Autumn Promenade - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      I've had this reference photo so long I don't remember where it came from or who shot it. I was never quite sure how to tackle it or if I could do it justice. I think it works pretty well now.

Angie #31 sketch 2 - pencil

pencil, 2016

nfs, 8"x11"

      This is just another sketch for a painting based on a particular reference photo. I've been putting off starting the painting while doing some color testing as referenced a couple weeks ago. I'll get to the painting eventually.

Trade Street, Asheboro - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

      There isn't much to say about this one. It's from a photo I took a couple years ago. Until recently I didn't think it had much to offer as a painting. I'm glad I proved myself wrong.

Pearl Earrings #1 - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

nfs, 7"x11"

      My favorite model again in what were her favorite earrings and one of my favorite outfits ;) This one is small because it was meant to be a color test to check a particular color combination for flesh tones. It worked so well - and I got so caught up in painting my wife - I ended up with a very polished, finished portrait. Not a bad couple hours.

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.

41 Farm Truck - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      The fashion now is to restore old trucks especially, but some cars, as well, to good running condition but leave the exterior paint and rust alone for a "vintage" look. These usually are sprayed with a few coats of clear-coat to arrest any further rusting or paint loss. I wasn't aware this was a thing until I saw it done on one of those car restoration "reality" shows. I have to admit I like the look - and it makes for a lot of great subjects to paint. My only problem is that the clear-coat makes the rust shine, which looks odd because rust doesn't shine. At least, it doesn't have to shine on my paper. This one worked out nicely, though a little darker than I meant to go with it.

Angie #31 sketch - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

nfs, 9"x12"

      I'm trying a new technique that I've admired for years but never spent much time trying to figure out. It involves layering colors in what on the surface seems abstract. But each layer and each color adds to the development of the image. In a way, you could say that description is accurate for a lot of watercolor. But this method is different. If you isolated just the yellow ochre in this piece, it wouldn't look anything like a portrait; that follows for most of the other colors. I'll consider this one fairly successful, though it's obvious I used cheap paper. But it is a sketchy experiment.

Angkor Wat Sunrise - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints available 

      In a previous post I said I wanted to stay away from Angkor Wat in Virtual Paintout's Cambodia month because it seemed like an obvious choice. But, of course, I still wanted to explore the site a little in case there were views I just couldn't pass up -- like this one.  Even more appropriate is the fact that the site opens extra early - 5 am - to allow tourists to catch the sunrise from the temple. Now, add to that the fact that I think I hit a loose, impressionist rendering of the scene spot on and I am as happy with this as I'm likely to get.

Near Banner Elk - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints also available

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

Idle Travco - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      A classic rv (or motor home or caravan depending on your location) now serves out its remaining days as an office for a junkyard (or waste re-assignment facility). Travco built their classic motor homes on Dodge chassis; that's where we get the disparity between the title and the poorly maintained Dodge badge on the front end. I'm especially happy with the reflection in the windshield; that worked out better than I intended.

Bayon Temple - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 9"x12"

prints and gifts available 

      Here's a quick sketch of a temple ruin in Cambodia for Virtual Paintout. I know everyone will be doing the temples this month. For VP I usually try to find the less obvious subjects. But, frankly, there are so many temples to paint with such pictorial appeal it's astounding. I easily could paint dozens of images here. And, hopefully, most people will stick to the more famous Angkor Wat area instead of venturing out to the lesser known temples.

Hot 55 - watercolor

watercolor, 2016

available, 11"x15"

prints and gifts also available

      Getting a little looser with my classic cars. Extremely rough Moulin du Roi paper doesn't hurt either. It's hard to be precise when the paper texture is like stucco. Clean water and paint spatter added some texture and interest to the grass, as well.