You know you're not in Kansas anymore when...

 During the worst part of the demonstrations here in Bahrain, the company sent all the women and children to Dubai to wait until things settled down a bit.  So while staying in the very nice Kempinski hotel in the Mall of the Emirates (the mall that has the indoor ski slope!)  I had lots of time to shop and site see.
I was so thrilled when I wandered into a bookstore in the mall and found some art magazines!  I haven't had my mits on an American Artist magazine for months and when I got back to my room and eagerly started reading my treasured find, this is what I found!  

Definately a "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore" moment!

Bahrain Pearl Roundabout under siege this morning!

My view of the smoke from burning tents as the Saudi Army attempts to clear the protesters from the Pearl Roundabout also known erroneously as "Pearl Square".  We pray and watch between what is going on around us and the news from Japan where our youngest son, daughter in-law and their son are living.

Watercolor Experiment, Floating Market Thailand

Watercolor Canvas (YES Brand) 24X30 Watercolor and Acrylic mat medium

I've worked on this new watercolor canvas called 'Yes' Canvas before, as you may remember but haven't actually used it as a "traditional watercolor" substructure before.  I usually do some abstract mixed media type stuff on them.  I have wanted to create a very large watercolor and have had a 45X45" piece of watercolor paper stretched out and ready to begin in my studio since July or August but every time I look at it the idea of framing it gives me cold feet and I go work on something else.  So I decided to experiment on a 'Yes' Canvas to see if I could get the look of traditional watercolor I want without having to deal with the size and weight of traditional framing afterword.   Of course I often make some big mistake by getting ahead of myself and this project was no different.  I actually painted this whole underpainting in watercolor instead of using acrylic as watercolor.  For those unfamiliar with the properties of watercolor this means that the paint is resoluble and will lift if you re wet it unlike acrylic.  On watercolor paper this isn't such a big problem as you usually have to agitate the surface quite a bit to lift the paint significantly and it has to get pretty wet as well.  On this 'Yes' Canvas the dry paint lifts instantly when touched with a wet brush!  I realized my mistake as I tried to begin my second layer with more wet watercolor.  I then realized that I should have used acrylic as watercolor instead which would have solved two problems. The lifting of each layer and how to protect the finished painting.  I didn't want to completely start over so I decided to see if I could lightly paint a coat of liquid gel mat medium over this layer without lifting the watercolor too badly.  It wasn't easy because the paint lifts so easily on this canvas surface but I finally managed even though it did blur the paint in some areas.  Now I am ready to continue but I will not make the mistake again and will go forth with thin layers of acrylic instead of using the traditional watercolors.  We'll see how it goes.  I thoroughly enjoyed working on this surface with the watercolor up to the point when I tried to add the second layer so am very encouraged that I my be able to create my very large watercolor on a Yes canvas.  I would love to hear if about any experience you have had working with this product.

Playing around with Picasso's Camel

Picasso's Camel

My version

a sampling of the preliminary sketches

I didn't even know Picasso had a camel actually, but I saw it on a tea set at a friend's house and thought it was a great design idea for a repeatable image.  I figured if it is on a tea set it probably is not copy righted, but still I would rather come up with my own stuff rather than just repeat someone else's image.  One of the main things I didn't like about Picasso's version was that it has two humps and the camels here in Bahrain have only one.  I wasn't particularly fond of the head either as it looks more like a llama to me.  The other thing is that the camels hold their heads even with or lower than their hump most of the time in my observance.  The camels feet are like big cleft thick pancakes that spread out all the way around the leg as they step.  Their bellies protrude and their hips are really small through the flank area.
   So I set about making my own version.  I drew and redrew and redrew some more.  I bet I have drawn this out over a hundred times and it is still not perfect!  It is amazing how the tiniest variation makes such a difference when you are dealing with such a simple design.  When I drew the camel too close to reality (much more spread out from head to tail) then the design wasn't as interesting.  I had to compromise back and forth trying to perfect the image so that it was both recognizable as a camel around here and a pleasing design element.  I wonder how many times Picasso drew his out.  Probably only once... I guess that's what makes him Picasso! LOL!

More from the same series

Forth in Series

As with the first three prints that I posted yesterday
I just continued each successive print from the previous print's ghost, adding new elements as I went along.

Fifth

Sixth

Something New

First in series

Second in Series

I  decided to play around with the camel stamps I made and just see what came up and here is the result.  I just kept reworking the ghost plate from each pull and so there are several variations on the original theme.

Third in Series

Wow! Thanks for the support!

 I am so humbled and amazed that there are actually 101 people out there that are willing to regularly come check in on my blog and check my progress from time to time!  Geez, I will have to get back to work so there is something for you to follow! LOL! Actually you are all a big part of my art world  especially as I use my blog as an incentive to keep working since I have been moving around so much lately.  Sometimes you just need a push to keep going kind of like having a workout partner in an exercise program. All of your input and comments mean so much to me and are so uplifting.  Thanks so much to all of you, I really appreciate your following my blog!

Camel vs. Aspen!

Too funny! I just realized that the pose of this camel is almost exactly the pose of
my little studio dog, Aspen!  Am I attracted to the same pose in all animals? Hmmm.
A Series perhaps?.....We'll see, I am so predictable after all! LOL!

Birth of Venus as a Camel?

I think with a shell under her... Okay, maybe it just felt like a birthing!  It's not always easy to make an image in stamp or print form, at least for me.  There are just so many ways you could go with the design.

This is the same camel that I used for the monoprint with the camel.  I liked her pose.  I have other camel images I am working with from different views.  This image is 5.25".

Here is a view of the stamps themselves and the image test page.  I thought these smaller camels in a
line would make good design pattern elements that could be versatile.

Confession of a stalled artist!

I have been spending a lot of time in my studio looking at stuff I have got started but can't go forward with. I should show you photos of all my working surfaces so you can see what all i have got going on, but not! LOL!  Man oh man, there is a lot of contemplation that goes on before the light comes on here in the center of my universe.  It is uncomfortable if not painful. Kind of like trying to swallow a pill that will not go down!  I'm listening to Cheryl Crow's Shine over Babylon as a coincidence! LOL! Better art prospects to all my Arty friends! (heart)