The Pretty Drive Home - Feb 26-27

I keep trying to capture the lacy winter trees against a colorful sky. Saw this view on my drive home the other day.

My Missouri - Feb 22 - 24

I saw this view the other morning - sunrise coming, a dark bank of clouds above. I still look at it and wonder if there is more to be done.

My Missouri - in progress - Feb 22, 2010

I always get home late on Monday. Tonight I was more tired than usual so I really painted out of commitment and close to habit. I picked something I thought would be easy. But as usual, I started to really fall for my subject. I like how this is looking and cant wait to work on it more tomorrow night!

Funny how the painting in progress is always the one that I like the best.

Emblematic Paris - Feb 21, 2010

San Leandro Sunset - Feb 20

I did this from a photo that my uncle took from his back deck that looks across the bay to the west. In low tide it is just very wet mud for quite a ways out.

I am still struggling to get the right look to clouds. I think next time I will paint the dark parts first and do the pink as a wash. I think that might blend better. But I like the way the water reflection turned out!

Sunrise from Pont de la Concorde

Every day in Paris the sunrise got better and better. I think this one was on our last day.

End of a day in Giverny

Another painting from my trip to Giverny. Thanks to my Uncle David for the great composition! I really love the way this one turned out!

More Fog

This was a day a couple of weeks ago. Day after day of fog here in the morning. I like the contrast of the pine tree in the foreground. It is hard to get the right look of the fine branches against the sky. I also am struggling with the pine needles. I need to practice on them more.

I like the light area between the pine and the other trees. That was not really there in my photo but I think it helps the composition of the painting. As Paul would say, I whipped out my artist's license!

Il Pleut a Giverny - Feb 15-16

Last fall in France we got caught in a rainstorm in Monet's gardens in Giverny. But the sun was still shining so there was light and color everywhere. We eventually found a nice table under an umbrella where we spent a couple of hours painting, eating and drinking wine. It was such a fun day!

The colors in the painting look more vivid than this picture. I need to get a better photo.

Everyday Sunset - Feb 14, 2010

I took some photos tonight at sunset - nothing real special about this particular sunset but I liked the way the sun was a big orange ball on the horizon. As I looked more at the photo I noticed the lovely variations in the clouds on the diagonal. I think this made a nice painting. I am happy with the values I got in the foreground and distance.

Overcast - Feb 13, 2010

I saw a beautiful overcast sky when driving to work and tried to memorize it. What I did not do is look at the foreground - I dont think I got it right for Missouri. Looks like somewhere else to me but I like how the clouds and dawn look.

Decided I needed to get back to doing a painting in a night. So here is the Burr Oack again - in winter.

Painting is good therapy after a stressful day at work!

Funny how the more it snows the more I want to paint flowers! I started this one last night after music practice. Only got the sketch, mask and first wash of green for the leaves and background. Tonight started to get fun with adding the pink.

Big Pine

As I was photographing the tree there was a red-tail hawk flying around. I'm hoping that this will look like a hawk to the viewer.

Big Pine - in progress

There is this big pine tree not far from my house that always looks so pretty against the sky. It is hard to strike the right balance between realistic and leaving a little for the viewer's imagination.

There is snow on the ground that is masked out. Will work more on this tomorrow.

Bouquet

I think it is done? So hard to know sometimes. Do I make some areas a little darker? I think when I am indecisive it is time to stop.

Bouquet - in progress

Added leaves and shadows tonight. I still need to rub off the masking fluid and trim things up a bit. But I am liking it!

As I was walking in to work today I was noticing the light on the windows, the refridgeration units. Seems like painting opens your eyes to the beauty that is all around. I hope that feeling lasts...

Bouquet - in progress

It is fun to paint the little shapes and then see the flowers emerge. It is obvious to me now that I picked a complicated photo - this is going to take a while.

By the way - today marks one full month of painting every day!

Bouquet - in progress

My second attempt on this one. Time to go to sleep - I'll work on this more tomorrow night.

Destroyed

I started this one last night after getting home about 9:30pm. I have included the photo that I was working from so you can see where this was going. I was happy with what I had so far and looked forward to working on it tonight. But when I got home I could not find my sketchbook. Of course I immediately thought "poltergeist" but then reminded myself that it is usually me that just mislaid whatever is missing. However, I then saw evidence that my sweet Golden Retriever, Tahoe, had been in the area where I left my sketchbook. She has shown an attraction for watercolor paints before so I immediately began to search for sketchbook fragments. I finally found it outside. Only one of the 5 paintings was not destroyed.

I keep telling people this is not about the painting but rather the act of painting. I guess I need to believe that now.

I am starting this painting over tonight.