Fishy Fishy Fishy Fish

For Sale. Watercolor. 6x9. $25

Alright, sticking with my recents aquatic theme, I give you some more fishing lures.  I made sure to make the colors a little bolder and brighter.  And add a little shadow to the background behind.  My hope is that that would make them stand out just a bit more.  For some of the lures it really did, some not quite as much as I wanted.

As I was painting this one, i suddenly went, uh oh, its a brown background with a brown pole and some darkish color lures, I hope its not too brown.  Well, it does look a bit brownish, but I don't think it takes away from the picture as a whole.  I also tried to make the pole look round.  Not exactly sure how that one turned out!

Trying hard to loosen up my painting style.  The wall is supposed to have reds and yellows and greens in it.  Guess that was a bit too subtle.  The next one will have to be a bit better.  I think the mixing of the colors on the lures is better.  My favorites are the ones on the ends.  One other thing.  I started cheating my highlights.  You may look and see the white highlight lines.  They are not paint at all.  White colored pencil.  Takes all the stress out of trying to leave white area when I paint, and when you look at it, you looks like a real reflection.  Yes, I probably could do the same with white gouache, but this took all of a few seconds to do and looks nearly exactly identical.

Hope you all enjoy, I had a great time painting it.

Keep it Reel

This painting for sale.  Watercolor 5 1/2 x 8 1/2.  $20

Well, in my attempt to elevate different everyday things to an artform, I give you the simple fishing reel.  Most of us probably have one or two sitting around in the basement or in the garage.  If you have ever gone to a garage sale, you've seen them. They get so unceremoniously tossed in a box and forgotten about for years and years.  Then one day you are doing your spring cleaning and..... Bammo..... there it is, and you have no idea what to do with it.  A quick search on Ebay to see if the reel is worth anything results in an overwhelming number or items that are tough to differentiate among.  Some are worth nothing, most worth a little, and a very few worth quite  a bit.

Well this humble instrument that allows us to have fun and catch our own dinner once in a while deserves more than that.  With this painting I hope to give it a little bump in the prestige department.  Hopefully viewing this reel will make you smile and feel good about your reel when you find it next spring.  Enjoy.