Bonnie Schallermeir ~ Watercolor Artist

Day 6 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

2013-09-11T18:00:00.000-04:00

Ladybug

Day 6 painting is a cute little lady bug! You know they bring you good luck, right? The size is 5x7 and is for sale for $45 USD. It will come with a white 8x10 mat so it can easily fit into any frame of your choice. You can contact me here with any questions, or to place an order.

Please visit my website to see more of my work. And don’t forget to subscribe to this blog if you like what you see!!

Thanks for visiting! Happy Painting!

Bonnie

All images are copyright and property of Bonnie Schallermeir and may not be copied or reproduced without written consent from Bonnie Schallermeir.

Day 5 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

2013-09-11T16:00:00.000-04:00

Make a Wish

Day 5 painting is of a Dandelion blowing in the wind. It reminds me of someone finally being set free to be who they really are, no restraints. The size is 5x7 and is for sale for $45 USD. It will come with a white 8x10 mat so it can easily fit into any frame of your choice. You can contact me here with any questions, or to place an order.

Please visit my website to see more of my work. And don’t forget to subscribe to this blog if you like what you see!!

Thanks for visiting! Happy Painting!

Bonnie

All images are copyright and property of Bonnie Schallermeir and may not be copied or reproduced without written consent from Bonnie Schallermeir.

Day 4 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

2013-09-11T13:30:00.000-04:00

Dragonfly

Day 4 paintings is a 5x7 watercolor, Dragonfly. These small paintings are alot of fun to do, I'm having a great time with them. This original is for sale for $45 USD. It will come with a white 8x10 mat so it can easily fit into any frame of your choice. You can contact me here with any questions, or to place an order.

Please visit my website to see more of my work. And don’t forget to subscribe to this blog if you like what you see!!

Thanks for visiting! Happy Painting!

Bonnie

All images are copyright and property of Bonnie Schallermeir and may not be copied or reproduced without written consent from Bonnie Schallermeir.

Day 3 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

2013-09-11T12:00:00.000-04:00


Bumblebee

I'm a bit behind on posting my 30 Paintings in 30 Days, but here is my painting from Day 3. The size is 5x7 and is for sale for $45 USD. It will come with a white 8x10 mat so it can easily fit into any frame of your choice. You can contact me here with any questions, or to place an order.

Please visit my website to see more of my work. And don’t forget to subscribe to this blog if you like what you see!!

Thanks for visiting! Happy Painting!

Bonnie

All images are copyright and property of Bonnie Schallermeir and may not be copied or reproduced without written consent from Bonnie Schallermeir.

30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 1 & 2

2013-09-05T08:15:00.000-04:00

Hi Friends,

During the month of September, I have decided (along with many of my art community friends) to do a painting a day for the entire month. Of course, it's now September 4th and I only have 2 1/2 paintings done, but I guess that's the hazards of having a full time paying job outside my studio!! Oh well, I'm going to keep plugging away.

So I've decided that I'm going to do half of the month in watercolors and keep it to a 5 x 7 size, which is an easier size to get done in one day. The second half of the month I want to do acrylic and/or oils. This will give me alot of experimenting time with the different mediums.

The watercolor paintings I've decided, are going to be flying critters, like butterflies, dragonflies, bugs in general. My plan is to be able to compile a 2014 calendar with them. Here's my first two days paintings.... hope you like!

Butterfly 1


Butterfly 2

As for the acrylic/oil paintings, the theme ... well ... you'll have to stay tuned to see what it will be!

Please visit my website to see more of my work. And don’t forget to subscribe to this blog if you like what you see!!

Thanks for visiting! Happy Painting!

Bonnie

All images are copyright and property of Bonnie Schallermeir and may not be copied or reproduced without written consent from Bonnie Schallermeir.

Colorful Reflections

2013-06-04T05:00:00.000-04:00

Hi Friends!

It's (again) been a little while since my last blog, sorry about that. I'm back now!!

The last couple weeks I've been working on some new works. My favorite was an exercise in painting glass bottles! This was the first time I really, seriously, tried a painting of glass... but challenges push you forward and teach you a number of things! I really like how the painting progressed and finally finished.

This was after the initial drawing and beginning painting. I added the marbles into the painting for a little pizzazz!

After getting the initial layout done, I put in a background. A nice simple flowering tree branch, paned window, and a bit of a side curtain... still trying to keep it simple. Above is the start of filling in the background.

Colorful Reflections

And here is the finished product! I was quite pleased with it. I hope you enjoy it too! I have a show coming up soon, so this will be included in that show.... very excited. More on the show in my next blog, waiting for the date to be set!

Please visit my website to see more of my work. And don't forget to subscribe to this blog if you like what you see!!

