Copy of Venus, Satyr and Cupid by Correggio

 

pen and ink drawing by Rosa Phoenix

on letterpress paper

I was looking through an art book of masterpieces of the Louvre Museum. 

I found some letterpress stationary paper and made the drawing on it. 

I took a photo of the drawing with my iPhone, and then I edited and filtered the image in the Camera+ app.

Winter Forest Watercolor Lesson

Winter Forest

watercolor painting by Rosa Phoenix

Happy Holidays!

Believe it or not, it's cold and wintry here in Arizona, and there's snow in the mountains!



We painted a wintry forest scene in my watercolor classes. 

This is a nice lesson for beginners. We learn about wet-on-wet technique, using masking tape, and color perspective (distant objects are lighter in color and appear blurry, while closer objects are darker in color and have more definition).



Step 1

We start by masking off the bottom part of the painting with masking tape, then applying a pale wash of paint (using lots of water) to the paper in a cool blue lavender color. 

This will be our sky.


Step 2

While the wash is still wet, loosely paint in the most distant layer of trees, using a slightly darker lavender paint that is very wet. I use a small round brush, using a quick back-and-forth motion. It doesn't have to be detailed, because the trees are very far away. 

We want the trees to blend in with the sky, to get a misty look.


Step 3

While our background tree layer is still wet, we loosely paint in the middle layer of trees in a blue green color. The colors will blend together and that's OK.


Step 4

We let our painting dry, and then we paint in our final layer of trees that are closest to us. We use a dark blue-green color paint, and we use less water this time, so our trees have more definition.

Finally, we remove the masking tape and paint the bottom part of our painting. I painted a wash of icy, light blue color.

My students used their imaginations to create a scene here: one painted snowy hills; another painted a deer, and another painted a river with fish jumping in it!

Remember to stay creative and open to possibilities. It's a wonderful way to live life!

Autumn Colors: Watercolor Painting Lesson

It's Autumn in Arizona! 

What better way to enjoy the changing season, than by walking in Nature, and seeing the autumn colors?

I took these photos on a hike to Horton Springs, near Payson, Arizona. 

Up in the mountains, the trees grow tall, and their leaves put on a spectacular display of color, illuminated in the sunlight!

the creek from Horton Spring

The change of seasons gives us a chance to reflect on the changes in our lives. 

It's a time to celebrate our growth and progress! 

Autumn is a colorful reminder that we can make a brilliant impact here on Earth.

I'm very excited about a new change for me this season: I'm teaching art classes!

I love it, because I am sharing the joy of creativity with others.  

*****

Here's a beginner's lesson in watercolor painting and color mixing, inspired by autumn colors:

First we learn about the color wheel. 

By mixing the three primary colors (red, yellow and blue) we can mix all the colors we need. Do you see the beautiful colors of autumn?

It takes just 3 steps to make our painting of autumn foliage:

Step 1

First we wet the paper, then start dabbing primary colors onto the paper. 

The colors mix together right on the paper. (This is called wet-on-wet technique in watercolor.) 

Then we let it dry.

Step 2

We use a cut piece of sponge, dip it in more paint, and dab the paint on the paper with the sponge.

Here is what it looks like, after we have added color with the sponge. Do you see how it creates texture?


Step 3

To finish the painting, just use a small paintbrush to make the tree limbs and branches. The brown color was mixed using all three primary colors: red, yellow and blue.

And we are done, in 3 easy steps!

Forest Path in My Sketchbook

Dave Deppner, Friend of the Earth

Watch the video to learn about Trees for the Future


Dave Deppner, Founder of Trees for the Future, passed away yesterday.

This remarkable man, along with his wife, Grace, and the organization he founded, made a great impact on the Earth, by helping people re-plant deforested regions all around the world. He did this work quietly and humbly.

