A Brick House!

Just a brief demo of my creation of a brick house commission...
Start to Finish.

I drew the outline of the house and surroundings.

I began the painting with a wash of the sky, grass, trees, and driveway...

the things that would frame the house.

I began to add details to the house, such as the shadows, landscaping, roof and windows.

Now adding the bricks, driveway stones, shutters, window pane reflections
 and a few other details.

After adding the requested pink blossoms to the tree, the painting was almost complete, 

but I needed to add the porch railings and small details. 

I did that using a black Micron Pen 03.  Porch railings and light fixture are now completed.

The completed painting!  Now ready for packing and shipping!
Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

Watercolor Home Portrait ~ A Gift

Recently, I painted this sweet home in New York. It was a gift request for their Mom. This is a type of order I receive often. People want a painting of the home they grew up in. Many times, the parents are now moving away or downsizing. I always love to oblige that request!!!

Final Painting.....

This is the photograph I was sent.  

Below, I will walk you through the progression of the painting process.

After lightly drawing the house and surrounding area, I applied one light glaze to 

the trees and sky that frame the house.

 I laid a light wash to define the color of the house and continued adding the surroundings, 

around and in front of the house.

 Added the roof color, the large foreground tree, and continued adding foliage 

and color to the landscaping.

Added driveway, sidewalk, window boxes and more color and flowers.

Beginning the details, such as shutters and window panes.

 Glazed several washes for the grass, more details in the trees and landscaping 

and added suggestion of shadows.

Finished the front door and continued to darken and add layers in the 

dominate areas to complete the painting!

Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for stopping by today!

Carole

See more of my Home Portraits in my Etsy Shop:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/carolepoolegallery

Saving the Whites!

Saving whites is one of the most unique aspects of watercolor painting.  You REALLY have to plan ahead!  Last week I painted a large magnolia blossom. Since the white areas in this painting are VERY large and completely dominate it, I felt it was a good candidate to introduce how to save whites.

I took many photos of a perfect magnolia blossom and used my favorite one to create my painting.  Using a drawing pencil, I sketched in the outline of the flower with as little detailing as possible.

The first painting step was to indicate value. Using a full brush, I added clear water to the areas of the petals that were the darkest in the photograph. It needs to be really wet, 

then take a minute or two for it to soak into the paper.  

You will notice the sheen leaving...that means it's time to drop in some darks.

I use the word "dark" very loosely here!  The paint should be very pale. Don't over do it yet. This will take several layers and is time consuming.  Start out with very little color in your brush. But, at the same time, remember that this will dry much lighter.

Continue to add the shaded areas on and around the petals.  And...most important...leave plenty of white. We're saving whites, remember.  Don't cover the entire petal with shading.  You want your whites to be the focal point of the painting. Refer to your photo often.  Nature is very good at this.

I continued to add shaded areas to my petals to shape and mold them.  The colors used were 

fr. ultramarine blue, cerulean blue,  burnt sienna and hooker's green med.

Using a heavier wash and the same colors listed above, I began to fill in the background.  This gave my petals more definition. Still not worrying about the details. 

From here, just continue using the same steps over and over. Creating layer after layer, waiting for each layer to dry. Don't rush it and enjoy the process. Details on the center stamens of the blossom and the tree branches were added with burnt sienna, aliz. crimson and burnt umber.

I continued adding darks to the background and details to the blossom. 

The final painting!

Marvelous Magnolias!

Recent watercolor painting by Carole Poole Gallery...."Magnolia Blossom".

Regal, stately, beautiful...the Magnolia.

How does it grow so tall? It spreads it's branches and stretches as far as possible, making more room for the exquisite blossoms. They spread out in a perfectly planned arrangement across the deep, dark leaves. Magnolia flowers are cherished and revered. Just one lone blossom makes a lovely bouquet. The full blooms are anywhere from 3-12 inches in diameter. Truly majestic.

Because magnolia trees can grow to be so large, we have planted the "Little Gem" variety in our yard.  They produce the same beautiful blooms that are about 8 inches diameter, but the actual tree is more compact and takes up much less space. Very easy to grow and so popular in the south.

We've planted the Little Gems at our home in Atlanta and at our farm in Alabama.  Very easy to plant and care for.  And.....great for taking pictures.  All the blossoms are low enough for me to reach!!!

So, yep, I'm recommending the Little Gem.  For beauty, for easy care, for long blooming season, for good picture opportunities, and great paintings!!!

Watercolor painting by Carole Poole Gallery..."Magnolia".

Hope you love Magnolias as much as I do. Give them some thought the next time you paint. Saving whites in watercolor can be challenging. And guess what? Next week, I will demo how to do it.  Easy and fun...I think you'll love it.


So, see ya next Wednesday to save some whites! Until then, "Happy Painting"!

Carole

Sad to see the Azaleas go...

Come on, let's all agree, nothing is prettier than a flower drenched spring.  We go through the grey winter months and then suddenly the world is bathed in color and beauty. Thank you, God, for thinking of that!  Having grown up in the south, I personally think there's nothing grander than the azaleas!  My favorite variety changes often and right now, I'm loving the George Taber Azalea. Wow! Really!  Isn't it amazing!

The variety comes in orchid or white and my favorite is the orchid!  It produces masses of showy, light orchid blooms with white variegation. And I love it's little pink freckles on the three top petals. The bush is actually an evergreen and is a great hedge after the blooming season.  I've given you my botanical tips, but what I really love about this lovely flower is how much fun it is to paint!

A while back I created this watercolor (below) using photographs I took of the George Taber Azaleas in our yard.  It has since been juried into many regional shows and won an award in the Georgia Watercolor Member show last summer.  It was a subject matter that I loved, so I looked forward to working on it and the work went quickly.

