eyes vs. ears

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.

peony varieties

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...

unusual pigment placement

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 :)

Gondolas

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.

what is it...

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...

observation

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.

design matters

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.

Boo!

Happy Halloween everyone! Have fun and be safe and this painting will keep its eye(s) on you!

temporary obsession?

Another portrait...at this point I think it's official that I've found a new favorite subject..the portrait/figure. I can't seem to stop painting them....so you'll have to endure seeing them here on my blog...not giving up on other subjects, though...just a temporary obsession.

Rug repair

I spied this gentleman repairing rugs in a store front on a recent trip. What a fascinating profession... weaving and sewing with all those colors of wool or cotton, matching shades and mixing hues... kind of like I do with the pigments from my palette!

strong light

This was a quick sketch done on a non watercolor paper...so the layering of pigments didn't work so well. I had to work fast, but managed the suggestion of strong sunlight and shadows on her face.

Blending pigment

"Birds of a Feather" 16"x12". I thought I'd try my hand at some other feathered friends...in terms of color.. these beauties have it all...so vibrant...how did Mother Nature mix these on her palette? Or did she let the pigments blend on the birds...?

paper pulp

This is a small portrait...the paper was 6"x8" and handmade at a small mill in Italy...ofcourse on paper that precious the paintings can't help but turn out good....(wink wink, recognize sarcasm here) I still have some Twinrocker paper from years ago that I'm "saving"...I should just use it...if you think about it..it's cotton pulp and water smooshed into a mold and pressed....hmmm

Cute hat

16"x12" portrait of my Grandmother...I never knew her, which may make it easier or harder to do a portrait...I don't know. But I love her hat and fancy wrap...I'm going to paint her some more, maybe with different color combos or closer cropping...we'll see.

"Brewski"

I had the pleasure of taking a Ted Nuttall workshop this summer...highly recommend it! This was one of the pieces I completed. 11"x15" "Brewski". I'm now taking pictures of unsuspecting people and trying to paint them!

Something new

Warmer climes of times past...but we are in for a b-e-a-u-tiful weekend here in the Northeast. This was a painting done from a photograph of the church in Old Puerto Vallarta it is 12"x12" and done on the "Fluid" watercolor paper. It certainly handles differently than the other papers I'm used to...but always good to experiment with something new.

Waving

These ladies were done in the Jeannie McGuire workshop that I took this summer.. Haven't had a chance to explore her techniques since then..but it was fun piling on the pigment...plus using opaque colors and white! I want to give a quick shout out to all the email subscribers who write me on a regular basis! Thanks for your comments!

museum visit

How long has it been since I posted a feathered friend? A while anyway...well this summer I went to a poultry museum! Over 200 different varieties...my camera was smoking at the end of that visit! So you can be sure that I'll tackle some of those images for future paintings!