gallery artist thinks I should advertise painting various children or grandchildren doing their favorite things. I will do that, and see if I get a nibble. Allene

www.Allene

Reading mail

2009-04-08T12:45:00.000-07:00

At last I checked for comments, and was delighted to find a couple. Anne and Bud, Eric took a job with a medical electronics company in Issaquah, a town east of here. It is not a bad commute for him, and he plans to ride his bicycle some days.

Liana, thanks for the mouse poem. Sounds charming. Now, if I could only hear you sing it.

I talked to Arlis about Mike (my nephew who is having cancer treatment.) He feel pretty miserable, I asked what the medical marijuana laws are there. Marijuana is used here, as the law allows it, for medical problems, and nausea from chemo-therapy seems to be helped a lot by it.

Thats all with th family news!! Allene

Well, nearly spring. April 8, 2009.

2009-04-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

It is gray and cloudy today, supposed to start raining this afternoon. Oh, well, spring will surely come some day.
Went to my sketchbook project last night. There are 12 of us exchanging sketch books. I had fun with drawing portals--the theme of the book. Some entries were really formal with poetry by Rumi and complicated locks and doors. I chose to do a humble mouse hole with a welcome to his or her world. I can not be serious all the time!

My computer keyboard still has the flu. When I try to type an apostrophe, I get È. When I try to type a question mark, I get É also. I am still trying to remove whatever bit of detritus that is screwing things up. I really dont want to buy a new keyboard. Anyway, you will find my blogs devoid of apostrophes in contractions and question marks.

Today I am going to see my daughter, have lunch with her, and hopefully get my unruly locks shortened.. So, I will only have a few hours to work on my newly begun painting of a rocky British Columbia shore. I am still painting large, 22 by 30 inch, paintings. Fun to be able to spread out like that and have a greater challenge.

I am in a constant intellectual battle over whether I should paint abstracts or stay with realism. I truly love painting in a realistic representational style, but keep thinking I should branch out into something looser. My heart is not in another style, though. Oh, wurra, wurra me. Any comments from you that have seen my paintings. My website is AlleneSoshea.com and at Imagekind.

Adendum:

2009-04-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

If you would like to see my newest paintings, go to www.imagekind.com or to Yessy.com and click on my name in the artist lists. Allene

Sunshine at last!

2009-04-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

It is possible spring has sprung here. I am still a little suspicious, as we were having snow day before yesterday, but the sun is shining gloriously today. Dick (husband dear) is aking the temperature of the soil in his garden to see if the snow pea seeds and garlic he wants to plant will germinate or lay there and shiver.

I am going to be taking part in a plein aire painting event in Snohomish (our local town) this month, and have a table to sell prints. I have been spending time this a.m. trying to master the art of ordering my prints from Imagekind. I am sure it is easy, but have not found the right page yet. It better be easy, or else what would all my eager customers do!

I have once again started another LARGE painting of the Pacific Northwest trees and rocks on an island somewhere in British Columbia. I also have been working on a friends sketchbook for the sketchbook project a group of us are doing. We work in each others sketchbook, writing or painting in the theme the artist has chosen. Then we trade books all around. This month the sketchbook I have been working in has the theme of portals. Some artists are really formally creative, with quotes from Rumi (an ancient Greek poet) and depict locks and doors, etc. Me, I am humbly offering a mouse hole with a little brown mouse. Welcome to HER world. Wonder if I can find some mouse poetry. Allene

Of course it snowed on April 1st!

2009-04-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

It is a common question here, is, when is it going to be spring. Most of us here in Washington state are tired of cold, wet, rainy weather. We have a new word, Snaining--a combination of rain and snow, which it has been doing all too often these days.

My painting has been going well, I have finished two more large paintings. My daughter Carole has been giving me some valuable critiques--except they usually mean reworking some areas. This is both good and bad--I need to remember to keep a light hand with changes.

I have my paintings on two internet web sites, Yessy and Art ID. So far not a nibble. I am looking for alternate places to hang, as the gallery business seems very slow these days. Sigh. My teaching is going well, though. I need to add another class at the gallery classroom. I prefer my cozy studio, but I would like to increase the size of the class.

