Near Chinook

Near Chinook, 22 x 29, watercolor

Willapa Bay watercolor

Willapa Bay at Nahcotta, 22 x 29, watercolor

Watercolor with pastel is cheating

After I established my light pattern, I painted from a photograph the wetlands near Willapa Bay, at Ocean Park, WA. Watercolor is a tricky medium. I am so out of practice it did not go very easily.

I felt like I was juggling odd objects. A bowling pin, a kitchen knife, and a baby.

Water. How much water? Pick up the paint, don't over mix, confident stroke. Wait a minute, I didn't mean it to be so red! Aaak! Go over it with more blue. Now it's too dark. Blot it with a paper towel. Don't lose the light pattern. It was a frantic bit of time. Finally, I decided to let it dry and see how it looked.

Well, it didn't look that great. So, I grabbed my pastels and mucked it up a bit.

The best thing I can say about it is that I didn't lose the light pattern. I'll do better next time.

Willapa Bay Wetlands, 22 x 30, watercolor on 140# Rough

Sailing Club

Sailing Club, 8 x 8, pastel

Photography Assignment

Photography Assignment, 8 x 8, pastel

Pumpkin and Water Glass

Pumpkin and Water Glass, 9 x 12, pastel on Dakota board

Yet another gourd

Gourd Six, pastel, 8 X 8

Painting a Day Catch Up

Gourd Five, 9 X 11, pastel

Gourd

Gourd IV, 6 x 9, pastel on Wallis paper

Leaded glass

I enjoyed the challenge yesterday of painting a glass with water, I wanted to try it with a crystal glass. I had trouble with the ellipse at the rim of the glass, but overall, I'm pleased. It looks like a glass. With water.

When my sons still lived at home, they would wet their index fingers and run them over the rims of these glasses to make a beautiful bell sound. Then, they would drink their water to change the tone. What can I say? It was a musical kind of family.

Leaded Glass, 11 X 6, pastel on Wallis paper

Glass is Half Full

Glass, 11 x 9, pastel

Little Pumpkin

Little Pumpkin, 8" square, pastel

Carnation Stem

Carnation Stem, 12 X 9, pastel

Young Woman

Young Woman, 18 X 24, pastel

Lake Powell

Just a couple of years ago I was lucky to travel with a group of friends on a big houseboat on Lake Powell. The sights were incredible. I painted en plein air a few times from the boat, did a lot of sketching, and took hundreds of photos. I keep meaning to go back and paint from some of the photos. The blue of the sky, the warm reds and oranges of the rocks, the pinks and lavenders in the shadows. This is my first attempt.


Antelope Canyon, 8" square, pastel

Gourd Three

Gourd Three, 8" square, pastel

Copying a master: Wolf Kahn

One aspect of developing as an artist includes copying a master. I have copied Wolf Kahn's "Sun Drenched Barn" (see blog entry) and today I copied his painting "Magenta Stripe."

What did I learn? To duplicate the stroke of a master, a student has to try a lot of wrong things before the right thing happens. I love his sense of color and composition. The colors of this are very exciting. I'm sure that this copy will influence my next painting. And, I'm eager to see how!

Copy Magenta Strip W. Kahn, 11 X 15, pastel

New Pear

Yesterday's pear was flat and I couldn't seem to paint it round. Today's feels a little more round.

Have you heard of the "Painting a Day" movement? I don't really know too much about it, but I believe it was started by Duane Keiser. I am going to paint a painting a day for a month and see what I think.

My hope is that by painting every day, I will become a better observer. Paint more quickly and decisively. Push myself. See. Learn. Grow.

New Pear, 9 X 6, pastel on Wallis paper