After placing and partially painting all the flowers, I carefully masked them and painted a very dark black background. After the background dried, I removed the masking and continued to add details to the flowers until finished. Darks and lights were very important in this painting, and I went from one extreme to the other. ("George Taber Azalea" / 18 X 36 inches)

Don't be afraid to use extreme darks in your watercolors. They can take it. If you look at the photographs I've posted here, it's the darkness behind the blossoms that make the rich orchid color stand out. Without that contrast, the painting would be uninteresting and boring.

So that's my challenge to you. Add more pigment to your water. Play with this idea and let me know how it turns out. There's no right or wrong way to do it...just your way!

Sadly, the Azaleas are leaving me now.  I wish they'd lasted longer. But they are making way for the roses now.  Next challenge...the New Dawn roses on our arbor gate.  Can't wait until they arrive.  Farewell, Azaleas, you did a beautiful job this year.  See you next spring!

Happy Painting!  See you next Wednesday!

Welcome to Orchard Pond

We have farmland in Alabama. The property has been in the Poole family for generations. It is the place where our family can meet and spend time together. We have built a lodge that will sleep 14, so we usually have room for everybody during the holidays and other special events. The property also includes an old barn, well house,  fire pit, pastures, ponds and trails. The old original house is still on the property, as well. In the above picture, the original house is shown on the far right.

 This house was the home of Kirby and Jewell Poole for their entire married life...1945-1989. They raised 3 children here, the oldest of which was my husband, Jim. It was built by Claude Poole, Kirby's father in the late 1930's. There are wooden pegs and shiplap galore throughout the house and we have tried to keep it as authentic as possible. Of course, the house is very dear to us, so we try to take very good care of it.

So today, I am posting some pictures of Grandma and Grandpa's house and a tiny little watercolor I painted of it over 25 years ago.  The overall property has changed a lot since then, but the old house sits in the same spot as happy as can be.

This is the watercolor I painted as a Christmas gift for Grandma the year after Grandpa passed away.  1990~

So this is Grandma and Grandpa's house...

This dear little home has been blessed with the laughter of children, the warmth of a close family, hope for the future and memories of the past.  Thanks for visiting.

I loved sharing with you...looking forward to hearing from you!   

        See you on Wednesday,  Carole                                

Start with the Surroundings!

I recently completed this watercolor of a beautiful home in South Carolina.  This is definitely the style I love to paint!  The charm and the details all give the painting such character. But, on this particular painting, I started with the surroundings.  I wanted the home to be wrapped in warmth before I even thought about painting the actual house.  Here's how I did it.

I began with a light drawing on the watercolor paper. using the photographs sent to me by the homeowner. I used Arches 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper. I taped the edges to define the size of the painting. This one is a 9 X 12 inch.

Using a water spray bottle, I sprayed the area that I intended for the tree foliage. I then added Holbein  Greenish Yellow paint throughout the wet area. I mostly dropped and dabbed the paint into the wet puddles. I repeated the process on the left side of the house spraying often to make the paint run and move. I then let it completely dry.  

                                                            

As it dried, I began the grass, using the same process. I sprayed the paper to keep everything wet while I dropped wet color into the mix. I added in mixtures of  Ultramarine Blue and Daniel Smith Undersea Green. When the Greenish Yellow layer of the trees was completely dry, I began working on another green mix layer. Dabbing, dropping and spraying. 

With each layer, I used a deeper value of greens, golds and blues. Hooker's Green, New Gamboge, Raw Sienna and French Ultramarine. I filled in some of the darker areas within the tree branches with a negative painting process. I stayed away from too much detail. I wanted the house to be the place for the details. The trees and grass were simply the surroundings. 

I continued to add darks and lights into wet paint until I felt it had the depth I was looking for. In some areas, I painted 4-5 layers, while in other areas, there might be only one or two layers. Even though I refer to the trees and landscape as surroundings...they are still very important in the overall painting. Very important. Think how boring the painting would be without them!  

I will continue the process of this painting in another post. In the meantime, if you are new to watercolor, try some wet on wet techniques that I have described. Just wet the paper and let the paint do it's thing!  All aspects of watercolor painting have been carefully constructed to work. From the paper with its nooks and crannies, the soft, thirsty brushes and the lovely granulations of the perfectly perfected paints...they work perfectly together. Let them blend and move and do what they do best. Don't hurry it. In watercolor, timing is everything!   

Happy Painting!   See you next Wednesday!

Carole

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                     

First Sign of Spring...the Daffodils!

Most people in the south will agree that one of the first signs of spring is the Daffodil.  
  My mother referred to them as Jonquils, but I just call them Buttercups!  They are all members of the Narcissus family and, yes, I'm sure there is a botanical difference, but for my post today...that doesn't matter!  
Let's just celebrate the fact that their fresh smiling faces are here now, warning us that spring is on the way!

Having just visited Gibbs Gardens in north Georgia, I had to paint a happy Buttercup face!  I love painting flowers, and this one is certainly no exception!  How happy can a flower be?

The beauty of Gibbs Gardens, a world class garden right here in Georgia, is amazing and I highly recommend it!  The Daffodil Festival displays over 20 million blooming daffodils and continues through the middle of April! 

To commemorate the Daffodil season, I found this pretty poem by William Wordsworth, 
and I love his descriptive words. 

I wandered lonely as a cloud 

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

  A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

  And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

  Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

  Outdid the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

  In such a jocund company:

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

  In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

  Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills, 

And dances with the daffodils.

Keep a smile on your face and a buttercup in your memory!

See you next Watercolor Wednesday!     Carole