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.   

Amelia Island Shrimpboat

Untitled (Shrimpboat at Amelia Island Waterfront)
8 x 8 Oil on Canvas
 

This year's small painting for the gift exchange with the Wednesday Oil Painters group.

Abstractions

Slot Canyon Wall
15 x 21 Mixed Media on
300lb Fabriano paper 

Meanwhile back at the Ranch

This painting is from photo references I took while we were in San Antonio.  I was drawn to the colors of the old sign in front of the bare cottonwood trees behind the buildings as we drove down the street, so we had to pull  over and take a couple of pictures.  This painting is currently up in the nouveau show at the Island Art Association, art walk is Saturday from 5-7, it will be there for the next 2 months.

Ranch Motel

20 x 24 Oil on Canvas

 

See it in Stuart Florida

The painting below is currently showing in the 24th Annual All-Florida Juried Arts Show at the Martin County cultural arts center in Stuart Florida.