Midday Sketch with Neo Colors

Enjoying some time lakeside. This house has red clay shingles... an oddity for western New York but oh so striking in the midday sun.

Playing with Caran d'Ache Neo Colors - watercolor crayons. Very fun!

an Autumn sketchbook -- Vicky Williamson

Like most of us, I love the colors and textures of Autumn. Recently I made a sketchbook from a folded sheet of watercolor paper, just for sketching botanicals this season. I thought it would be a good example if I get to teach a botanical sketchbook workshop next spring in Wichita.








I've decided to use just ink, watercolor pencil, and watercolor crayons in this sketchbook.

Cheraw State Park Artist-in-Residence

I was honored to be selected by the SC State Park System to be an Artist-in-Residence for one week in 2009. The Park Service offers this program to painters, photographers, potters, sculptors, weavers and other artists that they may capture the natural and hisotorical resources of the parks. Applications are available from mid June and must be postmarked no later than October 31st. You can obtain information by calling 864-638-5353 or email; oconeestatepark-at-scprt-dot-com.

Last year, artists had 10 parks to choose from. While most were upstate, my top three picks (Cheraw, Givhans Ferry and Poinsett) offered the opportunity to further my current low country theme.

Here are some plein air tree studies done during my week there. The watercolors are 5 x 7, the tree on yupo is 8 x 10.

Cheraw is a lovely park. I had full run, golf cart included, and an air conditioned cabin. In return for this week, I am required to provide a painting within a 3 month time period. My challenge is deciding what scene I want to paint :) To read more about my week, see my blog posts here

Yard Mushrooms

I didn't have time to get to the park to paint more wildflowers yesterday, so I just plunked myself down in the front yard and sketched the mushrooms that have sprouted in this wet spring. (Alas, no edible morels, though!)

I'm gearing up to teach a new watercolor pencil class online so doing some new work with watercolor pencils and crayons.

This was ink and Lyra Aquacolors, mostly, which I use like big sticks of watercolor pigment--and of course that's what they ARE. I paint directly from the tip, lifting color with a wet brush and, as you can see, using the lid for a mixing palette.

I've got a few other crayons in there, and generally make my own custom "set" since there are colors I want and some I don't...