Thatched Cottage

A scouting trip around the Isle of Wight for September's Virtual Paintout brought me to this ancient thatched cottage. Originally built in the 1600s, it now serves as lodging. Wish I could go see it for real!

Detroit Mist

This month's virtual paintout takes us to the city of Detroit. Since it is a city with deep financial woes, I expected it to be an impoverished, boarded up, graffiti plagued wasteland, but I found it lovely, for the most part. I've been hungry for texture in my paintings lately so tried a combo of watercolor and gouache to depict this atmospheric scene.

Flower Blocks

This was a challenging but super fun exercise in my sketchbook to play with a limited palette. I used two new to me colors, antwerp blue and chrome yellow lemon, as well as rose dore, a color I haven't used in years. None of the colors had a lot of value strength so I punched up some of the background with moonglow. This is not my usual painting style but was so much fun I think I'll do some refinement in the design and enlarge it.

Oregon Grape

The weather has been perfect for plein air sketching and painting. I didn't realize how rusty my drawing from nature skills have gotten, ugh! Fortunately, it is pure fun to be outside with a fountain pen and my tiny (4x2") palette in such sweet weather so I'm getting a little practice. I sat on a flat rock on a low bridge over a pond to sketch these Oregon grapes.

Southern Style (cropped)

After painting the original Southern Comfort, posting it here, and sending it off to Bill Guffey of the Virtual Paintout for posting, I plunked it in a mat with an 8x10 opening and I think it works a little better, maybe. It reduces the number of shapes, which seems more eye pleasing. What d'ya think?

Southern Style

We travel to Charleston, South Carolina with the Virtual Paintout this month. I love the stately, picturesque homes, especially the white ones that capture the feel of sunshine, set off by the lush tropical trees and flowers.

Palm Study

Just seeing how far I could push the color on this one. I might have gone a tad overboard but I've been feeling that my color has been heading toward the anemic end of the scale lately so this was good practice.