Got Malasadas?
Snowed in? In February!?!!? What is this weather doing? Since I can't drive on roads that are a sheet of ice, I better get some painting done.
This neon is number 12 in my series for my upcoming show. Leonard's is a favorite bakery in Oahu that makes a delicious disaster of a donut called a Malasada. You eat them warm and they make you forget you had to buy a bigger bathing suit to come to Hawaii. Best to paint the sign than to eat the goods! This sign presented some interesting design options. When cropping my photographs I had to decide what to cut and what to include. I wanted the name, Leonard's, to be the focal point so it is the only complete word on the sign. Arrows are tricky as they direct your eye the direction they point. I liked the circular arrow pointing down towards the focal point, but I left out another that pointed right.
This is the sign I showed in process in a previous blog. This can also be found on Oahu advertising the Like Like Drive In. In the end I grew to love the warm color palate. The little clear light bulbs were fun to paint. What makes something look clear? Reflected light!
Today was so much fun doing a demo at the Duck Store on the U of O campus. Lots of friends and family came as well as many new friends made as we shared our watercolor struggles and triumphs. People from the audience even shared pictures of recent portrait projects they had on their phone. It reminds me how powerful collaboration can be. Courage is found when we learn together. I felt encouraged to try new things and learn new disciplines and I hope they did as well. A big highlight was meeting the Riff family who came all the way from Sheridan to watch me finish the portrait behind me of their dog Mushu. Thank you so much for coming and for letting me paint your precious dogs! A big thank you to the Duck Store and Christopher for inviting me to come and helping me set up and tear down. You made me feel so at home.
