Monday, October 25, 2010

International Artists Day - Wildlife Artist Robert Bateman Inspires Me by Deborah Boyet Artist

International Artist Day - I am celebrating the life and art of Internationally renowned wildlife artist Robert Bateman!
I am excited to participate in the celebration of International Artists Day. Every October 25th they celebrate artists around the world. As part of the AIG and DPIAG group we decided to pick the artist that has most inspired us. In my case that would be the world renowned wildlife artist Robert Bateman.
He is a wonderfully gifted artist, and here is my story. I had been a decorative artist for many years, as well as working a regular day job to support my family. While working for a t-shirt printing operation in 1992 I stumbled across a magazine I had never seen before. It was Wildlife Art News.
From the earliest time I remember I loved animals. My trips to the St. Louis Zoo were magical, and I lived for Mutual of Omahas Wild Kingdom on TV every week. I was enthralled, and wanted so much to be a part of that life, however I grew up in a practical family, with practical parents who had no time or interest in the whimsy of a little girl. I grew up believing that life was for someone else. So you can imagine my surprise, and excitement when I saw the magical paintings of so many wonderfully gifted artists in the magazine. I immediately suscribribed, and over the course of time one artist in particular stood out. That would be Robert Bateman.
His work is so realistic you feel like you can reach out and touch the animals, and the world in which they live. Every leaf, blade of grass, and field of snow can be felt. The animals are magically transported into my life. I read every article written on Mr. Bateman, and have been impressed as over the years he has given back so much to the world that he feels has given so much to him. He is very generous with his conservation work, and gifts of art, and is an active conservationist. I have never been fortunate enough to have studied with him, and as he is advancing in age, I fear I will never even have the chance to meet this larger than life person who has so inspired and changed my art. I do however collect the books that exhibit his art, and speak of his wonderful vision for changing how man perceives the gifts God has given for all to see and share.
So, on my first day of celebrating International Artists Day, my wish is to pass on to those around me the wonderful visions of wildlife artist Robert Bateman.
Please visit his website to view his work and conservation missions, and also stop by International Artists Day website as well.
On this special day, I hope you take time to stop and enjoy your journey in life my friend, and inspire the life of someone else as well.
Please visit my website, my blog, or my AIG and DPIAG galleries to view my available works of art....including wildlife art!
Please email me with inquiries or questions, and thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Lotus Kanji -Completed by Deborah Boyet Artist

Lotus Kanji
8x12 Watercolor on Arches Board
Original $300
Giclee $50
Original or Giclee
I have completed numerous Kanji paintings in the past, mostly with Koi fish in them. I enjoy the Japanese beauty in their words, and their culture. They enjoy magical beauty in their environment. I hope you enjoy this as well.
I will post some of my past Koi and Goldfish Kanji paintings that are still for sale, either in print or original.
Thanks for stopping by. Please visit my website or my blog galleries  to view other work for sale.
Email with questions or inquiries.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Lotus Kanji - Work in Progress Update by Deborah Boyet Artist

Lotus Kanji
8x12 Watercolor
Work in Progress
This piece is close to being finished. I still need to add detail to a few petals, deepen some shadows for depth, and deepen a few background areas for effect. I have not decided if I will tint the Kanji "lotus". I am going to test it in Photoshop first. This piece will be offered for sale, as well as Giclee' prints.
I have a few other pieces started including a butterfly, before I can start on some of the photos from my trip. It is a shame we had a tight schedule traveling, and there was no time for plein air. I am thinking about taking a travel nurse contract in the NE next year so I can paint on location.
Thanks for stopping by. Please visit other works for sale on my website and my blog.
Please email me with inquiries or questons.
Take time to enjoy your journey in life, my friend.
"Walking above water like a fairy
Wearing a red hairpin
Fresh from a bathe in the Hua Quing pool
With a rosy cheek from drinking."
~ Caixing (Zhang Cuiying)

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Lotus Kanji - Work in Progress by Deborah Boyet Artist


Lotus Kanji I
Watercolor 8x12
Work in Progress
Lotus and waterlilies have elegance and vibrant colors. The petals are semi-translucent, which produces such beautiful shadows and the veining is attractive.
This is the first in a series of Kanji paintings with lotus and waterlilies. A few years back I did a series with Koi, and will likely do some more soon.
As always thanks for stopping by. To view other works for sale, please visit my website,
or my blog, galleries.
Please email me with inquiries or questions.
Today is a perfect Indian summer day, with the cooler nights, and warm days. I am enjoying them while they last!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Washington DC Botanical Garden Photos by Deborah Boyet

