I wrote this melody many years ago to go with the lyrics written by my good friend Carolyn Tracy.
I recently bought a new “D” tin whistle and I’m just starting to learn how to play it. Here’s my first recording. I played two songs – “Simple Gifts” and “Go Tell Aunt Rhody”.
I found a new use for my old darkroom out in the barn. I did this recording in it. I used MultiTrack DAW on my iPad and the iPad’s built-in microphone. I added a bit of reverb.
Jim
It was a beautiful day today. I drove over to the Schreiner’s Iris Gardens in Keizer. I walked around and took a few pictures. Then I sat down and did this sketch in watercolor. I painted areas of color first and then I drew some outlines in pencil.
This is what was in front of me and also a general view of the gardens.
Strathmore 5.5 x 8 inch Visual Journal, Lucas watercolors – Cobalt Blue, Lemon Yellow, Alizarin Crimson, Sap Green, and Payne’s Gray, and pencil.
Jim
Painted this on the moving train on my way back from my California trip. I was sitting in the parlor car. I did a very loose sketch in pen first. Then I added watercolor.
Here’s the pen sketch and a reference photo I took with my iPad.
Moleskine watercolor journal, Noodler’s Ink flex nib pen with Noodler’s Bulletproof Black ink, Lucas watercolors.
Jim
Jim
I’m in California visiting family. Here’s the very first song we tried playing together. My brother Bob is on dulcimer. His wife Marilyn is on guitar, and I’m playing harmonica. I recorded it on my iPad using the built-in microphone. This is the first take with no practice.
Experimented today painting watercolor with a palette knife. I tried a variety of methods and marks. I used the flat back of the knife to spread paint into a wet surface and smear it around. I also tried making very narrow marks with the edge of the knife working up and down. Then I put paint on the edge of the knife and moved from left to right dragging a swath of paint. I also used the edge to drag wet color up and out to paint grass.
Strathmore Watercolor series 400, 5.5 x 8.5 inches, palette knife, Lucas tube paints – Burnt Umber, Ultramarine Blue, Viridian, Payne’s Grey, Lemon Yellow.
Today is Tuesday and admission is free at the Willamette Heritage Center at the Mill across the street from Willamette University. This is a great place to sketch and paint. I sat on a bench overlooking the mill stream. This is the back of the entrance building.
I took a reference photo with my iPad (but I didn’t use it while I painted). Here it is for comparison.
Moleskine watercolor 5.5 x 8 inch journal, pencil sketch first, then watercolor (Lucas tube paints – Cobalt Blue, Lemon Yellow, Burnt Sienna, Payne’s Grey), and finally Micron 02 pen. About an hour and a half, 2:30 to 4 in the afternoon.
The iPad 3’s back camera works well to photograph artwork and to take reference photos. I’m using the Pic Collage app on my iPad to put the images together.
I did each sketch in just a couple of minutes on cheap inkjet paper. JimThis is a test of the new GarageBand on my iPad 3. I used the iPad’s built-in mike and added a bit of reverb in GarageBand.
We had a beautiful 80 degree day – the first in 2012. I painted this sitting on our back porch. It was late in the day and the light was changing fast.
I drew the scene in pencil first. I attempted to get the relative sizes and placement right by using the central post as a unit of measure. I used my pencil at arm’s length to measure the post’s height and then I used that unit to measure everything else. The last post in the row is one unit to the left and is 1/2 the height. The fir tree is one unit to the right, etc. I also tried to get the perspective right. I drew in the vanishing point lines and then the posts.
I then added the watercolor starting with light green and light brown. I worked my way up the values. Finally, the last thing I did was to use a Pentel Presto correction pen to add the white dots. Total time was around 1 1/2 hours.
The next day we had similar lighting so I took a reference photo.
Here’s the two page layout of notes and painting from my journal.
Moleskine watercolor journal, pencil, Lucas watercolors – Light Yellow, Cobalt Blue, Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Sienna, Payne’s Grey, Pentel Presto correction pen.