Blowing Rock Church - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      This is from a reference photo I shot back in the summer of Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church in Blowing Rock, NC. There is a particular lighting issue that bugs me. But, it's probably only noticeable to me. Otherwise, I'm pretty happy with a couple new techniques I tried out on this one.

      Also, happy new year!

Power Lunch

      Where employees of a Salisbury, NC business enjoy the occasional lunch - right beside the building's electric meters.

Ford Afield - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts available

        Merry Christmas all! I know this isn't very festive, but I've never had much success with holiday-themed pieces. Maybe that's something I should think about for the new year.

37 Chevy - watercolor, ink

mixed, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

E

      Another shot from downtown Salisbury, NC. There's always lots to see in old downtown buildings when you get close enough.

Immaculate Conception - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      Virtual Paintout is in Ecuador this month and without even realizing it I chose the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Cuenca. It's fitting that I chose this particular church just before Christmas. But I didn't even know the name of the church until after I'd finished the painting and looked it up. Anyway, I'm quite happy with how this one worked out, though the perspective is odd since the right side of the building is almost perfectly in line with the viewing position. It looks like a flat Hollywood false front. And, of course, Google's photos always play havoc with vertical perspective, which I try to correct in Photoshop and again when doing the initial drawing. Still, I don't always get it right.

88 Queen St. - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      Another one from this year's trip to Charleston, SC before the flooding in October. I was drawn (no pun intended) by the shadows of the utility lines on the white door.

57 Chevy #7 - watercolor + charcoal

mixed, 2012

available, 22"x30"

prints and gifts also available

      This is an older piece I discovered I hadn't uploaded here. It's a piece that is started and finished as a complete charcoal drawing. Then I fix the charcoal to keep it from rubbing off and paint over it with watercolor. The charcoal becomes a great underpainting and gives those deep shadows. I've done several pieces this way, though it's been a while since the last one.

Fatigue ... Cheap

      Thought I'd start throwing in a little more photography once in a while. This is part of a wall sign from downtown Salisbury, NC.

In Front Of St. Philips - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      Spent a weekend in Charleston, SC this September just a couple weeks before the historic October flooding. There's a lot I like about this one, though I wasn't sure at first. I had done the background buildings too dark at first and had to rinse them out to lighten them sufficiently. I think I got a good morning haze/aerial perspective effect from an apparently happy accident. It isn't always about whether or not you make mistakes. It's also about how you handle and learn from them when they show up.

      Happy Thanksgiving!

Wallflower - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 15"x22"

prints and gifts also available

      Very happy with this one. Bumped back up to a half-sheet, but kept it pretty loose on the details.

Istanbul #2 - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 7"x11"

prints and gifts available

      Another little piece for Virtual Paintout.

Istanbul #1 - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 7"x11"

prints and gifts also available

      Virtual Paintout is in Istanbul this month. 

Ariel Atom - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

private collection, 8"x10"

      This is a quick, little commission I did for an old friend a few weeks ago.

Mt. Airy Doorway - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 9"x12"

prints and gifts also available

      Just something that caught my eye while walking around Mount Airy, NC earlier this year.

Farm Hauler - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 15"x22"

prints and gifts also available

      Another loose, impressionistic rusty truck. Pretty happy with this one. I'm finding that when I'm not happy with something it isn't always because there's something wrong with that spot; it's often because I haven't gotten my head completely wrapped around impressionism and suggesting rather than showing every little thing. Progress, maybe?

Sidewalk Sale - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 9"x12"

      This is from a shot I took in Blowing Rock, NC. Actually, it's the same location as Daisy Shopping posted in July. I'm happy with several individual parts of this one, especially the scarves and bag hanging on the left. Overall, it's just loose enough, though I could have loosened up a bit more. But the rough paper gave me such a difficult time I'm rethinking my strategy for choosing rough over cold-pressed paper. I'll probably be using a lot more cold-pressed paper and reserving the rough stuff for very specific images.

