Anticipation

This painting is a combination of two of my 'besties', chicadees and nests.  It was started with a very free form tree branch and muted leaves, more impressionist than realistic.  The birds sit on the branch waiting for the eggs to hatch.  Ogura lace paper was added to the nest to enhance and soften it giving the impression of a cozy bower prepared for the anticipated baby birds.

The Little Boat that Could

Traveling in southeast Italy, (the heel of the boot) I came across this boat in a marina in Ostuno.
While it was smaller than most of the other boats docked there somehow it spoke to me of being feisty, hardworking and well used.  And a bit charming somehow.  I painted it in watercolor then added pen and ink to give it a whimsical feel.

Golden Birches

I think of this as a birch family.  As students we are taught to have a "momma, poppa and baby" in our paintings to create interest.  Or big, medium and small to be more specific.  It does make for variety in the size of the shapes and eliminates boring compositions.
When I look at this I can almost see momma telling poppa to get junior to shape up!

Beach Ride

Living near the water is always inspiration for painting.  This one is quite whimsical offering a multicolored fence and Key West style bike.  The fence is created by dipping a slim piece of matboard into masking fluid, then stamping it on the paper.  To avoid 'muscle memory' I bend and shape the matboard along with varying the spaces and direction of the fence.  When the mask is removed the bright colors can then be added.

Sunset Snack

The area where I live has many ospreys flying around so I'm quite familiar with them.  The idea was to have the provider bird bring food back to the nest where the little ones were patiently waiting with the guardian bird.  The nest was created by dropping little puddles of paint onto the paper and then blowing through a straw.  It's a very effective way to get long thin streams of paint but boy does it ever make you dizzy!  The birds in the nest were masked out before this process began.  I left the sky to the very end and that presented a quandary because I wanted a smooth finish and didn't want to disturb what was already painted.  I resolved that situation by spraying the watercolor on, changing colors as I worked from bottom to top.

My Old Bike

Seriously?  Yes!  This is my Huffy Sea Pines bike that was a surprise Christmas Gift one year.  I was delighted and still ride it to this day.  In this painting I've added a bit old world charm to indicate the old and the new?  More like the real old and not so old!

Greenhorn

Once in a while it's fun to be playful when I'm teaching a class.  Painting the subject of cows was well received by the group and offered a lighthearted lesson.  I decided to give this cow a bit of distinction by adding a set of green horns topped by a cowboy hat.  Seems like the cow is being patient all the while sending a beady eye to the cowboy who did this!

Country Roads

One of my favorite songs is "Country Roads".  Hearing it uplifts me and gives me joy.  I love outdoors and nature which makes the painting of landscapes a natural for me.  I used unusual colors for this painting just to create a different look:  Indigo and raw sienna.

In some parts the color is pure and in others it is combined.  This helped make different hues and values, all somewhat misty.

Spring

I have painted several dozen nests but I never cease to enjoy the process of creating another one.
Each nest painting turns out quite different because I  choose to vary the position, colors and style.  I start with a plain piece of watercolor paper and put down some paint with a circular motion to create the body of the nest.  Then comes the best part, I throw paint to create the twigs and branches that surround the nest adding some spatters for good measure.  Deep dark paints fill the center of the nest.  When the paint dries I am able me to wash out the egg shapes which finishes this artwork.

Big Brushwork - 5

This is a favorite way for me to paint.  I start and continue to the finish only using a very large brush and start with  a plain piece of paper.  No drawing is done but I do know what subject I want to paint. This process definitely has some limitations but does ensure the creation of a very loosely done and freeing piece of artwork.  Ask most watercolor students what they most want to do and the answer is invariably "paint loose and free"!

Wildfire!

Birch trees are a favorite subject of the artists in my watercolor classes.  These are started with pieces of masking or artists tape that are shaped to get rid of the straight lines.  A colorful diagonal sky is washed in followed by darker paints on the bottom of the page.  Previously I had painted several renditions using spring or summer greens and yellows.  This time I wanted to paint autumn but somehow wound up with the look of a wildfire!

All is Calm, All is Bright

 

This is one of my "Big Brushwork" pieces, meaning I only use a large brush when painting. This was a 1 1/2" wide flat brush. It has certain challenges particularly when trying to create fine grasses and other smaller lines. The benefit is that it gives the ability to paint a very loose watercolor that is clean, crisp and bright.

Fixer Upper

 

This dilapidated cottage is located at Eden Lawn Plantation in Jensen Beach, Florida. Somehow even though it is falling apart it has an appeal that I wanted to capture in paint. And, living in this town made me want to preserve some of the memories from the past. Eden Lawn in it's heyday was a community of cottages surrounded by lush tropical foliage and even had colorful parrots flying around free! Sounds like a little bit of Eden, doesn't it?