Watercolor: Adolescence

Adolescence 4.25 x 5.5 watercolor (dry brush) on Illustration Board
For the last 3-4 months, I've been reading Andrew Wyeth - A Secret Life, by Richard Meryman. Every page is a pleasure, because of Meryman's intimately personal view of Wyeth as an artist, a man, a son, a brother, a husband, etc. When I closed the book yesterday, I felt compelled to try a little dry brush on board while pondering what I'd just read.
Work in process, upright on the easel. Working this way (as opposed to flat on a desk) is still challenging for me, but I'm getting more comfortable with it. The Mahl stick helps a lot.

Monotype: Window Hat

Window Hat 7 x 9 Monotype with Watercolor & Colored Pencil
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An open window, and an open door, with back lit flowers in a glass vase - on a sill in a vintage bungalow bathroom in Los Angeles.

I used to live in a second story carriage house with lots of 1930's tile and lead-weight windows with hundred-layer painted sills. The light in that house used to stop me in my tracks, and send me scampering for a sketch book and my camera. The reference photo for this monotype is 15 years old, but I still enjoy the process of trying to capture the atmosphere in those little rooms. This piece will be exhibited in March at Descanso Gardens in the Boddy Carriage House Gallery. March 6-April 2nd. Stop by and say hello.

Pulling the image out of ink rolled onto a beveled, plexiglass plate by wiping, smearing and lifting pigment with paper towels, q-tips and fingers.

Pulling the print after a trip through the press; soaked and blotted paper is laid on the still-wet, inked plate, and then sandwiched with felt blankets before being squeezed together with steel rollers on a Takach press.


The monotype on the left (which was altered with other media after the ink dried, and is shown at the top of this post), and a ghost print on the right (waiting in my flat files for some added media fun).

Watercolor: Siesta

Siesta 5x7 Watercolor on Arches Hot Press paper
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This small study was painted from a photo taken by my friend VLB while she was on a cruise in Mexico. I love the colors, the subject (naps) and the composition of her image, and I'm lucky to have her permission to paint from it. I'll be working on something larger from this shot in the next few weeks.

Watercolor: Brand Blvd Kitchen

Brand Blvd Kitchen 5 x 8 Watercolor on Arches Cold Press paper
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I'm grinning awkwardly to be featured in Chris Beck's watercolor blog Brush - Paper - Water this week. Take a look at the great line up of watercolor artists she's featured, and be sure to stop and look at Chris's wonderful paintings too before you scoot on your way.

Watercolor: Retired Racer

Retired Racer 9.5 x 8.25 Watercolor on Canson Plate Bristol
This is Magoo - our big, gentle boy. He was part of our family for 11 years, and modeled for me (in exchange for milk bones) many times. It's been a trying week - missing his company, his sounds, and our routines. The space he occupied is so vacant now. Rest peacefully, little old man.

Watercolor: Entry Window

Entry Window 12 x 6 Watercolor on Strathmore Aquarius II paper
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Painted from a reference photo that I've been painting and sketching from for almost 10 years. There's something about windows & sills that I've always loved.

Work in process on the easel

Watercolor: Help with Homework

Help with Homework 5 x 4.25 Watercolor on Arches paper
Available for purchase here.
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When I was a kid, I used to do homework at my father's drafting table in a little laundry room at the back of the kitchen. One of our Siamese cats would invariably come over and offer assistance. Especially if I was distracted already, bored, or stuck on a problem. You can't really study math when there's a cat sitting on the corner of your text book, purring, now, can you? I mean, really.

Working on the watercolor, upright on the easel, with my 1970 reference photo.