In one of my previous posts I mentioned that I am hosting a new challenge at Susan Harrison-Tustain's Artist Forum.

This Challenge is/was a Watercolor Rose Study. I am happy now to tell you that my Rose painting is finished and I am more happy that so many artists joined the challenge. Some are still working on their roses and I hope they find my teaching how I do a rose helpful.

This is my finished Rose painting.

Rose Ghislaine de Féligonde
medium: watercolor on 140 Lb hotpressed paper
size: 8x8 inch - 20x20 cm
© Doris Joa

If you want to try doing a rose by yourself so I encourage you to visit this challenge. I posted the drawing, the ref.pics. and explained my steps how I am working. On this forum are other helpful challenges and tips.

While you are there please visit also Susan Harrison-Tustain's Website. It is completely new and WOW! what a source for artists. Please visit the Artist's Site to find helpful FREE articles, Video Clips of her Watercolor DVDs, Publications for download in many many magazines and also her Blog. Enjoy your tour through her website and do not forget to visit her Gallery of Oil and Watercolor Paintings on the Fine Art Site and take a sneak preview into her new exhibition paintings.

On my Rose Painting I tried some new brushes. I will tell you more in my next post.

Exciting News again!

My pink tulip painting  in watercolor "Frühlingsboten" (Signs of Spring) is published in the french art magazine "Pratique des Arts". This magazine is similar to the US Artists Magazine and full of info. Although I speak only a few french words  it is wonderful to look through this magazine and to see all the wonderful art displayed.

Enjoying a cup of tea and reading through the magazine. What can make more fun?

They made an article about flower artists of the world and I feel very honored that they included my work. I was excited to see that my painting was not only displayed on Page 10, they also used it in their list of contents. How cool!

Copyright: Pratique des Arts

And here you can see my pink tulip Flower Watercolor painting again:

"Frühlingsboten" - Watercolor Painting by Doris Joa

The Original is sold - but fine art prints of this tulips are available. More information are on my fine art print page.

Does this happen to you, too?

You are just leaving the room for a short moment - a really short moment - you come back and what do you find on your chair?

Rose Clair Renaissance VI, size 6"x6" (15x15 cm),
watercolor painting, copyright: Doris Joa

This is another small Rose painting. It is a painting of the Rose Clair Renaissance, one of my favorite roses. This Rose has a pale pink colour and I love to create the shadows. The inner glows with an yellow underwash of Indian Yellow, I then added Translucent Orange and then a mix of Scarlet Red and Translucent Orange.

Artists often ask how a dark background can be created. It is really easy to do.

When I am doing a background I do at first wet the area, on which I want to paint. Sometimes I do paint on the dry area, apply my colours there and then go immediately with a wet brush over the edges, so that no hard edges are created. But this I do only on really small areas.

Now back to the better method. I do wet the area I then apply my colours just I like them, some yellow, some orange, some sap green, some red and also some darker colours like a mix of alizarin crimson and phthalo green or I am using Paynes Grey Bluish. I apply these colours side by side, this allows me also to create an interesting background, when you want that some lighter areas will show between some darker areas.

Of course the first underwash will not be enough, the colours are light and it would look too colourful. Wait until all is dry and then do the same. Add the green, where you want to have the green, add more yellow, where you want to have it glowing a bit more, add some darks, when you want more darks. When this is still not enough, let it dry and then add another layer. Do it so long until you are happy with your background.

It works absolutely perfect and is so easy to do. The darker the background the more the flower will pop in your painting, adds more drama to the artwork.

The shadows on this Rose were created with a mix of Alizarin Crimson, Phthalo blue, a bit of Translucent Orange to the mix, where I wanted to have the shadows warmer. Where I wanted to have them cooler I used a bit more of the blue.

Collection of Roses paintings, each 6x6 inch (15x15 cm), watercolor on paper
copyright: Doris Joa

I painted more and more roses in the past time. Here I am displaying some of them. Each is 6"x6" (15x15 cm) and each is painted on 140 Lb hotpressed paper.

