Day 31 Grand Tetons

Grand Tetons (watercolor, 3 x 7") is a sample painting for my Wednesday night Lutheran watercolor class. It fits into a cute little mat that Duane and Heddy Wright sold me from Evelyn's estate. I have a dozen or so of these mats that I will give my students, and we'll paint miniatures to fit the mats.

The picture from which I painted was from an old calendar that Evelyn had ripped out and stuck in an old watercolor magazine, also from her estate. Her entire house/studio was stuffed with treasures such as these.

Days completed: 31

Days to go: 334

Day 30 Red Mushroom (oil)

Fascinated with this Amanita muscaria, I painted it in oil, 8 x 10".

Days completed: 30

Days to go: 335

Day 29 Rocky Splash

Rocky Splash (watercolor, 5 x 7") is a quick painting made with salt. The first painting that I ever sold was a quarter sheet painting very similar to this that I painted when Warren was an infant. It took me five minutes to paint and was very beautiful. I let the lady talk me down to $95; I still miss that painting.

Days completed: 29

Days to go: 336

Day 28 Red Mushroom

Driving home somewhere on the coast this afternoon (I have to be vague about my exact whereabouts so as not to excite any mushroom eaters), I noticed this mushroom in the pine needles, jumped out, and took a few photos.

Later this evening, I painted Red Mushroom (ink and watercolor, 5 x 7").

After a bit of googling, I believe that this mushroom is Amanita muscaria muscaria, the red Fly Agaric mushroom, which is hallucinogenic and slightly poisonous. This is the mushroom that you see with elves and Santa Claus; it's believed to be the reason that Santa Claus wears red and white and reindeer fly. It was effectively used by Vikings because it inhibits fear. Shamans in Siberia used this mushroom to speak to the Gods, and, in 1968, R. Gordon Wasson wrote a book about A. muscaria called Soma-The Divine Mushroom of Immortality.

Here is a link: http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/dec99.html

I noticed this mushroom because it stands out so much, and I've seen other beautiful mushrooms on my dog walks lately. I felt kind of silly and childish painting a red and white spotted mushroom for my blog, but I love all the history and stories associated with this beauty.

Days completed: 28

Days to go: 337

Day 27 Misty Lake Triptych

I painted Misty Lake Triptych (watercolor, each 5 x 7") as a lesson from an old Jack Reid watercolor book. Which one do you think is best?

Days competed: 27

Days to go: 338

Day 26 Ocean

Ocean (watercolor, 22 x 30") is the feel that I have of the ocean out at Montara State Beach.

Days completed: 26

Days to go: 339

Day 25 Mini Fling Flowers

Mini Fling Flowers (watercolor, 7 x5") is a little painting that I started when I was at the Evelyn Wright Memorial Watercolor Workshop in Santa Cruz in November 2009. It is has been up in my window since December, and, as I looked at it everyday, I felt that it needed more darks. This image shows it a bit washed out, but I like it much better now with the higher contrast.

Days completed: 25

Days to go: 340