Current Art - Jonquil SOLD

Here's what I've been up to.
Among other things.
Got some lovely daffodils at the grocery store, which inspired me to both sketch and paint jonquils.
An ongoing effort.
See below.

Jonquil Sketch in Ink and Watercolor, in an 8" x 8" sketchbook

Jonquil Watercolor
on 9" x 12" Arches Watercolor 140 pound paper
Image size: 7" x 10"

SOLD at $15 plus $10 shipping.
This one is a copy of a lovely You Tube instructional video, so I can only charge for my time and materials. Still really pretty, right?

Below is an accordion sketchbook, in video and photo forms. Front side only, back side still needs to be played on.

Charcoal, Graphite, Artgraph, Oil pastels, acrylic, pastel, ballpoint, stamping with leaves, stamping with carved stamps, Sumi Ink with stick, white Ink.

Here's the Concertina Sketchbook (same as Accordion Sketchbook) in video form.
I do apologize for the focus being off.
There's a skill I'm not used to or good at.

Thanks for looking!

Dahlia Dreams for D- N/A

Dahlia Dreams for D
Mixed Media on Bristol Paper, Images 6" x 6", Paper 9" x 12"
Not Available

I'll admit that these are bright, but I hope that my brother D. likes them that way. Dahlias grow in so many colors, I had no idea!
He raises dahlias every year, and because they can be tricky, they are a challenge. Some years he gets the most gorgeous blooms, the size of dinner plates, and the most beautiful colors. So these are for him. Happy gardening, D.!

Playing with Poppies - SOLD

Playing with Poppies, Watercolor - SOLD
Watercolor on Indigo 140 lb cold press paper, 16" x 20"
Full size with deckle.
(note that the deckle, while pretty, does have staple holes from stretching. Not bad, but there.)

I left the top left corner showing for the deckle edge.
Available at $40 plus $10 shipping.

This one is very loose and sketchy, which I am loving! Bright and cheerful!
I did it after watching the Anne Laure You Tube video, and it isn't copied, but I did follow it loosely. Her channel is called Following the White Rabbit, and she's French, and has a wonderful accent.
I hope you like this one.

Floral Bouquet, Watercolor - SOLD

I was blessed with a nice bouquet from the grocery store, when my niece E was visiting last weekend.
(Thank you, E!) It has lasted well enough that I've been able to paint with it for a whole week. Well, minus the sunflowers.

Here are three attempts. I think the last one is sale worthy.
We'll go backwards.
This one has some breathing room (white space).
It has some nice loose brush strokes, and a solid composition.
This one, from today, is the one for sale, directly below:

These are all watercolor on Arches Watercolor paper, sized at 12" x 18"
SOLD
The following are interesting in that you can see how much "tighter" I was when I started.
Second and First Attempts. They "can" be for sale, but that's up to you.

Attempt Two

Not Available - TIC (Turned into Cards)

Attempt One

Not Available - TIC (Turned into Cards)

You can see how much fuller the first ones are. Not much breathing room there.
The strokes are more stiff also. The fall into the category of  "not bad, but..."

Thanks for looking!

Handmade Watercolor Cards - SOLD

What to do?
I "think" loose and splashy, and then I paint tight, LOL.
There must be a way to transition somewhere. Maybe the trick is being willing to "waste" a lot of watercolor paper with experiments?

At any rate, here are some quite nice watercolor note cards for you.
There are 6 in the set at $5.00 each, with envelopes and cellophane wraps.

So many of my "people" have confessed that they are reluctant to send these out, hoarding them instead. Now THAT'S a Compliment!

And some "portraits:"

(I ate them, they were good!)

Looks like I missed the sunflowers and the carnations...oh, well, you get the idea.
If you are interested in the set, please let me know at NelVanL@aol.com, and your cost will be a total (with shipping) of  $35.00. Thanks for looking!

SOLD

Nel

Garden Mixed Media Abstracts - SOLD

This is a set of Abstracts on Watercolor Paper.
I could have made them into cards, but it seemed a waste to sacrifice so much of the art.
So a set on offer instead.

I was thinking "garden" and the word "listen."

I have signed them on the backs, so you can orient them in any direction that feels good to YOU.
Use the outside borders, or crop them away. I have only shown one border, but they are all present, not cropped.

Paper size: 9" x 9"
Images sizes: 6" x 6"

Price for the Set: $25 plus $5 shipping. SOLD!
Please send me an email to claim: NelVanL@aol.com

Shown with it's paper border.

I like the color palette and I think the compositions are pretty appealing.
So there you have it!
Thanks for looking!

On a more personal note. I wanted to thank all of my faithful collectors for their support and concern. I have not been able to post much lately as I deal with my stage 4 cancer treatments. The side effects can creep up on you. I had a lumpectomy to start, then radiation for 7 weeks, 5 days a week in the fall, and now I'm getting Keytruda once every three weeks. But they gave me a reprieve and a lovely (restorative) prescription for steroids, which is soooooo helping. God's Grace is an amazing, amazing thing!! So real to me now.

Lovely Landscape, Semi Abstract - Gifted

Lovely Landscape, Semi Abstract
Mixed Media on Gallery Wrapped Canvas, 16" x 16" x 1.5"
Gifted

Here are enlargements and Details

Job 12:7-10 is handwritten very faintly in white on the sky

The Right Side Edge, sunbeams are in the photo only

The collage elements include prints on tissue of the underside of a mushroom, actual birch bark, magazine scraps, mulberry papers, tissue papers, and African fabric in the tree trunks. There is also acrylic paint and a double coating of Matte Gel Medium, which gives this painting it's translucent look. Sides, top and bottom are all completed, so no frame is needed. I am very pleased with it, can you tell?

