Kinbane - watercolor

watercolor, 2019

available, 11"x15"

      On the Irish coast. There's a lot of dry brush on this one for everything from highlights to rock and sand shapes.

Between Derry and Bushmills - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

      A simple little landscape.

Castle Roche - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

      Castle Roche is a 13th century castle in County Louth, Ireland. 

      Painting so many landscapes - especially of Ireland - has forced me to come to terms with my issues with green. I think I'm getting somewhere; at least, I'm seeing more natural greens. I'm especially happy with how the modeling worked out here showing the undulations of the ground. 

      The tree and some of the rocks are done with a technique often called dry-brush using paint almost directly from the tube with little or no water on the brush. This allows the normally transparent paint to be opaque so I can paint light over dark and build texture.

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.

Door - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 8"x10"

prints also available

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

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.

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.

Carricknahowley - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

available, 9"x12"

prints also available

      I'm very happy with this one. It's just loose enough; it's Ireland; the sky isn't completely terrible. I actually found the location through a YouTube clip from a BBC show called Awash With Colour wherein Dermot Cavanagh teaches a celebrity to paint a particular scene in Ireland. In one episode Cavanagh and the celebrity of the week (I don't remember who it was now.) painted this location from a different perspective. I found the location and several photos of it through Google Maps.

Castello di Amorosa - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

      This easily could be in Tuscany instead of Napa Valley, California. The Castello di Amorosa is a castle and winery presumably authentic in (most) details near Calistoga CA. Virtual Paintout is in Napa Valley this month. I'm opting for this beautiful location because, try as I might, I just can't paint grape vines to my liking. I'm not even happy with these trees. That's part of the reason I've been on such a landscape bender the last year or so. I'm trying to get better at something I used to avoid.

Porta Del Castello

available, 9"x12"

      This one is closer to my comfort zone. No trees, grass or sky to screw up. It's a bit smaller, done in a 9x12 sketch book. I've lately been using a watercolor Visual Journal from Strathmore. I like the cold-pressed texture and the general construction. It has very thick, stiff pressboard covers and is wire-bound to allow flat opening or flipping the forward pages completely under the page you're working on (like wire-bound composition books in school). This is Strathmore paper, though. And a SKETCH book. This paper can't handle too many layers or corrections. You need to get it right in two or three layers or just understand that sketches aren't meant to be finished masterpieces (though many can be). Beyond that, I like this paper for my uses better than some other brands.

Linlithgow Palace - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 9"x12"

prints also available

      Yet another reference from Scotland. The reference photo for this one wasn't quite so dark and foreboding. But, it's a ruin of a Scottish castle. It's just screaming for a gothic horror treatment. It's just a quick sketch anyway.

Ross Castle With Open Gate - watercolor

watercolor, 2014

original available, 9"x12" $100

prints also available

     Another one for this month's Virtual Paintout. That's four so far and they only accept three per month. I'm just doing them for the fun and practice now. I really like this one. I might actually be getting somewhere with landscapes.