Darkness Falls

Darkness Falls.  Watercolor.
Approximately 12 x 16 inches.

I think I mentioned that I got some new colors in my last art supply order.  One of those is a new blue that's used heavily in the sky here:  Indanthrone Blue by Daniel Smith.  It is an intense, almost purple blue.  I like it.  Other colors are quin burnt orange (in the building's roof), nickel azo yellow (mainly in the foreground), and quin....I'd have to get up to double check this.  It's either quin red or quin pink.  Paper is Kilamanjaro 300 lb cold press from a block.

I like this painting.  I think the composition appeals to me.  I realize that I say that as the painter, but I don't always have a plan when I start these made up landscapes, and this one worked out to be fairly successful.

Whoops, I came back to add that it's for sale on daily paintworks--if you're interested, you can scope here:  http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/608584

Day 15--30 Paintings in 30 Days. Three Houses

Three Houses.  Watercolor on Yupo.
Approximately 11 x 14 inches.

Day 6--30 Paintings in 30 Days. Tall House With Blue Door.

Tall House With Blue Door.  Watercolor.
Approximately 9.5 x 5.75 inches.

Roadside Barn

Roadside Barn.  Watercolor.
Approximately 10 x 14 inches

In a continuing theme, another barn.  This one is more reality base, which means I used a reference photo taken below on a trip from Columbus, OH back to Cincinnati last year.  I'm using the photo just for the shape of the barn, and a little bit as the suggestion of the landscape.  Once I had the barn organized, I stopped looking at the photo.

I did another painting based on a photo from this same trip, which you can find here.  And, I've been doing lots of barns and buildings lately, just for fun.  I need to take a day trip, and snap some more photos.  

The palette is Quinacridone burnt orange, prussian blue, and nickel azo yellow.  On Kilamanjaro 300 lb cold press paper.

I may still need to dim down the barn.  Will think on that.

I did get called away, mid-painting, so I snapped a pic on my way, you can see that at the bottom.

Let Me In

Let Me In.  Watercolor.
Approximately 6 x 9 inches.

I must be feeling extra messy.  Might be the stress of December.

Cobalt Blue and Quinacridone Burnt Orange on Kilamanjaro 300 lb cold press paper.

I must also be feeling brief!

House & Tree

House & Tree.  Watercolor.
6.25 x 8 inches.

It's been a beautiful fall in Cincinnati.  The skies are almost too blue.  The trees did end up putting on a show, and at the beginning of the last week, they got just beautiful.  Especially the gingkos.  For some reason, I always thought ginkgo trees were tall and skinny.  I've painted some before--you can see one HERE.    It turns out, they come more widespread like oaks.

This is a totally made up landscape.  It's almost the same palette as the last gingko I painted--in this case three warms:  quin burnt orange, quin gold, and nickel azo yellow and one cool--phthalo blue rs.  The paper is Kilamanjaro from Cheap Joes. 300 lb cold press.

Red Roof

Red Roof.  Watercolor on Yupo.
8 x 10 inches.

My second crack at Yupo.  In a promising turn of events, the painting started as a landscape and finished as a landscape. More disappointing, it was supposed to involve trees....

I really like the intensity of the color that stays on top of the paper, and love the texture you can bring out.

In this case, I have a whole conglomeration of colors involved, so I can't describe my palette.

I'm looking forward to trying to prepare these to hang--I think I can spray them with krylon and then mount them to a board/cradle which is promising if you've ever had to frame art....!  However, I do not own either krylon, the boards, or the paint to finish the sides of the cradle.  This may take me a minute.....

Over The Rhine In Cincinnati

OTR Abstracted.  Watercolor.
Approximately 22x30 inches.

I was just down at the Pendelton Center in Over The Rhine for the first class in a workshop on painting abstracts. The class is by Barb Smucker, and it was a ton of fun.  She offers guidelines, but in the end, it comes down to no holds barred, try anything you want.  We're not working on producing "ART," but are trying various techniques.  Yesterday was all about line.  Black lines.  You'd be surprised about how many different ways there are to make black lines.  She had india ink and brushes and pens and charcoal and paint pens, and oil pastels, and....well, you get the idea.  I made a huge mess, and had a fantastic time.

Anyhow, as you drive down Pendelton St. to get to the Center, you can see a jumble of houses and buildings climbing the hill.  It was hard to resist, so I gave the painting a whirl last night.  I'm not sure I'm done.  Still thinking.  My boys laugh at the amount of time I spend thinking about paintings. They think it is quite over the top.  Still, I have to think on it.  In particular, I'm thinking about the sky line and the horizon line.

Another huge painting.  I don't know what I'm going to do with all these big paintings, but they're sure to paint.

The details:  Fabriano 300 lb Rough Watercolor Paper.  Daniel Smith Watercolors:  Indian Yellow, Perinone Orange, Manganese Blue Hue, Quinacridone Pink and Quinacridone Purple.