DC Botanical Garden Flowers
We stopped in Washington DC on the way home from our New England fall trip. I was thrilled to see there were still roses in bloom, and they have an orchids area in the garden as well.
I am now home, household chores caught up, and I am in my studio this morning. I have a few paintings I am in the process of completing and a lot of photos to sort through and mark for painting. I love the Adobe Bridge program for rating my photos, and at a quick glance I can see which photos have been prioritized for painting. Bridge is worth taking a look at, as I can rate photos 1-5 stars and also add colored bars over the stars to mark them in categories, such as oils, watercolor, floral, still life, bird reference shots. When you open a folder you can tick the categories you wish to review, and only those photos will be seen.
I spend a lot of time reviewing photos, and I don't want to look through thousands of photos every time I want to paint. For example, I took close to 4000 photos just this trip. My Yellowstone trip added over 10,000! So you can imagine I have a lot of files, and using Bridge makes my choice much easier.
To view other work for sale, please visit my website galleries.
Email me with inquiries or questions.
"I dream a lot. I do more painting when I'm not painting. It's in the subconscious." ~Diego Rivera
"At moments of great enthusiasm it seems to me that no one in the world has ever made something this beautiful and important." ~Andrew Wyeth

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Cotton Watercolor Painting by Deborah Boyet Artist

Dixie Delight
Cotton Series I - Art for License
5”x5”
I love the way cotton in a field looks when it is ready for picking. We often joke about our "Southern snow". The hard shell covering the cotton, and the leaves turn beautiful colors of brown and gray.
This is #1 in a series for license. There will be a minumum of 4-6 in this series. For information on license please email me.
Please stop by my website and my blog galleries to view other work for sale.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Happy Birthday to Me! More New England Pictures

I am happily typing this in the fabulous room my husband booked at the Sun Spree Resort in Bar Harbor, Maine....rather I should say a suite! Poor fellow suffered horribly with either food poisoning, or a stomach virus, and still made my day. We went to my favorite falls on White Mountain, and made it to the resort early evening. We will be spending the day tomorrow in Acadia National park, and then will start slowly making our way home on Friday.
I hope you enjoy a few of the photos I have taken on this trip, and once again, I have to thank my sweetie, for making this trip so wonderful.
I am having a lot of fun, but I am equally looking forward to returning home and starting on new paintings, and challenges.
Thanks as always for sharing my love of nature and art.
Please stop by my website, my blog, or my AIG or DPIAG galleries for available art.
Or email me with inquiries or questions.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Bluebird Watercolor Painting Completed by Deborah Boyet Artist

Visitor In My Garden
6x10 Watercolor on Arches Board
Original $175
Giclee $50 (edition size 150)

Original & Giclee'
I love painting birds. They are one of my favorite animals of God's creation, with their cheerful spirit, and chatty sing-song in my yard. I love to watch them splash in the birdbath, and feed from the feeders.
Below is a close-up of this sassy, little bird.
Thanks for stopping by. You may view other works for sale on my website and my blog.  Email me if you have any questions.
I am touring NE for two weeks, gathering photos, and ideas for new landscapes. The weather is gorgeous, and we will be in Vermont tomorrow. The fall season passes so quickly, and before we know it, there will be snow flurries and the flurry of holiday activities, and gatherings. So I can honestly tell you that I am taking time to drive the side roads, whereever they lead, enjoying the scenery, and taking brief moments so I may lock them away in my memory, to enjoy on a cold, or lonely day...I am enjoying my journey in life. I hope you do as well, my friend.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Magnolia Watercolor Batik by Deborah Boyet Artist

Southern Beauty III
Watercolor Batik 14x18
Original $300
Open Edition Prints $20
Original or Open Edition
I love to paint watercolor batiks! They are magical, soft, yet they have an unsurpassed vibrance, due to the translucent rice paper. And the rice paper is so attractive with the fibers that absorb more of the color.

The beautiful white blooms of the magnolia are long gone, but there is one more attractive gift they leave behind. The buds are fibrous, and produce brilliant red seeds when they burst open, giving the magnolia exceptional beauty into the fall.

I hope you enjoy this rare view of a magnolia, and as always enjoy your journey my friend.

Please stop by my website, my blog, my AIG or DPIAG galleries to view other works for sale.

Please email me with inquiries, or questions.

