Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Original Art from my show at the Artisan Gallery!

If you're interested in anything you see here, just let me know.  Much of it is still available.

And NO idea why I never published this post, I just found it in the draft folder!  Oh well...for the most part, it still applies...










The original of this one found a good home in California, but I DO have prints!


Many of these originals, as well as prints of several of these paintings (and more) are in my Etsy store...it's here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CathyJohnsonArt

Hard at Work on My Newest Mini-class, Ink & Wash!


Here's a sneak preview...it should be up sometime this week!

This will be the sign-up button on my web page...

There's a video demonstrating this one...

You can get by with only a few colors...

We look at various ways to pre-tint pages...

A beautiful fall day at Powell Gardens prompted this demo...

Another demo video...

From my older public Strathmore video, showing colored ink...
A freebie ballpoint pen works just fine...
 

Water-soluble ink can be FUN and exciting!

Toned paper can give you some interesting effects and even set the mood!

Here's the syllabus!


INTRODUCTION

SUPPLY LIST

LESSON 1

▸    Why Ink & Wash?
▸    Get the Lead Out?
▸    Working with Ink and Watercolor–approaches
▸    Fountain Pens
▸    Disposables–Fiber Tipped
▸    Ballpoints and Gel Pens
▸    Water-soluble or Waterproof?
▸    Exercises
▸    Tips
▸    Demos
▸    Videos
▸    Links

LESSON 2

▸    Planning and Intent
▸    Colors
▸    Exploring Dip Pens
▸    Brush Pens
▸    Bottle Inks
▸    Before or After?
▸    Textures
▸    Waterbrushes
▸    Paper Matters
▸    Exercises
▸    Tips
▸    Demos
▸    Videos
▸    Links

LESSON 3

▸    Travel Sketching and Working On the Spot
▸    Colored Ink
▸    Finding a Point of View
▸    Keep it Simple, Keep it Light
▸    Be Prepared!
▸    Elements of Landscape
▸    Distance, Depth & Aerial Perspective
▸    Sketching from the Plane Window
▸    Focal Point
▸    Gridding
▸    People and Places
▸    Travel Notes Today
▸    Exercises
▸    Tips
▸    Demos
▸    Videos
▸    Links

LESSON 4

▸    Out & About
▸    Time is of the Essence
▸    How to Simplify?
▸    Watercolor First
▸    Ink First
▸    Try a New Perspective
▸    Out & About–Aerial Perspective
▸    Try Toned Paper
▸    Ink, Coffee, Tea, Wine
▸    Buildings in Landscape
▸    Urban Sketching
▸    Reportage Drawing
▸    Safety Tips for Urban and Travel Sketching
▸    Exercises
▸    Tips
▸    Demos
▸    Videos
▸    Links

Thursday, December 6, 2012

'Tis the Season!

LOTS OF GIFTS AND GOODIES

If you're looking for a gift for that special someone--or for yourself! (and you like the idea of supporting an individual artist/craftsman rather than a huge business that may get most of their inventory from China) please stop by and browse!

The original of this was bought by a dear artist friend, Brenda Swenson...so I made prints available on Etsy!

This plein air sketch of the ivy-covered gate at the old high school in Excelsior Springs was lots of fun...the original is in a show at The Artisan right now, but prints are available HERE

One of my favorite places for plein air painting is Tryst Falls, in Excelsior Springs, MO.  The print has proven quite popular.


Of course if you prefer original art, ready to mat and frame to suit YOUR taste, we have that too...

This is another plein air piece--I raced to capture the changing clouds and the sun sank lower in the west; see details HERE


There are even small, affordable goodies like ACEOs and hand-painted bookmarks.  You're sure to find something to fit the occasion--eve if that occasion is just, oh, Thursday!

Click on any of the links, above, and look around.  If you have any questions please just ask!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

I've made cat prints available, as well

...and forgot to mention that...


"Beloved Cat"
This is one of my favorite paintings of my cats...I can't seem to let the original go, but the prints have been quite popular!
You can find Fuzz, who was one of the sweetest animals I ever shared my home with. He arrived on my front porch in the middle of a blizzard one winter night; he was so lovable I was sure his owners must be devastated. I put ads in the paper to try to find his home, but no one ever responded...he lived with us for 18 years, and I still miss him.

