Sunlight Mysticism

Here is a new painting I finished recently. I was at a park eating my lunch when this scene caught my eye. It was in September and the end of summer was near. Some of the leaves were just starting to turn. There is something bittersweet about the last days of summer and the beginning of fall. The sun broke through the leaves and beautifully cast this scene of the magic of summer turning to fall. I used light, warm colors to start with, all mixed wet into wet. I added some kosher salt for texture. When this was dry I splatted some paint( greens and blues) and while they were still wet I sprayed the painting with a spray bottle and tilted the paper to produce the beautiful leaf effects. When this was dry I added branches and final details. My son chose the name for this painting, Sunlight Mysticism, and the more I though about it, the more I liked it.

A few months ago I wrote a post about an artists retreat in beautiful Union, Washington. Here is a painting I did of a sunset I viewed from St. Andrews House, the retreat center where we stayed. We had this gorgeous view looking out over Hood Canal and the Olympic Mountains in the distance. Watercolor is the perfect medium for skies and water since it flows on the paper and the colors can mix so easily, producing those wonderful effects that we water colorists just love. I can't wait to go again next year!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom and to all the mothers out there! This is my gift to each of you. I couldn't resist painting these brilliant blossoms lit up by that elusive sun! Enjoy!

New paintings coming!

I have been very busy working and traveling the last few months and I'm happy to say I have several new paintings in progress! I hope everyone of you had a Happy Holiday season and I wish you all a very happy and profitable 2010!

Winter Glow, 22x28 watercolor

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Wetlands

After reviewing some sketches of wetlands I sketched while hiking in the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge last fall, I put together this watercolor painting. The fall colors were gorgeous but I didn't want them to overpower the calm, peaceful feeling of the water and reflections. The painting was done mainly using wet-in-wet watercolor technique with some dry brush done later when this had dried.

sketch books

I love working in a sketch book and I'll tell you why. An artist can learn so much by sketching and if you don't like what you see, you just turn the page and start over! There is no pressure to produce a perfect picture ( or there shouldn't be!) so you can just relax, have fun and doodle, sketch, write, whatever. This small painting came from a recent drawing in my sketch book. I didn't like the drawing in the book until I added the large tree on the right. By playing with different ideas in your book you can learn to create better compositions. My sketch book is a combination journal and sketch book. If I'm having a hard time on a drawing or just don't feel like drawing, I'll write instead. Writing relaxes me and helps get the ideas for drawings and paintings flowing.

sky studies

This is a sky on a calm, early morning in summer. Notice the soft, warm colors and the feeling it gives you which is so different than the previous sky. Art is a lot about feeling. If you can feel what a painting is saying, then it's a good painting and the artist has been successful!

Early morning sky, 6x8 watercolor

November skies

It's really rainy and dreary this time of year in the Pacific Northwest. Sometimes it drives me crazy! But there are some great subjects for watercolor paintings--dark, moody days with a flash of light on the horizon. Yes, even gray can be beautiful.

November skies, 8x10 watercolor

Garden Delights

After visiting the Buchart Gardens in Vancouver B.C. one summer I came back with several photos highlighting the gorgeous scenery. This painting is loosely based on one of those scenes (I find it's better to work from memory sometimes and not try to copy a photo). This is a watercolor on Arches 140lb. paper.

Garden Delights, 15x22 watercolor

When the spring weather arrived this year I was so thrilled! It had been such a long, snowy winter this year and sometimes the Pacific Northwest can get a little dreary during the fall and winter months. I called this painting "Awakening" because the spring weather and new growth were so inspiring and I was glad to see more light! This is a watercolor on 140 lb. arches paper. Salt was used for texture in the background and the colors were splashed and splattered on for a lively, light filled painting. I masked out the tree trunks first before adding the paint.

Quiet Waters

This painting is of the Applegate River in southern Oregon near the town of Ashland. Ashland is one of my favorite places to visit. There are lots of unique shops and galleries, a beautiful park right downtown, the Shakespeare festival in the summer and lots of beautiful scenery everywhere.

Quiet waters, 16x20 watercolor

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Heaven and earth

I like to use pastel over watercolor sometimes to create a different effect. It is really effective to use light pastel colors over darker watercolors (after the watercolor has dried). The bright colors over the dark really glow! In this painting I loved the way the sky and ground seem to meet and blend into one.

Heaven and earth, 14x22 watercolor/pastel

Everything in life is speaking

This painting was part of a series I did on paintings from literary quotes. The name of the exhibit was "Images and Inspirations". When I read the line about everything speaking I pictured tall fir trees in snow and that absolute quiet and stillness that happens in the woods when it's snowing.

Everything in life is speaking , 12 x 16 watercolor

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Secret Path

One of my favorite past times (besides painting) is hiking. Deep within the woods near Mt. Adams in Washington, was this path, highlighted by the bright sunlight and leading to hidden depths of mystery just beyond the trees.

Secret Path, 17x19 watercolor, unframed

Early Morning Light

While driving early in the morning I caught this beautiful sight of Mt. Hood (in Oregon) in the distance. The blue of the mountain silhouetted against the peachy/orange morning sky was striking. I didn't have my camera with me at the time, but painted the scene from memory. The beauty of the Pacific Northwest never ceases to amaze me.

Early Morning Light, 16x22 unframed, watercolor & pastel