This is a watercolor of the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. This was a challenging project due to the vast amount of architectural detail in the building. I struggled with the composition until I explored the use of white space and the idea of a partial vignette.
I tried one final painting on cold press, which failed. This one was done on Arches hot press and I forced myself to use a light touch with the brush. This allowed the painting to breath and suggests a bright summer day with glowing colors. The final painting is 14" x 20".
Hillside houses and trees in the San Rafael Hills of Pasadena, California.
Pen and watercolor on Fabriano watercolor paper.
Here are some more abstract study sketches. The are done with Holbein acrylic on gesso'd watercolor paper and are 5" x 7" in size.
This is a painting I just completed for Many Moons Press about Charles Francis Saunders, a naturalist who spent a lot of time in the mountains of Southern California.
Here are some recent paintings. The top two are of the Vista del Arroyo as seen from the roof.
Below that is a reworked sketch of the City Hall in Santa Barbara.
Lastly, a mid-century modern house in Pasadena.
Here are two recent sketchbook entries: the top image is of a night concert at Azusa Pacific University; the bottom one is a scene of a house covered hillside in Pasadena. These were done in an Aquabee Sketchbook.
I am producing a number of large abstract paintings for a mid-century house in Pasadena. I will be documenting the process here. This is the first step: exploring various compositions and color combinations in a series of small studies. I am using acrylic paint applied to 5.5" x 7.5" gessoe'd watercolor paper. I don't have a preconceived idea in mind when I start each study, I just start painting. When the paint starts to look like something, I push it in that direction.
The final paintings will be done in acrylic on stretched canvas. The largest will be 60" x 80". I will be configuring my new studio to allow me to work in these new larger sizes.
I did a number of small studies last year, in fact, the top sketch was from that series. I have been taking some of the original ones and reworking them. I have many more directions to explore.
I frequently rework paintings, particularly ones I am not satisfied with. While I am pleased now, this collection of Los Angeles sketches was never quite right, and for a long time I wasn't sure why. I finally realized the colors were too strong. So the other night in my studio I started playing around with white paint. I lightened the sky with titanium white, and created a sense of atmosphere with varying degrees of wash over the background. In the process I smeared some of the details, which loosened the painting up, and gave it more energy.
While I am a fan of bold, bright colors, there is something to be said for muted and subdued tones, and trying to develop the look of faded colors on a hazy summer day, (or in the case of Dodger Stadium, a warm August night).
It is finally finished. Rameen admires the completed wall mural. It is in his office.
Here are the final sketches from my long weekend in Vermont. I spent some time after the last class wandering around the hotel and sketching. The next morning I did a couple of quick sketches while waiting for my flight to Chicago. It was early and the sun was just coming up. I like to sketch inside the plane as well. The top sketch was from my outbound trip, but here I have added some color. The fellow in the hat was wearing a neutral colored shirt - I changed it to add interest. FInally, a view of the engine.
I packed my minimal travel gear (artist field sketch box, travel brushes, sketchbooks, portable easel and campstool), and drove over to the lake for a Saturday morning paint out. I found a bench in the perfect spot for two different views.
I did a study sketch in my 6" x 9" Aquabee sketchbook, and the final in an 11" x 14" Canson Montval watercolor sketchbook.
