Judith Freeman Clark, paintings

Thrilled to have  two  winning watercolor paintings in the 2019   LightSpaceTime Online Gallery's 9th Annual “Botanicals” Art Competition.  There were 678 entries submitted by artists from 28 different countries, as well as from 32 different states and the District of Columbia, to this year's "Botanicals" show. "Garden Royalty" (below, left)  received sixth place  among the top 10 best entries in the category "Overall Winning Artists."  This part of the competition can be seen HERE . And, my watercolor  "Peony Awakening" (below, right)  was one of 40  paintings chosen for a "Special Merit Award" in this competition.  Winners in this category can be seen HERE .  

After spending a few days in Newport, RI, I have been wanting to paint a few images captured on my phone. Yesterday's project was to lay down the cloudy sky in this small (12" x 9") painting of one of the mansions along the Cliff Walk. My photo reference isn't the greatest, but I'm aiming mostly for atmosphere and "feel" of this water-edge setting, rather than to capture every windowsill, gable, and shrub. Reference photo French Ultramarine was my choice for the sky, with a little Sepia for the shadowy parts of the clouds. I added a wash of Cobalt Blue on the left to indicate where the sky was clearing. The grass, shrubbery and trees are done with Green Gold, Undersea Green, and Shadow Green, plus some accents of Winsor Blue GS, Burnt Sienna, and French Ultramarine. The finished painting, below, is available for purchase through my online gallery at Daily Paintworks, which can be accessed   HERE .  "Cliff Walk View, Newport RI" tr...

I recently spent a few morning hours taking photos at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, MA, and am excited about the results. A series of peonies provided me with some needed inspiration. I completed this painting, which is based on an image taken when the sun was at a bright slant. "Peony Awakening"      transparent watercolor   This painting is available as shown,  double-mat and gold wood frame,  23" x 19". 

Pleased to announce that my painting "Christmas Day Dinner" was juried into the upcoming regional water media exhibit, "Tell-A-Tale" at the R hode Island Watercolor Society.     The show runs from June 22 through August 19, 2019, at the RIW S,  Slater Memorial Park,  831 Armistice Boulevard,  Pawtucket, RI 02861.  Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.   "Christmas Day Dinner" transparent watercolor 15.5" x 13.5"

Both of these paintings were done quickly, with little or no preliminary sketching. I've discovered that the results can be interesting if you plunge in without worrying too much about making "mistakes," or "wasting" paper, or whether the final image duplicates the original reference... "Magnolia" watercolor  9" x 12" "Pink Magnolias" watercolor  9" x 12" The goal with these paintings was to emphasize shadow and form, rather than to execute an exact copy of my photos. Allowing the intense colors -- Winsor Blue (GS), Green Gold, Shadow Green, French Ultramarine, and Quinacridone Rose -- to blend on the paper minimized any need to add fussy details. Both paintings were done with one brush -- a #12 Pointed Round. The single white magnolia was done on 200-lb. Saunders Waterford Cold Press; the pink magnolias were done  on 140-lb. Kilimanjaro Bright White, Cold Press. Both paintings are available at the Creative Hands ...

Not the first time I've painted these gorgeous blooms -- and surely not the last time, either. This painting is a creative combination of several digital photos taken in a number of locations -- including Amsterdam. My goal was to capture the foliage with its multiple colors and shadows, as well as the bright fuchsia blossoms, which were done with wet-into-wet applications of Permanent Rose, Mineral Violet, and Winsor Violet. The warmth of the sunny areas was emphasized with thin washes of Burnt Umber brushed on after the upper areas were completely dry. The depth of the shadows on the right sight of the painting was enhanced by washes of French Ultramarine mixed with a bit of Winsor Blue (GS). I used Sepia to give definition, and add contrast, to stems in the lower area of the painting. "Rhododendron  Shadows" transparent watercolor  9" x 12" This painting is available at the Creative Hands Gallery , 812 Main St. #2, Osterville, MA. Some of my rhodode...

We seem to be locked into a pattern of perpetual gray skies and rain... today's antidote to dull weather is to pull out some photos of a Cape Cod beach on a sunny morning. These photos are from early April 2017, and the painting combines elements of two photos -- one showing a weathered, split-rail fence along the edge of a parking area at the First Encounter Beach, in Orleans. For compositional interest, the fence photo is flipped so that, in the painting, it runs in an opposite diagonal to the sloping dune. The second photo of a sloping dune with grasses and scrubby brush casting shadows, will need some creative additions -- perhaps a weathered Adirondack chair or a small section of broken-down fence. The painting is done in a limited palette: Cobalt Blue, French Ultramarine, Mineral Violet, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, Sepia, and Shadow Green. Only two brushes are needed so far  -- both pointed rounds -- #8 and #14; later I'll use a 1/4" flat for the fence details and a #...