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Flying South – Cinnamon Teal Arrive in Texas

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Water's Edge - Cinnamon Teal, 8in x 10in, watercolor on board, ©Rebecca Latham

Water’s Edge – Cinnamon Teal, 8in x 10in

watercolor on board, ©Rebecca Latham

This piece just arrived in Texas at Whistle Pik Galleries.  I noticed I hadn’t painted a lot of ducks recently, which was unfortunate.  They are beautiful and always have a good bit of personality that shows through nicely in a painting.  I especially enjoyed working with such a vibrant color combination with the Cinnamon Teal in this.  I had never painted this species before, so was interesting working with the rich colors of this unique bird.

Just Arrived: Pair of Works in Tulsa

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RLwolf13137 Resting on the Ledge - Young Wolf, 6in x 8in watercolor on board with sterling silver

Resting on the Ledge – Young Wolf, 6in x 8in

watercolor on board with sterling silver

I enjoyed watching this wolf on an overcast day as he played and explored.  After a great deal of activity, he slowed down and curled up on a stone ledge to rest – a perfect pose for a painting.  The overcast environment gave a rich calm feeling to the painting.

Comfy Spot - Raccoon, 5in x 7in watercolor on board with sterling silver

Comfy Spot – Raccoon, 5in x 7in

watercolor on board with sterling silver

I love painting raccoons.  Often, as this year, there are raccoon families roaming near the studio bringing their cubs up close in the evenings and at night.  ..often getting themselves into trouble.  This is a small painting of a young animal that, for the time being, was content in his hiding spot.

Both of these paintings are now available through Lovetts Gallery in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

New Collection Arriving..

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Evening Egret, 6in x 8in, watercolor on board with sterling silver and 24kt gold, ©Rebecca Latham

A new collection of works was just delivered to it’s premiere venue – here is a first peek at the paintings:

Evening Egret, 6in x 8in

watercolor on board with sterling silver & 24kt gold

A stunningly beautiful evening in a marsh as the sun was setting, all of the birds, insects, and other residents singing in chorus.. I sat watching egrets fishing for dinner.  Being obsessed with their activity, the didn’t mind me sitting a short distance away from them.

Slightly Shy – Wolf Puppy, 5in x 7in, watercolor on board with sterling silver and 24kt gold

Slightly Shy – Wolf Puppy, 5in x 7in

watercolor on board with sterling silver & 24kt gold

It has been a little while since I have painted a wolf pup.. this one was at the age where he no longer looks like a little bear cub..  He was incredibly curious and playful with his siblings, but for some moments, little unsure.  ..thus the title, Slightly Shy.

 

RLrabbit13139

Antisocial – Rabbit, 5in x 7in

watercolor on board with sterling silver & 24kt gold

This piece is a part of the previously posted rabbit collection.  After completing these rabbit pieces, I’ve seen more rabbits frequenting the area.. which is rather odd I thought.  ..but because of their visits, I have more planned rabbit paintings.  Perhaps they wanted to be painted..

This collection is having it’s debut in Nags Head, NC at Seaside Art Gallery.  Please click the thumbnails to view larger images of the paintings:

5 Reasons Why I Love Working With Watercolor

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Why do I love watercolor?

It is true, most people do not use watercolor in this way when they work.  Often I find that collectors are curious about my use of watercolors, why I use them, and how I stumbled upon what I do.  In earlier years, I have experimented with many mediums.  ..growing up in an art gallery/supply shop has it’s advantages. ;)

All media have their special aspects that are their forte.  ..some of which I find myself missing occasionally, like the consistency of buttery oils.   However, in my experiments with all of them, none lend themselves so well to the direction I have chosen to take my work as watercolors.

