A Different View, by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

"A Different View"  ©2017 Leada Wood

                                                                   

What to do with those paint blobs that dry and stack up on your palette...turn them into paintings of course! This cocky little rooster came to life as I began adding layers of dried acrylic skins."A Different View" was a fun experiment in my recent workshop with Bob Burridge. Thanks to Anna Lee and Jane for the skins as I had already used my extra paint on paper. There was an orange underpainting on the paper to begin and I used a greyish background to make my little feathered friend pop. What a fun and educational week...such a wonderful group of artists and friends!

Thank you Lubbock! By Leada Wood, Texas Artist

A perfect fall evening to be out, looking at art and having fun, and that is what you did by the hundreds. What pleasure it gives me to be able to participate in Lubbock's First Friday Art Trail again. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for showing up and being so friendly and interested in my art.

Fun In The Studio by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Today's watercolor class was a combination of leaning to draw an elephant by recognizing shapes. They learned about crayon resist and how to add texture by adding salt. They also learned how to paint wet into wet and wet on dry watercolor paper. Lots of techniques in one lesson. Most of all I am trying to teach them to relax and enjoy their painting time...it's only paper and the fun is in the process! Of course it is nice when your painting turns out like you want it too, which is evident by all their big smiles. Each painting seemed to have a different personality...just like children.

Drawing With Graphite, Dog Portraits by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

"Petunia P. Pugpants" ©2017Leada Wood

Doesn't "Petunia P. Pugpants" just make you smile? Thought it was time for a little happy in this world so I am posting Petunia. Pugs are happy, affectionate, loyal, charming, playful, mischievous and intelligent. Sounds like the right mix to make a wonderful companion.

Do you have a special fur baby in your life that you would like me to draw? Just contact me and we can work something out. Thanks for stopping by!

Fun In The Studio By Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Summers seem to get shorter and shorter, or maybe time is speeding up! Either way, can you believe the summer has passed and school is grearing up again? We didn't get to do many art classes this summer as my girls helped me clean out the studio, which was long over do. It is amazing at the art magazines I had collected, now to go through them, cull out and find others who would enjoy them. We did manage to have a couple of days painting and they tried their hand at mixed media. They made some interesting paintings but the main thing...girls just wanna have fun! And so we did.

Sprinkling and Dribbling Paint

Another fun day with this little cutie. She took a coffee filter and sprayed and sprinkled it with watercolors. After it dried she hot glued the dress onto a ballerina that she had painted on Watercolor paper.

I think it turned out pretty amazing! Now to try it with all the girls!

"Ronny Rooster", Watercolor by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

 

"Ronny Rooster" ©2017 Leada Wood

One spring my parents brought home 24 fuzzy, yellow baby chicks to my brothers and I. They were such fun! I had one chicken that followed me everywhere, even to the corner grocery store. He waited by the door until I came out and then we walked home. Like all babies those cute little chicks grew up and it turned out they were all roosters. My special rooster did not like my mother and would spur her every time she went out side. He was a big ole boy too! Needless to say those roosters soon disappeared and we suddenly began having a lot of chicken dishes but I had lost my appetite for chicken. I think of those times every time I paint a rooster.

Painting and drawing animals seems to be my passion lately. Trying to capture their personalities in watercolor is challenging and I enjoy pushing my abilities to see if I can create a likeness. I hope you enjoy seeing them! Thanks for stopping by.

"Percy Peacock", Watercolor by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

"Percy Peacock" ©2017 Leada Wood

Percy is one of my new watercolors that will be at the First Friday Art Trail in Lubbock, Texas this Friday August 4th, from 6-9. I will be at the Clay House adjacent to the Louise Underwood Center for the Arts. Please stop by and say hello!

Drawing With Graphite, Dog Portraits by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

"Bob" ©2017 Leada Wood

Labradors are kind, pleasant and outgoing. Their keen sense of smell allow them to track any scent and follow the path of its origin. They are used in the military, police force and for service dogs. Labs have a soft, gentle mouth which allows them to be good hunting dogs for retrieving game birds. They are gentle with children and make excellent pets.

Drawing With Graphite, Dog Portraits, by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

"Mollie Is Ready To Play" ©2017 Leada Wood

Mollie is such a bouncy girl...always ready to play. So much so that every time I sit down she thinks it is playtime! Did I mention she is smart too? I can tell her which toy to get and she will bring me the one I ask for. She especially likes to play hide the toy and always hunts it down. I may have let her down by not training her more. Mollie might have been movie worthy with the right trainer or the circus! I can just imagine her in a little clown outfit.  I guess everyone thinks their pets are the cutest, smartest and the best but there is only one Mollie and she is mine.
Have a great week!

Watercolor, Mixed Media, Sunflowers by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

The hot days of July are upon us with their fluffy white clouds floating in the turquoise blue sky...ahhhh summer! The prickly pear cactus are bearing fruit and the sunflowers are abundant, life in west Texas is good!

July is also World of Watercolor month, in order to celebrate I have been doing a few watercolors, mostly in my sketchbook and as cards for friends, in other words just for fun! That is what art should be... enjoyable, to celebrate the moments of my life and to share them with you!

"Sun Seekers" ©2017 Leada Wood

"Sun Seekers" is 11x15 on Archival paper, painted with transparent watercolors using mixed media to give drama and mystery.