Watercolor

Reading the Funnies Watercolor on Plate Bristol paperBlogging this from Alaska... no scanner, so a snapshot of the painting will have to suffice. The reference for this watercolor is a portion of a family photo (taken in about 1945) of my dad's mom and older sister. I love photos from this era as painting subjects, and the people in the images are so dear to me, it's a pleasure to be thinking abo

Orange Fanta 5.75 x 9.5 Watercolor on plate bristol paperAvailable for sale here.An old church in Mexico, in a small village where my friend CP grew up. The last time I went to Mexico, I saw clusters of southbound Americans in the border town shops, carrying cases of Fanta soda to their campers, confirming the rumored tradition of drinking the stuff all day when you're fishing on the beach.

I can run faster than you 4.25 x 9.6 Watercolor on Sennelier hot pressed paperAvailable for sale here.I painted this today to list on ebay and I'll donate a portion of the proceeds to the ASPCA. I've been reading about the challenges facing the animal rescue staff & volunteers after the floods in the midwest. It's no longer headline news here, but it's still a nightmare over there. The watercolo

Painting Cups in watercolor Ink and wash is a very recurrent subject for me, because painting in Ink is very easy to carry out, fast, rich in tonal differences, values, the black and white colors and the in-between shades of gray provide a very rich span.Ink paitning for me is perfect for studying shades, light and dark effects in what I paint. with Ink and watercolor wash everything in front of y

At the Beach 4x6 Watercolor and Colored Pencil on Strathmore Cold Press post card paperThis started as a late night doodle, propped on pillows in the sofa bed in San Diego earlier this week. I added graphite and colored pencils to it this morning after looking at photos of faces in bright, beachy sunlight. An exploration of squinty light and face shadows.Available for sale here.

Paso Robles Vineyard 6.5 x 10.5 Watercolor on Canson Bristol paperAvailable for sale here.SoldFrom old photos taken in Paso Robles, California. Early morning mist creeping down the hillsides. Winsor Newton watercolor & gouache layered on plate finish bristol.

I don’t have a lot of time to blog today, but I wanted to post one more card from my most recent Technique Tuesday class. I used the Watercolor Wash Technique recently featured on SCS. This sample uses the hostess...

Carolina CHickadee on an Allium 10.75 x 4.25 Watercolor on Strathmore Bristol paperMy paternal grandfather was a mechanical engineer & an inventor. The maple trees in his back yard were adorned with bird feeder prototypes, and hundreds of birds, like fluttering ornaments on a Christmas tree. As a girl, I used to hold seeds in my out-stretched hand, and tiny chickadees would grasp my fingertips to

Waiting for the Punchline 8x10 Watercolor & carbon pencil on Ampersand BoardAvailable for sale here.Experimenting with color and media on gesso coated board.... the reference was a snapshot of a family eating together al fresco, with a life-of-the-party Dad telling jokes all afternoon.My show at Gale's Italian Restaurant in Pasadena opens this Sunday with a reception from 4-6pm. Gale will taunt yo

I created this sample for my latest Technique Tuesday class. It's what Splitcoast calls Wet Watercolor Crayons, but I like to call it "Direct to Stamp" - ya know, kind of like Direct to Paper. Well, you do color right...

Monterey Coast 10.5 x 13.25 Watercolor and Colored Pencil on BristolAvailable for sale here.I've been experimenting again with different media on assorted paper. This was Canson 2-ply plate finish bristol. The watercolors sat on the surface pretty well (see the early washes below) and lifted easily if they weren't staining colors, but the paper was spongey & fragile after a few glazes. I opted to

Eucalyptus Canopy 11 x 16 Watercolor on Aquabee paperThis was fun to paint loosely with a fat Winsor Newton 1.5 inch series 680 brush (see process shots with the brush starting at the bottom of this post). I should have used Arches or Fabriano paper because the Aquabee didn't like the brush when the paper was still damp from a previous pass of color. It would have pilled if I hadn't stopped layeri

