tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10401556107978644572024-03-05T00:39:09.850-08:00Ten Thousand Square Inches of CanvasArena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.comBlogger271125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-62613131748362680362016-11-20T22:05:00.000-08:002016-11-20T22:15:04.302-08:00Night's Glory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtiQEXVeKjNC_m4doij3zy3toD-SWveLzu6tjdJwICcMvvW09323xJCMW9gp558qryn3v4AwujSC0rlvXeW25iTUt-PGFQNsWcO5wZ7w0rIAOhwbzQ67QkCGbag9DEasadHXl387RtiQF/s1600/20161120_Night%2527s+Glory_6x7_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtiQEXVeKjNC_m4doij3zy3toD-SWveLzu6tjdJwICcMvvW09323xJCMW9gp558qryn3v4AwujSC0rlvXeW25iTUt-PGFQNsWcO5wZ7w0rIAOhwbzQ67QkCGbag9DEasadHXl387RtiQF/s400/20161120_Night%2527s+Glory_6x7_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Summer Glory,</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Cold Press Paper, 6"h x 7"w, 2016 #18</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Coming back from farmer's market with some fresh pots of blooming orchids, whose translucent petals just glow under the light on my painting table. I took tons of reference photos and cropped some very close-up and dramatic views... Orchids definitely have a very seductive atmosphere around them, which resonates with the night's air... The deep, saturated red center makes me think of old Hollywood movie posts on which the heroine's lips are always to invitingly blushing red and moist... In a way every flower is both an invitation and a seduction. Looking at them, I cannot help but think evolution has peaked in this culmination of both functionality and aesthetics. Orchid is the glory of hot, steamy tropic nights...</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-73561408913957032942016-10-20T13:04:00.003-07:002016-10-20T14:45:41.536-07:00Summer Glory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCRU3_FpdjZ4W4bTF7fNSb7xUs8lDsxaW9Z1ph-UVDywOFPzpXBtOjgyZ9R8nwjQvsovYBeTMCOQe9QFLxre-Z2p8qZSdw5U9TL84h2B49447MEtqbhCAKSW0TJZg9EVjkQX4cvXSJT2Y/s1600/20161020_Summer+Glory_5x5_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCRU3_FpdjZ4W4bTF7fNSb7xUs8lDsxaW9Z1ph-UVDywOFPzpXBtOjgyZ9R8nwjQvsovYBeTMCOQe9QFLxre-Z2p8qZSdw5U9TL84h2B49447MEtqbhCAKSW0TJZg9EVjkQX4cvXSJT2Y/s400/20161020_Summer+Glory_5x5_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Summer Glory,</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Cold Press Paper, 5"h x 5"w, 2016 #17</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-54991679403869484352016-10-14T08:47:00.001-07:002016-10-20T13:04:59.344-07:00Evening Reflections<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCJPLTV07DIw39cL8vOPa1KD0A9RQGS9I7QWtX3R-WkpV3R2ryGfbNWqbPK4agKZRltAPuhyptfb6Tv_g3Zn_ScI45BFeMj9MKNqWkLh6auEo7nUYFh4Ib_bpyCrBYBJVvbzAVmd9PcIA/s1600/20161001_Evening+Reflectio+ns_7x10_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCJPLTV07DIw39cL8vOPa1KD0A9RQGS9I7QWtX3R-WkpV3R2ryGfbNWqbPK4agKZRltAPuhyptfb6Tv_g3Zn_ScI45BFeMj9MKNqWkLh6auEo7nUYFh4Ib_bpyCrBYBJVvbzAVmd9PcIA/s400/20161001_Evening+Reflectio+ns_7x10_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Evening Reflections,</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Rough Paper, 7"h x 10"w, 2016 #16</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-8396873909562432552016-09-30T08:18:00.000-07:002016-09-30T08:18:01.353-07:00Moonrise, Eucalyptus Grove - 30/30 Challenge 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinq2b-6A6VcCShqDqGsh_DXIMwK7bY05zmmsXS-k1TTHrYfb_pH0x9uvmRBJLfEi7rYnji9jHhe5WkOFyRUU2PH6TnpWmFt2GcPgL3gy1JGB0lniEacHnBuFUeWE_pW6yVe99IVr4HegT4/s1600/20160929_Moonrise%252C+Eucalyptus+Grove_6x8_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinq2b-6A6VcCShqDqGsh_DXIMwK7bY05zmmsXS-k1TTHrYfb_pH0x9uvmRBJLfEi7rYnji9jHhe5WkOFyRUU2PH6TnpWmFt2GcPgL3gy1JGB0lniEacHnBuFUeWE_pW6yVe99IVr4HegT4/s400/20160929_Moonrise%252C+Eucalyptus+Grove_6x8_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moonrise, Eucaplyptus Grove,</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oil Monochromatic Wash on Claessen #13 Douple Oil Primed Linen Canvas, 6"h x 8"w, 2016 #15</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Sold!