Blue Crab

Well so much has happened since my last post. On Friday I received a call to be in the Stockley Gardens Art Show. I had applied and was put on the waiting list. I was already in show mode so I was ready to go. It was a great show and I sold 4 paintings. Including Blue Crab, Koi 3, Multicolored Magnolia 2 and Trees on the River. I cannot believe that I sold the Koi painting so quickly. Two of the paintings that I sold were going to show at Pembroke 4 Gallery starting July 23rd. Of course I knew they might sell if I put them in a show.

After the show this weekend I need to get back into painting mode. I really cannot wait to start my days painting again. I really miss that. It is meditative. Recently I've been so busy with Art Shows that painting time is scarce. It will be a nice place to go back to for a while.

Next year I'm planning on picking and choosing my Art Shows a little more carefully. I want to do less shows and be able to keep on painting. Now I only have to listen to myself.

Central Park

I actually painted this painting twice. The first one I sold about a year ago. In this version I tried some new things.

First of all I did it on hot pressed paper. I usually work on cold pressed paper. Hot pressed paper is very smooth and does not absorb the paint as much. There are more back runs or blossoms and the paint dries faster. But it gives a smooth surface that I wanted to achieve for the ice cold water.

The next thing I did was limit my color pallette to only three colors, paynes grey, davy's grey and burnt umber to achieve the feeling of the cold temperature.

Over the last two weeks I taught my "Tricks" class in beginning watercolors. In this class I demonstrate different ways of creating textures and effects often with non-painting substances. For example after laying in a wash of color you sprinkle a little salt and little star shapes appear in the paint. It is always a fun class and people usually choose some tricks to enter into their repertoire of tools for painting.

In Central Park I have used three tricks. If you are one of the first two people who can guess what they are, I will give you a print of the painting. You need to write the three tricks used in the comments section below. You are not elligible if I have already told you the answer. This is for people in the continental United States only.

So good luck with this little contest and hope to hear from you soon.

Colored Pencils

This Egret is one of my first colored pencil drawings on colored paper that I did in class with Jack Whitlow. I really enjoy the white wing with the feeling of light shining through it. He is so delicate and pensive and peaceful.

I will have him in the show at Jerry's Artarama this weekend. It is Saturday May 2nd from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm and Sunday May 3rd from noon to 6:00 pm. The address is 5358 Fairfield Shopping Center, Virginia Beach, VA 23454. If you live in the area come on by to see me and 19 other artists. If you are one of the first three people who tell me I read your blog you will get a free 8" x 10" print.

Also if you live in the area I am starting a new Colored Pencil class at Jerry's Artarama on Friday May 8th from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. If you are interested in learning colored pencils on colored paper come by and check it out. You will be surprised how much fun it is.

Koi

I painted "Koi" last summer after doing an art show at the Pagoda in Norfolk. They have a large pond filled with Koi and it inspired me to do the painting. I have always been fascinated with them. I tried a fairly new technique. I "poured" the watercolor paint in the background. This consists of mixing up some liquid watercolors and literally pouring them on to the paper. I then lift the board that the paper is taped to and move it around in different directions. (Sometimes I cheat and take my large round watercolor brush and move the paint.) Then I painted the fish with fluid acrylics. This was tricky because I could not take off any paint that went where it wasn't supposed to.

When I painted this painting it was pretty amazing. I remember it being a very freeing experience. I moved through it so quickly and it was as if the painting was trying to paint itself.

I am very proud of this painting and have received wonderful feedback for it. I put it in the 17th Street Art Festival last year and a couple commissioned me to do it as larger painting (even though this one is 20" X 28".) Just recently I put it in the Chesapeake Bay Watercolorists 1st on-line Art Show and it won best in show!!!

Please feel free to send comments on this painting and any new ones that I post.