Creating a composition from photos

 "Tulip Tranquility" in progress

22x30 watercolor by Liana Yarckin

Inspiration photos for "Tulip Tranquility"

This spring I have been seeing so many gorgeous blooms all around town.  Often I pull over and take several photos from a variety of angles.  In this case, I needed to see the shadows on the inside of white tulips.  

To create the above composition, I placed my "star" tulip first in one of the focal point locations using the "rule of thirds".  The rules of thirds is basically dividing your page up into thirds both horizontally and vertically.  This creates four intersections.  It is believed by many that the locations of these intersections is the best location for your subject.  The idea expands on the Golden section theory and 2:1 ratio.  After placing my "star", I then placed my second favorite flower near it and then continued to draw in blooms to fill the area.  I did refer to other photos of tulips that were not fully opened, yet. I am still working on this painting.  It is important that I paint the "star" with star attention and detail so that it will stand out in comparison to the other blooms. 

Come see me and this painting completed at this Friday, April 24 

Booth #9

Artscape - Dallas Arboretum

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#Dallas Arboretum, #Artscape, #tulips, #watercolor

Detail from

"Duck Pond - Everyone is a Winner"

by Liana Yarckin

I am in love with this painting.  Not for Sale!!!  Sorry, no arrogance intended, it just speaks to my heart right now.  I am often asked if I use a projector for my drawings.  No, and this is the perfect example of why I don't.  I took several photos of the duck pond game at the Texas State Fair while my kindergartner played the game.  I loved the way the sunlight was hitting the ducks.  When I finally decided to paint it, I cannot tell you how excited I was that it was much faster to draw referring to my photos than pulling out the projector, setting that all up, tracing and then combining and scaling photos to work together.  When I am ready to paint, I just don't have patience for that.  This is just a detail of the entire painting.  I used my photos to place the large ducks were they needed to be following design rules.  I added more ducks AND had to take out some round happy face floats that were in the photos.  In the original photos, there were not so many baby ducks covering the water, but in my mind when I was taking the photos, this is how I remembered it, lots and lots of ducks.  I have a few people interested in this painting, but, I will do a few more studies before I decide on what to sell.  Yellow is one of the hardest colors to work with for values and shadows, but, thanks to an oil portrait artist friend and neighbor, she made a comment that made the light bulb go off which resulted in that one beautiful, perfect shadow on the main duck.  Now, I just have to learn to repeat that!!!!  Intentionally.

100 Sunflower Fields

16x22 watercolor by Liana Yarckin

  Inspired by the sunflower fields in Provence, once again, it was faster for me to create a composition using several photos rather than using a projector.  When you are standing in the sunflower fields, it feels like the flowers are this close together, but, the photos (maybe I am a poor photographer) show a lot more space between the flowers and the flowers are not in the perfect "pose" for the painting.  Again, I truly get so impatient to hurry up and paint that I can draw what I want from the photos faster than using a projector.  I did go to college for architecture, which required a lot of free drawing classes, plus once out of school, for fun, I did a lot of figure drawing classes, which are the best for learning how to draw.

Detail from Commissioned Wedding Bouquet

Did you know the new trend at weddings is to have an artist do a "live painting" at your wedding?!  I was blessed to be hired by a neighbor who loved my work to paint the bride's bouquet.  I also painted the first dance and the wedding cake because I had time.  When at a wedding with your easel and a crowd watching you - you can not set up a projector!  One most know how to draw, quickly, I might add, while wedding guests are standing around watching you.  It was so much fun and wonderful for me since I love anything beautiful and girlie.  I have 3 boys so I do not get my share of buying dresses or tying ribbons in hair, so painting scenes from a wedding was absolutely blissful for me!!!  I have 3 more weddings lined up!!!  I will post the other wedding pics next time or go to my facebook page to see.

Come see me at the Dallas Arboretum Artscape Art Show

April 24-26 

Booth 9

www.lianayarckin.com

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TIP on drawing: use your arm and body.  It sounds crazy, but, really think of using your arm and body to mask out the overall large shapes.  We get into trouble when we use are wrists and these little wispy, sketchy lines.  The drawing becomes too contrived and stifled.  You are just trying to capture the essence.

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#weddings #bouquet #livepainting #texasstatefair #rubberducks #provence #sunflowers

BIG Art Show - Artscape Dallas Arboretum

Friends, I am so excited about my upcoming art show at Artscape at the Dallas Arboretum.  I cannot tell you how fun this event is, especially, the preview night on April 24.  I have special tickets for you if you are not a member.  Please let me know if you would like a ticket.

