Seagull

Ahhh the humble seagull.  I don't know if I love them or hate them.  On one hand they remind me of the ocean and the soothing sounds of the crashing waves.  On the other, they are loud and really pester you if you want to eat something while at the beach.  Hmmm.

Well, I guess it doesn't matter, because I love painting them.  This one is standing on a bit of a piling, or other piece of old wood.

He was a lot of fun to paint, and I would encourage anyone who has an interest to go ahead and give it a shot.  If you need a tutorial on how to do it.... I've got you covered.

Enjoy, and thank you.

Practice sailboats

 Feeling a little nautical this morning.  With the weather turning warm and my wanting to be outdoors I thought I might as well get in the mood for spring and summer. 

I hope you all like this.  I'll probably be doing more nautical paintings in the days and weeks to come. 

Snowman Holiday Card

Here is one of the cards I am sending out for the holidays this year.  A Snowman!!!  I really think he looks great.

Last year I did Christmas tree bulbs and I thought they turned out pretty good.  This years card I think is so much better.   I make a conscious effort not to try to make him look "perfect".  What I wanted was that layering that you can only get  with watercolors.

I started with one layer of cobalt tea to se the background color of the snowman.  A second layer darkened him up just a bit.  The third layer is Pthalo Blue, and then the 4th is Pthalo also.   added this many layer, painting just a bit less with each successive layer, in order to add texture and shadow to the snowman.

Finally, a bit of turquoise for the background and a mix of ultramarine and cerulean for the base.  All in all, I think it looks fantastic.

The real test, I suppose will be in the comments I get from the people who receive one of these cards.  Thats really all I have for this update.  Thanks for the quick read.

As always, or usual, if you would like to see how I painted this, check out the video below.  Thank you.

Sketching Gus's Grocery

Gus's Grocery is one of the best Sandwich shops in San Luis Obispo.  To call it a Grocery really is a misjustice.  Yes, you can go in and shop for a few things: chips, soda, and beer, but in reality it just a sandwich shop.  Well, not just a sandwich shop, probably the best sandwich shop in around.

Step up the the order window and give them your order.  Your sandwich will be fresh made right in front of you.  Most of the time they will slice the cheese and meat at the time they make the sandwich.  I'm partial to the Italiano.  Oh and by the way, make it a Bomber.

Well, thats it, enjoy the painting.  I had a great time painting it, and really do hope you like it.

American Avocet

I found a picture of this bird while surfing the web nearly a year ago.  I printed it out and then it got lost in a drawer somewhere.  I found the picture the other day and realized that I needed to paint it.  I was thinking what could I do to this picture.  There really isn't a lot going on with it.  Just a bird standing there.

So much like the beach here where i live, when you look, the beach just kind of disappears in the distance and the sky starts.  There is no real line of demarcation. I tried to make this painting resemble that.  A nice gentle transition from sand to sky.

As for the bird, i really like everything except its head.  I just don't understand what happended there.  Love the wing, love the underbelly, like the legs.  Head.... meh.   Oh, well,  I guess thats why they call it practice.  Thanks for taking the time to read, and check out the picture.  Hope you enjoyed it.

It's all gone to the birds (seagulls)

I've been invaded by seagulls!!!  Living near the ocean, it's hard not to see seagulls every day.  Usually I try to pay them as little mind as possible.  For some strange reason, I got a hankering for painting them.  Here is what I came up with.  One I did on my lunch hour, and one I did in the studio.

There are bits of both that I really like, and bits on both that I wish I could do over again.   I'll not go into what things are which, but let you all take a guess at it.

On both of these, I started drawing from the head, and, as it turned out, should have either made the head smaller or started higher up on the page.  The bird kind of ran off the bottom of the paper. For me its not a big deal since I don't like painting feet anyway, but it would have made a bit nicer picture if the bird was planted on something.

As in the past, I did make a video of myself painting this seagull.  If you have an interest, please check out the video below.

Thanks for the quick read, and I hope you enjoy the paintings.

Purple Poppy

By now you must all know that I have a thing for Poppies.  I think because they are simple flower, but look fantastic.

I started with a light wash of a nice reddish purple color.  Then, kept adding layer upon layer of paint.  Each one just a bit darker than the last.

Throw on a nice background that helps to make the flowers stand out and you've got a nice little painting.

Hope you enjoy


For anyone that wants to see a video of my painting this, there is a video below.

Boob, Boobs, Boobies

Ok, the title is a little misleading.  I kinda did that on purpose.  Every time I put a title like that I get a massive amount of hits to that posting.  I am sure the same will happen to this one.

But what I actually have is a Blue Footed Boobie.  Fantasticly weird bird.   He was fun to paint, and fun to research, I'm gonna keep going with painting odd, different things that most people wouldn't paint.  This one is a start.   Anyway, he's fun and funny.

I struggled with two things on this painting, and if I had to do it again I would change a few things.  First, I would put some green in the lower half of the sky.  Make it look like very far away hills.  His right foot just gets lost.  I don't really like that at all.  Secondly, I would barely tap in the shadow that is under him.  I got a bit carried away with it in this painting.