All are sold, but some are still currently running on ebay. If you want to have a look please click here.  My starting price is $19.95 and shipping is $8 worldwide. I do combine shipping for up to 6 or 7 small original paintings or prints.

It looks great to see the Roses displayed together and it makes absolutely much fun to create them.

Her Moment in the sun, watercolor, 20x28 inch (50x70 cm)
copyright: Doris Joa

And here is my newest figurative painting of a young girl/woman standing on a bridge and enjoying the moment in the sun. It is painted on 140 Lb coldpressed watercolor paper, stretched over stretcher bars, size is 20"x28" (50x70 cm).

While working on some other projects I couldn't resist to do some Rose paintings.

Here are a few. Pink Roses, white Roses and a Yellow Rose. Some are painted on 140 Lb coldpressed paper, others on hotpressed paper and others on the heavier 340 Lb coldpressed paper. I like all three surfaces.

All these paintings are listed on ebay in auction, with a starting price of $19.95. Shipping is $8, combined shipping without additional shipping costs is also possible. When you want to have a look, please click here

If you are searching for  a special rose or a special colour please just send an email.

Do you also want to have your favorite roses painted? ust send an email.

Click here to go to the auctions.

I am wishing you all a very Happy New Year. May it be blessed with health, joy, peace, luck, enough money, success in your career and all what you wish.

I want also to say "Thank you"  for your support in 2009.

There is a new figurative painting to show

I already have my first painting of a young child sitting at a river completed in 2010. It is painted on Aquabord in watercolor, size is 11x14".

This little girl with her pink dress and pink shoes sits at a river and she got wet feet.

For our Christmas exchange with some artists friends on Artcolony I painted our black cat "Timmi". The reference photo of Timmi was done some days before we lost him. It was the first time that I painted him. This painting went to Kay in USA and she told me that she loves the painting very much. So my surprise for her was perfect.

The painting is around 9x12 and painted in watercolor on Reeves Watercolor Board.

I also finished finally my figurative painting of "Ines". It is also watercolor, painted on Fabriano Watercolor paper, size is: 12x24".

If you are searching for some special art please keep in mind that I do take commissions. Since all other commissions for Christmas are completed I am having free time to take new commissions, if this is for a Rose or Flower painting, a portrait or a pet portrait or whatever you want. Please contact me without any obligations using my contact form here.

The  small woman head study was painted on 340 Lb coldpressed paper. I just wanted to try how this paper works. I painted already some flowers on this paper, but I really wanted to figure out how it works for faces and hair. It works - but I think it is not really my favorite. The surface is really rough and the colour is not so easy to lift as working on a smoother surface. I think I have better control when working on other surfaces. Size is 6x6 inch.

This black cat was painted on 140 Lb coldpressed paper.  Size is 5x7 inch.

After all the kittens I needed to do some other faces. At first you will see a young girl with blonde hair and the second one is another beautiful girl with brown hair in a white dress.

The portrait is finished and is painted on coldpressed Arches watercolor paper. I love the blonde hair in sunlight. No masking fluid was used in both paintings.

The figurative painting is mostly finished.

I must check the hands and feet and may also add some colours here and there, maybe I also need to soften some edges, but mostly it is finished. The background will be as it is now. The girl is so present that nothing more is needed in this painting.

Here is a close up:

Size is 12x24, painted on Fabriano coldpressed watercolor paper.

I haven't posted for a long while here. My rose painting which I posted in my previous post was mostly finished but then I decided to go over some areas to create better and warmer shadows. It isn't finished yet, but I hope to post it very soon here.

In the meantime I painted some cats and kittens in ACEO size. ACEO means that the painting is 2,5 x 3,5 inch, it is like a trading card. This are all watercolors.

This is just a short note. If you haven't seen it yet, there is a new link Step-by-Step-Demonstrations added in the right sidebar.

There is a full detailed study of the Rose Open Arms and also two other demonstrations, one is of the Heidi Klum Rose and the other one is a beautiful floral botanical study of a pink rose.

I hope you will find these Lessons helpful. Visit the Demonstrations by clicking here.