Monkeys in Progress

 © Ellen Blonder, © Steve Coleman

I'm enjoying a collaborative treat, working with artist Steve Coleman on his anteroom interior at 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, California. He's working on covering every square inch of the theater in his over-the-top style. My small contribution is three monkey scenes on blue faux-insets. Above is my tissue sketch taped in place, ready to transfer to the board underneath.

  © Ellen Blonder, © Steve Coleman

Here is the finished first painting in place at the top of the wall.

 © Ellen Blonder, © Steve Coleman

The second painting is nearly done, but the light was fading and I was losing my edge. I'll add final touches tomorrow when I can look at this with fresh eyes.

Red Dahlia

© Ellen Blonder

I've been painting mostly pastel-tinted dahlias, but they come in bright red, too. Here's another flower from the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden. I'm painting it the week before Christmas, so it looks like a summer flower dressed in winter colors.

English Bulldog Skull

© Ellen Blonder

The skull exhibit has closed at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, but I photographed many of them for drawing reference. This was one of the most extreme of the dog skulls. The English Bulldog has a startling underbite and smashed in nasal cavity. I wondered how it eats, and it's easy to see why it must have trouble breathing.

Satsumas Are Here

© Ellen Blonder

Satsumas are plentiful at the farmers' market, and they're sweet and wonderful. I had to do a quick watercolor of these, so pretty with all those leaves attached. 

White Dahlia

 © Ellen Blonder

© Ellen Blonder

When I think of dahlias, I usually visualize bright colors. I thought it would be an interesting exercise to paint one that was all white, where I couldn't rely on color gradations to define the layers of petals. My reference was another flower from the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden. 

Turkey - Final

© Ellen Blonder

The drawing's done, and I don't think I'll ever look at turkeys the same. 

Turkey - Progressive Drawings

 © Ellen Blonder

In early October, I visited Johnston's Cranberry Marsh in Barrie, Ontario. Besides the cranberries, there was a pen of extraordinary-looking turkeys. I had hoped to get a drawing of one of them done before Thanksgiving was over today.

 © Ellen Blonder

I've been working on the drawing for a week, daunted by how complicated their heads and necks are. For how important turkeys are on this holiday, few people (including me) have probably ever truly looked at what strange beauty and dignity they have.

© Ellen Blonder

I underestimated how long it will take to finish the back of the turkey's neck, but here's today's progress. I'll have to finish it later, but now it's time to cook vegetarian Thanksgiving. After looking this guy in the eye all week, I'm glad I don't have his cousin in the oven.

Another Pink Dahlia

 © Ellen Blonder

 © Ellen Blonder

© Ellen Blonder

Here's another dahlia from the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden. The variations are endless. I liked the way the petals curved in all directions in this one. Like the other dahlia paintings, this is a watercolor, built up darker and darker over a week's time, catch as catch can.

Frilly Dahlia

 © Ellen Blonder

This dahlia was so complicated I hesitated to try to capture it. I had photographed it at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden last summer, and loved its frilly petals.

 © Ellen Blonder

I always seem to start too light, but going straight to darker tones feels wrong.

© Ellen Blonder

Here it is finished, after several days' work. I decided it was complex enough without adding leaves.

Pink and White Dahlia

 © Ellen Blonder

 © Ellen Blonder

© Ellen Blonder

The last few days, I've been working on this watercolor of a pink and white dahlia that I saw last year at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens at Fort Bragg, California. It was the height of the season for dahlias, so I took many photographs and hope to paint more.

Blasts from the Past - 2

These were under piles of other old artwork. I painted them on illustration board, using gouache and watercolor, and adding some final details with colored pencil. They illustrated an article on controlling pests in the garden in a 1983 issue of Home magazine.

Blasts from the Past - 1

 © Ellen Blonder

 © Ellen Blonder

Poor, neglected blog. I have been busy, though, spending over a month to finally dig through, purge and organize many years' worth of old art files. Sometimes you have to clear out what's behind you to see your way forward. 

One of the fun parts of all that was finding things I had forgotten I painted. These three spots were part of a presentation I made in 1994, for a line of stationery and other paper products. While I got the job, none of these spots were used. 

Pink and Yellow Dahlia - Start to Finish

 © Ellen Blonder

Last year, I photographed dahlias at the botanical garden in Fort Bragg, California. It has taken me this long to finally paint from those. 

  © Ellen Blonder

This flower seemed to glow from within, with delicate pinks layered over pale yellow on the inner parts of the petals.

 © Ellen Blonder

I've been working on this water color off and on over this last week. Time to stop fussing and getting to some of those other reference photos of these wildly varied flowers.

Mauve Dahlia - Final

© Ellen Blonder

Since the last post, I've been adding more blacks mixed with the pink-mauve. I was planning to add a leaf or two, but decided I like this the way it is. Done.

Mauve Dahlia - 2

© Ellen Blonder

It always feels like the first layer of basic color will be dark enough, but it never is once I start adding shadows. I'm slowly layering in darker shades.

Mauve Dahlia - 1

© Ellen Blonder

Back from a drive into Oregon, where I saw this lovely dahlia. I'm starting a watercolor of it, and this is the first two days' progress.

© Ellen Blonder