Fishing Around

The last of four commissions done-and everyone liked their paintings thank goodness! This one seemed to paint itself onto Fabriano 300# hot press paper, and using watercolor with a Brusho background for the bright corals.  The customer provided a photo that he took while diving in Mexico; it's a juvenile spotted drumfish, which I had never heard of before.  Though commissions are challenging, it makes me push myself and I learn something new every time!

More ADK

I've been wanting to paint this scene for years! Kayaking on Big Moose River in the fall is the best treat with its powerful, natural beauty.
I've become a big fan of this Khadi paper handmade in India; it holds the color so well and is soft to the touch. It would be great to make a little journal out of.  Best of all, it's not expensive so you can experiment all you want without being worried about the cost!

Adirondack Moment

From an annual kayak trip to Covewood Lodge on Big Moose Lake.  We were soooo fortunate to catch several 80 degree sunny days in a row during peak autumn color.  I managed to squeeze a bit of time between paddling, hiking, golfing and chatting to paint from the dock.  Hope to do more from the many photos we took. I wish I didn't need sleep this time of year-there is so much rich scenery to paint from!

September Sunflowers

Sometimes I hesitate to paint sunflowers because so many other artists do, but I couldn't resist this bunch a friend gave me last weekend. It was a rainy day and these were perfect to  play with to cheer things up!

A little plein air study from our vacation in California.  Carmel beach is a haven for dog lovers! And for the dogs of course-they run and play for hours. It is so charming (and clean!)

Conservation Area

It's been the busiest month ever and a great start to summer after our never ending winter.  There's so much to catch up on this blog; I will have to start with this picture and go backwards. We have a beautiful conservation area that features this pond-it is always stocked with fish so families come visit to fish and enjoy nature. I'd like to do a series from this area portraying the life that it has; people and their dogs are always playing and walking the trails and having picnics.

Oh, and this is a new paper that I LOVE! It is Khadi handmade Indian paper. It has a wonderful soft feel, and watercolor is a dream to paint on it. The color stays fresh and it holds water well, and the paint lifts nicely. Not too expensive either, maybe $1 per "12x16" sheet.

Indigo Bunting

A beautiful indigo bunting came to the feeder on Mother's Day! What a nice little gift; it's a first time visit from this bird. I struggled for a while to find the right color blue to paint him and finally settled on Brusho turquoise, which was the perfect shade. They really are this color!