Manila Fire & Rescue - watercolor

watercolor, 2015
available, 7"x11"

      Here's another one from the Philippines for this month's Virtual Paintout. I didn't include any of the surroundings for simplicity's sake. But I found it interesting that these are just parked on the side of the road across from the manual railroad crossing from last week. There's no building or station like we're used to in other parts of the world.

      Anyway, I'm pretty happy with how this one worked out. It's just loose enough and just tight enough. And, I did it with a three-color palette - ultramarine blue, raw sienna, and cadmium red light. I've been experimenting with limited palettes with my figure paintings, which I don't post here. This image all but screamed limited palette.

6th Street - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      This was done from a shot I took a couple months ago while walking through downtown Winston-Salem, NC. I'm very happy with this one. There are only a couple things I would change and they're pretty minor. It hits all the loose, impressionism notes I've been struggling with while keeping plenty of realism and detail -- another one on the road to loose realism.
      I've started doing small sketches of scenes and subjects before trying them at larger sizes. This is a technique I've known for years but rarely used. When done right it really helps. You get a good sense of the subject, how the colors you think you want to use really work together and can see how your focal point relates to the rest of the image. When I finish a sketch I scan it and print it in color or copy it on a color copier and then make notes about changes, color usage and other things I want to remember when doing the larger painting. With this one, for instance, I made a note to include more of the scene on the left. In the sketch I had cropped it at the No Parking sign. That placement seemed to restrict the eye and made the image seem cluttered with all the sidewalk stuff. With some open space on the left of the sign the sidewalk seems more open.

Manila Crossing - ink

ink, 2015

available, 8"x11"

      A quick ink sketch of a manual railroad crossing in Manila for this month's Virtual Paintout. It also fits for Inktober. I really should have planned a couple ink pieces this month. Maybe next year.

Reclamation Project - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      A lot of the grass and leaves are dry brush right out of the tube. I like that effect better than what you get from masking fluid.

Table Taxi - gouache

gouache, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints available

      This is from another shot I took on my phone while wandering around an antique store.

Tacet Tele - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 8"x10"

prints and gifts also available

      A quick, loose still life.

41 Cadi Series 61 Club - gouache

gouache, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts available

      I think the scan increased the contrast in a couple spots more than I like. The worst offender - the only spot that really bothers me - is the reflection in the car door. That's a lot lighter and more harsh than it is in real life. Other than that (and the grass which I'm never happy with) I'm quite happy with this one.

Courthouse - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 8"x10"

prints and gifts available

      Virtual Paintout is in Utah this month. I really like how this one worked out, somewhat loose and very realistic at the same time.

48 Pontiac Silver Streak - ink+watercolor

mixed, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts available

      This is how I spent part of a day off. I haven't done one of these in a while. It's time to get them back in the rotation.

It's Alive! - ink

ink, 2015

available, 12"x16"

prints and gifts available

      From one of my favorite movies. If you have to ask - Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein.

#387 - gouache

gouache, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts available

      I'm pretty happy with how this figure/portrait worked out. I actually had intended to go a little looser. But, it just wanted to be more realistic. I squeezed in some looser spots here and there, though.

Trade Street Terrace - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts available

      This is from a photo I took in downtown Winston-Salem. Part of this commercial building has been converted to apartments/condos each with it's own small terrace.

Watauga - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints available

      A quick loose piece. I don't paint a lot of animals, but the contrast of the horses against the dark, shadowed background - along with the tree shadows made this scene pop.

King's Crab Shack - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts available

      The patrons of a Winston-Salem restaurant try to dodge the sun on a hot June day.

599 W. King St. - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      This is from a shot I took in downtown Boone, NC last month. There probably was a lot more worth painting there. But, I didn't really have much time to explore and we were at the end of a long day. This was the same day we spent a couple hours walking around Blowing Rock and were headed home. So we were tired and still had a two-hour drive ahead of us.