Thanks for visiting! Happy Painting!

Bonnie
All images are property of Bonnie Schallermeir and may not be copied or reproduced without written consent from Bonnie Schallermeir.

A Bit of Silly Fun

2013-04-10T11:00:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends!

Last week I was able to take a couple days off of work, so I took advantage of that time and spent it in my studio. I love those kind of days!!! I worked on some baby animals in watercolor, some I like, some - hmmm - not so much. Either way, it was alot of fun!!! Hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed painting them! Here are a couple of the paintings. My favorite is the baby monkey, such a silly little face.

A Face only a Mother Could Love

Lil Pup

What kind of fun or silly paintings are you having a good time with???

Please visit my website to see more of my work. And don't forget to subscribe to this blog if you like what you see!!

Thanks for visiting! Happy Painting!

Bonnie
All images are property of Bonnie Schallermeir and may not be copied or reproduced without written consent from Bonnie Schallermeir.

Watercolor Roses

2013-03-24T18:37:00.002-04:00

Hello Friends!

Yesterday was such a wonderful day! The weather was beautiful (but slightly chilly) outside as Spring is (still) trying to approach. I probably should have been outside getting my gardens ready for planting, but I took the day to do some much needed chores.

My studio had been in such disarray lately that I had a hard time concentrating when I was in there. So after getting everything put away, cleaned and re-organized, I felt much better.

As I've shared in my last couple posts, I am experimenting with a new technique, wet on wet. Seems like such a simple task in theory, but I think it actually takes more skill than realism painting. It's much harder to control the paint and the water. Anyway, I'm still experimenting with it.

Roses

Yesterday afternoon, in my freshly cleaned studio, I started painting some roses. Here is a glimpse of it in the early stages of the painting. We'll see how it looks when I'm done!

Please visit my website to see more of my work. And don't forget to subscribe to this blog if you like what you see!!

Thanks for visiting! Happy Painting!

Bonnie

Spring is Here!

2013-03-20T21:10:00.000-04:00

Happy Spring Everyone!

Even though it's still snowing in places, it is the first day of spring. Time for the flowers to bloom, birds to hatch, gardens to grow!! I love spring! I even peeked in my birdhouse yesterday to see if we had any residents... sure enough we do.

Now that my daffodils and tulips are blooming, I thought it a good time to do some inspired painting for the season, while I anxiously await the warmer weather.

I trying a new technique for my paintings, to loosen things up a bit. I'm trying the wet in wet technique... here is one of my recent paintings. Still have a ways to go with the style, but it's always good to try something new.

Thanks for visiting.

Have a wonderfully creative day!

Young and Wise

Visiting the Past: TANGIER ISLAND, VA

2012-06-06T10:10:00.000-04:00

Recently, I took a weekend trip to Tangier Island, which is a small island in the Chesapeake Bay of Virginia. The island is only 3 miles by 1 mile in size, and shrinking. It is a beautiful island, and has retained its original charm and way of life for many generations. Population: 525.

The only way to access the island is by water, either from the Eastern Shore of Virginia, or from the Maryland Shore. We took a boat over from Onancock, VA (another favorite small town of mine). Despite the rough waters, the 12 mile journey by boat was wonderful. The captain, an island native, was very friendly and informative. After the hour ride, we arrived in Tangier. The entrance to the island is filled with crabbing boats, crab shacks, crab pots and so much activity.

The main way of making a living on the island is, of course, by farming the Chesapeake Bay for crabs and oysters! The hard-working watermen have continued this way of life for many generations. And even though there are organizations trying to 'Save the Bay', the waters are being increasingly polluted, so much so that it is threatening the island residents way of life.


Tangier Island Special Work in Progress Watercolor on Paper

We enjoyed our day touring the island and talking to the locals. They have a very unique dialect derived from our Cornish ancestors, which is quite a challenge to understand... especially when they are talking amongst themselves. Tangier is also a 'dry' island, alcohol is not sold there or consumed in public. No movie theaters, cars, malls, bowling alleys, etc. They have a small 'convenience' store for groceries (which get sent over from the mainland weekly). There is one school for all the island kids, one hospital in which the doctor flies in on Thursday's for clinic duties and a handful of 'mom & pop' restaurants.

It was quite a day stepping back in time!
Please visit my website to see more of my work. And don't forget to subscribe to this blog if you like what you see!!
Thanks for visiting! Happy Painting!
Bonnie

Studio Organization

2012-04-06T14:32:00.000-04:00

Organization is key to productivity and efficiency!

As we all know, organization is important in every aspect of our lives. Organization keeps things neat and tidy, it helps us keep an 'inventory' of our supplies, and we know where everything is (which saves a lot of time!). We also know how easy it is in a studio to create a mess and quickly become unorganized, which leads to a lot of uncreative time and energy in the studio!

