setsuko's studio

Climbing Roses

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Setsuko

The background color of this painting is dark green. I was fixing with Photoshop, but I changed my mind. When I started to tweak the image, something else always go wrong. So black is it.

I worked in my backyard today. It is a mess. Since spring is almost here. I need to work hard and prepare for the blooming season. This winter was so warm that my climbing roses are just about ready to bloom. When the hurricane hit us last fall, we needed to cut a large tree and trim back this climbing rose. We were kind of worried about the blooms. But it is full of buds now. It will be beautiful.

Compared with the apple flowers I posted today, this climbing rose is hard to paint. It will be good if I paint the tree from distance, but small and multi petal flower with white color does not have gayety for zooming up image I think. May be I should light up the tree at night and see what will happen.

Acrylic on Illustration Board 7.5″ x 12″

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Posted on February 11, 2017 by Setsuko

It is still February, but here in Charleston, SC, weather is like spring. My daffodiles are blooming and tulips are ready to bloom. In a month or so my back yard will be covered with all kind of flowers. I love it!

I found a few large frames I purchased decades ago. They are large and heavy. I do not remember why I was interested in those, but obviously I did not use any of them. When I was looking at those large frames, I thought that I might paint one just for one of those frames. Not a good motivation, but it can be fun.

This painting looked ok when I saw the actual painting. But on screen those flower pedals look like plastic sheets. Since I started to paint the larger size painting with the apple flowers today, I need to work on the textures and edges. When I work with acrylic, the edges becomes a major problem. It is quite hard or almost impossible to mix the colors on the paper surface. Creating the effect of soft edges becomes one of the big challenges for me. See what will happen in my next work.

Acrylic on Illustration Board 5″ x 6″

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Small painting …..Wisteria

Posted on February 5, 2017 by Setsuko

I painted this image before and gave it to my mother. But I really liked this composition … so I painted again. I realized that the same image is not necessary same. Since I painted this image for first time, my thinking process changed quite a lot.

I used to paint rather large paintings. It took a quite while to finish one painting and bored myself because I was looking at the same image for a long time. Maybe that is one of the many reasons I did not paint so often. Since I started to paint the smaller images, painting became much fun and a part of my life again. My decision making becomes much quicker and I am not afraid of creating unsuccessful images. I can start a new painting and finish it in the same day. If the image is not working then I can try again. See what will happen tomorrow. I no longer remember who suggested me to paint an image a day… probably Judy. But it was the best advise I have ever listened.

Acrylic on Illustration Board 6.75″ x 5″

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John’s glass marbles 3

Posted on January 29, 2017 by Setsuko

It is beautiful today. It is a little cold but sunny. I feel like Spring is almost here. I heard on TV that the hard winter is still affecting many people in the north. But it was and is very mild in the south this year and I feel like we skipped the real winter. If I say something like this, the really cold day may come…hope not!

I have just finished the last of John’s marble paintings. His glass marbles are so beautiful and I enjoy painting the incredible transparent colors. I heard that he is making more beautiful marbles. I hope I can paint those new ones too!

I have already prepared the paper for new landscape drawing, stretched and pasted onto my drawing table. Since I used the photo for those marble paintings that this time I am going to draw all from my memory. I remembered the beautiful landscape in England, I try to draw first and then if the drawing goes well I like to try as a painting.

Unfortunately today is not for neither drawing nor painting. I have so much grading to take care of as well as miscellaneous business related works. So I hope that I could finish all school works and the others today and tomorrow and start the new image next week. I love to have a secretary.

Acrylic on Illustration Board 6″ x 8″

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John’s marbles

Posted on January 22, 2017 by Setsuko

This is another painting with John’s handmade marbles. I am painting one more to finish John series.

It was rainy Sunday. Today was a perfect day for painting. Two dogs are sleeping under my desk and a cat are on the desk. It is always nice to have animal companies.

Acrylic on Illustration Board 5.5″ x 7″

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/setsuko-lawson/johns-marbles-2/557842

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Glass Marbles

Posted on January 21, 2017 by Setsuko

My daughter’s friend John is an incredible glass artist. He created these marbles. They are so beautiful that I had to paint them. Transparent blue and a hint of yellow or red are heavenly mixtures. I held them against the sunlight and sighed. They are the little Universe. I am having a great Saturday.

Acrylic on Illustration Board 6″ x 8.5″

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/setsuko-lawson/johns-marbles/557615

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American Castle

Posted on January 15, 2017 by Setsuko

It was a beautiful day in SC today. When I was looking at the blue sky, suddenly I remembered the day I spent with Judy in Pennsylvania. That day was also beautiful. Especially the color of the sky was pure cerulean blue. I took out the photo I took in that day and decided to paint. I do not remember the name of the garden. Actually I do not know why, but I seldom remember the name of the place or people since I was a kid. Anyway this garden was quite different from any other garden I visited. The old and new are mixed and quite eclectic. Thinking about the fun I had with her, I might start painting outside this year.

Acrylic on Illustration board. 10″ x 6.5″

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Oil and Acrylic paints

Posted on January 7, 2017 by Setsuko

I love the oil paints. The oil creates most wonderful juicy and creamy images. Especially the edges of the images are soft and well blended into the background. I dream of myself painting with oil and create the incredible landscape or still life with the illusion of mass and its surrounding air. Unfortunately at this point I can not do it. Of course I try, time to time, to challenge myself, but I mix the paints too much. Also I do not have a patience for waiting the paints to dry.

I also have the issues with acrylic. Which means I guess that I need more practice. But I gradually manipulate this fast dry media into my way of painting. Since last spring, I have used the soft acrylic paints with the air brush medium. This combination allows me to play with the colors for longer time compared with the regular acrylic paints. I still need to work on the brilliant plastic colors….

Acrylic on Illustration Board 9″ x 6.5″

Posted in Landscape, Painting | 2 Comments

Spring

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Setsuko

I love all seasons of the year. Especially spring is wonderful. Here in South Carolina spring time is the flower wonderland. In two month I will be surrounded by all different colors of flowers. The TV said that it will be very cold in next a few days. They even said that it might snow this weekend. But it will be all right.. because I know the spring is coming around the corner.

Acrylic on Illustration Board 6″ x 5″

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/setsuko-lawson/waiting-for-spring/543955

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