Sunday, November 20, 2011

Four Lions in the Fountain


It's always exciting on these virtual jaunts to round a corner and come across something awe inspiring. It makes me so grateful to be painting again.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Gargoyle


In Arles, France this month with Bill Guffey's Virtual Paintout, I came across this gargoyle (?), one of two over an ornate door on a side street. I have always been fascinated with the artisan works on buildings but it's difficult to get a decent vantage point to photograph them. Google's street view has the advantage of raising the viewpoint to nearly eye level.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Windowsill Still Life


The first frost is upon us so I picked the last of the summer tomatoes today to ripen on the windowsill. The little ceramic birds who normally perch there alone seemed a tad disgruntled with their new neighbor.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Monk




Spotted this delightful monk going about his business in picturesque Cagliari, Sardinia. I thought this garb came from the imaginations of movie costumers but it seems to be the real deal.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Abandoned

This apparently abandoned structure sits above a lake near Oschiri Olbia-Tempio, Italy.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Tennies on the Line

There are so many things to paint in Sardinia this month and with time running short, I'm going to try line drawing with watercolor washes to paint as much as I can. It's such a beautiful place, the temptation for me is just to cruise around looking rather than painting. Sketching should help with that problem a little! Really loved this process--sketching is not something I normally do for a finished product.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

On the Line


This month's virtual paintout is in Sardinia. Every time I "travel" to a new country, I fall in love and this location was no exception. There are so many charming sights to see, and I particularly enjoyed the colorful clothespins on the clotheslines hanging from balconies.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Tropical Isle, Bourbon Street



This painting not only looks a little spooky but it came to life in a spooky way too. My intention was to do a line and wash sketch of this New Orleans bar in daylight, as it was in the photograph. I truly don't know how it happened, but as the afternoon progressed, it turned into a full-blown nocturne, a style of painting I have no experience with at all! This one may become a part of my Halloween decorations.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Pulling in the Line


The sea has pulled out, leaving the boats in the harbor high and dry. The fisherman is pulling up the moorage line that has been buried in the sand as the water receded. Dry sand mixed with wet sand and standing water made this scene especially interesting to paint.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Statue on the Square


I am so inspired by the Island of Jersey! I loved the feel of this plaza scene, with some people sitting and chatting in the sunshine while other shoppers bustled by, and the modernistic statue adding its flair. It has an energy that feels very French, or as I imagine French energy would feel. :)

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Above the Jersey Shore


No, not that Jersey Shore--a Channel Island off the coast of France, where the Virtual Paintout has trekked to this month. What a gorgeous island it is! If I can only scrounge the time, I hope to paint several scenes there before the month is over.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Window Shopping in Antibes


Spying on window shoppers has become a favorite activity of mine. I found these two older ladies on a side street in Antibes on the French Riviera and couldn't resist painting them. I love the way the light casts shadows from the unseen buildings across the narrow street, making the viewer feel their closeness.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Outdoor Cafe

In my "paradise" days, I remember thinking, a little too smugly, that watercolor was easy but I'm not finding that true now. It's a struggle, but it's so much fun to splash around and watch the color flow. This busy plaza scene was in Nice, France.

Friday, May 6, 2011

On the Promenade




While cruising down the Promenade du Soleil on the French Riviera, virtually via Google Street View, I spotted these ladies enjoying a drink under the shade of a straw umbrella. What I wouldn't give....

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Meet and Greet



These two aunties were an island of calm in an otherwise busy Japanese marketplace, catching up on the latest news.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Light At the End of the Tunnel




This walkway led to what I assume is a Buddhist temple in Japan, as seen on Google's street view. As I painted, my thoughts were with the people there and my heartfelt prayer is that they will soon see the light at the end of their dark and difficult journey.

Friday, March 18, 2011

On the Rocks




I traveled, virtually, via Google's street view, to Cape Town, South Africa, for this month's virtual paintout. It was great to escape the last rains of the winter to paint by the sunny South African shore. You can view the scene on street view by clicking here.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Almost Flying


As usual, I'm flying into the home stretch at the very end of the monthly Virtual Paintout challenge. I wish there was more month ahead so I could paint more of beautiful Romania but oh well, there are other countries to learn about and paint. This is the first horse I have painted and the first time I have picked up my watercolor paints in many months. Wow, was it fun! The original scene had a rider on the back of the horse but what fascinated me was the horse who only had one foot touching the pavement as he flew down the street.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Coming Home


Back in the day, I used to paint with pastels quite a bit, primarily to paint models in life drawing sessions. Then the watercolor bug bit me and I put them away for a very long time. Yesterday I dusted them off and painted this scene for the virtual paintout challenge in Romania. It was like coming home again.