Found: Lighthouse in Progress

Boulder Point Lighthouse IPWent rooting through a paper drawer this weekend, and look what I found! Don’t remember when I started it, must have been 2013 or so. I recall being disappointed with the sky at the time and sort of abandoned the effort. Last night, it started looking good! Some paintings just need to age apparently. Now I like it – time to finish it!

I wondered if this was the lighthouse at Orfordness in East Anglia, but the tops are different. This must therefore be a made-up lighthouse, probably as an excuse to paint the dramatic sky.

California Door

california-door-1-finalTesting Twinrocker rough. (Conclusion? I like it. I really really like it. I may have to start affording it. )

8″ x 10″ from their sample pack, bright white paper. Maimeri Blu PB29 and PR101, and DS PO48.

This is a made-up door, very typical of California cookie-cutter condos (with their mishmash of architectural styles) and blazing summer sun. The iron decoration is from the wall of a nearby apartment building.

Originally posted on WetCanvas.com

Last Light on the Aspens

Last-LightApparently my muse wants to go camping! A made-up scene inspired by all the pretty fall photos I’ve been seeing. 6″x9″ on Arches 140lb rough, PB60/PO48 with PO73, PY150, PY129 and a random splash of PG7 in the foliage.

Very pleased with the foreground shrubs, which are somewhat inspired by Roland Lee (a masterful painter of skies as well.)

I might do a larger version.

Originally posted on WetCanvas.com.

Pebble Sand – Demo

CK_chicago-beach_09--98I’ve been digging through scads of old photos this weekend, scrounging for reference pics. Found a few winners, including this shot of some pebbles on the lakeshore in Chicago, taken on vacation in 1998.

I wanted to keep a limited palette and also explore the sand-creating possibilities of the best granulator I know: Daniel Smith Genuine Purpurite. This stuff is so granular it’s almost best not to really paint with it, as much as dab it on and let the water float it around.

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