Flower Meadow

We planted a perennial flower meadow in our back yard 6 years ago. In the summer it changes color every week. In the winter I leave the flowers standing for the birds - and for me - the echinacea (coneflower) is beautiful in every season. I paint it throughout the year - that and the pine stand behind it.

Summer Landscapes

Every day this past summer (2013) I painted small (6" x 9") landscapes on paper. I used paper so I could concentrate on the composition and color. When I work on canvas I paint and repaint for days and instead I wanted to look at my day's solution and move forward with a response in a subsequent painting.

Elephant Murals

Two murals. Abstract elephants from zoo sketches. 4' x 4' and 4' x 6'.

Still Life Progression

After looking at this painting on the wall for several months I started thinking of the oranges and espresso maker in simpler forms and repainted them.

And then painted some more...

I didn't want the painting to get too thick or have too many painted over forms so I took it into Photoshop to try different background color and more shapes.

And then I painted the final version.

For now.

Acrylic on linen.

Sweetgum

Liquidambar styraciflua - the spiky fruits of the American Sweetgum. 

In pencil - with a diameter of 18". 

Abstracted and repeated.

Photoshopped into art museums*.

*thanks to Martin

Milkweed

Milkweed pods. In pencil - three foot giants on my easel - and in watercolor (8.5" x 11"). Almost all of the seeds blown away.

A year of watercolor

I thought watercolor would be an easy way to sketch with color on location, but I wasn't very adept at the color part of it...or the brush part of sketching.

From my sketchbooks in 2010 and May 2012.

I started in the summer of 2012. And practiced and practiced - times about a thousand.  I used the books of Charles Reid as a guide to learn to use lots of colors and be looser with brushes.
 (Reid likes splashes so I tried them, too).

I kept practicing. (without the splashing)

Using photos. 

Painting from my sketches.

Finally, in January 2013, painting from life (the backyard).