Summer is flying by.....

I have been very busy for a retired person.  I look forward to a few hours of reading and swimming and just relaxing instead of all the regular work involved with living, like cooking, shopping for food, errands, cleaning, washing clothes, changing beds, etc.  And I have a house keeper that helps weekly besides.  But she is no Kandy Rassberry that is a fact. 
Well I am painting a sea shell.  Actually it is a Nautilus.  I found it at an Antique show that goes on for 2 weeks in Texas.  It cost $75.00 and is fair sized.  Beautiful and perfect in shape etc.  Put it with a maroon back ground, a light shining down from above and what colors come from that  combo would surprise you.  This has been quite an experience painting it, since my teacher is a perfectionist and tight in her teaching style.  I do have a very limited palette thank goodness, but still I really struggle with finding the right color or mixing to get the right color etc.  I am all over the place.  Well this subject is, if I work with Diozenine Purple, half the battle is done for me.  The second thing is remembering to use the opposite color to get the gray colors I need in this painting.  I"ll take a picture of where I am right now and show you.  And I have to say, Kathy, my teacher keeps having to pull me back to the right colors to use.  Ugh.  So, this self taught teacher said I could use this crutch.  It is Steven Quiller's color wheel.  He went to the trouble of mixing all brands of paints to find just the right color you need and she said it will help me to no end.  That is why she uses such a limited amount of colors to oil paint with.  Now, Quiller is a water color painter by the way, but this will work she said.  So I ordered  his color wheel today.  It wasn't cheep at $17.00, but hey, I'm old and I struggle with colors and always have so I need to try this to shorten my time. ( I hope anyway)  So, there you have it.  Mix opposite colors when you need gray, and if you struggle like I do, maybe Quiller's wheel will help.  I have to also say, I am enjoying the Olympic's but wish NBC would show more different events than they do.  I love the rowing, and bow and arrow and karate etc.  I am tired of swimming no matter how many golds that young man gets.  But I admire all the people for their efforts to work so hard to try to be number one in the world, and all they set aside in their personal life to do this.  Watching the best is always a thrill.  We are taking a break from everything, fishing in the morning and Olympics and we are going to watch, Salmon Fishing in Yemen,  a movie that is very good my youngest son said.  Happy heat everyone.