Black-Eyed Susans - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

11"x15"

prints and gifts available

      These are a couple black-eyed Susan's I painted for a logo and corporate ID for a little business my sister is starting.

watercolor, 2015

11"x15"

prints and gifts available

Santa Fe - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 7.5"x11"

      Virtual Paintout is in Santa Fe this month. I had a lot going on and just barely had time to do one this month. There's a lot right about this one. The dry brush on the road and the reflections in the windshields are just right. The figures are all good except for the center figure's feet. I should have just left them out completely.

Daisy Shopping - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      Many people have seen the movie Driving Miss Daisy. If you haven't, you should. I think I've mentioned before that I often drive my wife, mother-in-law, mother, and two sisters - or any combination - around shopping on weekends. My wife has always liked for me to do the driving; I have a good sense of direction and usually remember how to get back to places we've only visited once. For years I have likened that to Driving Miss Daisy and over the years I've gathered more and more Daisies to drive around. That's where I got the title for this piece. I drove the Daisies to Blowing Rock, NC a few weeks back and got a shot of them at this little shop. I took the liberty of changing the flowers outside to a loose semblance of daisies.

41 Ford Super Deluxe 8 - gouache

gouache, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

Tomatoes #3 - watercolor

watercolor, 2009

available, 9"x12" on handmade paper

prints and gifts available

      The interesting texture comes from the handmade paper.

Window #1 - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 9"x12"

      This is a quick little piece that's a little looser than my previous style. Not much else to say about it really.

Manteo - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      It was cold, dark and cloudy the last time we were in Manteo and all my reference photos show it. It wasn't too difficult brightening things up. I added the pedestrian for some interest and movement.

Coffee In The Window - gouache

gouache, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      My sister recently started selling things in a local "antique" mall. While checking out her space and helping bring in a heavier item I saw these displayed just across from her. There was a lot more junk cluttering the area and the window didn't actually look outside, just over to another space. But, I saw "something" there and had to settle for a bad phone camera shot. It seems to have worked out OK, though.

Caitlin's Cottage - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

9"x12"

      This is a quick, loose sketch of the cottage my daughter is living in this summer while doing an internship in Michigan. We hate her being gone all summer -- especially so far away that it's prohibitive for us to visit her. But this is a great learning experience for her. So, more power to the Puddinator!

Available Asheboro - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      Another view from Asheboro, NC. I had just noticed this building and was pulling my camera up to my eye when this man turned the corner. I just waited for him to finish the composition.

Estonia - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

      Virtual Paintout is in Estonia for June. I got the impression this once was a type of lighthouse. It was situated on a peninsula between the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga.

Red Royal - gouache

gouache, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      I never had the pleasure of typing on a manual typewriter. My first typewriter was a monster IBM Selectric. That was probably 1985 and it might have been several years old by the time I got it.

Once Bitten - watercolor

watercolor, 2012

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

     It's been a while since I've done any horror-related art. This older piece actually is one of the last ones I did. It's time I got my brushes bloody again.

Open, Asheboro - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      This is from a photo I took in downtown Asheboro. The store in view was an interesting little hand-made jewelry boutique that also sold re-purposed artsy furniture. The owners had covered the floor in gold glitter because the carpet was stained and ugly, but the floor underneath was no better. There was a large bowl of glitter by the door so you could add to the decor if you wanted.
      I've been spending a lot of time in antique and consignment stores lately because I've been driving my wife, mother, mother-in-law, and sisters (or any combination thereof) around on Saturdays. It sounds a little odd, I know. But, they get a driver and I get lots of opportunities for reference photos like this one and that toy truck from last week.

Toy Truck - gouache

gouache, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      A Tonka knock-ff I saw in an "antique" store in Mount Airy recently.

Memorial Day 2015

      Remember those who gave all for our freedoms.

Cesky Krumlov Square - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      Virtual Paintout is in Cesky Krumlov this month. Lots of Old World charm, narrow streets and squares full of pedestrians.