Liana Yarckin Watercolors

Booth #9

April 24-27

Dallas Arboretum

I am honored to be selected as one of the artists in this show.  The show features artists from all over the country who specialize in a variety of mediums.  There is something for everyone.  Last year, many of my visitors found interesting art pieces in a booth across from me for their little peeps.  I have been working very hard and will have new works on display that I have not posted anywhere online!  The only way to see them is at the show!!!  Last year I sold 5 pieces on opening night.  Two were by facebook followers and they knew exactly what they wanted.

So come and see me, bring the family, make it an outing - it is only once a year.

www.lianayarckin.com

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#dallasarboretum, #lianayarckin #artshow

Painting the Great Hall

 11x14 watercolor by Liana Yarckin

The school fundraiser is over and the painting, "The Great Hall" has gone to the lucky high bidder.  This is a beautiful space and I think it is wonderful for the students to get to dine here daily.  The architecture alone expresses what a special place this is and how sacred it is. 

When it was suggested that I paint this space, I immediately thought of how was I going to capture the feeling of this space and what it represents.  I wanted to paint it full of the students talking with each other, the sunlight coming in through the clear story windows and the grandness of the architecture.  To fill the space with students, I used several reference photos taken on different days.  It wasn't as simple as go one day during lunch and get the photos I needed.  Some of the tables were empty so I had to fill these tables with my imagination.  I made sure to include some Seniors in their "blues", too.  

The ceiling is a beautiful wood with an amazing wood truss system.  I layered in several colors to emphasize the truss system and the varying shades of light and shadows coming from the windows and the trusses.  

I ended up growing fond of this painting because of what it represents.  What a privilege it is to go to a school like this.  To be in an environment where learning and growing into the best person that one can be.  Having the best teachers and resources possible.  The friendships that are made.  Where one's future is ahead of them.  To be a young student again.  I am so pleased that this painting went to someone who I know will cherish it.  

What were your favorite memories from school?  When you were a student?

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Sign up for my class on March 21
Architecture in Watercolor
at the Dallas Arboretum

Inside at The Great Hall

The Great Hall

11x14 watercolor by Liana Yarckin

Painted for the St. Marks School Fundraiser

Who will be the lucky bidder????

A collector with her Liana Yarckin original.  I was so inspired to paint her dogs after I saw a photo she posted on facebook.  Aren't they the cutest dogs ever.  One of the precious pups has gone to doggie heaven.  

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New Year, New Watercolor Classes, New Art Shows

Save the date for Artscape at the Dallas Arboretum

April 24-26

I am thrilled to be accepted in the Artscape Artshow!  I cannot wait to show my new florals and I will have some surprises, too!  Join me on the 24th for the special reception with cocktails and live music!  Mention you saw my blog on the 24th and I will have a special treat for you!

I am so excited to be teaching a plein air class at the Dallas Arboretum on March 21.  The title of the class is "Architecture in Watercolor".  We will focus painting some of the architectural features of the arboretum in their beautiful surroundings.  If you prefer to focus on the flowers, that is perfectly fine.  The class will be small enough so I can give each student individual attention.  Sign up quick, since we are trying to keep it small.

Sign up here.

Four Seasons of Aspens with their collector.

Each will be matted and framed separately to hang in the family room.

Please join me at City Cafe for our 5 Year Anniversary Celebration

featuring artist, Ron Stephens debut.

February 17, 6:30 - 

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Christmas Wishes and Happy Hanukkah

 "Christmas Memories"

11x14 watercolor by Liana Yarckin

 "Winter Dreams"

4x6 watercolor by Liana Yarckin

"A Blue Winter"

11x14 watercolor by Liana Yarckin

"Hanukkah Glow"

12x12 Mixed Media by Liana Yarckin

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah

and the best for a very joyous New Year!

I've been busy painting home portrait commissions which I can post after the holidays as they are all going to be given as gifts.  

Save the date March 21 - I will be teaching a unique plein air watercolor class at the Dallas Arboretum.  The subject will be the interesting architecture at the arboretum.  I will post the link for sign up as soon as it comes available.

www.lianayarckin.com

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Watercolor Class, Gift and Show

In progress.