You might recognize this as the Border Collie painting I started last night...if you do, you aren't crazy...something happened in the night and this painting turned into what IT wanted to be instead of what I had planned for it.Maybe I was subconsciously remembering the time my neighbors at Charlo asked me to do chores for them. They had pigs, chickens, 8 cows to milk, cream to separate, eggs to

I finished this today. It's a little study, 4X6 inches. For sale for $15. I can send you a paypal invoice if you're interested.This dog was so happy, and so clear eyed, he was fun to paint.Donna RidgwayEmail Meif you have questions, or want to inquire about purchasing a painting.Remember, you can find horse art, Western art, Mule and Donkey artwildlife art, cow art, and animal paintings, my Mo

I've started this painting of a dog. He's probably a "mutt". Those are my favorite dogs. No special breeding, no big pedigrees, just a wonderful, happy dog, who belongs to someone who loves him!We found this dog in Cascade, Montana...stopped to visit his owner, and while the guys were talking, I asked if I could take pictures of the guys dog. Don't know his name, he was a stranger, but I liked

Summit Park 8x10 watercolor on Ampersand BoardThis park is about 4 miles from here - tucked into a canyon with homes around the cup of the ridge. It's great for walking - and painting.Catching my breath after a great exhibit at the Valencia Hyatt over the weekend. You can see images from the show - By the Artists' Hand - on my friend JMC's flickr set here.

Born out of the collaboration of Marc Jacobs and Richard Prince the Speedy 35 in Monogram Watercolor, icon of the House. With 17 colors it is safeguarded by a padlock engraved LV.In my honest opinion, Louis Vuitton's Spring-Summer 2008 Collection is probably the best collection ever! Marc Jacobs and his collaboration with Richard Prince produced lovely bags, very artistic and really unique. This i

Born out of the collaboration of Marc Jacobs and Richard Prince the Speedy 35 in Monogram Watercolor, icon of the House. With 17 colors it is safeguarded by a padlock engraved LV. It's in white Monogram Canvas that was painted clumsily by a frustrated artist with paint smudging around the monogram symbols; it's divine!

Modern Matriarch 3 x 4.75 Watercolor on Bristol paperProcess shots begin at the bottom of this post.The reference for this painting was a photo of a friend with three kids. She's dynamic and beautiful. The cool lavender gray wall behind her was a last second addition, to use as a foil for her auburn hair and warm skin tones.This mini watercolor will be available for purchase at the exhibit this Su

Watching Closely 2.2 x 3.3 WatercolorThis mini painting will be available for sale this Sunday at By the Artists' Hand - a four woman show. June 8, from 10am-6pm at the Valencia Hyatt. I'll be exhibiting with three wonderful artists (links are on the left): Laura Wambsgans, Nancy Eckels & Lorelle Miller. This is an annual show we host in our area after showing all over the place during the rest

Bronze Bird & Roses 4.5 x 7 watercolor on bristol paperAvailable for sale here.The first yellow roses of the spring were begging to be painted. I couldn't resist the tilted angle of the composition.Last night, the Taste of Art Fund Raising Exhibit for the AIDS Service Center in Pasadena was a great success. Gale Kohl - the ceator of the event - hosted the show at her restaurant. The whole building

I just love English Ivy and the way the colors varigate from yellow to green and white to yellow to green. I drew the ivy with a crowquill pen and walnut ink and then had some fun adding watercolor and doing a little negative painting with the cobalt blue background.I think this would be really lovely in a white shabby chic frame.For sale in my Etsy shop(click image to enlarge)

Gales Restaurant (Pasadena) 7.5 x 5.25 Watercolor on Canson Bristol paperOn Monday night, June 2nd, Gale's will host a fund raising exhibit for AIDS Service Center in Pasadena. Artists contributed hundreds of beautiful pieces as a 100% donation to exhibit & sell at this great event. If you're local and interested in attending (great food and a rockin' martini bar) tickets are available... come and

Porto Fino (Italy) 4.25 x 6.5 Watercolor on Aquabee Bristol paperAvailable for sale here.I haven't been to this amazing place for many years, but spending a few days there was unforgettable. I still sigh when I look at my photos. I painted this watercolor yesterday as a study for something larger later this summer.