Raccoon in Progress

Raccoon in progress, watercolor on board, ©Rebecca Latham

1. I love the variety and vibrancy of colors.

Flipping open a catalog of paints, the variety of color range available is astonishing.  I have not found the truths behind why this is yet, but I enjoy them just the same.  ..the only dilemma is which to use on a given painting.  Pans, tubes, liquid.. naturals to glowing synthetics, opaque to clear transparent..   I even have sterling silver and gold available.

2. I love the forgiveness and ease.

I will be the first to admit.. I fuss, adjust, alter, and rearrange my work. It is just how the pieces progress. The vision of the painting begins as perfect, first stroke of brush to board is perfect, but it’s a struggle of varying degrees from then on.

Odd, I know, to consider watercolor forgiving.  But as I have worked with it over the years, it has.  I’m sure I’m not the only artist to feel that the medium I work in has to work with me, not against me.  It simply is not productive to the creation of art if I have to pit myself against my media.  If I need an additional challenge, other than dueling paint, I can always add complexity to the painting itself rather than fight the medium used to create it.

3. Reuse.

I can re-wet, and re-use, and in a sense recycle my palette after a painting session.

This was always a frustration when I worked in acrylics or oils.  When using other mediums, my palette of freshly squeezed paint dries out and at the end of the sitting, or sometimes before, is dried out and wasted..  Even using special palettes to store them between painting sessions (acrylics and similar), or tossing the oils in the freezer (which, incidentally, I as always concerned would wind up sticking to the frozen peas, etc.)

4. Prompt Drying.

When I have a new idea and plan for a painting that is spilling onto my board, unfortunate as it may be, I have little patience for the first layer to dry so the work can continue.  There is just something about the energy of momentum in that phase.  It is not impossible to work around drying, but it interrupts the flow of the piece.

So, given the choice, I prefer that the medium does not stand in the way of the way my work progresses.   I also have to admit that I dislike cleanup of brushes, palettes, etc.  A quick swish in a clean pot of water vs thorough cleansing or facing ruined tools.

5. History.

I have written about it earlier briefly, but I am very drawn to the history of painting this way.  All art forms have their own roots, part of what makes it all so fascinating, in my opinion.  Being someone that enjoys digging into facts of antiquity (art or otherwise), finding stories, meaning, and similarities in what was done or valued and how I have developed my work is intriguing to say the least.

 

Overall, I love watercolor simply because it suits what I enjoy doing, how I work, and my chosen style of painting.  It has been such a gift to find something that fits so well.

Conservation, Why Bother?

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Snow Leopard miniature painting on ivorine

Snow Leopard, watercolor on ivorine, ©Rebecca Latham

I went to a lecture recently themed around conservation.  After the session, one young woman asked the speaker “but why do you bother saving this species?”  If they are so threatened, if it will cost large sums of time, effort, and currency, why bother?  Why care?  It’s a losing battle.

She wasn’t stating this regarding her own convictions.  She was dedicated to supporting wildlife and environmental causes in need.  However, she receives this stance (apparently regularly) against her support for saving species.

The question remains.  Why do we?

One argument, because humanity has unfortunately aided in their decline to this point.  We push them out of their habitat, clearing land they call home.  Sometimes they have special needs and can’t just adapt.  ..or hunting or pet trade has diminished their population.  Are we responsible?  Then shouldn’t we be obligated to fix it?

A second point.. as the common idiom states, “Variety is the spice of life”.  Do we really want to lose that variety? Forever?

We live in an elaborate web.  All species are connected in some way, with each other, and our environment.  If one loose thread is pulled, one species falls off the map, etc., things begin to unravel in other places.  It has happened already, and sadly, we only see the impact in hindsight. We do not yet fully understand the workings of this vast ecosystem we live in.  Are we really prepared to start willingly pulling threads?

Personally, I am the type that slams on the brakes on the highway for the hen mallard and her seven ducklings crossing the road at midday.  (yes, true story)  ..because, rare or not, they have just as much right to be here as we do.

Do you support conservation?  Why do you ‘bother’?

