2016-07-14 small grey cat

2016-07-14 small grey cat makes another appearance

digital art (Krita)

I decided to consolidate and relocate entirely to my website, margaretmlin.com, so this Blogspot blog is now archived.  Thanks for visiting me here, and feel free to stop by my website :)

2016-07-12 Sun Moon Lake -1

12 July 2016 - Sun Moon Lake National Park, Taiwan
11" x 14", gouache on hot press watercolor paper

2016-07-09 landscape

9 July 2016 - based on view of Washington Park, Denver, Colorado
8" x 10", gouache on hot press watercolor paper

I wanted to do something with lots of colors.  I did other versions of this a handful of years ago (posted 8 October 2012 and 25 October 2011).

2016-07-08 small grey cat

8 July 2016 - small grey cat

digital art (Krita)

2016-07-01

1 July 2016
digital art (Krita)

2016-06-30 landscape

30 June 2016 - based on view of Errol Heights City Park, Portland, Oregon

11" x 14", gouache on unstretched canvas

2016-06-23 landscape

23 June 2016 - based on view of Errol Heights City Park, Portland, Oregon

7" x 10", gouache on cold press watercolor paper

2016-06-15 landscape

15 June 2016 - based on view of Kelly Point Park, Portland, Oregon
8" x 10", gouache on Arches Oil Paper (since I'd purchased this as part of my now on-hold water miscible oil experiment, I thought I'd try it with gouache.  Seemed to work out.)

With the gouache paintings, I'm scaling back down to 8" x 10" and 11" x 14" due to paint consumption and ease-of-framing considerations.  And storage space.

2016-06-14 landscape (another for June Virtual Paintout)

14 June 2016 - Silverado Trail S, St Helena, California (2)
11" x 14", gouache on unstretched canvas

 Here's another for Bill Guffey's June Virtual Paintout.  I think I'll stick with gouache paints for now and shelf the water miscible oils.  I find gouache easier to work with than the oils, but more persnickety compared to acrylics.  Over all I'm finding that they do what I want them to.

2016-06-09 landscape (for June Virtual Paintout)

9 June 2016 - based on view of SiIverado Trail S, St Helena, California, for Bill Guffey's June Virtual Paintout
7" x 10", gouache on cold press watercolor paper

2016-05-20 Virtual Paintout (May - Maine) - 2nd painting

20 May 2016 - Mud Creek Road, Lamoine, Maine
12" x 16", water miscible oils on unstretched canvas

Here's another for Bill Guffey's Virtual Paintout.  Going for a more somber vibe.

2016-05-16

16 May 2016 - floral abstraction
16" x 12", water miscible oils on hot press cotton paper

2016-05-06

6 May 2016 - based on view of Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
14" x 18", water miscible oils on unstretched canvas

I gave water miscible oils a try.

It may be the fault of my very limited palette or my limited technique, but I wasn't impressed with the performance of the paints in terms of pigmentation and mixability.  I tried Holbein Duo Aqua Water-Soluble Oils.  Feel free to weigh in on this truly exciting topic :)

I'm not sure if I'll continue to soldier on with these paints or try another medium... or go back to acrylics.  I've also been curious about casein paints, but of course that means doling out more $$$ to indulge, so we'll see.

I was inspired to try a different paint medium after reading an article in Scientific American about how plastic-based art and artifacts in museums are beginning to show deterioration 40-50 years out, including an acrylic Andy Warhol painting.  Not that I am generating museum-quality art :) but I like to think that I can look at my intact paintings forty years from now rather than wade through a pile of plastic dust.

I also started ruminating over the environmental impact of adding acrylic paint debris into the ecosystem every time I paint.

This riveting drama is to be continued... till the next exciting installment...

2016-04-29

29 April 2016 - based on view of Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Portland, Oregon
7" x 10", gouache on cold press watercolor paper

2016-04-26

26 April 2016 - a lovely spring day
digital art (Krita)

2016-04-15

15 April 2016 - based on view of Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Portland, Oregon
18" x 24", acrylic on unstretched canvas

2016-06-07

7 April 2016
digital art (Krita)

2016-04-06

6 April 2016 - based on view of Oak Bottom Wildlife Refuge, Portland, Oregon
14" x 18", acrylic on unstretched canvas

2016-03-30 Virtual Paintout

30 March 2016 - based on Google Maps streetview, Water St, North Arm Cove, New South Wales, Australia
18" x 24", acrylic on unstretched canvas

Thought I'd participate in Bill Guffey's Virtual Paintout this month.  It's been a while since I have.  It's good to see that it's still up and running, and there's a lot of cool submissions.

2016-03-23 Portland, Oregon

23 March 2016 - based on a view of Oak Bottom Wildlife Refuge, Portland, Oregon
18" x 24", acrylic on unstretched canvas

2016-03-15 Portland, Oregon

15 March 2016 - based on view of International Rose Test Garden, Portland, Oregon
18" x 24", acrylic on unstretched canvas

I had to pack up my make-shift painting studio for quite a number of months due to the chaos of our ongoing home renovation, but recently have been able to set it up again and paint an actual painting.

2016-02-24 just outside Bruges, Belgium

24 February 2016 - outside Bruges, Belgium
digital art (Krita)

2016-02-23

23 February 2016 - signs of spring!
digital art

This one was done with Krita software.

An Autumn Adventure with Nigel

Official unveiling!  I've completed my story about a little girl and her German shepherd dog, Nigel.

I'm also posting this on my Facebook account.

I will try and make it available in Kindle format on Amazon.com if I can figure out the process, so on the off chance that anyone would like to own it in Kindle format, it can be purchased.  I'll let you know if I manage to "publish" it.

UPDATE (10 February 2016): I've officially "published" it as a Kindle e-book on Amazon.com.  The link is :http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BKZBEIU.

An Autumn Adventure with Nigel

It's a rather brisk autumn day, perfect for reading a book.

Nigel, though, lets me know it's time for a walk.

Nigel wants to investigate a cat.

The cat wisely decides he'd rather not stay.

Which way today, Nigel, the cemetery or the river?

While in the cemetery, I discover a clue to a mystery (it's not the squirrel).

We follow footprints.

The footsteps just seem to go back to the neighborhood.  What's next?

We head back home to do some research.

We uncover some important information!

Nigel and I set out again.  This time, we see our destination, far off in the distance.

The chase is on!

We arrive!

We do some snooping.

Success!  The treasure is ours (Nigel's, that is).

We see a boy doing some tricks on his skateboard.  He's pretty good.

Oh, no!  Disaster!

The boy saves the day!

Nigel thanks the boy for rescuing his ball.

It's time to head home.  Good-bye!

Now it's time for a nap.  The End.

2016-01-11 Portland, Oregon

11 January 2016 - Westmoreland Park (late spring), Portland, Oregon
12" x 18", digital art