Somebody brought me a gorgeous little bouquet of roses and a blue hydrangea for a coffee I was hosting.  It was such a nice surprise and bursting colors, I immediately blew off everything on the schedule the next day and started the above painting.  I reasoned that this is one of the perks of being an artist - experiencing inspiration and letting it take over.  Plus, I am teaching another watercolor class in just a few weeks and the subject matter is ROSES!!!

Can you see two artists hard at work here?  This is one of the photos from the plein-air class I taught at the Dallas Arboretum.  We lucked out with great weather.  Collectively, we chose the fern garden.  Everyone did so well.  The time flew by, I didn't get a chance to take a photo of the class' work.  I loved seeing how everyone found an interesting subject to them and how their painting styles and strengths were all different.  Everyone was so pleased and wants another plein-air class in the spring.  The Arboretum is so gorgeous, so many different opportunities for plein-air painting.

A very special group of women purchased this painting as a housewarming gift for their friend.  She had seen my painting of swans at an art show.  She told me why this painting spoke to her and about the symbolism of swans.  I am so inspired to paint more swans now.

Artwork hanging at the local yoga hot spot, We Yogis.  I am so blessed to meet generous and caring artists through my work and daily life.  Dallas artist, Gina Dunn is responsible for my opportunity to show my work at We Yogis.  Gina is both a master yogi and a very talented artist. Her work hangs all over the country and she has a large piece hanging in a prominent location here in Dallas - in the window of Lululemon on Knox Street.  You cannot miss it when you are driving by.  Please visit Gina's face book page, Gina Marie Dunn, Utopia Pkwy. Art Studio to check it out.

Sign up for watercolor class:  The Rose: An Introduction to Watercolor

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Teaching Classes at the Dallas Arboretum

Morning Walk

by Liana Yarckin

Sold.

I will be teaching two workshops at the Dallas Arboretum this fall.  One is a plein air workshop and the other is a rose workshop.  For more information, click here.  Plein Air in the Garden, September 27 and  The Rose, an Introduction to Watercolor on November 1.  The Dallas Arboretum used the above picture on a facebook post and someone inquired to purchase!  Unfortunately, it has already sold.  However, this inspired me to do another aspen tree painting for the Cattle Baron's fundraiser coming up this October.  It is a large 22x30 painting.

Since my last two shows, I have been busy with commissions.  Here is the latest Home Portrait I completed.  It is a beautifully detailed home built with care and the greatest attention to detail.  I met the home owners at Artscape in April.  

Upcoming big news is my painting, Meet Me in the Piazza, was accepted to the Southwestern Watercolor Society 51st Annual Show, juried by Fealing Lin.

Meet Me in the Piazza

by Liana Yarckin

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Reception for City Cafe Art Show Tonight

I have been having problems with my email subscribers not receiving my updates for April and May.  If you are an email subscriber and have not received any updates from me since March, then please press here to see what you have missed.  Scroll down to see April and May posts once you are on my blog page.  Apparently, the problem was suppose to only be with yahoo accounts, but, it seems like nobody has received the updates.  If by chance you have received an update via email, I totally apologize if you have received multiple emails Please let me know if you have been getting the updates without a problem.  

On the brighter side, I hope to see the locals at my reception at City Cafe on Wednesday night to toast to a great art show and happy summer!

website

More Photos

Attention to fellow bloggers

Bloggers, are your feedburner subscribers still getting your blog posts?  Mine are not, including myself. I looked into the help chat rooms at feed burner and it was said the problem is only with yahoo subscribers.  I did the "fix" suggested, but, that did not work.  

If anyone knows the details on this, please let me know.

Thanks so much!

Time to Celebrate!

Apologies to all non-yahoo readers for getting multiple blog updates from me.  Apparently, yahoo has made changes recently and all yahoo subscribers, including myself, were not receiving blog updates.  This post is for the yahoo subscribers who did not receive it the first time.

The art show at the Dallas Arboretum was a huge success.  I will write about it in my next post.  Now it is time to celebrate at City Cafe!!!  Come join me, make it a girls'night out, date night with hubby or bring the kiddos and stick them in a booth with dinner!  As always, City Cafe throws an awesome reception with delicious food, cocktails and live music.  Everyone is there and we always end up going past closing.  So come celebrate!  If you want to see photos from the art show, they are posted on facebook at Liana Yarckin Watercolors.