Those big green eyes were so solemn and trusting--he loved everyone, and never met a human he didn't want to cuddle up to. Wouldn't you love to pet that soft fur? I did...

I loved playing with a variety of watercolor techniques to express the intimate relationship with with this sweetie...in my Etsy shop.

My fine art prints come to you backed and covered with protective acetate, ready for you to mat and frame to fit your decor. 


Meet Sophie!  She'll keep your place in your book or magazine...
I'm also having fun making original watercolor and ink bookmarks...ORIGINAL watercolor
on archival paper, they're 1.5 x 7 inches.  This one was using the primaries...lots of fun!

I do a lot of demonstrations of techniques for my classes, books, and articles...many of them are just color swatches testing pigments, demonstrating washes or brush strokes, or showing texturing techniques. I decided to make some of these into bookmarks (ACEOs to come!) and make them available here.

I let the color, shapes, and textures suggest what I want to add to the design...cats (of course!), nature, Celtic crosses...and who knows what's next? The three bookmarks shown here are examples of what I'm inspired by.

I'm feeling frugal AND creative, and it's delightful!

My husband and I love to read, and we often use bookmarks made from my demonstrations or cropped from paintings...the bookmarks are surprising sturdy, as much as we read they really get hard use!

These have been punched to accept a satin ribbon chosen to complement the color; they're signed on the back. I hope you enjoy using them, and reading your favorite books.
I use pH-neutral paper and pigments that will survive the test of time.

(On your screen these bookmarks will look larger than they do in reality.)

Take a peek, if you like, there are lots of other bookmark designs , prints, and original paintings!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

New work is available--finally!

I've been going in a lot of directions at once, as you can probably tell...but adding new things to my Etsy shop, Cathy Johnson Art! Take a peek...

This one's a print of a painting I did on the spot...I may add the original to my Etsy store later!

The historic Royal Hotel in Excelsior Springs is slated for renovation; right now the back of the old place is quite picturesque, and I couldn't resist sketching it. This print is from an original plein air ink and watercolor, done on the spot one beautiful fall day.

The print is 5 x 7" which works well in an 8" x 10" frame; I make every effort to match the color as closely as possible and use archival materials, but there is often some variation due to differences in computer monitors.

This one is an original sketch--sale price on Etsy.

I gave a watercolor workshop for Strathmore Papers in the spring of 2012, and this was one of the demos that were the MOST fun to do! I love the fresh, splashy color watercolor offers, and the combination of line was wash.

This original watercolor painting is 7" x 6-1/2" --

Both will come to you securely wrapped and backed, ready to mat and frame. 

...FUN and fast and colorful.  I'll be offering more of my demos as we go along...

If you're interested, just click the link under the sketches!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Book Giveaway Winner!

Book giveaway winner!

We have a winner!



MaryO, it's all yours, and congratulations!  Please write me at kate (at) cathyjohnson.info with your mailing address, and we'll get this off to you ASAP!

Thanks so much to all who entered--I'm astounded at the numbers here and on my Cathy Johnson Fine Art blog (I put everyone together in the same folder, to make it easier)...

Some of you mentioned you'd still like to have the book, even if you didn't win...it's available in my website catalog, and I'll be happy to sign it for you however you like!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Giveaway--free book!




After 17 years of great feedback and steady sales, Sketching and Drawing is going out of print--so I stocked up on author's copies for my website catalog!  Though it's not about journal-keeping per se, it covers a LOT of techniques...


So for a limited time, I'm offering a free copy, right here on the blog.  Just leave a comment and we'll add your name to the hat--shipping's free too, if you win.


We'll draw the winning name on Friday, June 14 2012--and good luck!

(And if you don't win, there's a special price on these on my website.)

**NOTE, congratulations to our winner!

Friday, December 30, 2011

Celtic Madonna...

"Celtic Madonna"
acrylic on canvas
8 x 10, unframed


The face has such a contemplative look, with an innocence shining through. She appears half hidden behind a screen of images taken from the Book of Kells.

I love faces and the range of expressions we show the world. This one is from my imagination, exploring acrylics as thin washes on canvas.

SOLD

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