Kaileen - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

      Another figure with which I'm pretty happy. In hindsight, of course, there's always something I wish I'd seen earlier. But I really like where this one landed.

On The Nose - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      Just a close-up of a bullet hood ornament. I just can't remember what model this is.

Diane - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 8"x10"

      This is a quick monochrome portrait of 50s model Diane Webber. Monochrome distills everything down to light, dark and whatever's in-between. It's always a good exercise. I still do some plain, old pencil drawing once in a while. But, I try to work in a monochrome portrait or figure painting once or twice a month to really keep my eyes on straight. I probably should do some cars and landscapes as well. We'll see.

66 GTO - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      That was a tough green to create. I tried to match an actual factory color. It's close-ish. If you know the color, you'll get the idea. Call it a "suggestion."

Cashel - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      Just a loose landscape with Cashel Castle in the background. I think I went a little British on this one, but not too much. I'm pretty happy with the sky and the aerial perspective with the castle itself being a little indistinct.

Wagoneer - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      I've always loved Jeeps. I didn't buy my first one until 2003 and just recently parted with it after almost exactly 15 years. A Wrangler probably will be my mid-life crisis car.

      Happy Thanksgiving!

Door - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 8"x10"

prints also available

      Just a small painting of a castle door somewhere in England.

53 Commander - ink+watercolor

mixed, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      I've always felt Studebaker was ahead of its time with the aerodynamics of some of its car designs. Many of their cars look like they're moving fast just sitting still.

B. Maroney - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 8"x10"

prints also available

      I finally got Boney to sit for a portrait. In spite of its name, watercolor lends itself pretty well to monochrome paintings.

      Happy Halloween!

Brownshill - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

       A distant view of an ancient portal grave in Ireland.

50 Nash Healey - ink+watercolor

mixed, 2018

available, 5"x7"

prints and gifts also available

      A little American roadster from the era of the roadster.

Tybee - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      This somewhat loose landscape of the lighthouse on Tybee Island in Georgia is based on a photo I took back in March. I changed the color of the small structure at the base of the lighthouse (I think it's the entrance). It's really the same dark gray/black that's on the lighthouse itself. But, I thought it looked better matching the other buildings. It's red roof helps draw the eye into the lighthouse as the focal point.

Forgotten - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      I finally got a rusty truck in a landscape in which I'm happy with both aspects. The truck worked out very nicely. And, I'm very happy with the field and barn in the background. There's a pretty good blend of looseness and detail, combined with some nice aerial perspective to give the effect I was after. I'll call it a win.

72 Gran Sport - watercolor + ink

mixed, 2018

available, 8"x10"

prints also available

      This is a 5"x7" ink and wash piece I did fairly quickly earlier in the summer. I was still getting used to some Isograph technical pens, but chose a watercolor paper that was a bit too rough. So, the ink lines are a little choppy. Still, I think it works.

Big Red - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      Big Red is a small lighthouse on Lake Michigan in Holland, MI. Being from North Carolina, it's odd seeing a lighthouse surrounded by snow. But it seems to fit.

56 Packard - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      A classic Packard coupe in front of an old gas station. To emphasize the car as the focal point I added a wash of thin acrylic gesso over practically all of the background. Then I restated the lines with charcoal. In addition to making the realistically rendered car pop, this also reminds the viewer of the two-dimensional nature of the piece. While the focal point may look realistic, its environment is a barely-colored drawing.
      That's the academic explanation. The truth of the matter is that I fully intended to paint the entire scene in watercolor relying on loose rendering to push the background "back." But, after nearly completing the painting I realized the deep shadow of the gas station portico completely overpowered the car. So, it had to go. There's more than one way to get a painting where you want it.

Diana - watercolor + charcoal

mixed, 2018

available, 8"x10"

prints and gifts also available

      This is a little 5"x7" portrait I did quickly and loosely on fairly horrible paper, Bee. It doesn't handle much scrubbing at all, or even many consecutive layers. But, as with many other questionable art products, if you're mindful of its shortcomings, anything is possible. I restated some of the lines with a sharp charcoal pencil and added some depth to the background to give it a bit of an abstract nature.

Dunguaire - watercolor

watercolor,2018

available, 11"x15"

prints also available 

      A good view of Dunguaire Castle on Galway Bay in Ireland. The scan, as usual, doesn't do this one justice. I'm very happy with this landscape. I had to fade out the stone wall and roadway in the lower right corner to keep them from distracting from the focus point. But, I think it still balances with the vignetted sky in the opposite corner.

55 Series 62 - watercolor + ink

 

mixed, 2018

available, 11"x15"

 prints and gifts also available

      Back when American cars were big, heavy and beautiful. A look at this one before the watercolor was applied is below. 

prints and gifts available only

On Edgefield Road - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      Just a quick field and barn. The composition here doesn't do much for me. But parts of it worked nicely.

Amanda - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      I actually paint a LOT of figures and portraits that never make it to this blog. Many don't fit the personality of this blog. This one fits nicely and is one with which I'm particularly happy.

Glory Days - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      A little looseness, a little detail, a little chrome, a little rust. 

Whitney - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      Just a quick figure/portrait.

Dots and Dashes - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      A quick, wet and loose wash of various blues gave me a tinted ground for this still life. Once that dried, all I had to do was paint in the shadows with a darker mix of blue. Having the image drawn out before the initial wash allowed me to leave a few spots lighter than the rest of the wash to allow for the brighter highlights. Those were accentuated a bit -- and the polka dots added -- with a little titanium white watercolor. Forget the "rule" about not using white in watercolor. The final image is the only rule that matters.

