Daily Painter Week Fifteen

Well it's been awhile!  This week I decided to do a stop action of the PBS program "the Boomer List".  The show is comprised of short interviews of nineteen baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964, one chosen for each year.
As each person told their story, I looked for a place to freeze the frame and when I found a good facial expression, I did a contour drawing of them.  Here they are....

1948 - Samuel Jackson

1946 - Tim O'Brien

1951 - Tommy Hilfiger

1952 - Amy Tan

1947 - Deepak Chopra

1955 - Maria Shriver

1950 - Steve Wazniak

Their words are as fascinating as their faces.  It is a most worthwhile show to catch when it is replayed....

Daily Painter Week Fourteen

It's been a very busy summer!  We just got back from a week on Cape Cod visiting friends and enjoying the wonderful weather at the beach.  So now that we're home and life promises to settle down a bit, it's back to work in the studio.
Although some experimental watercolor and gold abstract paintings are perhaps best forgotten, I did happily finish the two lily paintings I started at Saint Gaudens and I am pleased with them.

"Muscadet Lilies"

ink and watercolor - 9" x 12"

"Stargazer Lilies"

ink and watercolor - 9" x 12"

Looking forward, I have several photos and many ideas for new work from summer in Vermont and  our recent vacation on Cape Cod....

Daily Painter Week Thirteen

At Saint Gaudens the lilies were just beautiful.  Here are two line drawings, later to become watercolors....

"Stargazer Lilies"

ink drawing - 9" x 12"

"Muscadet Lilies"

ink drawing - 9" x 12"

And at the Weston Priory, I noticed these three little apples on the ground while we were having a picnic lunch...

"Priory Apples"

pencil drawings - 4" x 6"

I brought these "volunteers" home and enjoyed remembering the day as I drew them.

Vermont Welcome Center

This week I went south to Guilford, Vermont to the Welcome Center on I-91 to hang ten landscapes for the month of September.  The Center showcases the work of artists and crafts people and businesses from around the state.  Five panels hold my work in both oil and acrylic as you can see below....

I'll go back down at the end of the month to pick up my paintings, and hopefully between now and then many visitors traveling north on route 91 will have had the chance to see my work....

Daily Painter Week Twelve

I've been working on this drawing for awhile now.  It's an experiment with drawing on 2" deep cradled gesso board for hanging without additional framing.  After I do a bit more work on it, I will paint the cradle gold.

"Old Tree on River Road"

soft pencil on gesso board - 12" x 18"

Also this week, I've done a bit of drawing in my little sketchbook--studies for future work.  Below are four watercolor paintings of echinacea developed after their studies....

"Echinacea"

watercolor and collage - 4" x 6"

These four are framed and gracing the dining room now.

Daily Painter Week Eleven

Well, it looks like it's another floral week!  This time of year, flower gardens are so beautiful they can't be denied.  I was inspired to create the pieces below during a visit to Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, New Hampshire.  It was a hot, sunny day and after Sandy and I toured the house and gardens, we settled down to work....

"Hollyhocks"

Sharpie marker and colored pencil on watercolored paper

5 1/2" x 7 1/2"

"Day Lilies"

Sharpie marker and colored pencil on watercolored paper - 6" x 8"

"Poppies"

Sharpie marker and colored pencil on watercolored paper  - 6" x 10"

Working with these media is one of my favorite ways to sketch.  It comprises the best of several worlds: watercolor wash done either before or after the marker drawing and colored pencil to finish.

Daily Painter Week Ten

A busy, busy week!  First up is the painting I did in my plein aire workshop in Pomfret.  I worked with a new palette and mixed all my greens which was quite a challenge.  And who knew you could make a great cerulean blue with white, a little bit of thalo blue and cadmium lemon yellow?

"Felicity Farm"

9" x 12" - oil on canvas

Last week, Sandy and I went to Cider Hill Gardens in Windsor to paint.  I haven't finished my painting yet but here are some photos of the amazing perennials there....

"Day Lilies"

"Astilbe"

"Little Roses"

"Little Hosta"

"Huge Hosta"

Finally, below, is the colorful hanging basket on our deck.  It needs lots of water and dead-heading but it's worth it for all this abundant color....