Dear Hamus. Regards from Edith. - SOLD

Dear Hamus. Regards from Edith.

A Flavor of Nostalgia

Mixed Media on MDF Board, 14" x 14"

SOLD

Detail of Crackle Area at the top

Detail of Edith's beautiful handwriting

This one started life as an assignment from the wonderful class I've been taking, called "Soulful Abstracts," taught by a wonderful French artist and teacher, Laly Mille. The assignment was called Layers of Time, and the idea and inspiration was an old papered and plastered wall. I found other things that wouldn't be found on a wall...a lovely note in an old book, some paper doilies, magazine clippings, a page from a book about love, an old graphics newspaper, and some blue striped wrapping paper. Collage and paint, and loads of time. I'm pretty happy with it.

Do What You Can - SOLD

"Do What You Can, Where You Are, With What You Have" quote from T. Roosevelt
Mixed Media on Paper, Mounted on MDF Boards, 6" x 6" each
SOLD at $25 plus $10 shipping

Continuing with my current fascination with abstracts in general, this was part of a series of different sizes and uses from one large watercolor sheet. Some went into cards, but these two I decided to mount and treat as paintings. Fun, aren't they? I really like this quote, too. Good reminder. Here are a couple of the cards:

Tidal Textures - Gifted

Tidal Textures
Textured Abstract Painting Series
Each Cradled Panel is 6" x 6" x 1" deep
Gifted.

See details of each panel below. These are signed on the sides, so that you can choose whatever orientation that feels right to you. They could also be hung in a row, say in a hall way. Or you could split them and hang them as singles or doubles, whatever you like.

Close-Ups:

T'is of Thee - SOLD

T'is of Thee - SOLD
Acrylic and Mixed Media on Hardboard, 14" x 14"
Available at $45 plus $10 shipping

My impressions...chaotic American politics, spiraling out of control, lots of heated dissension, more anger and bitterness than we've ever seen, but still...the Lord is in control, even when we can't see or sense it.

Conceal and Reveal - SOLD

Conceal and Reveal
Acrylic on Hard Board, 14" x 14"
SOLD at $45 plus $10 shipping

It could be hung this way:

Some details below (close Ups)

Abstracts are way harder than you would think. By the time you play, refine, remove, add, cover, change, scratch, sand, stamp, remove more, add more, squiggle on top, drip, change, adjust...it has taken on a life and a history of it's own. Fun stuff, but harder than you would imagine. For a first attempt, I'm pretty happy.

Loose Iris Number Four - SOLD

Loose Iris # 4
Watercolor on Cold Press Paper, 9" x 12"
SOLD at $20 plus $10 shipping.


This one I did with no sketching at all underneath. I laid down deep color, then added clear water to let it spread, controlling (sorta) where it was all floating off to. The leaves were done the same way, with negative painting when it dried. The technique needs work, but I DO like this one.

Floating Feathers - SOLD

Those of you who know my cousin H, and have been to the home of H and D, you will recognize where the idea for this one comes from. They have a beautiful piece of artwork with actual feathers that float, attached outside the frame, it's beautiful. So here's my version in watercolor.

Floating Feathers - SOLD
Watercolor, Ink, and Pencil on Arches Watercolor Paper, Image size is 19" x 21"
Available at $65 plus $10 shipping

You can click on the image to see this one larger.
(The ink lines break up at larger sizes, but they are solid.)
Thanks for looking!

Loose Iris Watercolor 3 - SOLD

Loose Iris Watercolor #3
Watercolor on Blick Cold Press Paper, 9" x 12"
SOLD at $20 plus $10 shipping

For this one, I reverted (mostly) to my regular defined style, with an effort to incorporate some of the looseness that I've been trying for. Here are the first two versions:

First Try

Second Try - SOLD

There are parts of each that I like, but I'm not to the point where I'm confident with the loosey goosey style that I'm after. I'll keep trying!

World Watercolor Month Watercolors - SOLD

A few more watercolors, mostly exploring a looser style.

Note: The NA means that I probably gave them away or TIC (Turned into Cards)

Yellow Floral

NA, 7.9" x 7.9" (20cm x 20cm)

Loose Iris First Iteration

NA, 9" x 12"

Loose Iris Second Iteration - SOLD

9" x 12"

The yellow one was just splashing color, then figuring out how to refine it. Probably better to go at it with something a little more definite in mind.

For the irises; the first one was done painting more in my usual style, but then softening as I went. Some parts I like quite a bit (mostly the leaves), and some not so much. The second one I did was with pale splashes of color wet-in-wet, then let that dry and paint on top. I lost my purples to the green dried washes. So the color isn't as nice, but again, there are some bits that I like (the leaves and the top iris.) 

If you would like to have any of these watercolors, just send an email to me at NelVanL@aol.com.

...and the watercolors continue.

Wheat Fields Watercolor - SOLD

Wheat Fields Watercolor
Watercolor of Watercolor Paper, 9" x 12" (including a small unpainted border)
SOLD.

In preparation for a large landscape in oils of a dirt road thru wheat fields, I did this small watercolor to test some colors and shapes. It's a nice little piece, for someone that might like fields and farms.