Day 15 Landscape

Deep in the Forest
by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting
Size: 5x7 inches

Day 15's watercolor painting starts with a very wet into wet background.  Scraped in rocks and trees.  And just a few touches of details when dry.

Day 14 Valentine

Valentine 2016 
by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting
Size:  5x7 inches

A quick fun little watercolor sketch.

A simple heart painted in clear water with a mix of two red colors dropped in and allowed to spread all on its own.  Splatters of colors add texture and fun.

Day 13 - Watercolor

Trees
by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting
Size: 5x7 inches

A monotoned painting in MaimeriBlu's Green Blue, a lovely color that has a great range in value.

I used a spray bottle to spritz clean water in spots on the watercolor paper and then added wet into wet color and shapes and wet onto dry to form the crisp edges on the evergreens.  I scraped in some rocks and tree.  Then when dry added in the tree branches and a few sprigs of grass.

Day 12 Still Painting

Arctic Blast 
by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting
Size: 5x7 inches

February has finally arrived.  It has always been the coldest month of the year.  Single digit temps and below zero temps, winds, snow ... it's Winter! The weatherman says the weekend will get colder.

Brrrrrr.  A chilly looking painting for Day 12 of the Challenge.

Day 11 Painting A Day for the Month of February

Red Posies 
by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting
Size: 5x7 inches

I love Day 5's Blossoms, I wanted to create another loose, expressive floral watercolor.  The colors are vibrant, the strokes are looser and more free than the first one.

Challenge yourself to paint in a style you're not used to.

I cannot wait for the flowers of Spring!

Day 10 The Snowman Painting

The Snowman
by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting
Size: 5x7 inches

Today was a hectic work morning.  I decided to take a break and headed outdoors to build a snowman.  I ended up creating two snowmen, actually 1 snowman and 2 snow lady.

Upon my return to the warmth of my studio, I painted this fun little snowman.

Sometimes, silly is good.

Day 9 Landscape

Forest Day Dreams
by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting
Size: 5x7 inches

I switched to what I have always called my scrap palette to create this landscape.  Day dreaming of a time when there are leaves on the trees and birdies flying through the forest.

My scrap palette is a butcher's tray with colors I have popped out of my regular watercolor palette for whatever reason.  You can view one of my old Tuesday's Tips for Watercolor Painting, Removing a Color to see how it is done.

Day 8 - Painting A Day

Frozen in Time
by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting
Size: 5x7 inches

A little landscape using my blue palette.  If you find using a single color of pigment to create a painting, try limiting yourself to 2 or 3 colors.  With a limited palette you can create stunning watercolor paintings.

All of my Painting A Day for the Month of February paintings are for sale.  Contact me if you are interested in purchasing one.  I do plan to put them up for sale on my website or in my Etsy shop, but in the meantime, if you really want one, contact me!

Day 7 Another Color Study

Floral Color Study
by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting
Size: 5x7 inches

I found a palette in my studio that has 6 colors of watercolor paint squeezed out in little blobs.  Four different shades of blue, one purple and one neutral tint.  It's Sunday, but I wanted to continue my Painting a Day Challenge for the month of February.  Plus I wanted to try to guess the colors of paint.  On the tray, they all look very similar.

Prussian Blue, Primary Blue Cyan, Green Blue, Ultramarine Light, Permanent Violet Bluish and Neutral Tint.

Day 6 - Monotone in Blue

Chill
by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting
Size: 5x7 inches

It is fun to challenge yourself to create a painting with a single color of paint.  It doesn't always have to be shades of black or sepia.  Choose a color that can go really dark and has a great value range and you can create a stunning painting.

Day 5 A Floral Watercolor

Blossoms
by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting
Size: 5x7 inches

An expressive and loose floral watercolor painting for Day 5.  Sometimes it is simply fun to play with the colors, the water and see how they react with each other and draw out a subject matter within the results.

Day 4 of Painting A Day

Landscape in Grey
by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting
Size: 5x7 inches

It's Day 4!  I painted this lovely little landscape this morning.  When I went to take a picture of it, there was a kitty sleeping in my picture taking window.  So I waited until this afternoon.  Guess what, there was a different kitty sleeping in my south facing picture taking window.  So I took a canvas board and found a bright and empty east facing window and was able to snap a picture of today's painting for my Painting A Day Challenge.

I decided to challenge myself and create a monotoned watercolor painting.  I love the way it turned out!

Day 3 of the Challenge

Hearts
by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting
Size:  5x7 inches

It was a heart painting day!

I started out creating a background wash over the entire piece of paper and then I painted the negative space around the hearts one layer at a time.  I believe there are 6 layers in all.  I lost count.

Day 2 Landscape with Trees

Path to Spring 
by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting
Size: 5x7 inches

It has been a very mild winter so far in upstate New York.  Luckily we are far enough North to have missed the big blizzard.  But then, it's only the beginning of February the coldest month of the year.

Landscapes and trees are among my favorite subjects to paint.  Perfect for day 2 of my Painting A Day Challenge.

New Painting A Day Challenge 2016

Dew Drop Trio in Blue 

by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting

Size: 4x6 inches 

Spring in the Catskills 

by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting

Size: 4x6 inches 

It's February and I have decided once again to challenge myself to paint each and everyday this month.  I created two watercolors today.

I may enter one of these paintings in the Twitter Art Exhibit, I need to decide which one!

Birthday Tiramisu

Happy Birthday to Me!

A simple scribble birthday greeting on a fabulous homemade tiramisu ... absolutely delicious!

Happy 2016

Happy New Year!

Let's hope 2016 is the best year yet.

Clean Palette Club

I have been a member of the clean palette club far too long.

Everyday life sometimes gets in the way of creativity.  Many artists have struggled with this problem and it can be caused by many different issues.  Sometimes it is artist's block.  Sometimes it is just finding the time.  I have had a hectic schedule this past year.  House renovation projects have consumed a great deal of my free time.

The cooler weather will soon be upon us or supposedly on its way, it was 61 degrees today in upstate New York!  This will help slow down the outdoor fix it projects and will hopefully allow more time for me to paint watercolor paintings instead of walls, siding and fences.

Okay, I do love to have a clean palette every time I start to paint.  I try to clean my palette when I am done painting for the day.  But now it needs to get dirty!  I have placed my clean palette on my studio table.  It's ready to go!

Dew Drop Series

Sapphire Dew Drop
by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting
ACEO
Size:  2.5 x 3.5

ACEO = Art Cards, Editions & Originals

My ACEO Art Cards are miniature original watercolor paintings.  I have some available for sale in my Squier Etsy Shop and also on my own website.

http://rasquier.com/aceo.html

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Reclaimed Wood Tea Light Holders

Reclaimed Wood Tea Light Candle Holders made from reclaimed wood were once upon a time a country fence.  Now they can light up your life!

This rustic candle holder and more are on sale in our Squier Etsy Shop!

Fits in a variety of decors:  urban rustic, country cottage, shabby chic, woodsy cabin decor and more. Makes a great wedding table decor!

Santa Was Here

2015's Printed Christmas Cards are hot off the presses!

Santa Was Here
Originally created with pen & ink and watercolor paint by Michael Squier

The cards are available online through my Squier Etsy Shop