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.

Beach Baby - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

nfs, 11"x15"

      My first great-niece. I shot a few photos of her on a chance meeting between my wife and I and my nephew and his young family at a popular NC beach. Neither of us knew the other was there until they posted something to Instagram. A couple weeks later, they've got a portrait of their little beach baby. Honestly, this might be one of my best.

Bodie Island Light - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      From my most recent trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Sidewalk King - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      Ran into this majestic creature and it's twin in front of an Asian restaurant in Salisbury the same morning I shot last week's reference photo. I thought he would work well for a loose still life.

Salisbury Morning - watercolor

watercolor, 2017

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      From a photo taken early one December morning in downtown Salisbury, NC. It was too early for pedestrians or even much traffic. The stark contrasts and long shadows caught my eye.

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.

Bethabara Blacksmith - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      When I saw this historical re-enactor (and real blacksmith) at an event at Bethabara Park early last fall I wanted to get shots of him doing blacksmith stuff; you know, hammer, fire, red-hot metal. I circled for a good half-hour. But he was talking a group of kids showing them some nails and hooks he'd made. I settled for a shot of him leaning on his anvil. The pose, costume, actor and accessories all work just as well as an action shot. And, I'm pretty stoked (get it;) about how this portrait worked out.
      Bethabara Park, by the way, is a partially restored and preserved 260-year-old Moravian settlement in Winston-Salem NC.

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.

Lee Street Alley - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      An early morning scene behind a building in downtown Salisbury, NC. I was scheduled to take my daughter to breakfast one morning and went early to grab some photos of Salisbury's paint-ready downtown. I wanted to go loose, but I'm afraid I might have gone too far to the Primitive/Amateur side of "loose" on this one.

Wallburg Farm - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

       This has nothing to do with the one from a couple weeks ago. The reference photos were taken 4-5 miles and 2-3 years apart. Still playing with leading lines and vignetting. I'm not sure the vignette works with this one.

Wallburg Barn - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      I'm abstracting just a bit in this one leaning toward impressionism. But, not enough. I might need to return to this spot for more reference photos.

Apothecary's Shop - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      This is from a photo I shot in Old Salem, a preserved Moravian town first settled in 1766. I couldn't resist the shadows on the building when I saw it a few years ago. Even then I knew it would be a challenge to paint and this is at least the second attempt. I'm much happier with this one than with the first.

Gaggle - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

      This is from a photo I took on the Dan River back in June and the second attempt at painting it. The first time I tried this one, I overworked the foreground shore multiple times. So, this time I left it white to vignette only the line marking where the water and sand meet. That didn't seem to work, either. It was far too bright. So, I added in the abstract color you see now. Maybe it's done now.

Hatteras #3 - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

      The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse as seen from the Keeper's House. I shot the reference for this during our trip to the Outer Banks last year. I'm quite happy with this one -- even the sky, though the scan washed out much of it. The only thing I would do differently is add a touch more warm color in the lighthouse shadow near the bottom. And maybe one more person closer to the foreground.

Near Banner Elk - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

       A scene obviously near Banner Elk, NC in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Fence Post - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 7"x11"

      Just a quick, loose painting of something I saw every day growing up and still see once or twice a week. This fence post denotes the edge of my parents' back yard. The field beyond used to pasture a beautiful white horse when I was very young. Once the horse was gone, the fencing fell into disrepair and has looked like this for at least 40 years.

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.

North Street - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      Downtown Asheboro NC.

Trade St. Skater - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

original available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      From a reference photo I shot a couple years ago in Winston-Salem NC. The skater just whizzed by as I was walking down the street. So I jumped out and fired off half a dozen shots.