Sunday Morning - watercolor

watercolor, 2019

available, 11"x15"

     A quick look at a northwestern church with a classic car parked out front.

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.

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.

St. Paul's - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

available, 11"x15"

      This was an attempt at a very loose rendering of St. Paul's in London. It has it's merits. But it could be better. It's from a very old black-and-white photo from the '50s.

Church Street Church - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      I called this one Church Street Church because it isn't a church anymore; it's an Italian restaurant. I couldn't find the original name of the church that occupied this building. Beyond that, I'm quite happy with this one.

Gulf Presbyterian - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 9"x12"

prints also available

      This is a little sketch of a church not too far from my home, but done from a Google Maps Street View image. My biggest issues with this one is, of course, the trees, with which I'm never happy, and the small suggestion of a graveyard. I should have made that a bit more prominent. The shadows on the building could have gone a bit more cool or warm; it doesn't matter which. They just need to have some color. The red door color was a change from the original to add pop and an obvious focal point.

Danbury Baptist - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      A loose view of the front of the little Baptist church in Danbury, NC. I wasn't sure about the warm light reflected back into the shadow areas of the eaves and under the porch. But it works pretty well. The reference photo was taken very early one June morning, a nice contrast to January's usual chill.

Tivat Church - watercolor+ink

mixed, 2016

available, 11"x15"

      Virtual Paintout is in Montenegro this month. This is as close as Google Maps Street View gets to this small church on a hill at the center of an island. But I liked the view with the walled dirt road leading in.

Archdale Street - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      This is from a reference photo I took in Charleston last year. I'm beginning to think I should have taken more shots of the horse-drawn carriages. To me, at least, they seem quite dynamic in these otherwise fairly static streetscapes.

Grace Lutheran - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 9"x12"

prints also available

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

Pleasant Grove - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 9"x12"

prints also available

      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.

Heddal Stave Church #1 - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

      I guess I'm a glutton for punishment with all the angles and shapes on this church in Norway. But I couldn't pass it up for Virtual Paintout this month. Of course, there are things I'd modify - but only slightly. So, I'm pretty happy with this one, especially since I seem to have hit most of the British Impressionism buttons.

St. Andrews, Beddingham - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      I played with the texture on this one a bit after I deemed in "finished" because I wasn't happy. So, clean water drops led to lifting out to create some light spots; white gouache added some white highlights; and some white china marker brought up some other areas I thought were too dark.

St. Johns, Charleston - watercolor

watercolor, 2015

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      This is the third attempt at this image and I'm still not sure about it.

St. Anne's - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      St. Anne's is a picturesque, old church in the eastern part of North Carolina. I wasn't too sure about this one until after I scanned it. I like it more now than I did before. But I still might try it again to add some more air around it. I think it's a little too crowded.

St. Anthony's Chapel - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 9"x12"

prints also available

     Another from Scotland.

Abbey St. Bathans Old Kirk - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 9"x12"

prints also available

      Another one from Scotland for Virtual Paintout. In some locations for VP it's hard to find anything that appeals to me. Then there's Ireland and now Scotland where I can't stop myself. There's a limit of three pieces for the VP site. But, I already have eight references set aside, including two more views of this church. I might not do them all, or, I might do them and find more.
      From the technical side, I don't think I could have asked for this one to have turned out better. It's every bit the British Impressionism I've been chasing.

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!

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.

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!