Alley Shadows 2

I did the underlying ink sketch one afternoon downtown. I was attracted to the shadow play on an alley wall. I later added watercolor. Initially I considered it finished and put it away. I came across it this week and added pastel. I think its finished now.

Yellow Irises 2

I was able to get quite a few paintings out of this bouquet. I liked the challenge of trying to get the colors and values right. I should do another wet on wet to get some soft edges for the background. Anyway, I worked with Daniel Smith watercolors on Canson's Moulin Du Roy watercolor paper. I like how the surface takes the paint.

Cactus Flowers

These flowers were blooming in a neighbor's yard. I did some sketching on site and took a few photos. This piece was inspired by one of the photos. I used Shizen pastel paper. I like it because it forces you to get it down and done in as few passes as possible. Another advantage is that it comes in multiple colors. Lately I have felt a lot of freedom with my art. It's for me and my joy. More like my playground.

Courthouse Shine

Those of us that work at the courthouse know this man as Ben. I never knew his last name but I saw him almost daily as I went about my business in the Criminal Justice Center (CJC). He posed for me years ago and I painted this from one of the three to four photos I took of him. He died a few years ago. I made this painting back in 2005. In April I was in a car accident and this painting was in my car. The frame was busted up in the wreck. It gave me the opportunity to photograph the painting again.

I like painting radishes.

Lone Sky Bird

Since we have had some beautiful clouds lately I have been practicing painting the sky. This one makes me peaceful and calm. The bird added the finishing touch. The recent events in South Carolina make me sad for my country. Last year I was in Charleston and had the opportunity to walk by this church many times. The church steeple was one of my first paintings of the area. That painting was done from my hotel window. At the time I did not know the significance of this church. I do now.

Luck Ladies

I have been overwhelmed by living lately so the blog went quite. I have been painting a lot and I have much to share. I just get home from work and do not want to touch this computer. I work with computers a lot at work that may be my issue. I have been taking classes on Craftsy lately. Its fun and it makes me pay attention. I need a voice teaching me something to keep me in my chair. Otherwise I am easily distracted.

Coastal Peace and In The Eye

Okay I know we just had some horrible flooding but today I wanted to be near the ocean. I walked 10 blocks to and from the gym today and the heat is here. Add to that I walked in work clothes and shoes. This is a scene from Fort Bragg, California that I painted a few years ago.

One of my many flower portraits. I started out with an oil underpainting. After that dried I applied pastel and left some of the underlying stain visible.