Shoes - watercolor

watercolor; 2020

available; 11"x15"

      Another pair of my wife's shoes. She has a lot of shoes. So, I have a lot of still life subjects.

Chief - watercolor

watercolor, 2019

available, 11"x15"

      It's probably just a sense of nostalgia, but I have a soft spot for even these old full-size Jeeps. I'm sure if I actually drove one, I would feel like it was too big after driving a much smaller XJ Cherokee for years. But, I can't help wishing I'd been introduced to these way back when.

53 Skylark - watercolor

watercolor, 2019

available, 11"x15"

      This was meant to be a quick, sketchy car painting. But, it turned into a much more realistic piece, though it still took just a few hours. Most of that was drying time for the several layers of red.

Chief - watercolor

watercolor, 2019

available, 11"x15"

      An older Jeep Cherokee Chief. Successfully kept it a little loose. But, I think the photo is a bit dark.

70 GTO - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

      Convertible red muscle cars are always popular. I've started experimenting with shooting my paintings with my dslr instead of scanning them. The gradients and color are better. But, I'm still struggling with even lighting and getting the paper as white as it should be.

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!

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.

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.

Red Bird - watercolor

watercolor, 2018

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

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

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.

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.

Smiling 65 Galaxie 500 - ink+watercolor

mixed, 2017

available, 9"x12"

prints and gifts also available

      My mom had a 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 when I was little. It wasn't a red convertible like this one. It was a sensible white four-door hardtop bought just before I was born. My dad drove a little two-door Ford Falcon with an engine that barely fit in the engine compartment. 
      It may sound strange but I'll always associate the grille of the 65 Galaxie with my mom's big, bright smile. I guess it's a mental association akin to pareidolia in which our brains automatically search for pattern and familiarity in an otherwise random jumble of stimuli. It's part of what makes us see familiar shapes in clouds or faces in the burn pattern of toast. I suppose a lot of people see faces in cars - some cars more than others; it's probably the genesis of the Cars animated movies. Maybe everybody thinks of their mom when they see a particular car. I consider myself blessed to get to see mine smiling at me when I see this one.

Want A Balloon? - gouache

gouache, 2017

available, 8"x10"

prints and gifts also available

      Happy Halloween!

Rusty Diamondback - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

available, 9"x12"

prints and gifts also available

      Another fishing lure. This one is on that horrible Fabriano Studio paper. There were even more issues with the paper on this one. That's the reason I left some spots looking a little looser than I usually paint these lures. In spite of the fight, I'm still pretty happy with how this one works.

67 Camaro RS #2 - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

nfs, 11"x15"

      When the recipient of this commission of his first car saw it he immediately had to have another for his father since they shared the car. Works for me. Of course, no two paintings are identical. So, there are a lot of differences between the two, some things are better on the first one, some are better on this one. Overall, I might be a little happier with this one than the first one.

Red Window - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      Just a quick flower-in-a-window painting. There's actually very little I would change or do differently. That's weird.

Edgefield School - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      Just a fairly quick impressionist landscape of the old school in Edgefield, a magical place. As always, I wish the sky had scanned better; it's a moderately better one than usual.

67 Camaro RS - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

nfs, 11"x15"

      This is a commission I did for a cousin of my wife. It's a gift for her husband, his first car. Fairly straightforward.

Red Barn - watercolor + ink

mixed, 2016

available, 9"x12"

      A quick, little ink and wash sketch of a barn in early fall. This one is actually 5"x7" on a 9"x12" sheet to help set off the image.