Just flipping back to my color mode, here is a new painting that is loaded with color. It's a semi-abstract floral. Lately, this is my favorite painting. This started out as a demonstration painting for my students to show the qualities of transparent watercolor. The subject was just abstract brushstrokes indicating flower shapes. Then I started to work with negative spaces and little by little cl

(click image to enlarge)Elements of the beautiful ocean that I am lucky enough to see every day. The rocks are painted with a palette knife and so are the waves. There is a sweeping motion with the knife across the paper. Gulls with the flick of a brush soar through the surf.palette knife, spray bottle of water, toothbrush and small round are all the tool used to create elements. This painting mea

The response of color applications in watercolor painting is amazing, it has always fascinated me, and especially the Wet-in-wet watercolor technique I think its more “picturesque” than painting on dry.One of my old works done applying wet on wet lavis of watercolors, one of the things I really love to learn is how to control the water smudges of watercolors created by the wet on wet watercol

Pacific Coast Clouds 6.25 x 7.5 Watercolor & Gouache on Aquabee Plate Bristol paperThis coastal scene started as a watercolor, based on a photo my step dad sent as painting fodder, but I expanded the sliver of sky in the photo to leave more room for something fun above the horizon.I let this sit for for an hour after painting the land & rocks, to decide if my original plan for wind-swept clouds wo

Tail Lights 2.6 x 4 WatercolorI spent some time in my car this week. When you live in this part of California, it's a salve to think about painting the jungle of tail lights up ahead (instead of wishing the herd was moving a bit faster).Bid on this one if you like it here.

Central Coast Ranch 6 x 7 Watercolor on Bristol paperIf you'd like to bid on the auction for this painting, click here.This watercolor was started in between customers at the Sierra Madre Art Fair over the weekend. Despite the heat (101 degrees), and the lighter-than-usual crowd, I had a great show; good sales, lovely conversations with old friends and introductions to new ones.

4×6″, Watercolor sketch on Canson paper This is another little watercolor sketch from my Poet’s Walk expedition in Rhinebeck, NY yesterday. There is a beautiful pavillion made with tree trunks and branches at the top of the hill. Even more importantly, there is a bench in a cool shady spot along the path nearby from which [...]

It is a beautiful way to convey your feelings through your painting.You can express your chosen subject matter through the use of watercolors. In fact, there are many advantages in using this media over other types of media.Compared to other types of painting, watercolor painting is relatively easy. The results of your effort can be seen in a very short time.Read more Watercolor Paintings - Why Yo

Tin Horse with Lilies 7.5 x 10.5 Watercolor on Bristol paperThe sunlight at dawn sprays the best shadows in our house. This vase of lilies had just opened, and the star shaped white against all the abstract shadows in dark hues was too good to pass by. The little horse is wooden underneath, and covered with hammered tin and nails - just enough armor to challenge the sunrise.

Favorable Review 8x10 Watercolor on BoardAnother experiment on Ampersand board with watercolor and the figure. I like the composition of the figures and the criss-cross patterns of limbs. I've added some cubes that weren't in the photo; the painting on the wall, pillows and the book, to explore options if I decide to go larger on Yupo paper.

Hostaria Farnese (Rome) 4 x 7 Watercolor on hot press paperI've always liked night scene photos, and painting them is a real lure. Getting the values and hues down is a real challenge, so painting a small study to work out the details and alter the composition is like courting... I'm still deciding if a larger painting of the subject is a good next step.

My family and I joined the memberships of several societies this past month…I am very pleased to post….. American Watercolor Society (AWS) - American Watercolor Society was formed in New York in 1866. The organization promotes the art of watercolor painting in America and holds international exhibitions. Portrait Society of America (PSOA) - purpose [...]

My family and I joined the memberships of several societies this past month…I am very pleased to post….. American Watercolor Society (AWS) - [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Tickle 5 x 7 Watercolor on Ampersand BoardProcess shots start at the bottomThis is AJC, laughing in the grass a long time ago. Luckily for those of us who hang out with him a lot, it's still easy to make him laugh.This was the last piece of Ampersand Board from my three-pack. I'll be working on paper till I buy a package of smooth boards to play with.