I recently started reorganizing my home studio as it was definitely in dire need of some structure!! My husband was able to acquire a set of base and wall cabinets from a hospital job that he is doing. They were going to just throw them away, and they were perfectly good cabinets, just needed a little cleaning up! So, you know me, always trying to re-purpose things, I gladly accepted them in order to help organize my studio.

The base cabinet is a three door cabinet with six drawers. The wall cabinet is a four door cabinet. My husband installed them for me and WOW, what a great improvement!!
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Yard Art - Refreshing the Old Stuff!

2012-03-28T11:32:00.003-04:00

With Spring in the air, I've been busy cleaning and cleaning! Out with the old, in with the new, as they say. Or as I've done, take the old and make it like new again!

I just love Spring! It's a wonderful time of year when nature is awakening, birds are chirping, flowers are blooming...

I have started getting the yard and gardens ready for the season. Along with that, it was time to clean out the shed, a dreaded chore to say the least! But as I started clearing things out and getting rid of old stuff, I found a few items that I wanted to freshen up and re-purpose. Suddenly, it wasn't a dreaded chore, I was actually having fun, and was able to get a little creative!
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New Creations and Ideas!

2012-03-23T10:31:00.007-04:00

Sometimes, the unexpected is so refreshing...

Last November, while trying to get Christmas shopping done, I decided to paint three ornaments for my sister and brother-in-law. Over the last couple years, all three of their dogs had passed away, so I thought, "Why not paint them?! Keep their memory alive, and it would be a very personal, meaningful gift." So I did.

How Do YOU Keep Your Creative Juices Flowing?

2011-07-25T12:04:00.005-04:00

Okay, be honest... have you ever felt as if you have been drained of all your creative juices? Can't seem to find your mojo? Drawing a blank for your next project? Need to be rejuvenated?

Well, here are some ideas on how to clear your mind and get those creative juices flowing again!

Hometowns

2011-07-15T09:46:00.000-04:00

In April 2011, a friend of mine, Christa, brought me an old, worn postcard from her hometown of Bad Neustadt, Germany. She asked if I would do two paintings from the pictures on the postcard. Of course I said yes, I'd love to. I was so happy she had asked me.

A few weeks ago I finished them and presented them to her, framed. She was very pleased with them, and I was happy I could put her hometown and old memories on paper for her.

This painting is the town center. And here is a link to the other painting, which is Salzberg, a castle overlooking the town.
Salzburg, Bad-Neustadt.

Enjoy, and have a wonderful day! Thank you Christa, for the opportunity.

Click here to visit my website. Thanks

Quick Paintings

2011-06-22T11:36:00.004-04:00

In my attempts to paint something everyday, I went home from work last night and started looking around for something small yet interesting to paint. In my china cabinet was a set of small salt & pepper shakers that were handed down to me from my Mom. With the shakers was a small bowl and spoon which I believe used to be used at a table setting for individual salt or sugar servings.

Anyway, I thought they might be a fun, quick exercise. I haven't painted glass or shiny items very much. So here is my painting. It was fun, and I was pleased with the results.
http://bonnie-schallermeir.artistwebsites.com/index.html

What's on my easel?

2011-06-21T08:53:00.000-04:00

Here is a watercolor that I recently finished. It was a step by step demonstration from a book I recently bought.

The technique was much looser than I am used to, but I enjoyed the freeness.

Spring Flowers

2011-04-07T14:53:00.000-04:00

Here is a peek at a new painting I recently finished. This is watercolor on a watercolor canvas, which I had never used before, and don't think I'll use again. I had a hard time getting the watercolors to flow and move easily. But with a little patience, I think I was able to save the painting.

Has anyone ever used the canvas?? Curious on your thoughts/experiences.... Leave me a comment!!

So Now What???

2011-04-06T08:05:00.002-04:00

So now what?

Have you ever had 'artists block', not knowing what your next subject will be? Well, I have so many ideas I'm having a hard time deciding on what to do first. But, I guess that's a good thing. Just wish there were more hours in the day!

Recently I finished a painting, 'Tiny Dancer'. I feel it has alot of energy. It was my first time painting a person (or figure if you will), so I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I have entered it into a juried exhibition recently, hoping to be selected to the show. Here is the painting. I'd love to get some feed-back on it!!

So, tonight it's on to a new painting, a new inspiration.... I'll let you know what I come up with soon! Have a wonderful day, and Happy Painting!

Displaying at a Gallery

2011-01-07T21:58:00.001-05:00

Happy New Years Friends!

I hope your holidays were filled with family, friends, joy and good health.

