koukla carolyn

Mixed Floral on Aquabord, watercolor (6×6), 2008

I tried out watercolor on aquabord for the first time here. In a lot of ways I really like aquabord. I like that I have more to play around with the paint once I apply it. It is also easier to “scrub out” mistake or cover over paint in general. I do think that I should have tried an easier composition though because I felt a little overwhelmed trying to paint all those flowers.

Happy Easter everyone!

Multicolor Rose, watercolor and pitt pen, 2008

Rose against Violet Background, watercolor, 2008

These are some roses from the bouquet that Jeet gave me some time ago. The top one was the front of Jeet’s Valentine’s Day card and I did the second one in my watercolor sketchbook. I am not happy with either of them but I also don’t have much experience with white and light colored roses because they are so much more challenging to me. Usually I just draw them in graphite or pass them over all together in favor of the pink and red ones. The multicolored rose was originally cream colored with peach edges. I bungled it up however and added blue in for shadows which was the wrong color to use. The bottom rose was all white but I did the shadows in blues and purples there too and I think I overdid it. All in all though, I think it was okay that I got the practice and I know my next attempts will be a lot better.

Yellow Lily, watercolor (5×7), 2007

I took my exam on Monday and got a 94, which gave me such a feeling of satisfaction. I never have to worry about taking it again, which is nice. The best part is getting to do my own things after work without worrying about studying and practicing sample tests. Now I will have more time to work on art!

This is a watercolor painting of a lily that I did on a blank greeting card a few months ago. I remember that my hands were in intense pain when I did it and at the time I was surprised that it turned out so well. Now that my hands are in good shape again I can do more detailed work, but I really like the looseness of this piece.

Ruggles sketch, ballpoint on kraft paper, 2007

Ruggles on Chair, watercolor and colored pencil, 2008

I did these two versions of Ruggles a few months ago from a photo I found while cleaning out my parent’s attic. I am going to do drawings from all the photos I found and maybe compile some sort of collection of all my Ruggles related drawings and paintings. Now that he is gone, I wish I had spent more time drawing him when I had the chance. I really do miss Ruggles and I can’t wait until my parents get another dog. I won’t be able to get a dog for a few years and my parents getting one is the closest thing available to me having one.

I still haven’t been doing any artwork and I miss it so badly. My big exam is on Monday and I have the day off of work so I think I will spend Monday afternoon getting back into my artwork. I can’t wait until I can come home from work and do my own thing instead of studying for hours on end. Working full time has been a real adjustment for me because over the past year I have gotten used to doing whatever I wanted with no real demands on my time. Overall though, I think that working is just what I need right now.

Rose Corsage (5×7), watercolor and colored pencil, 2008

I did this a few weeks ago from a photo of my mom’s corsage in my wedding. I did change the colors around a bit by making the background and the ribbon blue, but I really do like how it came out. The one thing I don’t like is that I taped one of the borders crooked and the piece isn’t completely square. I haven’t been doing any artwork whatsoever for a few weeks as I’ve been studying for an important exam. I take it in one more week so after that I should get back to my old routine, I hope.

Big Flowers, watercolor (8×10), 2007

I did this watercolor back in the summer. I like the boldness of it, but it was really more of a practice sketch than a finished piece. I painted it from a flower arrangement that Jeet bought me, although I altered the composition and made it more of a closeup.

Daisy on Sink, watercolor (5×7), 2007

Jeet and I were married six months ago today. I painted this little watercolor from a photo I took on the mini honeymoon we took in Stockbridge, MA. This daisy was on the sink in our bathroom and I knew that I would want to paint it eventually. I am not entirely happy with the way it came out so I think I might want to do another iteration at some point in the future. One of the problems I had was that everything was white in the photo. The background was originally white beadboard but I changed it to a blue wall because I felt it needed more contrast. I think next time I will try to paint it more like the original.

Mixed Floral Sketch, watercolor (4×6), 2007

Although this is something I’ve done a long time ago, it is really similar to the things which I have been doing lately. (I’m hoping to get my scanner set up soon.) I’ve reverted back to florals again, probably because I am overwhelmed with things going on in my life and I feel safe and comfortable with florals. I have to say I am disappointed in this trend I see in myself. It is not because I do not like florals. They have been my old standby for years and I have been drawing flowers since I can remember drawing as a child. I just feel like there are too many botanical artists out there and I’m not doing anything new or exciting by painting more flowers/plants. I feel like I need to go in a new direction.

Happy New Year everyone! This New Year’s has been particularly stressful for me because I moved over the weekend and I’ve been unpacking and getting everything arranged. I like my new place so far and once I get everything set up, I will have enough room to have a small art area for myself. In the meantime, I do not have my scanner set up so I will not be able to scan my current stuff but I do have a backlog of things that I haven’t put up yet.

I have never been much into making New Year’s Resolutions but this year I am going to give it a try. My general resolution is to do Bible study more frequently and to take better care of my health (mentally and physically). My art goals are to 1.) Practice daily sketching. I have been better at this in the past and I need to make it a habit again. 2.) Continue to work in watercolor and try reading more books and getting more information on the technical aspects of watercolor. I feel like I need to learn more of the basics because I am still having frequent “accidents” and mishaps. 3.) Take some sort of workshop or art class. I feel that the critique will do me good and it is hard to get an honest opinion from people who know you or are not knowledgeable about art.

Smokies, watercolor and pen (5×7), 2007

This painting is from a photo I took while in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. It was in October when I took the trip but I made things a bit more green and blue in this painting. I do like how the color palette and ink work came out. I painted this watercolor for my father as a Christmas present and it does look really nice in a frame.

Overlook, watercolor and dip pen (5×7), 2007

This is a watercolor I painted last week for one of my uncles as a Christmas gift. I painted it from a photo I took while driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway last October. I had been promising my uncle a painting for a long time and I wanted to paint this scene anyway. Everyone liked it so I take it as a good sign, although I would have liked to have made it a lot better. I have not really gotten the hang of watercolor yet and I still feel like it is hit or miss for me. I would love to take a watercolor class or read some watercolor books in the upcoming year.

Jeet and I are getting ready to move this weekend so everything is in flux. I don’t think I am going to be able to spend any real time on artwork until next week sometime and I am feeling a bit frazzled with everything going on.