Bunk Bed 5 x 7 Watercolor on Ampersand BoardProcess shots begin at the bottom of this postI'm experimenting with different supports, and this one was great fun. Ampersand makes a gesso board in an assortment of standard sizes, and you can use any medium on the surface. This one had a very slight tooth to it, and I have two more to paint on, so I might get a few new acrylic brushes - a bright and a flat - to play with scumbling the pigments. More tomorrow...Early glazing of color temperature and values in the shaded areas of the figure...Laying in the first washes of color - blocking in shapes....

Bulkhead 4.25 x 10.5 WatercolorJust back from San Diego.... I started this one at the ArtWalk in Little Italy and finished it this morning. Great show, great time with friends and fellow artists. Big thanks to several patrons I've only known through online communications - what a great surprise to meet during the art festival!Reference photo on the left, and the first glazes of watercolor layered onto hot pressed paper.

I came across a very beautiful and interesting watercolor painting and demonstration today that I had to share. It was created by the very talented artist, Lori Rase Hall. There are many quality... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

We've been busy with a lot of watercolor paintings lately and usually artprice has been giving us the best info before purchase. Lately we've been calculating square inches to figure out the best price. Has anyone else had luck with this or are there other outlets and buying styles? Here's the watercolors we're currently running: www.afamilyheirloom.com/id1.html

Watercolor Portraits Painted on the Streets of Los Angeles (Paperback)By Mary Heussenstamm Buy new: $60.00$60.002 used and new from $49.99 Customer Rating: First tagged “painting” by R. Musgrave “rebbie” Customer tags: painting [...]

Watercolor for Beginners: Learn to paint with watercolors (Paperback)By Allyson Ricketts Buy new: $29.99$29.99 First tagged “painting” by Allyson Thomas “Critic’s Review” Customer tags: painting More: continued here

Creating Textures in Watercolor: A Guide to Painting 83 Textures from Grass to Glass to Tree Bark to Fur (Paperback)By Cathy Johnson Buy new: $24.99$16.4931 used and new from $13.99 Customer Rating: First tagged “painting” [...]

This is a new miniature I painted that went to England for a miniature art exhibit. It is a finch with apple blossoms and is a little smaller than 4×6. My Dad has some awesome flowering fruit trees that I love …which inspired this painting… (I have ’spring fever’ -I’m really wishing [...]

  This is a new miniature I painted that went to England for a miniature art exhibit. It is a finch with apple blossoms and is a little smaller than 4×6. My Dad has some awesome... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Juggling 15 x 22 WatercolorThe little 4.5 x 7 study for this is here, and the geometry and pattern of the composition was fun to paint bigger. This larger version will be in San Diego at the ArtWalk on April 26 & 27th. I'm on Beech Street in booth #123. Come and say hello.

I’ve been purchasing watercolor paintings for decorating jobs.  I’ve found some really nice pieces on eBay.  I recently bought a watercolor painting by an artist named Y. Gianni.  The painting was produced in 1890 and depicted an Italian village.  It was very vivid and pleasing to look at. I was trying to find just the right [...]

Below is a wonderful step by step watercolor demonstration by the very talented artist Alistair Butt. Please take a moment to visit Alistair’s site when you are finished reading through this... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Nick Nack 6 x 7 watercolorIn true executive fashion, Uncle Nick was very specific on the colors & brushwork in this portrait. I sketched in the studio and laid the first washes of his face from a photo taken a few years earlier, and then took it with my field palette to the nursing home. For an afternoon, his will trumped his MS once again, and with labored speech tracing a bent finger, he directed the color of the washes for his sweatshirt, chair and back ground. He was delighted to see his handsome face come to life in pigments.'Nick Nack' hangs in my studio as a collaboration between subject and artist. He died this week - just shy of 85. Free from his handsome anchor, doing cartwheels in heaven. With a heavy heart, I'm feeling so fortunate to have art, as a retrospective visual doc

7.75×11″, watercolor on Arches 140 lb HP rag watercolor paper $85 via PayPal, $5 shipping within US We had to leave our usual life drawing studio due to a solvent spill. I was painting in oils, but when we moved to the clay room, there wasn’t room for my oil painting gear. Fortunately, I had a little [...]

