New techniques

This piece was done during a Jeannie McGuire workshop. Her painting just won the Gold Medal of honor award at the AWS annual show. I really enjoyed trying some new techniques..she piles on the pigment, using opaque and transparent colors...using large flat brushes and putting paint down and taking paint away. It was an eye opening experience and made me experiment and try new things...(like titanium white!)

"Reaching out"

(15"x17") This is a painting I did in May during an open studio event. I have so many photographs of different flowers, that I can paint any blossom any time of year...which is kind of nice..since our winters here in Vermont are 9 months long! well sort of, not really, but long enough!

Subject exploration

This was a gentleman selling fish in Marseille..I have done some others of him with his hat on..so this is him "unhatted" so to speak..I'll paint him some more...he's a good subject...

lounging

Lounging in the sun...that's what we all need a bit of now and then..this is another Mexican sketch from earlier this year...My postings will be a bit sporadic these next few weeks...I realize I missed this past Friday as well... so stick with me and check in to see what's new...soon

practice

This sketch is from my kitchen journal and shows that not all sketches have to be "glamorous"...This was a quick sketch of the pots, pans and cookie sheet after they were washed sitting on top of the stove..The perspective leaves something to be desired..but alas it's pen on paper which equals practice.

Abstract expression

A quick warmup abstract piece..testing colors, patterns, materials, brushes, line, texture..etc.. This type of subject needs tons more exploration...and more open mindedness and bravery. Can of worms as they say!

Hat shadows

I'm fascinated by the folds in fabric...I don't think I've really played with them much since college, but find them challenging in watercolor on all colors of cloth. As long as I continue to grow and explore as an artist... that's a good thing! 15"x22"

Demonstration

This was one of my demo pieces for my annual Peony workshop...this year the weather cooperated and the peonies were glorious..."June Joy" 15"x22"

Wash Day

Happy July! This is a different piece for me...it is inspired by Mexico and the trip earlier this year....but the subject is a bit unique for my brush... Nonetheless..I enjoyed painting it and trying to get the shadows on the clothes..phew!(15"x22")

Whazzup

Here's another favorite subject that's been long neglected...the feathered friend. He's not all together too sure about why I was taking his picture...but this is why...to create a piece of art! (8"x8")

Color Burst

It's been entirely too long since I posted a good old fashioned floral watercolor...Maybe it's because I've been exploring other subjects...but it's nice to paint blossoms again...this is "Bursting Forth", 15"x22". Sort of an explosion of colors, like fireworks on the Fourth.

Paint, rinse, repeat

Some of you might recognize this musician from an earlier post...I tried to capture him several times on paper. It's good practice to paint something more than once or work in a series...that way you can change your approach, colors, technique etc..hopefully each time you learn something new! (15"x11")

Variety is the spice...

This is a 12"x12" piece done on the Fluid watercolor paper....I had an email about Fabriano paper and if it was good quality and worth the money...to me it is and yes it's good quality, but not as bullet proof as Arches.. so if you want to try something new and different certainly give the wide variety of papers out there a try, but if you've found your "forever" paper...then stay with the tried and true...

Paper sizes

Trying out my new Fabriano block in 12"x16"..size is always an issue...we can get caught up in the standard quarter, half and full sheets...but it's nice to break out and work in squares, long rectangles etc.. it's great to see that the paper manufacturers are mixing it up a bit too...Arches has new block sizes and then those Fluid paper blocks I mentioned last week.

Experimentation

Testing papers, testing pigments and testing restraint! Trying not to overwork and definitely leaving white and revisiting Arches 300 lb CP paper, which is a more difficult paper for me to work with, since I'm used to the "softer" Fabriano paper.

sketchbooks

I just took stock of all the blank sketchbooks in my studio...they look nice all lined up, but they certainly would look better full of colorful sketches and paintings...at least there is one with the "breakfast" sketch in it from the Mexico trip!

"Early morning"

A new little painting trying to capture a colorful Italian town and the early morning task of putting out the garbage! I'm playing with the new Fluid watercolor paper...this is the 8"x8" block...the paper's claim to fame is that it is gummed on two sides as compared to the traditional blocks that are gummed on all four. So far I've enjoyed it.

practice makes....

The figure sessions resume sometime again this summer...but having consistently gone these last few years has really helped to improve my approach to painting the figure. I guess it's like anything else...practice makes...I hesitate to say perfect...but at least much, much better!