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a little monochromatic oil wash painting I have done in Kevin Courter's nocturnal painting workshop. the dark passages are completely transparent (no white used), and value variations are done through thick and thin of paintings. I worked a lot to try to create interesting edges and overall shape of the eucalyptus trees, and varying the colors subtly by using a bit more red or green in creating the dark color mixture used here. Trying to convey a quiet, subtle mood and had a lot of fun doing this... </span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-14895399334140016782016-09-29T10:15:00.001-07:002016-10-14T07:15:08.256-07:00Raidance - 30/30 Challenge 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixO75fdMhnThqUNXppj-SefVlHbQEhSFYPajfPjIWwmfbVoqw-_0x3qbbxC8ftmntRsdFimPS5jGffZRr1KFhefh3WSKE7Za9wuB5-uVRajh-gWDBTEQrnqXjDHro5wbDZ0QQuB_OYMXhL/s1600/20160928_Radiant_9x12_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixO75fdMhnThqUNXppj-SefVlHbQEhSFYPajfPjIWwmfbVoqw-_0x3qbbxC8ftmntRsdFimPS5jGffZRr1KFhefh3WSKE7Za9wuB5-uVRajh-gWDBTEQrnqXjDHro5wbDZ0QQuB_OYMXhL/s400/20160928_Radiant_9x12_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Radiance,</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Cold Press Paper, 9"h x 12"w, 2016 #14</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Sold!</b></span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-28423147250506332702016-09-28T06:31:00.004-07:002016-10-14T08:48:01.779-07:00Evergreen Notes - 30/30 Challenge 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifAEScFSxnBx0LhZ_7L2oLeAUP1GUTs0IQC0Ttc0Z7gqlbBHLJLtHHtSNhDPzjo5lyO6OSbFkkJ70wAdehUZudCY-ae6Sjg7BmTnB3tFuqK8eSjtGznszUzoHJCFwCz8BRxgZAIcf6U1jf/s1600/20160927_Evergreen+Notes_7x12_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifAEScFSxnBx0LhZ_7L2oLeAUP1GUTs0IQC0Ttc0Z7gqlbBHLJLtHHtSNhDPzjo5lyO6OSbFkkJ70wAdehUZudCY-ae6Sjg7BmTnB3tFuqK8eSjtGznszUzoHJCFwCz8BRxgZAIcf6U1jf/s400/20160927_Evergreen+Notes_7x12_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Evergreen Notes,</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Cold Press Paper, 7"h x 12"w, 2016 #13</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Playing with limited palette and want to create the illusion of fog in the background. To add warmth in the foreground I used a muted yellow-brown which compliments the overall blue-purple color scheme of the painting. The painting was done from a quick 30-minute study on site when hiking in the high sierras. The way those tall mountain hemlock and silver fir trees dance in the wind left such a strong impression on my mind, that even now I can still just close my eyes and see it...</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-37177348103564808372016-09-20T09:49:00.001-07:002016-09-29T10:13:51.136-07:00Sunkissed - 30/30 Challenge 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oKS0MtUXOVi-90RyLt00_LGwcWgcxODbloKgPxQFAK2h9DVWoK6ctt_EGpa1qHY1OIvAfyxTbGL-nI10f-yxdPKyf0pk25iSFaZ-4TcfzvLEJDtiZn6pY0ik9eIuEeiEg201cfrOmD-M/s1600/20160920_Sunkissed_6x8_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oKS0MtUXOVi-90RyLt00_LGwcWgcxODbloKgPxQFAK2h9DVWoK6ctt_EGpa1qHY1OIvAfyxTbGL-nI10f-yxdPKyf0pk25iSFaZ-4TcfzvLEJDtiZn6pY0ik9eIuEeiEg201cfrOmD-M/s400/20160920_Sunkissed_6x8_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sunkissed,</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Fabriano Artistico #140 Cold Press Paper, 8"h x 8"w, 2016 #12</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-74504380324449074032016-09-18T13:06:00.000-07:002016-09-20T09:49:25.922-07:00Love Birds - 30/30 Challenge 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_xyXNSk9KarN1ywWIXeeTDmywUuYqueUkWtjy0oogGbpiBxsgZI8VgQ3aNMXCVQeAkLZxlbyC2zu_xsoYS5ptMiA_G5mNXAGb0DhDl4Ebk-QFpi71iOFb_pTU4qLLEhnfJPZFXYHflh0/s1600/20160918_Love+Birds_8x8_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_xyXNSk9KarN1ywWIXeeTDmywUuYqueUkWtjy0oogGbpiBxsgZI8VgQ3aNMXCVQeAkLZxlbyC2zu_xsoYS5ptMiA_G5mNXAGb0DhDl4Ebk-QFpi71iOFb_pTU4qLLEhnfJPZFXYHflh0/s400/20160918_Love+Birds_8x8_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Love Birds,</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Cold Press Paper, 8"h x 8"w, 2016 #11</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-51872641487826498372016-09-17T14:36:00.000-07:002016-09-17T15:02:09.047-07:00Ode to Spring - 30/30 Challenge 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnjLBEpVDCQb3PoA97naqf-MufQJAShyphenhyphenWlHa51l7N3yuXXG5z6hW-StfI7dwRSLv-JPllxZ_R7zHtaQLOd-QnEY5-OLXtJXn5Xa7uDYiZVRiwhHNDj8Zwsly6W3CoWdn4-Mu8qPHTLSP2/s1600/20160918_Ode+to+Spring_8x8_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnjLBEpVDCQb3PoA97naqf-MufQJAShyphenhyphenWlHa51l7N3yuXXG5z6hW-StfI7dwRSLv-JPllxZ_R7zHtaQLOd-QnEY5-OLXtJXn5Xa7uDYiZVRiwhHNDj8Zwsly6W3CoWdn4-Mu8qPHTLSP2/s400/20160918_Ode+to+Spring_8x8_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ode to Spring,</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Cold Press Paper, 8"h x 8"w, 2016 #10</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">My most recent obsession is to have combine the portrait of a single flower -- not the glamorous rose or peony, but those often only seen in clusters, such as tulip or cosmos, and a large, abstract background, playing with amorphous shapes and textures contrasting the sharply defined focal point... I think there would be a few more to come in this series as I am working on several of them at the same time. These take a lot of staring and only gradually come into being after many layering and being putting away for a while, as the imagery come largely from my head, instead of from a defined reference photo. It is a new diversion for me, and I like how it prompt me to react to what's happening on the paper while wet colors are dropped in. I am listening to watercolor more now, instead of always trying to cajole it into what I have initially planned it to be. I guess it's all part of coming into peace with this challenging medium...