Judith Freeman Clark, paintings

Painting outdoors doesn't come easily to me, but pushing myself in that direction has taught me a few things. First, I always bring at least two or three small-format painting surfaces –– 140 lb. paper securely taped to a 10" x 14" Gatorboard panel, a watercolor block (7" x 10" or 9" x 12"), a watercolor notebook made with high-quality paper (Moleskine sells a good one). Too, my three-legged, collapsible, folding stool (with a shoulder-strap for carrying) guarantees a place to sit. A one-gallon water thermos and a folding vinyl water bucket are both necessities, as are a few folded sheets of paper towel and a clean scrap of 100% cotton fabric (a man's discarded T-shirt is ideal) for blotting my brushes. After painting non-stop for 40 minutes, I generally need to step back and check my work to see if I've misjudged an aspect of perspective, or if I have focused too closely on details. My goal when working outdoors is to capture the general moo...

Step #1 I've been experimenting recently with watercolor sketches of portraits and figures using old photographs as references. Some of my subjects sat for these photos more than 100 years ago, although I've also found it enjoyable (and challenging) to work from more recent family pictures. Many of these were shot in B&W, so choosing a color palette that would reflect the mood of the original photo is always interesting. Step #2 Reference photo Today's portrait sketch is of my son, and I used a photo taken when he was about four years old. It is slightly out of focus, and the shadow contrast is quite pronounced. I recall that my son was acting moody that day, and it was this slightly dreamy moodiness that I hoped to capture in my watercolor portrait. I began with a light pencil sketch, then added a wash of Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber. The eyes are done with Cobalt Blue and French Ultramarine. (Step #1) I added successive layers of wash, using a slightly ...

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 ...