Rivalry and Competition

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Rhapsody, 6"x6", watercolor on board, ©Rebecca Latham

Rhapsody, 6″x6″, watercolor on board with sterling silver, ©Rebecca Latham

I am a part of a family of artists.  My Mother and sister paint.  Many of you may already know this.

We have always shared a studio, or located our studios close to one another since I began painting, drawing, etc. It has it’s benefits.

Not having extended periods of studio isolation is nice, where otherwise the only person I would be speaking to is the cat (he thinks he’s a person).  An impromptu critique of something that’s bothering me, or one of them, can pull a painting out of a dreary stage.  ..and then of course, running out of burnt umber and having some to borrow only a few steps away is a lifesaver. There are probably others perks as well, but I won’t go on..

We’ve, I’ve, been interviewed a number of times concerning this.  Reporters, and I suppose the general public, find it intriguing.  They often, however, assume there is a viscous nature lurking behind studio doors – there are always questions:

Do you compete against each other?  Yes of course.  We often show in the same venues, some of those are competitions or juried exhibits.

Do you get along?  Do you sabotage each other’s work?  If you and your sister are painting pieces for the same exhibit, do you, like, sneak into the other’s studio and mess up their entry?
I’m sure that would make for a very entertaining read, but..   Um.  No.  (I’m never quite sure if they are serious or trying to be humorous – perhaps the dividing line on that is blurred?  ..anyway. )

I would imagine, if that did actually happen, the sharing of or closely located studios would have a moving van parked out front in no time.  Honestly, I’d rather set fire to my paintings than damage one of theirs.  I love seeing my family in the same exhibits as my work and am cheering them on when they win.  ..even if it means I didn’t.

Just a few months ago, my sister skunked me in a show.  I was delighted.  Really.  She needed that boost.  She’s been fighting to get back into the world of shows and exhibits, even just managing to complete work, after her serious health issues she has faced. ..and she soared upon arrival.  I couldn’t be happier watching that unfold.

I am not saying that I don’t care about awards, or exhibits and shows.  I’m honored when something I’ve done is seen to have merit to earn that spot at an opening or accolade, just as I’m honored to have so many people following my work in social media and real life.  ..but all of that is dwarfed by the core reasons I do this.

So, sadly for the lovers of great drama, there isn’t family rivalry and fierce competition.  But for the record, I have had a painting or two sabotaged when the cat wanted to help.  So it really wasn’t malicious, just the curiosity (or playfulness) that killed the painting.

Questions of Stress, Relief, and Relaxation

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Dish of sepia and brush

Several good questions were presented over on Google+ last week.  ..so I thought I would post the response here for everyone who might be interested in the reply..

“A question: Is it stressful while you are painting and you are relieved when it is finished ? Or do you relax and enjoy while doing it ?”

The simple answer: Yes.  ..and no.

Painting, when things are going well and it happens to be cooperating, is something similar to meditation.  So in a way it is relaxing and one loses track of time and an overall enjoyable experience. (When the painting is not cooperating, that is another story entirely..)

However, while painting, muscles are very tensed and I am braced all over.  It isn’t really something I consciously do, it is just how it happens – I suppose it is the result of the effort to create strong fine steady strokes in the paintings.  As a result, it tends to wear with measurable amounts of painting time, and all areas get sore as a result.

Sometimes picking up a cup of coffee the next morning is nearly impossible.  That point is usually a prime time for a nature walk, observing wildlife, or some book or internet related research – anything that I am able to do with minimal use of my hands or arms.

I am pleased when work is finished, of course.  However, when all of the fur of a wolf or raccoon for example is complete, it is never quite as I had envisioned it and I have the urge to do it all over again ‘correctly’.

It is a little disappointing or empty feeling when a piece is done and I have to start another in order to continue to paint more fur, etc.  But of course, starting another work for whatever reason isn’t a bad thing, either.