I might just have to paint this guy again just to make those changes, or maybe I should do a whole series of paintings of boobies.    I'll think about it.  At any rate,  there is a video that goes along with this one.  You can check it out below.  Thanks of the quick read, and the view.

Fork Picture Holder

 So here is it, the first piece I've made to display my art.  I've got stacks of painting in the studio and yes, I could pin them to the wall, but that would put holes in the paper.  I don't really want that.  What I wanted was a quick and easy way to display my paintings.  Something I could move around at a whim, was cheap, and something I could make all on my own.

Enter Mr. Fork.  The perfect utensil for the job.

The fork is nearly perfect.  Its got a long handle that will help support the paintings as they  as standing upright.  The tines can be bent so that the ones in front hold the picture in place, and the ones in back provide stability.  If the handle isn't quite at the right angle, its just a quick bend away to make everything perfect.

So with that in mind I set about trying to make one of these.  Yes, before you ask, I do have a video of my making one, but lets not get ahead of ourselves.  This one is actually the only one I've made to date.  I've got a stack of other forks, but have yet to set about bending them.   You can see that it really doesn't take very many bends to make a highly effective holder.  The only thing to watch out for is that you get the two upward bends of the outside tines as close to the same as possible.

Once you've gotten the outside tines bent, the rest really is just adjustment.  You can make the fork sit up higher, or lower, you can adjust up or down the handle.  Whatever you want.

But you know what?  I don't want to give away too many of my tips here.   If you want them all, you are gonna have to watch the video below.  Don't worry, its short and painless.  LOL.

At any rate, enjoy the picture, enjoy the video, and thank you for the quick read.

Poppies

This is a fun painting I did for the coming of spring.  It's Poppies!!   The state flower of California.  I've got these growing wild everywhere around my house.  They add a beautiful splash of color.  

Many poppies have a dark center.  This variety instead has a bright vibrant yellow center.  I thought they would make the perfect subject to paint.

Oh and as for the background.... Well, I wanted to play a little and let these have some fun.  So a half wash and some splatter were just what the doctor ordered.

I painted this picture with a very limited color palette, and was delighted to see that even with that you can paint a beautiful paintings.  I really hope you enjoy it.

Oh, and if you are curios about a video of this painting, I've got just the thing for you.  I did make one and posted not long ago.  (yes, I've been delinquent about posting to this blog).  Anyway, you can find the video below.

Kittens and Cats

Today  I give you two felines for your viewing pleasure.  I'm trying to figure out fur, but it's proving a bit difficult  I know it has a certain texture, but getting it just right is tough.  I want to paint a million little lines, but in addition to taking forever to do, that really isn't the style I want to paint in.  I want to be a bit looser than a literal interpretation of a cat.  An getting too loose just makes the cat look like a blob.  Im working on it and will get there soon, but it might take me a little bit.


For those of you who want to see how I painted these two, I'm attaching two videos below.

Pinup

I'm back again with another pin up girl.  This one is sitting outside on a picnic blanket.  She has a basket of fruit a jar and a lollypop.

I'm totally stoked about the blanket, her skirt, legs, and the jar.  I had a bit of trouble with the color of the shadow on her arms and so it is a bit of a drawback for me.  Also, I like the shading of her top, and her bangs.

I tried really hard to make her pretty lifelike.  I think I really got it, save her face.  I know thats a somewhat important part of a painting.  I don't think it turned out too bad, just not quite right.

This one won't be my last, so stay tuned for more pinups.

Sparrow

I don't think I'll ever be able to get all the way away from painting birds, and I don't think I want to.  Like most areas of the country, I've got plenty of sparrows flying around my house.  I thought it might be nice to paint one.  I think I did one years ago, but they are nice birds and I always enjoy watching them at the feeder and flitting about too and fro.

This isn't any particular sparrow, but one of many that could be around my house.  He's just sitting there on a little branch looking for his friends to play with.

He was great fun to paint.  If you want to see a video of how I did it, check out the video below.

Great Blue Heron

Back again with another bird painting.  This one is a great blue heron.  These prehistoric birds are all over the place where I live, and I hope you have them where you live too.  Here they stalk the tide pools and seashore looking for small fish to eat.  I've even seen them in the fields and on the golf course looking for mice or moles.  A big one can stand in excess of 4 feet tall.  I don't know what its wingspan is, but its big.  They will stand motionless for quite a while waiting for a tasty morsel to come into range.  As soon as it does,... Whammo!  Thats is.  Feeding time.

I've got a nice heron her for you to view.  He is in a classic standing stance.  Just surveying his surroundings, waiting, biding his time.   I've used a healthy dose of cerulean blue in this painting.  Used it both in the bird and on the background.  The bird itself is tempered with a little mix of my own grey too.

For those of you interested in seeing how I painted it, you can view the action below.  Even if you don't give a view to the video, thanks for taking the time to read a bit about this bird.  Enjoy the video.

Hot Blueberry Muffins

Mmmmm, just like grandma use to make.  Delicious blueberry muffins.  These happen to be sitting on the table, but you can't have them they are mine.