Just before New Year's Day, I began displaying my work at Riverview Gallery (a local spot) in Portsmouth, VA. I'm very excited about the display, and being my first gallery display that I was to hang my work myself, I was a little intimidated. So, with my husband and my hammer in hand, off we went to the gallery. My husband Armin was my saving grace, he did a beautiful job with it. After two hours, we were finished and quite pleased with the results!

A few tips for when you are preparing to hang a display (which, in hind-sight, seem like a no-brainer!):

Bring a measuring tape and level.
Bring the windex and paper towels.
And of course, the camera to take pictures of your new space.

I was able to display approx. 20 originals, as well as filling my print rack with prints and note cards. I'm hoping to reach some new people and collectors in the art community.

If you are in this area, please try to take some time to visit the gallery. There are many wonderful artists displayed there that you can check out!

Gallery Wall

2010-12-26T20:40:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since I've written, but it's been a busy time! I have started a few new ventures with my work. I'll give you a quick run down now, and next week I'll go into more details.

My favorite restaurant, Sushi Aka (in Suffolk, VA), is displaying five new paintings of mine.
I have started selling prints on Fine Art America, and have sold three pieces in the past two weeks. Please visit the site!
Next week I am going to set up my wall display at Riverview Gallery in Portsmouth, VA to show my work. I'm hopeful to get some business there.

Here is a couple shots of my latest work:

My First Commission

2010-11-12T13:04:00.000-05:00

Well, I did it! I got my first commission painting finished! I am excited, and the customer is quite happy with it. What a nice feeling it was when she asked if I'd be interested in doing a painting for her, let alone finishing it and seeing her joy and excitement. I hope I get more work soon! Here's a peek at the painting I did for her.

A Room with a View

Other news for this month:
I was selected in for a Juried Show last week. It was the "2010 Annual Juried Show" through the Suffolk Art League, showing at the Suffolk Museum, Suffolk, VA. I had entered three paintings, and one was actually selected for the show. That is again my first experience with being selected for a juried show, so I was a bit nervous. But it all worked out well. The Exhibition Opening was very nice with a lot of artists and art enthusiasts. Here is the piece that was selected:

Winter Cardinal

Well, that's my excitement for November so far. I'm back in Watercolor class and getting new ideas all the time. Next week I'm going to work on painting on a feather. I'll write about that and let you know how it went next week.
Have a great day!
Bonnie

Going Green

2010-10-28T15:42:00.002-04:00

Our natural resources and environment are very precious, and we need to take care of them. As you may or may not know, recycling and being 'green' has always been important to me. I have always tried to be aware of waste, and have come up with some ideas over the years to cut down on that waste in my own life. It isn't that hard at all once you really commit to it. Some of my habits for helping reduce waste include:

Reusable grocery bags
Programmable thermostats
Composting kitchen waste
Recycling cans, glass, etc
Turning water off when brushing my teeth
Repairing or re-purposing common items
Bring old magazines to the office for others to read
Vegetable gardening and canning

These are just a few, but I feel that they make a difference.

In the studio, I believe that we all need to be creative where possible in coming up with ideas for less waste, environmentally friendly products and reusing / re-purposing. I was looking around on the internet and found this site - Eco ArtWorks. They sell all sorts of eco-friendly supplies for the artist and crafter. I'm sure there are many more out there, as well as blogs on Going Green.

Other ideas for re-using or re-purposing household items?

Old buttons for embellishing projects
Collages out of old magazines
Plastic tubs from margarine or such for holding water, paint, supplies

I'd love to hear about how you are helping our environment by Going Green. We can all share our ideas with each other and help further the cause!

Classes

2010-10-22T14:27:00.001-04:00

Well, here it is toward the end of October already! Wow! In my last post, I was getting ready to submit work for the Tiny Treasures show. Did I mention this was the first time to submit work to a juried show, and that it's very nerve-wracking!! Well, I submitted my 3 paintings, and waited. Unfortunately, none were accepted for this show, however, it was a very good experience. Going through the motions of getting the work done, framed, etc., and submitting them was a good learning experience. I also learned some about the 'miniature' paintings that they were expecting.

So, I'm getting more paintings ready for submission to another show now, the Annual Juried Exhibition at the Suffolk Museum, through the Suffolk Art League.
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Getting Closer to the Shows

2010-10-12T13:45:00.001-04:00

Okay, the show is only 2 days away, well the submitting part anyway. I have my paintings done for the Tiny Treasures, and tonight I will be matting and framing them.

Another show coming up is the Juried Members Show at the Suffolk Museum, through the Suffolk Art League. I need to get those paintings done soon. I'll probably work on those some tonight. Here's the information on that show:

2010 Annual Juried Exhibition
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