My grandogger (shepherd-type) broke her foot when on squirrel patrol--the squirrel jumped up on the fence, but Kya couldnt stop in time. She now has her foot in a big white cast and is not too happy about that. It will take several weeks before it is all healed, as she crushed her foot. Squirrel patrol is something that she does seriously.

I am sorry for the long hiatus in messages, but I have been a bit under the weather. But, Things are looking up now, and if it gets sunny, it will really be good. Allene

Good News

2009-02-12T21:35:00.000-08:00

Eric has gotten a job offer!!! Such very good news!! Now I have just one unemployed son, he will get one also, also, I think. Things have to be looking up in S.F,

Second good news is I have finally finished my rocky island painting. I must get it photographed and on my blog. I now have 2 new, large paintings finished this year, you can see one of them on my website, it is a painting of trees in a forest glade with a sunny area. Then I also have finished my leaf triptych. So, I have a bit of framing to do.

I promised myself that I would not do more little paintings--ones that fit into a 16x20 inch frame. I had been painting mostly this size as these fit into the gallery spaces better. But, I really like to paint large paintings--gives me a real sense of accomplishment, and gives the painting a better impact.

Dick just got home from a meeting, so will write more later. Allene

Is spring coming?

2009-02-07T21:02:00.000-08:00

Well, we have our "Snohomish Slew" bullfrog here instead of the groundhog in Puxatawney to tell us if spring is coming soon or not. Since snow is forecast for the next three days, I think we really didn't need Snohomish Slew to tell us about the seasons.

I have been entering my name into "linkedIn.com" the past few days. It is a little time consuming to enter all the information, but it should be a great help with marketing my paintings--I hope. Presently there are 5 Sosheas listed--two of my children, Steven and Eric, and then Dick, my husband and me. There also is another Soshea listed, Bryan, he is the son of our nephew. Surprised to see him on the list. LinkedIn.com is a very interesting site.

I am even more committed to continue painting a series of Northwest Forests and Islands, and have a new one on the drawing board. This one is of the forest, with twisted trees, etc. Very interesting shapes. I have many photographs that I have taken of these subjects, so feel I have a veritable rich treasure of subjects. I'll try to get pictures of these paintings on my blog soon, now that I know how to set the number of pixels that the camera to transports, to a reasonable size.

We had an artist reception at our gallery this evening for a Valentine show. My job was to pour wine! Several months ago, I took a three hour course with a test at the end from a member of the state alcohol board to be able to serve wine to people at our receptions. We are quite careful of these rules, as we are in a town owned building. We didn't have a great attendance as it was cold, etc., but some receptions are just packed with people. You all would have a good time at one of our receptions We have a table filled with good h'or douvres, very interesting artists to talk with, and, not the least, very good and interesting art to see. Tomorrow starts another week, with time to paint after church. Allene

Perhaps I need to explain???

2009-02-03T22:17:00.000-08:00

Hi, When I chose the name of this blog, "Is this really watercolor", I was repeating what many of my customers and others say when looking at my paintings for the first time. The viewer thinks my paintings are oil or pastel or something--as everyone knows watercolor is a direct, "thinly" applied, rather sketchy way of painting. I do not paint in that way. I really like watercolors when they are painted quite realistically and with several coats of paints, which leads some viewers to make that initial remark.

I am struggling with a painting of a rocky island in British Columbia, on the Straits of Georgia. These islands have many eroded and differently shaped rocks. At first, I painted the rocks with too many colors, then spent the next day in dulling them down and making the colors more uniform without being boring. I think I may at last be on the right track.

My second major problem was in using Winsor Newton watercolor paper. I'm sure that many artists really love this paper. I find that I really miss the toughness of Arches paper which I usually use. I have put my toothbrush aside for removing mistakes, and went to a soft sponge instead in order to not rough up the paper a lot when removing color. I am used to being able to really SCRUB the Arches paper, and it takes that treatment very well. So I not only have to work with the colors and shapes of the eroded rocks, but I have to learn how to use a paper with different qualities. Well, it is at last coming along, takes me a while to learn how to use new things!! :o(

Dick (loving husband type) is studying the instruction booklet for our new camera. He will start photographing quite a few paintings to put on Imagekind.com This organizations prints and markets copies of your paintings. I am eager to see how well this works.