"Every good painter paints what he is." ~Jackson Pollock

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Photoshop Copyright Brush Tutorial by Deborah Boyet Artist

Copyright Brush Tutorial by Deborah Boyet Here is the Copyright Brush tutorial I promised. I can, and will make these brushes for others for a fee. You can email me if you are interested, but you should try this. I have put a lot of screen shot pictures with notes to help visualize the steps. Please note that this is a copyrighted article. I do not mind sharing this article, please ask for permission to use it. Email requests to dboyet10@gmail.com Thank you. First I need to say that I have only worked in CS3, so I am not sure about earlier versions working with the following, but it is likely similar with all of the Photoshop CS’s. You can email me, and I can try and research the difference, if you can’t make it work. A copyright is essential to protect your artwork. A brush with your signature trademark or whatever you want to use, and with the ability to adjust the transparency, and color is unique to your work, and in my opinion a great addition to your already beautiful piece of artwork. There are a lot of wonderful types free for download, and look really cool. I will list those sites at the bottom of this tutorial. I will also cover in the next tutorial how to make an embossed watermark, either one works well, it just depends on your preference. Play with them both. You can find what you like, and develop new Photoshop skills…..and we artists in this day of computer and internet and newly developing ways to make art, can always use the additional skills. Ok, here we go! 1. Go to File>New File, to create a new document. You will want to use a transparent background, but the size is not of importance. You can use the default. I tend to vary mine. Resolution only needs to be around 96 or so. 2. Select the text tool and the font you want to use. You also want to select regular, italic or bold, if those options are available for that font. I have downloaded and used Bleeding Cowboys for one of mine. Choose your font size. I usually set mine to at least 72, so I can see how the lettering looks. 3. Now choose your font color. Black is a good default. You want to see how the lettering looks while you are making the brush, and you can change the color, and opacity when you use it.
4. Next type what you want your brush to say (copyright, year, name, etc). To use © symbol – Mac type Option+G Windows – hold down the Alt key while pressing numbers 0169. Note-you must use the numbers key not the numbers above the keyboard. On a laptop you will have to access the onscreen keyboard. It can be found in Start>Control Panel>Control Panel Home>Appearance and Personalization>Ease of Access Center>Start On-Screen Keyboard
5. Ctrl+click/ +click the text layer icon to select text. It is in the Layers panel on the right.
6. Select the brush tool and make sure the hardness setting is set on 100%.
7. From the menu at the top choose Edit>Define Brush Preset or whatever your similar Photoshop menu indicates.


8. Name your brush and click OK You did it! No need to save your document. Close it, and open a picture of your painting. Now you can use your brush….here’s how. Also, here are a few of the websites with 1000’s of free fonts for Windows and Mac users alike! You can donate with PayPal to the creator of the font if you like it and want to donate a few dollars.
9. Select the brush tool from the tool bar menu on the right side of your screen 10. Go to the Brush Presets in the tool options bar. Choose the copyright tool you made. It will likely be at the very bottom of the list. 11. Next create a new layer in your document and then use your brush to paint your copyright in that layer. Using layers allows you to dump the layer if you make a mistake, and allows you to change the opacity, color, and size as you see fit by simply choosing in that layer. See below for views and notes IMPORTANT - Make sure to save the document as a new document or copy of the original. You should never alter the original, as you cannot undo any changes made, and you may want to do something else with the original photo at a later date.

Figure 10 Choosing Colors
Figure 11. Make a New Layer
Figure 12 Change the Opacity of Your Brush

Monday, October 4, 2010

Bluebird Watercolor Painting Work In Progress by Deborah Boyet Artist

Work in Progress
6x10 Watercolor

This is another watercolor board, and I am really loving these boards! They are receptive, and to me, are so similar to regular watercolor paper, yet none of the stretching, or buckling, and struggles of regular paper, and they are resonably priced too.

Bluebirds are so soft, and sweet feeling, and this guy is no exception. He almost looks as if he is saying grace before he partakes of his meal.

The berries are only based in at this point, and the tree branches have begun to show some detail. The bird is in the final stages, but will remain unfinished until I complete the rest of the painting. At that point I can choose what I want to emphasize, how much brighter I want the white of his chest to be, and if any more detail will be added to the feathers, especially around his head area. I love the strong contrast of the blue and orange, but will have to bring some of the orange into the bird to anchor him, and keep the berries from overtaking the painting. As I develop them, I will choose how to make them become a pathway in the painting, to keep the viewer in place. This is a fairly simple painting, yet it has such strong appeal. I love the simplicity of some of my bird paintings. I think it is because that is what I see in birds. They are so beautifully detailed, and exceptionally lovely, that they require little in the way of extra to entrance a viewer. These are truly one of God's greatest gifts to the earth, and man.

As I sit in my studio today, and listen to the birds joyfully singing, it lifts my heart and spirit, makes me glad I am alive...makes me feel so alive, and I am grateful for His grace, and love, and for the wonderful day I have been blessed with.

Please visit my website, my blog, or my AIG and DPIAG galleries for other available works, and as always, enjoy your journey in life, my friend.

"Beauty is the gift of God." ~ Aristotle

"There is nothing that makes its way more directly into the soul than beauty." ~ Joseph Addison

Thanks for stopping by