</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-48095146105491787912016-09-16T11:44:00.003-07:002016-09-17T14:33:33.669-07:00Sentinel - 30/30 Challenge 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQOdthao4VkhyDGo2tWw28vi9jCzZbt_hDsPJUbAeAd-3PyFWxbG8cY-2temL3TzZOdsWLo-Kk9WC5Tv4CKQWq2YbVTKJi2s-1z-47r_wBVqqNqU8KxjouQzu79E7PDFANOHuQWrpKX-e/s1600/20160916_Sentinel_7x11_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQOdthao4VkhyDGo2tWw28vi9jCzZbt_hDsPJUbAeAd-3PyFWxbG8cY-2temL3TzZOdsWLo-Kk9WC5Tv4CKQWq2YbVTKJi2s-1z-47r_wBVqqNqU8KxjouQzu79E7PDFANOHuQWrpKX-e/s400/20160916_Sentinel_7x11_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Sentinel</i></b></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">,</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Richeson Szabo #140 Cold Press Paper, 7"h x 11"w, 2016 #9</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">100% of the sale of this painting would be donated to the cause of trisomy in honor of the lost child of my amazing artist friend and fellow painter, Brienne Brown. She is so brave and kind and strong in sharing her struggle and contribute to the cause!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have wanted to do this for a while but some personal circumstances have delayed it. I wanted to paint a painting with the symbol of life, revival, resilience embedded in it, in honor of the life that is lost too young yet would never be forgotten by her loved ones. It is not a lot but I want to contribute my little bit. Every little bit helps in the fight against this formidable rare disease, which has not gotten the attention it deserves in the medical and pharmaceutical society, probably because it is rare and not a lot of profit there is to be made. Imagine the impact a cure would have on the families with a loved ones diagnosed... I can't help but hope that day would come sooner...</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-38195496244688262952016-09-15T09:57:00.001-07:002016-09-28T06:28:10.037-07:00Where the Eagle Flies - 30/30 Challenge 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMWdYe_6TRaq932UgiA6FkdPihA3ePbbHcem_9Q2Z_YqemsTU1VrewrENnAcn_0SXbu6vHQNRwy_rKVHeyJqZCZJe69RHjO5jHY4SUs2D3SRx-BCYqu4AElSb1bg0KG-Eac8izhwObbeH/s1600/20160913_Where+the+Eagle+Flies+-+Portrait+of+Colorado+Plateau%252C+I_8x8_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMWdYe_6TRaq932UgiA6FkdPihA3ePbbHcem_9Q2Z_YqemsTU1VrewrENnAcn_0SXbu6vHQNRwy_rKVHeyJqZCZJe69RHjO5jHY4SUs2D3SRx-BCYqu4AElSb1bg0KG-Eac8izhwObbeH/s400/20160913_Where+the+Eagle+Flies+-+Portrait+of+Colorado+Plateau%252C+I_8x8_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where the Eagle Flies - Portrait of the Colorado Plateau I,</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Cold Press Paper, 8"h x 8"w, 2016 #8</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/601476" target="_blank">Bid in My DPW Auction</a> (Starting Bid $65)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Recently I am having these almost obsessive fixation on the high Colorado Plateau, and seeing the somber, severe landscape whenever I close my eyes. The almost barren, treeless bajadas, the grey-blue granite cliffs and baked red-buff sandstone monoliths, the lone red-shouldered hawk soaring below the low-hanging clouds... I had to paint it. I would probably come back to this series a few times in the next couple of days. I know I have not exhausted it in this little study...