The Carousel HorseOn the outside, of a beautiful carousel horse, you see shiny paint, a wooden shell, glossy colors....but look deeply into their eyes and you will see the soul of a trapped horse, who longs to be free. He doesn't want to go round and round any longer. He wants to leap from the slick, circling platform onto green meadows and feel clean air sucking through his lungs.You don't know it, but at night, when the carousel shuts down, the hooves are freed from their pedestals, wood becomes living flesh, and the horse's wish is granted.When I was a child, and I visited the carousel with my grandparents, the horses knew I was "one of those who understood". They'd came to my house in the dead of night and I'd hear their impatient hooves outside my window. I could open the window a

Every time we go to get wood, I have to stop by the heifer pen at the feedlot. And this heifer is the reason why. She comes to greet us every single time. She entertains us by tilting her head, sticking her tongue up her nose, bucking and playing....always something to set her apart from the other cows! I think she wants to come home with us.I'm not finished with this painting yet, you can see it has a few bugs...but maybe by the end of today, it will look better.Who knows if there will be any more painting time though, for the gravel trucks will be rolling in here before very long. After that, we have to place railroad ties and create a level pad for the studio to sit upon.You'll never know how much I'm looking forward to having that studio finished up! No more moving from the hous

As I considered what to do with the painted sheet I realized that it looked something like a landscape with a red sky.  I had used cretan stitch to good effect in a previous landscape and thought it would work well here.  I only wanted to use one stitch, since, at least for now, putting in a restriction seems to give me better results.  Instead I varied the colors and thicknesses of the silk threads I used. I mostly chose thread colors based on the paint underneath, but deliberately tried to be a little off so the stitching would show up.  At the bottom I put in some extra browns to emphasize the earth of the landscape.  I also tried to use cooler and lighter colors farther away to get some of the atmospheric perspective that also makes the brain register land

Reflections on Flight 19 x 26 Watercolor on Strathmore Bristol(Process shots start at the bottom) This will be exhibited - along with 30 other paintings - at Descanso Gardens in the Boddy Carriage House Gallery from March 7 to April 3rd. If you're in the neighborhood (La Canada, CA), stop by and say hello.Consulting on next steps with studio-helper Lucy. I took a break for a few days at this point to ponder details; what to render or leave out in the shadows and sky reflections. I was aiming for the boundary between abstraction and representation in the splash of shapes across the tiles.Laying in the first glazes of detail on the objects on the window sill, and their shadows and reflections.Slathering pigments across the paper with a wide brush: warmer colors on top and cooler colors on th

Francis TowneThe Source of the Arveyron, 1781Watercolor, pen and brown inkVictoria and Albert Museum, London Another post from my Squidoo Landscape into Art project. As I was wondering how to frame and compile the many artists, extensive work and changing approaches to landscape painting in the 18th century, I found two of the most thoroughly researched, beautifully written and illustrated pages at Handprint, one of my most favorite sites on the web. Bruce MacEvoy continues to create a beautiful and thorough site that is the end all and be all for everyone who works with watercolor. In addition to the best resource on watercolor materials and books, Bruce has written articles on an extensive list of watercolor artists. I am turning the microphone over to Mr. MacEvoy for this Squidoo mod

I received tube watercolor paints for Christmas, a small Winsor and Newton Cotman set.  The tubes are so TINY compare to what I'm used to with acrylics.  So I had to play with them.  It really is a different experience from the pans and the crayons.  Somehow mixing colors is more natural when squeezing out little dabs of paint than when using pans.  I also tried some lifting out of paint, both with brush and paper towel, which are where some of the lighter areas came from.  I thought the resulting 9x12 sheet was really pretty neat, but ended up cutting it down to two 5x7 sheets to achieve better compositions.

