Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Dolphins and Mermaids

Well, it's getting to be the end of Mermaid season for this one here.  We've had a cool, rainy summer and I'm wondering even if today my lake will be too cool to swim in.  Gonna give it a go anyhow.  So in honor of these blissful summer swims I present you my Count Your Blessings Pendant.  Any of my images are available in pendants and earrings in case you didn't know.






Here is a link to them on my website. http://melissaharris.com/creatrix/jewelry.shtml
and  here is a link to my Economy line of jewelry.  http://melissaharris.com/creatrix/jewelry-economy.shtml

Enjoy.   Melissa


Monday, August 22, 2011

Getting into color


Every so often I get stuck on a particular color that I like to use over and over in my paintings.  This couple of weeks it's been a color called Fanchon Red by Williamsburg paints which is the cadillac of oil paint companies.  Their tubes are really heavy because they use so much pigment as opposed to fillers which make the colors that much more vibrant.  I used this color mixed with Prussian Blue in the post below.  It's funny because I've had it lying around for some years and haven't used it.  Now, my next project will be to see if I can keep my brushes and paint tubes from getting full of paint.  I guess it's a habit like anything else.  I just have to wipe them off.....  HHHmmmnnnnnn discipline......
Till then,   Melissa

Friday, August 12, 2011

End of Day Image Blast


Sometimes I will be standing around the studio and flash on an idea that I just have to paint now. That happened yesterday just as I was cleaning up and preparing to leave the studio. My eye landed on a small canvas ( I had painted over a painting ) and all of a sudden I saw how a photo I had taken would work so well on that background and actually saw in my mind's eye how the painting would lay out.

Lately I am doing small studies and then making them into larger canvases, something I never would have had the patience to do in earlier days.

This painting carries the mood of the series I have been working on only with different subject matter.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Doodling




I like to paint wherever I am and whatever I am doing if possible. Some folks call this doodling - you know, when you scribble while you are on the phone, etc. I take my paints wherever I go and even will paint on the beach while everyone else is busy doing the usual beach things. Long ago I thought there was nothing to paint there but nowadays I'll just paint whoever happens to be around and it's a great exercise at quickly noting where the light falls and anatomy etc.

Some people prefer knitting :-)

here are some beach doodles

soon I'll have to do some lake doodles but normally I just jump in, swim and back to the studio

I LOVE SUMMER