</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-88234091657092923292016-09-14T08:41:00.001-07:002016-09-15T09:51:13.181-07:00Eclectic II - 30/30 Challenge 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNuc3W6ZOJvRiNWGjR_29p-7o5wNwzD8t0Xvx9LeK1NH2VioiJoBFSQVnjSBuGijatQ7SesWDVpR-njVJWZkwrQ_Z6-1KKeIs2Aw263_JQcVtMftsW17QIFTlaEpU57JuwUP7RAJYZPRv/s1600/20160914_Eclectic+II_8x8_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNuc3W6ZOJvRiNWGjR_29p-7o5wNwzD8t0Xvx9LeK1NH2VioiJoBFSQVnjSBuGijatQ7SesWDVpR-njVJWZkwrQ_Z6-1KKeIs2Aw263_JQcVtMftsW17QIFTlaEpU57JuwUP7RAJYZPRv/s400/20160914_Eclectic+II_8x8_Web.jpg" width="396" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Eclectic II, </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Cold Press Paper, 8"h x 8"w, 2016 #7</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is my second take on yesterday's subject - a good thing that often comes from the daily-painting challenge. Often, you don't get to obsess over a project because of the time limit, but the "what-if"s that spring from it can germinate the next day, or the day after into a creature of its own. I wanted to play with the abstract background a bit more and make color and paint application (granulation, wet-in-wet shapes, etc.) the dominant factor instead of strong value patterns that dominates in yesterday's version. Instead of changing the last painting and trying to realize this goal, I just took another go of it. The result is today's painting -- less electric, more dreamy in its atmosphere. It is fun to look at the two pieces side-by-side and think how much a variation painting can take from its source material. Often painting from my own painting brings a great sense of freedom, as well as springboards my imagination. Staring at the shapes gradually emerging from the interaction of paint, water and paper surface often leads to such unexpected directions. All I need is to listen, instead of trying to beat the painting into the mold I had in my head before putting brush on paper...</span><br />
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-10640925893017133742016-09-13T11:09:00.000-07:002016-09-13T11:09:05.892-07:00Eclectic - 30/30 Challenge 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUr7AQQTwqujVreqpXq1075xEm1hsvVFTE4Gg7vPjdEAmqZ6MjwYJm2TOCt_ri1yTFoaEgKdKhyphenhyphenWkRWNweG41tY8QJ9BayNouzRgiwroh4QcFjZEQmjxUVu8gprwKVDvyESwcLF-pfgAeT/s1600/20160912_Eclectic_6x6_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUr7AQQTwqujVreqpXq1075xEm1hsvVFTE4Gg7vPjdEAmqZ6MjwYJm2TOCt_ri1yTFoaEgKdKhyphenhyphenWkRWNweG41tY8QJ9BayNouzRgiwroh4QcFjZEQmjxUVu8gprwKVDvyESwcLF-pfgAeT/s400/20160912_Eclectic_6x6_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Eclectic, </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Cold Press Paper, 6"h x 6"w, 2016 #6</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/601091" target="_blank">Bid in My DPW Auction</a> (Starting Bid $50)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After painting something bright and colorful with warm reds and magentas, I wanted to explore the cool side of the palette and paint something dark and moody, like the neon lights in the night city street. Up till this point my florals are all pretty much natural-colored, and I want to see if I can pull off something with a very artificial-lighting-inspired color scheme and dream-like atmosphere. I am currently doing a second variation of of this painting, which is less value-contrast-dominated and a bit more colorful. It would be fun to compare the achieved effects...</span><br />
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-32397728272270923902016-09-12T07:45:00.000-07:002016-09-13T10:56:44.633-07:00April's Promise - 30/30 Challenge 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAeD3qc_zkOgugvGPgKiJL0aukNRA4hglFNSbwQUlfd_9KbFxx4_OQACBj0mkMNiBuwGUSw1RP5Azjv2eaYc6mjPUd1ZoWAaC75HAIcGc3mg7gUjc73tfEtX-7YuDhKCGzjpZYdGXzeSMG/s1600/20160109_April%2527s+Promise_6x6_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAeD3qc_zkOgugvGPgKiJL0aukNRA4hglFNSbwQUlfd_9KbFxx4_OQACBj0mkMNiBuwGUSw1RP5Azjv2eaYc6mjPUd1ZoWAaC75HAIcGc3mg7gUjc73tfEtX-7YuDhKCGzjpZYdGXzeSMG/s400/20160109_April%2527s+Promise_6x6_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">April's Promise, </span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Fabriano Artistico #140 Cold Press Paper, 6"h x 6"w, 2016 #5</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Sold!</b></span><br />
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-28798478542959939422016-09-11T08:41:00.002-07:002016-09-13T10:56:49.128-07:00Field of Dreams - 30/30 Challenge 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtwei0hkVyUgjYjLXTXSmvjJkr90Dcxxoid8IxkJyWJBJwah6VZAsxHKIA9qKnczERW9fFwGXOOcHevtrom4wUJVq_q0p0FEnz-rxnDW4ksDIrqYZPCDSAkxGJz3-gXb-EM6rb_KS6pZ2/s1600/20160910_Field+of+Dreams_6x6_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtwei0hkVyUgjYjLXTXSmvjJkr90Dcxxoid8IxkJyWJBJwah6VZAsxHKIA9qKnczERW9fFwGXOOcHevtrom4wUJVq_q0p0FEnz-rxnDW4ksDIrqYZPCDSAkxGJz3-gXb-EM6rb_KS6pZ2/s400/20160910_Field+of+Dreams_6x6_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Field of Dreams, </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Cold Press Paper, 12"h x 12"w, 2016 #4</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/600774" target="_blank">Bid in My DPW Auction</a> (Starting Bid $195)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I really want to play with the limited palette on this one, and try to see if I could get the soft, dreamy, wet-in-wet like background by painting in thin layers wet-on-dry. I had so much fun... Using a limited primary palette of Vermilion, Aurelion Yellow and Ultramarine Blue, the color harmony was achieved without much conscious effort, which is the largest advantage of using a limited palette... I was a bit worried about color monotony resulted from all the red in the poppies, and really played up the warm vs. cool, saturated vs. muted variation of different reds. In the end I am very pleased with the result -- and I really missed painting flowers!