This calendar is out there in the retail market somewhere right now, which is very exciting...I happened to find this one at Homegoods! I wish I knew which stores were carrying this calendar...I come to an agreement with my licensing agent for the use of my images for a particular product and that's where it ends...so if you find these items in and around your neighborhood, let me know so I can tell folks where they can buy this calendar! This is the backside....sorry for the crooked picture.. 
Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving weekend...Back to blogging. This was done from a vintage photograph of my grandfather. I had a great time with the "wetness" of the watercolor washes and the very light touch of pigment. Dark doesn't always have to be dark...like his jacket was in the original picture.
Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving week..I'll pick up again next week with my blog...so I'll leave you with this image (15"x22") of a little girl painted from a vintage photograph...this was one of those paintings that painted itself...well we all know that doesn't happen...we don't have magic brushes like the brooms in Fantasia, but sometimes there is another force at work that just puts paint in the right places! Wish they could all be like that!
The eyes of a painted portrait are so important...they make or break the resemblance to the person. I don't think anyone would look at a portrait and think the ear is a bit off...but then again...you never know.
Painting peonies...it's what I do every June...They are so pretty and I love their round buds and spiked leaves. It's incredible how many varieties there are..different colors, shapes, sizes etc...
It is not easy to put blue in someone's face...but I do mix in Cerulean with Raw Sienna and Cad Red...here his cheek and lip reflect that choice....now it's all I can see since I mentioned it..but the green in his hair is fun as well...so many pigments...might as well sling them around a bit in unpredictable places :)
Venetian Gondolas...it's like painting cows in Vermont! Had fun with this one..not an easy subject, but a good exercise nonetheless. For those of you who emailed and commented on my last post..it is the interior of the fortified monastery of Abbey Lerins on Ile Saint-Honorat, France. I'll attempt that painting again.
This piece is 8"x8" done from a photo that I've wanted to paint for years now...this was a first attempt, done with just two colors...burnt sienna and ultramarine blue. I was trying for several values. I don't know if you can tell what it is supposed to be...
A quick interlude from portraits...a page from my kitchen sketchbook.. It is all about simplicity and capturing what's in front of you to keep the eye, brain and hand limber in observation.
A different painting of my same Grandmother. This one slightly off center, with a bouquet of daisies... the flowers I made up since they weren't in the reference picture. I'm exploring more portraits and playing with composition...sometimes an intriguing design or unique perspective is half the battle to a successful painting.