Pics from the Dallas Arboretum - Artscape 2014

taking a 5 minute break after setting up

 first sale

When I think back to the weekend of April 25, I start feeling the energy of the weekend running through my body.  I really cannot wait until next year.  Artscape was the perfect place for me to show my paintings.  Attendees were lovers of flowers and nature just like me.  They couldn't get enough of the tulips, every tulip painting sold.  It was so much hard work preparing for my first outdoor art show.  I am not talking about painting, I am talking about 2 months of getting organized, learning how to anchor a tent so that it does not blow away in the wind, finding the display walls, framing everything, packaging everything to take to the show, marketing, finding friends to help for free, arranging rides for my children to get home from school…. 

But, I will say it was well worth it.  I made lots of new artist friends, having lunch with one of them tomorrow, in fact.  I was inspired by one female artist who is well into her 70's setting up her own tent all by herself, she says it keeps her young and in shape.  Talking with the attendees, running into old friends from the past and even meeting someone that lives in a house that I have painted long ago!  

Now, I have follow up.  I think I have 5 commissions on my plate right now.  I had a very interesting inquiry for a commission for Father's Day.  I hope they decide to do it because it is a different idea.  I entered all the emails that were listed in my guest book and sent info about my upcoming reception at City Cafe.

So, if you are in Dallas, please come celebrate with me!

May 14

6:00-8:00

City Cafe 

Lovers at the Tollway

Press here for more pics of Artscape

updated website:  www.lianayarckin.com

Time to Celebrate!

The art show at the Dallas Arboretum was a huge success.  I will write about it in my next post.  Now it is time to celebrate at City Cafe!!!  Come join me, make it a girls'night out, date night with hubby or bring the kiddos and stick them in a booth with dinner!  As always, City Cafe throws an awesome reception with delicious food, cocktails and live music.  Everyone is there and we always end up going past closing.  So come celebrate!  If you want to see photos from the art show, they are posted on facebook at Liana Yarckin Watercolors.

Preparations for Dallas Arboretum Art Show

Hard at work, framing, updating website, measuring mat boards to 11/16 of an inch, learning how to stake a tent, coordinating someone to help me with the physical labor….all in preparation for my debut at the Dallas Arboretum art show - Artscape.  I can't wait.  I know that my website shows a lot of activity coming from the Dallas Arboretum website which has my website link on it.  They are expecting huge crowds so I hope all goes well with set up and weather.  

Locals, come visit me at booth 57, right by the frog water fountains.  

updated website:  www.lianayarckin.com

let me know which paintings you think I should include or not on facebook:  

Liana Yarckin Watercolors

Tip Toe through the Tulips, a Dallas Arboretum Inspiration

my first tulip painting, 1997

I found the first tulip watercolor I did as an adult in 1997.  I had gone to the Dallas Arboretum with my husband and his parents and was in love with all of the red tulips.  I did not have a digital camera, yet, so I may have taken one or two photos of the tulips.  One week later, my husband and I bought our first home, it had red tulips in the front flower beds!  I did the painting before we saw our house, and I should say before I had taken any watercolor classes!  I show this to you - who knows what your tulips would look like after a couple of classes!!!!  

Perfect timing to post this, the tulips are in full bloom at the Dallas Arboretum and I have been working so hard for my upcoming art show at the Dallas Arboretum in April.  Who knew when I was first inspired to paint tulips in the Dallas Arboretum that 17 years later I would be in an art show there.  

Important upcoming dates:  
Artscape, Dallas Arboretum, April 25-27
I am in Booth #57

City Cafe, April 28 - June 1
Solo Art Show

Commissions

 Private Residence
16x22 watercolor

 Private Residence
11x14 watercolor

 Private Residence
11x14 watercolor

 Private Residence
11x14 watercolor

Baylor Hospital

22x30 watercolor

 Private Residence
11x14 watercolor

 Private Residence
15x22 watercolor

Contemporary Theater of Dallas
11x14 watercolor

Above are some of the commissions I received with a December deadline.  Can you believe I forgot to post them on my blog?!  Some were given as Christmas gifts, anniversary gift, thank you gifts or as a congratulations on a promotion gift.  Prints have been made of the commercial buildings to give to employees as well.  So that is why I didn't have so many blog posts prior to December.  I think I painted until December 20.  It is all coming back to me, now, that is why I had such a long break picking the up the brush again.  I loved being busy.  Each commission has a unique story and giving reason behind them.  

Visit it me on facebook to see work in progress and the latest news on my art shows.  Oh, I just posted a painting, "Wishing for Spring."  We have had a very long, cold winter.  I cannot believe I am still wearing winter clothes.

Happy painting!

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