I was fortunate to meet Dave, Grace and some staff members of Trees for the Future at the 2007 Green Festival in San Francisco. At the time, I was searching for ways to help reverse the damage that humans have inflicted on our Earth. I discovered that Trees for the Future is doing good work with local communities, world-wide.


My support of this organization began with a 2008 Earth Day Art Show in Oakland, California, which raised money to plant 1,000 trees in Senegal. I have been supporting Trees for the Future ever since.


Reflecting on Dave Deppner's lifetime of work is truly inspiring. 




LINKS:


Trees for the Future

Palo Verde in Bloom

 

palo verde tree in springtime

all photos by Rosa Phoenix

Spring has come to the Sonoran Desert. The palo verde is Arizona's state tree.

The palo verde is a native tree of our desert, with a delicate and feathery appearance. It is completely green, with green trunk and branches and tiny leaves.

In springtime, it covers itself with tiny, golden yellow blossoms.

I spent almost my entire childhood in Arizona. I've seen many palo verde trees. Yet I feel that I am seeing them in bloom for the very first time.

 

Why have I never noticed this before?

To see the street lined with many of these delicate desert trees, 

adorned with golden flowers, is a special vision.

I was sad to miss the cherry and plum blossoms of San Francisco this year. 

Imagine my delight to see the palo verde trees of a desert spring.

Sometimes, you have to go away for awhile, and return again, 

to see with new eyes, what you weren't able to see before.

Happy Holidays!

Tree House

self portrait drawing (felt tip markers on paper)

by Rosa Phoenix

Happy Holidays!

I can't believe it's already the end of 2010! I'm very grateful to connect with you and share art and ideas with you, here in the blogosphere.

I hope for a peaceful holiday season and new year for you, your family and friends.

I have a holiday gift for you: in honor of you and all the good spirits who help me in my life journey, I am donating funds to plant 500 trees in Haiti, with the help of Trees for the Future.

Thanks for sharing your time, energy and art with me in 2010, and I can't wait to connect with you again in 2011!

Warmest wishes,

Rosa Phoenix

Tree in Autumn

Painting by Rosa Phoenix

I love the trees in all seasons. I roam the parks of San Francisco with my sketchbook, pens and pencils. The stark, bare limbs of this tree called out to me. I simplified the shape and turned it into a black silhouette against an autumn sky.

Reflections

Julia Butterfly Hill poem from CoSM TV on Vimeo.

Redwoods

Muir Woods

just north of San Francisco,

home of the Redwood trees

natural sculpture

look again

bear face

who is this?

mushrooms like flowers

towering trees

time for a hug

I played with PhotoShop to get different effects with some of these photos.


LINKS


Muir Woods Virtual Walking Tour 

Muir Woods on Wikipedia

National Park Service website

Soft Pink Petals

I love . . .

plum blossoms

 sweet scents

  

new life budding

  

sweet hearts

 

  

a perfect bloom

how romantic

Love for a Lifetime

 

crayon and color pencil drawing by Rosa Phoenix

I wish you love like this kind of love. 

Looking at these trees, I see two friends that have grown up together. 

They are inseparable. 

Their roots, limbs and leaves are intertwined. 

They share everything. 

They even look like two people holding hands.

Winter Solstice

crayon drawing on paper

Peace on Earth

Sketchbook: San Francisco

pencil and crayon drawing on paper

 

Here is a photo of the house:

The unusual roof of this house is reflected in the window of the house across the street.

A wonderful Christmas scene!

Sketchbook: San Francisco

crayon on paper

Autumn rooftops in San Francisco

 

  are islands in a sea of fiery autumn leaves

Sketchbook: San Francisco

crayon drawing on construction paper by Rosa Phoenix

Drawing is a way of seeing.   

When I'm drawing, I notice much more than I would with a casual glance.

This cheerful yellow house has a Yin+Yang symbol decorating it. 

On the eave of the roof stands a Kuan Yin statue. 

I love the bottlebrush trees and bright blue sky.