KoI Koi Koi

I was thinking of doing an abstract with three large bands of color... yeah I know its been done but what hasn't... So I decided to do reddish orange and another red and then yellow with gold ...next thing you know there are three Koi..

I added the green and "Voila" another Koi painting... I guess I just have Koi on the brain. This is 8 by 10 and can turned in any direction.

Painting negative shapes in watercolor

Hello folks! This is my first attempt at a video, I promise I'll get better!

Lilly Pad

4 by 4 watercolor on clay board. This stuff is very smooth almost like Bristol paper but less absorbent. I painted this in the deductive manner.

American painter Andrew Wyeth dies at 91 in Pa.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2009-01-16-obit-wyeth_N.htmhttp



A very good story about the great American painter. He perfected dry brush technique for portraits.

I'm back from the holidays

I've had a few weeks off and now I'm planning to get back to work. I'll be posting again this week. Happy New year!

Koi Managerie

2.5 by 3.5 ACEO, sometimes I think these little cards can be as difficult as a larger painting.

I mean....these cards are so small and in a such a little space, you find you need to be very careful not to mess up something since there isn't much room.

December Sunset

9" by 12"  watercolor on paper  $120.00

This is hot press paper, it would have been better and easier for me if it were cold press, the softening of the edges is usually easier on on cold press paper.  

The palette is cobalt blue and burnt sienna, antwerp blue permanent orange,  sepia

December Snow

Watercolor on paper  $100.0 7.25 by 9 inches. I've been trying out some different palettes for snow.     This one is painted with  Burnt sienna, Manganese blue, antwerp blue, raw sienna, cobalt lavender, ultramarine blue.  You could also use Sepia instead of ultramarine blue and  and burnt sienna.  You could skip the cobalt lavender as not much is used...   The raw sienna is barely used also..   I had more  raw sienna in the background and it looked very good but I ended up glazing over it because I decided not to place as much emphasis  in the back.

With a little help from my friend

Here I am taking a break to pet my little pup. Sugar...

A painting a day

A wintery morning a few years ago.  

Today it 35  (F)degrees and clear...

I'm not sure that I mentioned to everyone that I have finished my painting a day regimen. I did stick to it for two years... Now, I will only paint several small paintings a week. Its good practice and allows me a kind of freedom that I don't always have with the larger works or commissions. Looking back over my painting a day commitment, I know it was good for me and I learned a lot. Mostly about myself. It was surprising because with only a few hours to finish a painting each day, I had to pick either a simple subject or a difficult subject painted simply. Usually (not always, everyone likes a shortcut once in a while) I opted for a difficult subject painted simply. Thus I found all kinds of ways to create depth, tried my hand at abbreviated brush strokes and learned to like things with accidents, drips, soft edges and less detail. Basically, how to do everything economically, This wasn't a big stretch because I learned long ago that I loved realism but that I really loved loosely painted, wet into wet, free flowing water color even more. So.... as each day progress, I tried to incorporate a less detailed approach. I learned to trust my instincts, gave myself permission to just try it, like not fighting the urge to put that color in there or leave out those lines or change the perspective to whatever usually doesn't seem right. My style seemed to emerge little by little, one day I would stand back and say, "I like that!"... then figure out why, add that to my mental list of gotta do that more often" and my approach to painting gradually and uniquely became my own. For me, one of the best things that happened is I don't beat myself up over poorly painted work. I don't feel let down by the not so perfect paintings... I now know (not just intellectually, but really know) the road is not a straight one where, when you reach the end, you are a perfect painter, never creating another work of art that is less then perfect. Best of all, I don't have that feeling that every work I start has to end up a masterpiece, its ok to try anything, push forward into unknown color schemes, unfamiliar products and subject matter. Each painting doesn't have to be better than the last and I'll learn something about painting and about myself with each painting so they all have value. Even if they end up in the trash. P.S. If it bothers you to throw them out, gesso over them and paint another painting in a few days when the gesso is dry.

December Rose ll

6 by 9 50.00

The background is really white... I need to get these finished while its daylight cause my indoor lights seem  to all have some reflective qualities.  

I guess I didn't get painting this rose out of my system... This looks strangely like yesterday's painting...  well thats because I painted it with the same palette.  Hope you enjoy!

December Rose

If this looks like a yellow  background it shouldn't, it's white, the light I used was a warm one.  

8 by 10 watercolor on paper 75.00 5.5 s& H

I have painted a lot of roses but  I try to paint them all a little differently so it gives each rose a unique feel.

This background is white…  if this photo looks anything but white thats because the light I used to light the painting for the photo was a warm light. If you would like to purchase this painting, I would be glad to take another photograph so you can see the difference.  cio!

Morning Flight

11 by 14 watercolor on paper

Golden Meadows

3 "by 3.5" watercolor on paper This is a close up of this little card because I wanted to show  you what the gold watercolor paint looks like on the paper after it has dried. 

btw...

From a distance it just appears gold not sparkly......

Mystic moon and boulder

Watercolor on hot press paper. Mystic moon and boulders on top of the world. Its 5 inches by 8 inches $30.00 plus s& H Mystic Boulder was a painting that evolved without a plan. I love these little pieces of magic.

This is funny Happy Thanksgiving everyone !

October Koi

15.00 2.5 by 3.5 This is a mixed media Koi painting on gessoed masonite.

ACEO Show Koi

This is an ACEO.... Artist Collector's Edition or Original. This is an original... its Mixed media on masonite. $15.00 plus shipping and handling of $1.50

winter Ice, fall leaves

The icy wind was really blowing today, as we ( the dogs and I) walked around the lake this morning, I had to put my chin down into my vest while we faced the wind. Maybe if I would have worn a coat I would have been OK but I thought a down vest and hat would be good enough. Needless to say it didn’t take me long when I got home…. I pulled out all of my winter clothes and started washing them, I guess you can say Its definitely winter.

I thought this was funny!