65 Bonnie - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      A 1965 Pontiac Bonneville convertible. Yellow is a pretty difficult color for shiny sheet metal.

Celtic Morn - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 9"x12"

prints also available

      I shot the reference for this one while in Savannah at the Bonaventure Cemetery.

World Watercolor Month

 

July is World Watercolor Month. To find out more about it click here.

Red Bird - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      More fun with suggesting details. And, yes, another red car.

Scarlett #6 - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

      I've been putting a lot of time into trying to get figures - especially skin tones - to a place where I'm happy. I'm finally seeing a lot pf progress and I'm starting to do more at larger sizes. Most of my figures, whether dressed or not usually are either 5"x7" or 8"x10." A larger size allows more room to work the nuances of form as light wraps around the body. I'm also playing with vignette and silhouette in terms of design. While I could pick apart a couple spots in this one, there's a lot I like about it.

57 Fleetwood - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      Another classic Cadillac with lots of shiny paint and chrome. I had some fun with this one finding ways to suggest more than show and still get plenty of detail and/or the appearance of detail, a skill I want to continue to enhance.

Drumskinny - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 8"x10"

prints also available

      A quick,  little landscape of part of the Drumskinny stone circle in Ireland.

Margie - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 8"x10"

     A quick portrait from an old black and white photo. I used my new favorite caucasian flesh mix of yellow ochre, DaVinci red (or any warm red), and cobalt blue. A bit of perylene maroon (or any cool red) is used in the middle shadows. It looks much better in person. The scan always tends to add a bit more yellow, which is difficult to fix without altering the other colors. I'm still working toward photographing all my paintings. Right now this is a content, if not happy, medium.

Derrycunihy - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      A small church by a river in Ireland.I struggled a lot with this one. But, at least I'm happy with the sky.

Farm Truck - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      I painted this from a composite photo I put together from separate photos of the truck and barn. I'm very happy with how that process worked out. Too often the angles don't workout, or it's difficult to place the different objects on different planes so they don't look like they exist in the same space. And, then, of course, there's the lighting to work out. This one fell together nice and easy.

Bleeding Skull - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 8"x10"

prints and gifts also available

      Horror never sleeps! It isn't just for October. This is a moody little piece I painted all in neutral tint.

Peekaboo E - gouache

gouache, 2017

available, 8"x10"

prints and gifts also available

      The venerable Jaguar E-Type peeking out from under a car cover. I gave this one a watercolor underpainting using the several left over colors on my palette - making that gray background color. The gouache covers right over with no migration or noticeable lifting like you might get with a watercolor wash. The abstract background shapes aren't meant to signify anything, just add a bit of depth around and behind the subject.

Poulnabrone - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      An early morning view of the Poulnabrone portal tomb in Ireland.

Rusty Wings - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      This one worked out a lot better than I thought it might. For some reason I struggled more than usual with this type of subject. Maybe it was the paper; I think this was a trial sheet of Lanaquarelle. Overall, I think I like the paper. But every paper takes some "getting-used-to." I might have had an easier time on Arches or Moulin du Roi.

St. Kevin's - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      A loose landscape with St. Kevin's round tower and graveyard in Ireland. There are certain points I'm unhappy with on this one. But, other things -- like the out-of-focus background -- worked well. This might be a candidate for another pass.

54 Corvette - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

     I'm not sure I've painted a Corvette in a while. Classic Corvettes are one of those cars I have to paint once a year or so because of how beautiful, popular and fun they are. So, I guess I've filled my quota for a while.

F - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

available, 8"x10"

prints and gifts also available

      A very loose still life of a classic Nikon F.

51 Kaiser Henry J - gouache

gouache, 2017

available, 8"x10"

prints and gifts also available

      I've had the reference for this one for years. I was never quite sure about the odd angle and foreshortening. I finally decided that gouache would be better than watercolor for the almost cartoony look of the image. It turned out this was one of those paintings that painted itself in just a few hours. It was possibly the fastest I've ever painted anything with this level of realism.

Irish Wool - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

available, 5"x7"

prints and gifts also available

      Just a quick little landscape for St. Patrick's and St. Sheelah's days this weekend. As you can see, I actually painted this late last year. Since I hadn't posted it yet, I thought this was a good week for it. This is one of those sketches I might come back to for a larger painting later.

58 Ranger - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

available, 8"x10"

prints also available

      An old '58 Edsel Ranger left in a field.

No Place Like Home #2 - gouache

gouache, 2017

available, 8"x10"

prints also available

      Just another little gouache shoe painting. I struggled with some of the reflections and highlights -- par for the course with me and gouache. But, I think I finally pulled it off.

The Hill Behind Work - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

       I painted this from a photo I took during our January snow storm. It's the view out an emergency exit near my desk at work. Pulled the masking fluid out for this one. I almost never use it. But, sometimes it's better than adding in highlights with white gouache after the fact.

Tour Guide Rev - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

available, 11"x15"

      This was from a quick grab shot of an owner/guide of a golf cart tour we took around Southport, NC last July. He was quite a character and made the tour much more than just a history lesson. I'm very happy with the multitude of shadows and color shifts in this one. Some of those color shifts in his skin tone fought me at every step.

66 Chevy Impala Sport - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

nfs, 11"x15"

       This is a commission I did back in December meant as a gift for my sister's boss. I was surprised at how quickly this one came together, somewhere around 6-7 hours.

Sarah #4 - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

available, 11"x15"

      Advancing a little in realistic portraiture. I'm very happy with this one.