Thursday, September 29, 2016

Afternoon Glow

Fuchsias!!!! What really fun flowers! This was painted last summer in watercolor. No drawing, just painting!
"Afternoon Glow" • Original watercolor on 100% cotton paper • 7.5" x 5.5"
If interested in purchasing this piece, click HERE.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Dense Woods

I taught a plein air class at Leach Botanical Garden over the summer. There's so many views at the garden it's hard to choose. Because it was threatening to rain and we had a tent to go under, I chose this view of the woods. I started this piece there while looking at the woods and finished in the studio. I really like how the big tree trunks came out and the purple in the background.
"Dense Woods" • Original acrylic on 3/4" wrap around canvas, painting continues on sides, ready to hang • 14" x 11"
If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Full Color Autumn

I've been working on aspens lately. The white bark is such a nice change from brown!!!! You can add spots and the fall yellows are very gorgeous. This piece makes me want to be there!
"Full Color Autumn" • Acrylic on gallery wrap canvas, painting continues on sides, ready to hang • 16" x 20"
If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.

Monday, September 26, 2016

Mellow Stroll

This piece was almost complete but it needed something. By introducing the stick form in the foreground I added depth and a little more interest.
"Mellow Stroll" • Original acrylic on gallery wrap canvas, painting continues on sides, ready to hang • 8" x 8"
If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

A Moment to Pause & Listen

Bird watching is really interesting. All the behaviors that keep birds alive are visible if you get to watch them for any length of time. Most birds are very aware of their surroundings and will make frequent pauses in whatever activity they're engaging in to look around. So, that's what this quail is doing, taking a moment to tune into his surroundings.
I'm really happy with the brushwork of this piece and I think the colors work really well.
"A Moment to Pause & Listen" • Original acrylic on gallery wrap canvas, painting continues on sides • 8" x 8"
If interested in purchasing this piece click Here.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Autumn Wander

A few weeks ago I painted a lots of pieces of paper with acrylic ink washes. When I do this, they kind of sit around until I figure out where to go next with them. I really liked the colors and textures of this piece and thought it would work really well with quail. Then I went out to my local vine maple tree and picked some leaves and worked it into the painting. I finished with a mix of watercolor and acrylic ink.
"Autumn Wander" • Original mixed watermedia on 100% cotton paper • 13" x 11"
If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Colorful Walk

Quail are very entertaining birds! I love watching them. They are also cool to paint with the colorful markings and fun top knot. I wanted an arid environment for this bird with fall colors.
"Colorful Walk" • Original acrylic on gallery wrap canvas • 8" x 8"
If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Deep, Deep Woods

One day I did a bunch of textured ink washes on paper. I had them laying all over the place! Then I unwrapped them all and looked at the texture. I still have some just waiting to be finished! This is one of those pieces. I thought it would be really easy, the tree shapes seemed really defined and I really like the colors. Well, it wasn't! Surprise, surprise!!!! (Every so often a painting comes together in a fast, fluid manner but for the most part there is no such thing as EASY!!!!) Anyway, I've been working on it and thinking about it and working on it and here it is—finished!!!!! I'm happy with it! I put a lot of iridescent paint in the water, so in the right light it really has a sheen, kind of like how the light changes sometimes from darker to lighter. It seems really remote to me, hence the name.
"Deep, Deep Woods" • Original mixed watermedia on 140# 100% cotton paper • 15" x 11"
If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.

Clearing Sky

I'm still exploring the ocean, sky and land theme. Everything is more defined in this piece. I discovered that green looks really great in a sky so I added a green band in this sky. I also like how the light bounces of the clouds and onto the water and land, so I experimented with how to make that work. There's action in this piece but also tranquility.
"Clearing Sky" • Original acrylic on 1/4" gessobord • 24" x 18
If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Misty Mood

I took some photos at the beach in the fog. The land, water and sky were undefined and there were no apparent boundaries. I've been working with this idea in a few paintings. This one is watercolor. I used some Daniel Smith mineral paints which add sparkle to this piece. I find that it's a fascinating piece and I fine myself just looking at it and thinking that it's really simple but complex at the same time!
"Misty Mood" • Original watercolor on 100% cotton paper • 16" x 12"
If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Stately Dance

I've been really exploring waterlilies. The colors and leaf patterns are fascinating. I've been masking with gouache, pouring ink over that and finishing with watercolor.  These types of pieces are a mental challenge since I don't always have a preplanned composition. Figuring out how to finish without compromising the spontaneity of the original ink wash is like solving a puzzle. I'm very happy with this piece.
"Stately Dance" • Original mixed watermedia on 100% cotton paper • 11" x 7.5"
If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.