</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-22763364053877630612016-09-10T10:39:00.000-07:002016-09-10T10:46:30.807-07:00Red - 30/30 Challenge 2016 (Finally, an OIL Painting from Me...)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Red, </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oil Painting on Centurion Acrylic Primed Linen, 8"h x 6"w, 2016 #3</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/600196" target="_blank">Bid in My DPW Auction</a> (Starting Bid $85)</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Something very different today... This is the first oil painting I've ever listed for sale. I have been studying classical drawing and painting methods in the Golden Gate Atelier for a little more than four years at this point, and have done quite a few projects (both drawing and oil paintings) from life at the atelier. In the past month I decided to test the waters to see if I could work outside school on my own on small projects: still life from life, plein air landscapes, portrait and figures from reference photos, even some animal paintings... In OIL. This is my first attempt. It is a very scary experience for me to try this still unfamiliar medium and let the whole world see my attempts. But it has to start somewhere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When selecting the reference material to paint a portrait on my own I find myself often drawn toward mystical expressions and strong personality, something that makes it a little uneasy for me to stare for a long time, instead of just sweet beauty. This woman's face, it's slight distant, restrained expression contrast so well with the fiery color of her red hair, I just have to paint it. So here it is, my first oil painting for sale -- more to come!</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-43560575394947694242016-09-09T07:24:00.002-07:002016-09-11T21:44:43.744-07:00Purple Dream - 30/30 Challenge 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpp2e1jzh5ml0a3Z9rmaFvVUaGslcCfHH8X9NVrVA886PDFWzkfokFMKRq54ZWO74xx5jDmDDUGf-AK3vHBSzHpl4KFsyHkVPS_zk_sg0i3ADIOuNtmmtUu8_A0ygLw0NnVT5rsP9UGUwP/s1600/20160718_Purple+Dream_8x8_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpp2e1jzh5ml0a3Z9rmaFvVUaGslcCfHH8X9NVrVA886PDFWzkfokFMKRq54ZWO74xx5jDmDDUGf-AK3vHBSzHpl4KFsyHkVPS_zk_sg0i3ADIOuNtmmtUu8_A0ygLw0NnVT5rsP9UGUwP/s400/20160718_Purple+Dream_8x8_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Purple Dream, </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Cold Press Paper, 8"h x 8"w, 2016 #2</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the neighborhood I live in there are many lovely old Victorian homes with wisteria leaning onto their front gates, and during the walk one morning I spotted this beautiful butterfly spanning its wings in the morning fog on one of the large flower clusters. The temperature was low in the moist morning air of San Francisco, and large droplets of water were dripping from the wisteria leaves, so I wondered whether the wings of this butterfly was wet and it could not take off. When I sneak closer I realized it was... mating, with its lover hiding in the shadow of the leaflets underneath the first butterfly. I snapped a photo and decide to capture this rare moment with my paintbrush... And every time I look at the painting, I can almost smell the clear, cold, moist air of that morning, and the slight aroma of wisteria... </span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-51119783981362221552016-09-08T09:20:00.000-07:002016-09-09T07:31:55.933-07:00Gossiping Ladies - 30/30 Challenge 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6r9PEQtd_SXflLY-XOY5cCSJguqSZ54Ex-oJXlIdbvWVMmpvI0cBxRP4trp1on_yAtMTf5-VVRAjYHb1Qs3dMe-e-hn1DOJDlxfnmRqvtloDHfuiN6kKOhwj7Paf8kboWlU6wZoPDAh51/s1600/20160719_The+Gossiping+Ladies_6x9_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6r9PEQtd_SXflLY-XOY5cCSJguqSZ54Ex-oJXlIdbvWVMmpvI0cBxRP4trp1on_yAtMTf5-VVRAjYHb1Qs3dMe-e-hn1DOJDlxfnmRqvtloDHfuiN6kKOhwj7Paf8kboWlU6wZoPDAh51/s400/20160719_The+Gossiping+Ladies_6x9_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gossiping