Tag: Nature

flora and fauna, Illustrations, Uncategorized

A few tulips

Michele B. Naquaiya

tulip-combo web

I have not been posting here in a long time as I have been filling every day with remodeling a house in Mexico.  The project has taken literally 100% of my time.
I also no longer have hi speed internet.  When you rent, the wi fi belongs to the owner of the property.  Upon moving, I lost my wi fi.  This is a difficult concept to grasp but I had no choice in the matter.  Now that I own a home here, with proper procedures, I can get on a waiting list.   I plan to get good service which will be fibre optics as soon as I can but
that is dependent upon many technical and administrative goals to be achieved and a time element I have no control over.  I won\t
go into details but it is complicated to say the least.  Life in Mexico is very easy for some things and very complex for others.  Also the town I live in is putting up all new transformers and poles.  The new poles aren’t completed yet.   We seem to have lost power on a weekly basis for months now but it is slowly getting better.  The main drag is being completely overhauled and redesigned to be safer and more efficient.  It’s hard when there is only one street in an out of town.   For now at least I have something
which at times can be as slow as ancient dial up.  I may be posting photos of the remodeling I’ve done to my cute little abode.  It will depend if I have enough energy. ha

These are little watercolors done out of my head and I’m just putting them here as a
test so I don’t forget how to type or upload anything. chuckle. chuckle. It ain’t so funny. So it looks like this house demands another full month of my time.  I’m shooting for the bulk completion at the end of July.  Since the onset of Covid 19, social distancing, etc. I miss my blog as its primary function for me is to keep a record of what I’m doing here in the progress of my art and watercolor painting.

Lots of people have really suffered with this horrific pandemic and I have only felt a little discomfort from time to time.  I don’t and won’t complain.  I keep my workers employed and that is my contribution to the Mexican labor force that is so loyal and hard working.  They have families to feed and life is normally a struggle anyway so this is super hard for them.

I am going to try to draw every day even if it’s for a few hours.  I miss working on my tablet, my originals on paper and anything I am used to.  I am painting some paper mache animals and masks a friend made for me.  It will be a gringa’s view of a traditional craft.

purchase here

 

 

miniatures

Landscape of imagination, 2 ocean

Michele B. Naquaiya

lndscape2

I had a chance to play again on my miniatures.  This one is an ocean view from far, far away.  I keep thinking back to my California days in Malibu with fond memories.

I think playing is good.  These colors look very somber to me now.   Well, it is just a little
exercise.  Another day, another painting to grow with.

animals, Illustrations, Nature

Yellow Koi Green Waters

Michele B. Naquaiya

2koi-2020

I’m painting more fish these days.  These koi are imaginary and don’t hold true as anatomically correct.  That is another reason they are a respite from “correct” drawing and are like a little vacation for me.   Koi are valuable and bred for their size and beauty.  How wonderful is that?  I am having fun with this so I’ll let it be.  The original will have some gold leaf to sparkle it up a little.  That is the next stage so for now, this will do.  I will try to remember to post the embellished version when complete.

I used a fine black marker and a fine white ink over the darks to enhance the patterns.  I love painting the deep water with transparent watercolors and tried to use motion and several thin layers to give a feeling of depth.

Here is a print on textile.

flora and fauna, Illustrations, Nature, Odd Little Stories

California Live Oak Tree, WIP

Michele B. Naquaiya

oak tree.web.wip

This new drawing and is part of a new way of working for me.  I am in the process of writing a story and want it illustrate it.  It takes place in California under a big live oak tree.  There are animal characters that will be placed under this tree.  The big difference about this drawing is that it is completely digital.  I am still pretty overwhelmed with the digital process because I am doing everything from scratch.  I am working on my Wacom Cintiq every day, and every day the environment gets a little easier.

By far the layers and brushes successfully keep me somewhat mystified and even though I am not new to photoshop, I am new to the amazing number of choices I have to work with on the Cintiq.  The tablet is still huge at 24″ and I am slow because I have to process the thoughts of how and where to find things on the interface.  Which of the new brushes do I use and deciding which colors.   Nothing is coming quickly and easily.  But today I feel I successfully captured the light of the California landscape here.

So at the end of today’s session, I merged all my layers into this one piece.  The next time I will add a new layer and that will be the beginning of the animals that I will be placing in the landscape.  I don’t know how I will figure out how to capture the specific point of view I am looking for.  But for now, I am happy.