Lee in the Garden 3 x 6.25 Watercolor on Bristol paperMy Grandfather's sister Angelina was called Lee by her brothers. She was number six of nine kids, and I love painting her from photos taken in the 1920's & 30's. I layered the watercolor glazes heavily here, in keeping with the high contrast of photos from that era.

I've been working hard to get back into the watercolor routine by doing a series of small (6" x 6") paintings. I'll move on to some larger ones after these.I have to have a bunch of watercolors for "Art City Austin" (formerly called the Austin Fine Art Festival) in April as well as for the Antique Rose Emporium's "Galleria in the Hacienda"I've been trying to focus on oil paintings lately but both of these shows have requested my watercolors so I have to change hats for a while. I've been completing these little paintings in about 2 days each so I should be able to have quite a few by the end of March.I'll post more as I finish them.

Toast to love, toast to your new life, toast to your guests! These realistic little toasting flute candles are an excellent way to remind your guests of your lovely day. It’s hard to say which is prettier - the candle itself or the box it comes in. Standing 5 inches tall, the watercolor gift box [...]

Drinks at the Artists' Reception 7.5 x 6.5 watercolor on bristol paperAt a friend's opening a few months ago at Segil Fine Art, I asked the woman pouring cocktails if I could snap a photo for a painting. She agreed, and I had a blast painting her in a cubby space filled with teeny versions of paintings done by fellow artists.

  My favorite part of watercolor is the way it flows, so I wanted to make use of that effect in adding color to the sketches, but not the same for all of them. For the butterfly wing I wanted the color to spread wildly, so I worked primarily wet in wet from my pan watercolors.  I used the pans again, but with less water on the first sketch to get a more overlapping effect.In contrast, I colored within the lines on the purple butterfly using watercolor crayons to make it easier to keep the flow to a minimum.  It seemed an appropriate approach to the more stylized design.  However, the end results on the purple and the rust butterflies were closer in appearance than I had expected.Next step is, of course, stitching. I started with lines on the first set of

Back Yard in New England 9 x 5.5 WatercolorMy friend LG's back yard in Massachusetts, painted directly (no glazing this time) on Arches Hot Press paper. I've rendered this view as a monotype too, and I think I'd like to make an etching from it. Wheel barrows, freshly turned, serpentine flower beds and big clapboard houses are all homey to me. From this vantage point, there's a wing back chair by the window for listening to music, drinking tea and sketching birds.

  For my simplified version I started with a limited color scheme in watercolor crayons.  I loved the flowing effects that I got this time.  I'm not sure why, but some of the crayon colors seem to flow more than others when wetted.For stitching I chose a whipped backstitch.  I started out with just backstitch but it didn't look right, so I used the same thread to smooth out the lines by whipping.  I kept it even simpler by just using floss and floche - a matte thread the same thickness of two strands of floss.I think the composition on the atcs is a little weak, but I'm really happy with how the 5x7 turned out.  I think that the little pink circle focal point really makes the piece somehow.  The problem is that from even a little distance o

Fruit & Wine Market in Florence 6 x 10 WatercolorEveryone who walked by this market near the Ponte Vecchio stopped to photograph it. I wondered if anyone else was planning to paint from their reference photos. This study was an experiment on new paper - plate finish bristol. I may have to buy full sheets, since it was pretty nice to work on. Great granulation, and easy lifting after lots of glazing.

Descanso Hedge Maze 10 x 7 WatercolorFrom a photo taken at Descanso Gardens in December. I've been reading Christopher Newall's Victorian Watercolours, and I'm intrigued by the narrative quality of the images, and the solid drawing in each painting. I'm also enjoying reading about the use of "body color" (gouache) to develop details and texture, and the debate - as far back as 1863 - about whether watercolorists should be using it at all. All the gardens in the book - and a sudden spell of warm, sunny weather here - gave me a hankerin' to paint a garden. (Process shots below.)