Ladies, </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Cold Press Paper, 6"h x 9"w, 2016 #1</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/599760" target="_blank">Bid in My DPW Auction</a> (Starting Bid $95)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I can hardly believe that I have not posted on the blog since the last 30/30 challenge! I have actually been painting (mostly in oil) and having some exciting news to share, including getting included in the <a href="http://www.artistsnetwork.com/medium/watercolor/splash18-winners" target="_blank">Splash</a> and <a href="http://www.artistsnetwork.com/articles/art-competitions/strokes-9-winners" target="_blank">Stroke of Genius</a> books of North Light Publishing, and <a href="https://artmusecontest.com/winners-gallery/june-2016-winners-and-finalists/" target="_blank">winning the budding artist category in the Art Muse Contest</a>, as well as being selected as <a href="http://www.dailypaintworks.com/contest/2016-august/384" target="_blank">judge's pick this month on Daily Paintworks</a>! I am super excited about every one of these opportunities...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have plans to paint more smaller oil paintings outside the atelier this year as practice, and try more diverse subjects as well as painting some larger compositions in my watercolor paintings. So for this September's challenge I would try to just do that. Here's the first piece -- an animal subject I have tried to tackle for a while but always felt inadequate at the moment. But the longer I waited, the more I felt that waiting along and think "one day when my skill has reached the level to tackle this subject" is never going to get me there. One can only learn how to tackle an unfamiliar and daunting subject by working on them again and again! So here we go -- these two colorful parakeets (love birds as they are commonly referred to in their native tropical Indonesia) whose body languages and facial expressions just crackle me up every time I look at them. </span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-34367229837924613622015-09-30T09:09:00.000-07:002015-09-30T21:43:46.311-07:00Innocence - Day Thirty of the 30/30 Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Innocence</i></b></span><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watercolor on Saunders Waterford #140 Cold Press Paper, 15"h x 11"w, 2015 #32</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day Thirty of the challenge -- I've made it this time! Yay!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This last painting I've completed for the challenge this month is also not done in a day's time, but on and off at every chance that a day's painting has not taken the entire time of that day. It is also a master study of Jan Kunz, as I have set a goal for myself to learn the basic of portrait and figure painting in watercolor in the coming year. I have learned a lot from doing this one -- from how to mix believable skin tones to the procedure of rendering the features of the face, as well as how to apply a background that does not detract from the figure. It's also done on a surface that is hard-sized, but for some reason dries much faster than Arches, so the window of time left to manipulate wet washes on it is not ideal. But it forces me to simplify and work fast, and in the end, I think I've learned to apply multiple light glazes to fix soft half-tone shapes that don't quite have the right value, color or edge quality. I would like to do some figure paintings of children in a simple, one-light-source setting like this one next. If you have a good photo of a child that I could use, please email it to me. Thanks in advance!</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-80969728847489506802015-09-29T07:17:00.000-07:002015-09-30T21:28:32.584-07:00It Takes Two to Tango - Day Twenty-Nine of the 30/30 Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>It Takes Two to Tango</i></b></span><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Cold Press Paper, 11"h x 7"w, 2015 #31</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day Twenty-Nine of the challenge -- never thought I would make the whole challenge again! Yay! It is almost the end!!! This painting is a study of master watercolor artist Jan Kunz, whose work I have admired since I took up watercolor a few years ago. The clean, colorful washes that radiates with light just grabs my heart the first time I saw one of her books. Since I haven't painted many still life setups, I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to experiment with different texture -- glass, silver, wood, etc., before to attempt assembly a grand still life and paint it. So this is my practice for capturing the texture of clear, thick glass. It combines