One from the Fort

I don't often paint a lot of landscapes from the island but here is a new one of clouds over the ranger house at Fort Clinch State Park.  

"Mountains" of Fernandina
20 x 16 Oil on Canvas
2015

Mixed Media

Experimenting with mixed media on raw canvas.

Bisti
36 x 18 Mixed media on
canvas  2015

Winter on the River

Winter River Near Globe AZ
16 x 12 Oil on Canvas
2015

Everglades Mangroves

 •Everglades Mangroves
24 x 36 Oil on Canvas
2015

Exploring in Mixed Media

The really great part of having a larger studio space is the ability to work again in multiple media at the same time without having to put all the materials away.  I have begun working in a series of mixed media pieces that continue a theme I began back in college.  These are largely experimental and working this way is a challenge that forces me to think in a purely visual place without the reference of a representational cue to guide the work.

Red Sky at Night
24 x 18 Mixed Media on
Linen Panel

Star Fall
40 x 28 Mixed Media on Canvas

Sunrise
30 x 22 Mixed Media on
Fabriano Watercolor Paper

Oil Sketches

I am currently finishing up a large oil and working on a new mixed media series that I will post soon.  I find myself "sketching" in paint more than in pencil or chalk lately.  Small watercolor and gouache sketches in notebooks sometimes migrate to small oils on canvas boards before transitioning (or not) to larger canvas.  Below are some 8 x 10 oil "sketches" that may make the leap to full size or just stay as they are.  

Sky Frame Sketch 1
8 x 10 Oil on Canvas Board

That Door on Canyon Road
8 x 10 Oil on Canvas Board

Mist on Egans Creek
8 x 10 Oil on Board 

See the Hibiscus Series at Lulu's

The series of hibiscus paintings are now showing at Lulu's at the Thompson House (11 S. 7th Street, Fernandina Beach), through December.  Stop by and see them if you are in town and try some of Brian's fabulous food.

All Florida Show

We were traveling during the opening but finally made it down to Stuart to see the 25th Annual Martin County All Florida juried show.   My painting, Lily Pond at the Fairchild, will be there until the 14th of this month if you are in the area.

More from Arizona

The amazing aloe plants of the Arizona desert gardens captivated me on our trip last winter.  Here is the second painting from the reference photos I took on that visit in Tucson.  These plants were about 3 to 4 foot across, and some were up to 5 foot tall with great beards of dried leaves.

Desert Candelabra
3'x 3' Oil on Canvas
2015 

More Hibiscus for the Series

Hibiscus Series:  White #2
16 x 20 Oil on Linen Panel
2015

Hisbiscus Series Continues

Hibiscus Series - White #1
20 x 16 Oil on Linen Panel
2015 

Hibiscus Series Group One

It is full on summer here in NE Florida and the Hibiscus is in glorious bloom in my yard and all the garden stores.   The wonderful variety of petal shapes and colors make it ideal for a series of "portraits".  Here are the first four paintings completed.  I am now working on two somewhat larger paintings of White hibiscus flowers which I hope to share soon. 

Hibiscus Series - Blue Hawaii
12 x 12 Oil on Linen Panel

Hibiscus Series - Orange Flame
12 x 12 Oil on Linen Panel

Hibiscus Series - Peach
14 x 11 Oil on Canvas Panel

Hibiscus Series - Sunshine
12 x 12 Oil on Linen Panel

Bahia Honda

Bahia Honda
24 x 18 Oil on Linen Panel

More Southwest Watercolors

Here are the final 3 paintings in the first of the watercolor pads completed this month...

Tent Rocks
20 x 15 Watercolor

December Afternoon at the White Place
15 x 20 Watercolor



Checkerboard Mesa

15 x 20 Watercolor

Cruising Utah

I have a few more of these watercolors of the southwest done but can only get two photographed for the blog today.  These are both from Utah.  The one is the grand staircase escalante formations near Boulder Utah, the other is one of the arches at Arches National Park near Moab.  Wandering the backroads between destinations was almost better than the parks themselves at times with amazing long views of the formations from the "back". 

On the Road to Boulder
20 x 15 Watercolor
2015

Sky Frame
15 x 20 Watercolor
2015
 

More from Capital Reef

Red Ridge Capital Reef
14 x 11 Oil on Canvas Panel
2015

Back to the Southwest

I have been painting primarily in oils for the past few months and felt a need to get back to watercolor for some work I wanted to do from travels in the southwest.  Our local Jacksonville art supply store had some 15x20 watercolor pads on closeout when I stopped in so I picked up a few to "sketch" in, and work out some images that I have been thinking of painting for a while.  Below are the first 6 paintings in this series.  I may fill both pads before I finish this group and will share the progress as I go along.

All of this work is on 20 x 15, 140 lb Aquarell watercolor paper.

Back Road to Capital Reef
20 x 15 Watercolor

Badlands in Southern Utah
15 x 20 Watercolor

Bandolier Shadows
20 x 15 Watercolor

Hoodoos at the White Place
20 x 15 Watercolor

Near Abique Lake
15 x 20 Watercolor

Off the Pedernal Trail Road
15 x 20 Watercolor

Now for something completely different...

I draw with a group from a live model a few times a month to keep that muscle memory for drawing in shape but have really never painted a portrait.  A few weeks ago the model was one of our exhibiting members at the gallery and I missed that session.  Paul who runs the group, sent me the photos of the model and I decided that I would paint her in oil just for a change up in what I am working on.  It was challenging but also quite interesting to work with and may become a new subject source in the future.

Brown Eyed Girl
(Cori in Blue Silk)
20 x 16 Oil on Linen Panel  2015

Catching up and new work

I have been busy getting things sorted here in the studio for a new site selling my work.  I now have paintings at the JW Frame Gallery here on the island as well as at the Island Art Association.  For any folks up near Atlanta, my painting, After the Rains, will be in the Women Painters of the Southeast juried show and sale, at the Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Association in Blue Ridge Mountain Georgia beginning with previews on April 3 and open through May 1st. 

I have just photographed a couple of new paintings, one of which I share below. 

Spike
36 x 24 Oil on Canvas
2015

This painting comes from hiking around desert botanical gardens in Arizona last year.  The light was so crisp and sharp while we were there that all the edges shimmer when you look at the plants.  This is an aloe that was just at peak bloom.  The aloe was around 4 foot tall and had an impressive "beard" of old dry leaves.

More from the show

Wild Yucca on Big Talbot
18 x 24 Oil on Linen Panel    2014

Red Pads at the Fairchild
28 x 22 Oil on Canvas    2014

Lily Pond at the Fairchild

Lily Pond at the Fairchild
18 x 48  Oil on Canvas
2014

Bromeliads on the Border

•Bromeliads Border
40 x 30 Oil on Canvas
2014

Artist of the Month Show

Just finished hanging a small show of new work as the "Artist of the Month" at the Island Art Association.   This work is a collection of oil paintings from Florida gardens and parks I have visited over the past year.

This show will be up for the month of February and the opening reception is Saturday, February 14th from 5-7 pm. Check it out if you are around town.  I will post photos of the individual works later with details.

Everglades Mangrove Creek

Mangrove Creek
28 x 22 Oil on Canvas
2014

I will be the featured artist at the Island Art Association for February so am readying some of my latest series of paintings for the show.  This series mostly focuses on plants in the Florida landscape.  While staying in Key Largo for a couple of nights we toured the mangrove creeks on the bay and I was fascinated by all the life in the water at the base of those roots.   This painting was exploring the feeling of that water and the darkness in the interior of that mangrove stand.