I made my first attempt at expanding the banded abstracts of the strata I'd been working with on a small scale into stitched works.  The watercolor part turned out great, but I didn't like the stitching as much.I used watercolor crayons on a 9x12 sheet and really played with pushing the color around when I added water, so developed some interesting effects.  I hadn't been able to get wash effects using crayons before.  I just needed more water and time.  The result is shown to the left.Then I cut the piece up to create backgrounds for a handful of art cards and a 5x7 picture.  I didn't have a plan for stitching for any of them. I just pulled out some silk threads that I had available and improvised.  I primarily thought about extending color into oth

What're we doing Today 8 x 10 Watercolor on paperFlipping through a travel guide, in an apartment in Rome, DCC is asking us what we'd like to do for the day.The process shots below show layers of transparent glazes of watercolor, one on top of the other, until the values and temperatures felt right. I may add a few more layers in key areas, but for now, I need to set it aside and look at it for a few days.

I had to pull my strengh very hard to publish this.. the first trial for painting these flowers is a total disaster, I made one deadly but tempting mistake is to put a lot of colors, result is FAILURE :), I tried to choose colors from my imagination...I think this time I will search for real Hollyhocks pictures on the internet and try to be inspired. Promise don't laugh!!! RSS feed

Alverno 4.5 x 6.5 Watercolor on paper SoldI'm painting for a month-long show at Descanso Gardens in March. My goal is to get an equal mix of landscape, figures & still life finished before the artist's reception on March 16th. More to come....Laying in color temperature, and the zig zag composition I love in this one.

Il Fico Ristorante 6.5 x 8.5 WatercolorAfter a long, overnight plane ride to Rome last July, my family and I wandered the streets in the bright afternoon sunshine to find something to eat. Our first meal of the trip was in this great little restaurant with vaulted ceilings and an extensive wine list. That day, we set the pace, and made great strides in our acclimation to bread, wine & gelato in the afternoons. (Work in process shots below)First layers of color over a careful drawing.Playing with the geometry of the scene...Laying in some darks and planning adjustments to the composition.

Arnold Ave. Garden 6.3 x 10.4 Watercolor on paperMy friend LG is an avid gardener, and my visits to her home in Massachusetts always net plenty of painting material, in any season. The layout on this one is altered from the reference photo, but I liked the geometry of the bright white clapboard house cropped behind all the dark, organic greens of the garden. (Process shots below)

Study for Janet's Citrus 4.5 x 7 WatercolorMy friend Janet gave me citrus from her trees - with leaves still attached, knowing I'd have fun sketching and painting them. I've done a collograph from the reference photos, and I'm getting ready to paint a larger watercolor. This is a small study in preparation for the larger work. Soft pencil and light watercolor washes...Tsarting to lay in mid-values as a foil behind the lemons...Adding shadows and plate details....

Study for Daisy Trio, 5 x 7 Watercolor on Hot Press PaperThis composition makes me think of an opera on stage, with a trio of costumed singers and back up vocals from the little bronze bell girl with her hands on her hips to the right. This was a test to see if the design worked small before expanding to something larger. In the next version, I might switch the candle for another figurine... maybe a chess piece or a monkey if I can find one. What do you think?

This is my first wet on wet watercolor painting, I just took the concept of doing the flower from a tutorial book "Painting class Watercolor from A to Z" and made several flowers, trying at the same time to make a nice formation.So the flowers are to painted in red and yellow... first the red color is applied with a big amount of water and a big amount of red color in order to create a strong colored area.Then the yellow color is added with brushstrokes also full of color and water on the still wet red color. After that watermarks will appear (not everytime), various unpredictable effects will be seen, these effects are out of our control but are very interesting and produce very dynamic combinations of color, and that is the beauty of painting in watercolors.You can add more effects just

Iridescent Crow 4 x 4 Watercolor on Yupo paperFrom two photo references; one of a crow in profile taken on the lip of a dumpster behind a restaurant, and a snowy photo taken last Winter at my Grandparent's home in Connecticut.

Del Sol D'Oro 7.5 x 10.5 WatercolorSoldThis is the nunnery tower at Del Sol D'Oro, formerly a private residence, and now the Alverno High School for girls. It's also a popular location for weddings and film/tv shoots, and weekend painters. Walking the grounds transports you to Spain and Italy. It's an amazing atmosphere to paint on site.