I have tried to post photos on my last two blogs with no success. It comes from not understanding our new camera very well. When I get this all figured out, I will then send you the photos I have promised. Allene

Still Winter--

2009-01-25T16:08:00.000-08:00

It started snowing last night, and is still snowing this afternoon (Sunday.) People here are not overjoyed to see snow here again. THis is a most unusual winter for us. We have had a nasty inversion layer over us, with thick fog, for a week, and now snow again.
It does make the landscape beautiful, but it is beautiful without snow too.

I have finished my leaf triyptich, now am starting on a large watercolor of very eroded beach rocks that will cover the entire picture plane, except for a little bit of blue sky and ocean. While digging through my ample supply of photos yesterday, looking for one to "catch my eye", I found another picture of an abandoned totem pole that I will paint as # 4 in the totem series.

The snow will provide me with several quiet days of painting.

I now have a few of my paintings listed on Art Id. (There is no space between the t and I in their url. I put the space there for clarity.)) I need to put more images on that website today. I am hopeful that I will get some actions through both "yessy" and ArtId. It certainly would be nice to have some sales! Allene

January happenings

2009-01-14T16:15:00.000-08:00

Well, this has been a very interesting few weeks. First, we had 24 inches of snow at Christmas. This may not seem like much to you in the "frozen North", but to us here, near Seattle, it was a tremendous amount. The roads were blocked, and no one had enough snow plows etc. It did make for a quiet Christmas, as travel was so difficult. New Years was not better, as we then had a lot of rain, even by our Northwest standards, and the rain was in the mountains, also, so the large and unstable snowpack started to melt. All of that water had to go somewhere, and it certainly did, down the rivers and valleys in the state. We live at the edge of a large and beautiful valley which became completely full of water. I have a few pictures to show you. This was one of the worst floods that this area has ever had.
I have been painting, and got all of my Christmas paintings for my children "almost" done--done enough that I could bring them out and show them. I have a few things like framing to do yet. Our grandchildren were supposed to be here for the week after Christmas from Connecticut, but the plane flights were cancelled because of the weather. BUMMER.

Now for painting news:I am presently working on a large triptych of autumn leaves. I have also placed photos of some of my paintings on Yessy.com, a painting web site that I hope will sell some of my paintings. I also intend to place paintings on Imagekind, which makes reproductions of paintings for sale. I had to get a new camera that takes 8 pixel pictures for this website, so we got a new camera for us for Christmas. I am also teaching watercolor every Tuesday afternoon. I have 4 pupils at all different skill levels, so makes it pretty interesting for me. I plan to increase my teaching time this spring.

I alsoplan to renew my interest in painting with pastels and oil. So, I have a full schedule for spring. Allene

Late Thursday thoughts

2008-10-23T23:49:00.000-07:00

Well, it is late Thursday, and I have had another most pleasant day with my painting group. There are 6 of us that meet every Thursday to paint and help each other with our problems. We get a lot of work done, and have developed deep friendships with our painting times.
I am presently working on a full watercolor sheet of a forest scene. I'm having a little trouble incorporating sunlit areas in with the rest of the dark foliage. I can't decide whether to leave the areas sunblasted with very little detail, or to just make the painting very light in the sunny areas. When I finish it, I will photograph it and put in my next entry.
Currently most of my friends are really involved with the coming election. Mixed with this is the latest report on how many Iraquis killed in the war so far--800,000. I have a poster I painted very early on in this conflict, I will pull it out and add the new data and will photo it and put it in the next blog also. I have never produced a poster about a subject like this before--think I have been able to disconnect myself with world events until now. Must be my increasing age!! makes me more reverent about life.Allene

2008-10-20T23:15:00.000-07:00

Well, finally----

2008-10-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

Yes, well finally I am back. Sorry for the long interval of silence. Life interferes with painting and art.
I have hung 20 paintings in the Arts of Snohomish Gallery for a featured show. We had a lovely reception, too bad you weren't there! The show continues until November 2. I tried a new way of finishing my watercolors--mounting them on canvas with Golden soft gel, spraying the surface with a UV protective acrylic varnish, and painting the edge of the canvas with a paint. I really like the appearance of these, no glass between the picture and the viewer. I will definitely do this again.
The art show attendees really liked the look of these also. And, yippee, no frame needed.
I'll put a few of my paintings in this blog so you can see that my favorite subjects are from nature.

More Totems

2008-06-18T15:33:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

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.