Thursday, September 29, 2016

Pat's - watercolor

watercolor, 2016
available, 11"x15"
prints and gifts available 

      This is from a photo I took in downtown Asheboro NC a couple years ago. Again, another problem sky. But almost everything else - including the tree(!) - worked out pretty nicely. Even worse than the sky, though, is the overhead walkway crossing the street between buildings - that white mass on the far right. You just can't tell what that is here. Oh well.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Pearl Earrings #2 - watercolor

watercolor, 2016
nfs, 7"x11"

      Those pearl earrings make another appearance in this much looser portrait of my wife. The reference photo for this one was taken when my wife was in a friend's wedding just a few weeks after finding out she was pregnant with our first child. She truly was glowing. I just wish I could capture how beautiful she really was that night - and still is.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Saturday At The Grove - watercolor

watercolor, 2016
available, 11"x15"
prints and gifts available 

      This is a family that was sitting the next table over while my wife and I were enjoying some live music at The Grove Winery in Gibsonville NC a couple months ago. I took some chances with several spots in this painting. The things I like about this one outnumber the things I wish I'd done differently. So, I'll call that a reasonable success.

Monday, September 12, 2016

Grace Lutheran - watercolor

watercolor, 2016
available, 9"x12"

      Here's that second church from Lancaster PA for Virtual Paintout I mentioned last week. Very quick, very loose and impressionistic.

Friday, September 9, 2016

Pleasant Grove - watercolor

watercolor, 2016
available, 9"x12"

      Virtual Paintout is in Lancaster County, PA this month. Lots of farmland and wide, open spaces. I always seem to gravitate to church buildings. This simple, little church is out in the middle of nowhere. I might do a gothic church from downtown Lancaster, as well. This one worked out nicely. I wish the little graveyard behind the church was more apparent. I could have gotten a closer vantage point or one from camera-left. But that would have either reduced the feeling of space or removed the straight-ahead frankness these little churches exude. The only other problem is that the scan washed out a sky with which I'm actually very happy.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Angie #32 - watercolor

watercolor, 2016
nfs, 7"x11"

      Here's another small one that was supposed to be a color test that drew me in and I couldn't help myself. Like so many photos of my wife, I've drawn or attempted to paint this one several times. This is the best attempt at this one to date.
      Here's what my daughter posted on Facebook when she shared this image on her page:

               I just want y'all to know that my house is absolutely covered in portraits of 
               my mother and my brother and I that my dad has created. The evidence of 
               his love literally surrounds us. This is what I strive for. He has found his own 
               way of showing us how much he loves us and to walk into that house is a truly 
               remarkable thing.

      What could I possibly add to that?

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Autumn Promenade - watercolor

watercolor, 2016
available, 11"x15"

      I've had this reference photo so long I don't remember where it came from or who shot it. I was never quite sure how to tackle it or if I could do it justice. I think it works pretty well now.