Pretty New Palette... and a new watercolor

Got something great in the mail yesterday -whenever I get mail from Cheap Joe's it is great! Woo Hoo - fun, new art supplies! I decided it was definitely time for a new palette since I have made such a mess of my other painting and mixing trays. I ordered a smaller palette with a lid that I can take places, and a big porcelain one for my painting table. The porcelain palette is heavy so it won't move around while I am mixing colors, and I took pictures so I can remember what a nice, organized palette looks like. I even set the paint tubes around it and rearranged them until the colors were in the order I wanted. I usually just squirt paint onto the tray wherever there is an empty (or kind of empty) space. I was afraid to make a mess of my shiny white palette. I also took a tip from Cheap Joe, and labeled my colors.

I also have a start on a watercolor I have been wanting to paint for quite a while. In the Spring, two of the rose bushes in my garden were homes to bird nests. Birds were constantly flying in and out of the roses. I managed to get some photos during one of the moments the birds were away. I have been thinking about painting this for months and now that I am getting to it, I hope I will not be disappointed with the finished product.

Thanks for looking-

Sheryl

"Wicker Bounty" Step 2

I started this watercolor by putting in a wash of Cobalt and Ultramarine Blue, working wet-on-wet. I am painting on 140 lb rough surface paper. I love the rough surface because I want that watercolor paper texture. Starting with some background color helped to define the white wicker. As usual, I couldn't wait to get to the details, so I jumped around a bit to get some colors on the paper.

I am using Payne's Gray to give the wicker some shape, but really want to not paint every separate piece of wicker. I want to show that it is wicker without getting too into detail like I usually do. I started with Sap Green and Chromium Oxide Green for the leafy greens. The reds are mixes of Cad Red and Thalo Red and the pots are Cad Red and Burnt Sienna.

My watercolor supply is a mixture of Windsor&Newton and Grumbacher, depending on the colors I want at the time and availability. I often order online and like to try out different brands of the same color. Basically, I use whichever color is working for me at the time and try not to get too stuck on a brand name unless there is a major difference.

Next, I will be continuing with my details and getting to the darks.

Thanks for looking!

Sheryl