"Proud"

My latest piece, Proud, is a different direction for me. It is 7" x 10" (which is pretty small for me) and is more illustrative than usual. I used this reference photo from MorgueFile since peacocks don't grow on trees.

This one is in the collection of my friend Harold Shull, an illustrator and artist for whom I have great respect. I am happy for him to own one of my little pieces!

I used Iridescent watercolors from Daniel Smith except for the blues, which are French Ultramarine from Winsor & Newton, and the Peacock Blue by Holbein. I used drybrush with a fan brush on the feathers to create a wispy feel while letting some of the paper shine through, keeping some whites. I wish my photo communicated the shimmer - it was so much fun to use such yummy paints. I used Iridescent Scarab Red by DS in the feathers - an awesome shimmery warm rust red, but has a warm yellow-green glow. So when you turn the paper it changes tone, just like a peacock's feathers.

Sue Galos' Trees!

I have to post about a new painting in my collection by my friend, Sue Galos, a wonderful watermedia artist in Sarnia, Ontario. You can see from her website that she has a love of intense color, tangible textures, and has an experimental spirit. I love this piece, and framed it with a rustic frame to contrast the approach, which is very modern, with the subject, which is very traditional and of course, the material from which the frame originated. It is now hanging in the only hallway in my home, in a place of honor.

"Seabrook Inlet'

Anthony and I spent a glorious early morning last summer watching the sunrise over the inlet at the south end of Seabrook Island, SC. I took a photograph but it doesn't do the scene much justice. It does, however, remind me of what the scene felt like, so it helped my painting memory quite well.
I kept this loose and abstract, focusing on the shapes, colors, and textures. I strayed away from reality to communicate what I love about the low country. That morning we saw dolphins swim up the creek within feet of us...it was incredible. So peaceful and quiet, with nary a wave and an unforgettable salty, marshy smell. The tall marsh grass is so beautiful to me, and the smell of marsh funk takes me back to my days living in the low country.

As for the technical side, this is pure watercolor on 300-Lb Arches Cold Press, a half sheet (15"x22") with Ox Gall added to the water for enhanced flow and spreadability. I used a limited palette of Permanent Rose (Winsor & Newton), New Gamboge (Daniel Smith), Cobalt Blue (Holbein), Sap Green (MaimeriBlu), Viridian (WN), and a touch of Italian Venetian Red (DS). This was more of a learning experience than a "finished" painting, but it is a record of where I am starting from with semi-abstract landscapes.