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.

Manila Fire & Rescue - watercolor

watercolor, 2015
available, 7"x11"

      Here's another one from the Philippines for this month's Virtual Paintout. I didn't include any of the surroundings for simplicity's sake. But I found it interesting that these are just parked on the side of the road across from the manual railroad crossing from last week. There's no building or station like we're used to in other parts of the world.

      Anyway, I'm pretty happy with how this one worked out. It's just loose enough and just tight enough. And, I did it with a three-color palette - ultramarine blue, raw sienna, and cadmium red light. I've been experimenting with limited palettes with my figure paintings, which I don't post here. This image all but screamed limited palette.