HOMETOWN

Recent posts have been from my archives of paintings from the last 20 years, and here's another one. In my hometown there's a city park with a creek running through it which is lined with huge Sycamore trees. An old covered bridge was moved from somewhere in the county and rebuilt across the creek, creating a scene often painted by local artists.

This painting was done with a traditional watercolor approach, background first, then middle ground, then foreground, working on the largest areas before smaller ones. Miskit was applied to the Sycamore branches and lightest part of the trunk, as well as the bridge roof and snow covered rocks in the stream, before painting anything. A limited palette of colors was also used to help create a sense of unity and simplicity in all the tangle of branches.

"WILDCAT CREEK" Transparent Watercolor on 140#CP Arches 110 x 22" COLLECTED

FROZEN EN PLEIN AIRE

Sitting on an ice cold rock to paint a picture has to be true dedication. My paints were plopped on the ground beside me along with a small water container. We were above 9000 ft. elevation, and it was October and COLD. Very cold. The mittens on my hands had a place for my thumb and a finger to poke out to hold the cold paint brush.

After completing this small, glazed painting in about 3 hours time, I went on to another one. The second painting, which I will post if I ever find it again, had a beautiful pattern of ice crystals formed in the wash of the sky. The wet paint actually froze before it dried. Nothing like a little help from nature to make painting more challenging. I loved the crystallized touch and turned that painting into an African scene with palm trees (the ice crystals) and a giraffe.

This all happened at a wildlife workshop in the early 90's, and our instructor had dared us to go out into the field that day and paint. Most people from the workshop went on a gambling excursion, but about five of us took the dare - and FROZE. We were out from early morning until almost dark... but we were in the Rockies, in a beautiful area to paint. It was glorious and so, so, so cold. I remember being miserably cold and totally happy, too. And I'll never forget it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"SOLITUDE" Gouache and Transparent Watercolor on Bristol Board 12 x 9"

THREE'S COMPANY

Elegant swans always catch my eye. They are enchanting and incredibly graceful creatures and show up in so many areas of the world.

This painting is from the long ago, probably painted in the early '90's. Wonder if he is the rejected suitor?

"SWAN SONG" Transparent Watercolor on 140#CP Arches 18 x 14"