I started out to paint something just a little different.  You see lot of painting of trees, and flower, and pets and people, but how many do you see of muffins?  I know, I know, your gonna say its just a still life like a bowl of fruit, or something, but is it really?  I really like painting things that not everyone else paints.  From the moment I saw this picture,  I knew I was going to paint it.  I didn't really know how I was going to do it, but I knew I was going to.

What I did was look at what color the muffin tops were, and develop my color palette from there.  The tops were gold, and brown and a really warm earthy yellow.  I decided on transparent orange oxide, yellow ochre, raw umber and van dyke brown.  The brown crusty parts are really just orange oxide.  and the in between parts are mostly yellow ochre.  Their is an under layer of raw umber and yellow ochre.  The muffin cup is mostly raw umber. I needed to make it similar to the top, but different enough that you could tell it was paper.  I tied it all together with a light yellow background and a few blueberries in the foreground.

If you want a more detailed description, you can watch the video below.  Thanks for taking the time to view it, I hope you like it, I had a blast painting it.

Angel Statue

Here is my latest painting.  It is another statue.  This one of an angel.  She has obviously been outside for a long time and has moss growing on her in places.  I've added just enough details to her body and wings to give her form, but the overall impression I wanted someone to take away is that of her have sat outside for a long time.

I started painting her with a base color of payne's grey for her body, then slowly added in some van dyke brown in some shadowy areas, or anywhere that I wanted to make her a bit warmer.  (as the payne's grey can get a little cold sometime)  I just gave indications of some shadow lines on her body and her wings.  They give just enough detail.  I kept her face as clean and as bright as I could.  I wanted it to be a bit lighter than everything else on the paintings.  This was to make her face the focal point of this painting.   I'll be t you did it subconsciously.  You looked at the entire painting, but your eyes kept coming back to her face.

I'm happy with this painting.  I might go back and make the background even a little darker, which would make her a little lighter by contrast, and therefore jump off the page a little more.  But if I never get around to doing that, I'm happy with what I have here.

If you have not seen my video of this painting,  I've got a link below.  Thank you, and I hope you enjoy it.

Weathered Statue of a Woman

It was cold in the studio when I painted this.   I've got bookmarks on several pictures across the web that I might want to paint one day.  I was thinking that if I painted a warm picture, that I might warm up myself.

The picture I took this from seemed like it was taken on a warm summers evening.  I convinced myself, after looking at this picture again, that painting it would definitely warm me up.

I used yellow ochre, van dyke brown and transparent orange oxide for the majority of this painting.  Those 3 colors certainly put a warm spin on this.  In order to cool it down a bit, I used a bit of payne's grey.  In some places I used it straight, without mixing, but mostly mixed it with the van dyke brown to warm it a little, almost like a sepia.

I used a lot of layers to build up the depth and detail on this painting.  I probably should have done a few more layers.

I did put a little spatter on this painting.  I used the same colors that I used to paint her body.  In hind sight, I should have done a little more of the spatter too.

I hope you like it.  If you have an interest in watching me paint it, I've provided a video below.

Foot Bridge over a River in Zion National Park

Here is my representation of a bridge over a river in Zion National Park.  I've been to Zion many times, and it is truly one of natures most stunning places.  At least if you like that desert, canyon kind of thing.  The red rocks of the cliff faces tower over the valley floors.  I don't think there is one place you can go in the park that doesn't have stunning views.
I believe this bridge is at the beginning of the path to Angels Landing.  You cross this bridge, then into refrigerator canyon, up Walter's Wiggles, and out across a some very thin rock faces, to the precipice. The last half mile of the trip is not for the faint of heart.  There will be thousand foot drop offs, and path's with seemingly no handholds and almost no footholds.  But if you make it out to the end, the views are terrific.   The last time I went, it was in the mid 70's on the canyon floor, and by the time I got about 1/2 way out to the end, it started snowing, and got quite windy.  I didn't know if I should hurry to fight the cold, slow down to combat the wind, or  just turn back.  In the end, I just soldiered on and made it to the end.  Some German hikers were nice enough to let me warm my finger by the camp stove they had carried with them.

As for this paintings, I think I got a few things right.  the distant mountain really distant, the close mountain is close.  The trees are definitely closer than the mountain and they have a little depth to them.  True there could be a little more, but there is some.  Even the water looks like it gets closer as it reaches the bottom of the page.

I might try this one again.  Or at least I'll do some other paintings from Zion.  As with many of my recent paintings, i did a video to go with this.  If you are interested in seeing how I did it, you can see the video below.  Thanks for taking the time to view and read.

Whale Breach

There are whales that migrate past my home every spring and fall.  This is just a quick representation of one of those whales breaching just outside the town harbor.


Oh, and by the way it come with a video to.  You can check it out here.

Thank you.

Quack Attack

So I was messing around and thought I would paint a duck.  Tried to do it pretty quickly and somewhat loose.

I thought it came out pretty good.  The colors muddle together just a little, but its still pretty clear what the edge of the duck it.  The wing is a bit so so.  I tried to put a  dark line to represent the ducks back wing, but I don't think it quite worked out.

Oh well, its still kinda a cool painting.  Hope you like it.