Dora Sislian Themelis Art ~ Coffee and Paint Drips

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

The Latest Work With Permission

©Dora Sislian Themelis, 11x14 Watercolor, Patmos Sunset
Available for purchase

The latest work is from another person's photograph. Don't worry, I asked permission to use it. I just had to, it was too beautiful to me not to. The photographer agreed to let me depict this scene in watercolor paint. I was thrilled.

Of course, the view is stunning, and it's from one of my favorite places, our Greek island home of Patmos.

I find it dreamy. Maybe you do too.

The misty look of the distant hillside from the sheltered patio with potted flowers and the blue metal chairs and table give me comfort. I could be sitting right there, in that very spot, and breathe really deep. Perfect for a watercolor application and my supplies were ready to go.

All the steps in the work

The photo above shows the steps I took from photograph through the initial sketch and first wash of color. As I go about the work I add detail, more color, try to follow the forms and edges to get to the finished piece.

I took my time to develop the scene slowly. Believe me I could go to far and have it trashed. That's not so hard for me to do. Lately I've been able to pace myself, not make a mess of things.

Also, the process is important. The act of painting takes me out of my head to a far away place where there is nothing except the work in front of me. Time and space mean nothing. I am gone.

But then there's dinner to make, and I'm back in my head.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

New Work

New Greek island harbor watercolor painting

All the trouble started when I decided to switch blogging platforms from Blogger to Wordpress. Over on Blogger I began my online journey, gained some readers, learned a lot about online art making sites, joined in on some very interesting challenges, made "friends" so to speak with other like minded individuals.

Then Wordpress came along, with all its hype and flash, and I moved it all over from Blogger. Not realizing that when I did that I then had essentially two platforms to blog on. Gone were the fun "friends", the challenges, the readers, the excitement of writing a blog.

On Wordpress I write my post, link it up to Blogger, where if anyone is still reading my musings, they get whooshed here with a click of the link. However, I don't think anyone is doing all that. There's no time left in anyone's day to be going back and forth, looking for little old me. No comments show up anywhere anymore.

Ho hum..

But all along I've been working away on all kinds of things, and no one knows about any of it. Today I decided to once more pop on here and throw some things around, make the place look "lived in."
You know, messy up the living room table so it looks like people actually are present, not like a showroom with only pretty things. A book here, a pen there, nothing too sloppy, just like a good, comfy pair of worn in jeans. That kind of messy.

Messy with a purpose, if you like.

Pictured above is a montage of steps in the latest watercolor painting I just finished yesterday. See? I am at my desk working!
It's a Greek harbor scene, surprise! I liked the sunny aspect of it, the misty mountain behind the sun splashed pavement, the houses and shops in the morning shadow. Lots of details that I'm not sure I wanted to depict, but sometimes I can't stop working.

Maybe I'll repost all of this over on Blogger. Maybe I won't. Not sure how I'm going to proceed. It's a process, and Mr. Resistance will surely let me know just exactly in which direction he'd like me to move.

Or not.

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Late to the Party Once Again, with Mr. Resistance

And so here I am. Late to the party once again, thinking I'm in the swing, not realizing how long it's really been since I've posted anything, anywhere.

Resistance is full on.

But lately there's been some action here. Somehow I've giving myself the kick in the pants I had been needing. Too many things going on around me, too much to keep up with, too much drama.

Posting here. Posting there. Painting. Not painting. Daydreaming. Painting in my head. Trolling the latest artist who's selling plenty of work online and in person, in her big, bright, sunlit studio.

Where am I, and what am I doing? Rescheduling my days to fit in the work.

Has it been actually working? Sorta. Kinda.

Is it good enough? No, it's not enough, but sometimes magic does happen if I can stay away from distractions.

Story of life. We shall see..