something that I am familiar with and feel comfortable painting -- rose, with something I am feeling a little bit timid about -- glass. I had a lot of fun doing it, and painted it over a few days of this month, whenever the day's painting did not take up too much time and leaves a few hours to spend on other projects. I have discovered that painting glass is not unlike assembling a big piece of puzzle -- I have lost numerous times over the different patterns of reflection and refraction painting the ball jar, and it is just one simple little jar! Clearly I needed more practice on this subject, but it was so much fun. The next step is to assemble a still life of my own similar to this setup and see if I could carried out what I have learned doing this master study into my own painting. Can't wait to do that!</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-15366041311739921962015-09-28T07:49:00.000-07:002015-09-30T21:28:23.246-07:00Dusk over Marsh - Day Twenty-Eight of the 30/30 Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBzIKJvLnOGwstjcOkFvBaLnp-2o_jYXGs4uZP1ImvxA_KwksjgJn8lQqK68WWuyd2eGjicrab7rJdAa2_tWST673G5ZCz53qltGkQ6Xc0JZ1GAGL2rtmU7hPGUB1C6uwGw1UvtrR-D16/s1600/20150928_Dusk+over+Marsh_6x6_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBzIKJvLnOGwstjcOkFvBaLnp-2o_jYXGs4uZP1ImvxA_KwksjgJn8lQqK68WWuyd2eGjicrab7rJdAa2_tWST673G5ZCz53qltGkQ6Xc0JZ1GAGL2rtmU7hPGUB1C6uwGw1UvtrR-D16/s400/20150928_Dusk+over+Marsh_6x6_Web.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Dusk over Marsh</i></b></span><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Cold Press Paper, 6"h x 6"w, 2015 #30</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day Twenty-Eight of the challenge -- a little plein air piece at sunset, done mostly with my 1" slanted bristle brush. I am falling in love with this big, stiff brush that is not at all capable of doing any details, but carries so much pigment and water and does soft wet-in-wet blending and rough edges both so well! When the sun is setting and the light changing fast, it is really handy! I actually did several different studies before the sun completely sinks under the horizon, but I love this one the most -- it did capture the glorious sky that I saw, which made all the draw grass near shore literally glows with dragon's blood red! Again, this is done in a quiet back corner of the shoreline park of mountain view. I can never get tired of painting the beautiful wetlands in the bay area...</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-84289854425620061652015-09-27T01:03:00.000-07:002015-09-28T23:54:33.733-07:00Remnants - Day Twenty-Seven of the 30/30 Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Remnants</i></b></span><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></i></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Cold Press Paper, 6"h x 6"w, 2015 #29</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day Twenty-Seven of the challenge -- another little plein air study I did at the ghost town of Drawbridge, near the marshlands by Mountain View. The sky is extraordinarily clear and very intense warm blue in the zenith, with just the slightest bits of pale clouds down toward horizon. The shoreline is cleared of people at the early hour. Because of the heat and drought in the past few months (years?! :-), the grass along the shore is a lovely golden brown color, providing contrast with the cool turquoise water -- I just have to paint it! The dilapidated shack near a broken wooden-plank bridge naturally became my center of focus for this painting, as it has so much character, like an old face full of wrinkles and history. I can't help but wondering who built it, who has stayed in it over the years, coming out between the time after the stars are gone, and before the early dawn light is in, staring into the big empty sky and wondering what is at the other end of the horizon. In the quiet hours of dawn, I feel connected to all that has happened here before, the people who have come, and the days flown by. I put my brush to paper...</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-37997310531363851762015-09-26T12:45:00.000-07:002015-09-29T00:10:30.341-07:00Low Tide, Linda Mar Beach - Day Twenty-Six of the 30/30 Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Low Tide, Linda Mar Beach,</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></i></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watercolor on Arches #140 Cold Press Paper, 6"h x 6"w, 2015 #28</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/445468" target="_blank">Bid in My DPW Auction</a> (Starting Bid $50)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day Twenty-Six of the challenge -- another little plein air study I completed at the Linda Mar beach of Pacifica. The sun was setting behind a thin veil of clouds, and there is an intense purple-magenta glow through moistened air. The tide is out, ten thousand little channels on the wet sand beach glisten with warm golden reflections. Because the fog is closing in, this busy beach is surprisingly empty, when the near-shore rock formations were back lid into a parade of strange and a little intimidating gigantic mystical beast sculptures. One slender figure in red drifts in with the wind, almost silently, and lingers near the distant rock form. I just had to add her into my painting. Love it when a painting almost paints itself for me -- one of those rare occasions...