Interesting Places: The Minnesota Arboretum

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Many of my paintings featuring botanicals are inspired by my visits to the Minnesota Arboretum.  It is a very large location with ever-changing gardens of flowerscapes that are simply stunning.  I have mentioned the location before, in post descriptions of some of my floral subjects, but I felt that having a little insight into the actual place might be an enjoyable photo walk for some of you.

My first visit to the gardens was joined by a class of plein aire painters setting up their easels scattered throughout the paths as the sun was sinking, lighting up the gardens.  It was an unplanned, but delightful clash with an outdoor atelier.  Since then, it has felt a bit like a studio when I drop in to see what’s budding.  For more information: http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/ and their blog http://arboretumnaturenotes.wordpress.com/

Why Do You Paint Like A Maniac?

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detail-fox Fox Painting - Detail View, watercolor on board, ©Rebecca Latham

Fox Painting – Detail View, watercolor on board, ©Rebecca Latham

Why do you paint like a maniac?

I occasionally get questions like this. Why? Why do you paint like a maniac?  Why put in so much detail? and so on. Sometimes this comes from other artists.  Sometimes from the general public.

I shrug. Why not?

Which is met with something to the effect “That would drive me crazy.” or “It would take forever.” – paired with a look that would make one wonder if I had grown another head, and a chuckle.

Possibly.  I smile.

This, mind you, isn’t always how conversations go.  Many, many people find my work inspiring. ..which in turn, inspires me.  I am very grateful for those individuals.

Quite often, when I am out gathering reference, be it early morning in a forest, twilight on a lake, or just spotting a wild animal or bird, the location doesn’t matter.  When I have a moment to stop and take in what is around me and really observe.

I am overwhelmed.  Emotion wells up and I blink back tears.  You see, when I see nature, I see perfection and beauty in the patterns and color harmony that cannot be put into words.  The closer one looks at the mesh of intricacies in all nature, animals, the more there is to see. ..the more amazing it is.  and the more I am overwhelmed.

And so, when I paint, I try to communicate this.

I have been told on numerous occasions that upon seeing my work in a gallery, etc., that viewers have been brought to tears.  It seems odd, but this is the greatest compliment.   ..because it means I have accomplished my goal in saying in my painting what my words cannot.

At least for myself in my own work, it seems it would be a lack of respect not to paint these things in nature as they are.  I admit that I am simply unable to do so.  I fall far short of painting the true representation of what I see in the natural world.  But I try my best.

So, perhaps it is a bit crazy to paint like a maniac.  I cannot, however, say what needs to be said without it – and I am not sure that would I want to.

Perhaps, my answer is simply, I paint this way because I can.

 

Black Leopard and Notes on Sterling Silver

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Black Leopard - Work in Progress, ~5"×7", sepia watercolor on board, ©Rebecca Latham

Commissioned Black Leopard in progress, sepia watercolor on board, ~5″x7″, ©Rebecca Latham

 

Black Leopard Commission, ~5"×7", watercolor on board, ©Rebecca Latham

Commissioned Black Leopard, watercolor on board, ~5″x7″, ©Rebecca Latham

I just put the finishing touches on this little commission of a black leopard.  These leopards always fascinate me by their mysterious look.  Their stunning rich coats so often reflecting a glossy sheen of blue and intense eyes of a predator are always an attraction.  To highlight these points, I added hints of sterling silver to this piece as I sometimes do to my work, giving a painting just a little extra.

I was recently asked about what this was exactly.  Basically, it is ground sterling silver (or gold) into a fine powder to form a ‘pigment’.  It is then mixed with a binder, like usual watercolors are, and dried to form a tablet cake.  When needed, the tablet is wet to reconstitute the silver paint, and then can be used as paint in art.  Pure silver and gold have been used in illuminated manuscript miniatures for centuries.  I love the added zest a hint of silver or gold adds to a piece, as well as how it carries on a tradition that has such a rich history.