</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-88158358825895675692015-09-25T10:20:00.000-07:002016-09-15T09:09:42.504-07:00April's Promise - Day Twenty-Five of the 30/30 Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">April's Promise, </span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolor on Fabriano Artistico #140 Cold Press Paper, 6"h x 6"w, 2015 #27</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Sold!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Day Twenty- Five of the challenge -- another one I have labored on for ages. When I first started this painting I had absolutely no idea that Fabriano Cold Press paper is very very different from Arches Cold Press paper -- in absolutely every aspect. Arches is hard-surfaced, holds pigments applied onto its surface relatively well, because the pigments do sink into its paper fibers quite a bit -- and because of this the colors do seem to get a little bit duller as the applied washes dry and sink in, also it is difficult to lift colors from this paper, especially if you are using some of the staining ones such as Thalo or Alizarin Crimson. Fabriano Artistico paper, on the other hand, only keeps pigment on its very soft surface, which makes lifting easy -- even lifting back to the paper white is possible without actually damaging the paper surface, but wet-in-wet glazing difficult as the underlying colors have a tendency to lift off if you wet the paper again! Also, soft-surfaced paper dry at a speed much faster than hard-surfaced paper, as the latter has a lot of surface sizing and prevent drying by absorption to a certain degree. I have since learned my lesson -- the painful way, as I labored my way through this little piece, throwing my brush onto the ground numerous times as the applied wash simply refuse to do what I want it to. Luckily, I was taking some classes with the amazing watercolor artist, <a href="http://www.jeannievodden.com/" target="_blank">Jeannie Vooden</a> when I started this painting. And I have learned the patient blending of very thin, watery washes wet-on-dry in her class. I modified this method by trial and error to use on the Fabriano paper, learning complete different painting techniques and procedures that would suit the temperament of this delicate paper... I have learned so much through the process!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Looking back at this finished piece, I am amazed at how much my method of paint application has changed through the struggle of this little painting. It has literally taught me so much about watercolor, and about myself as a painter. I am grateful for all the struggles it put me through, and feel very proud that I have stuck with it till the end.</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040155610797864457.post-85516380816103812032015-09-24T15:30:00.000-07:002015-09-26T22:22:28.963-07:00Fire Dance - Day Twenty- Four of the 30/30 Challenge<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fire Dance, </span></i></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watercolor on Fabriano Artistico #140 Cold Press Paper, 6"h x 6"w, 2015 #26</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Currently on Hold ($175)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day Twenty- Four of the challenge -- this is a painting that I have labored on and off for the past few years, and each time after putting it away for a while and taking it back out, I find something to add or change here and there. But the most recent examinations have revealed less and less changed that I feel necessary. So today, after doing a few last little tweaks, I've decided that it is time to call it done and let it go to the wide world! As a cherished child this is the first painting that I feel hard to let go... And there is a collector that I have promised first dibs when I finish it, after which I will let it go to the open auction. A personal favorite of mine...</span></div>
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Arena Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13585731948191412898noreply@blogger.com3