Feather Man

Hot color and tight cropping can make a watercolor entertaining and full of spirit.

California State Capitol Building

A watercolor painting I just did as part of a workshop I conducted at the Fair Oaks School of Light and Color. The capitol building is where our state legislature screws up the economy just like in DC! Power to the 1%.

Plein Air Painting of A and A Bakery ruins

Last Sunday, I was invited along with about fifteen other prominent Sacramento plein air artists to paint at an annual plein air event in my neck of the woods, East Sacramento. E. Sac. is a very "tony" area of my fair city, and has some beautiful parks and splendiferous old homes. Being a fan of artist William Wray, self proclaimed "Painter of Blight", I decided to paint A and A Bakery. For at least ten years now, the bakery has been out of business and their facilities have gone to rack and ruin. Perfecto!!...a blighted area in tony East Sacramento! My painting won one of the people's choice awards during the event's exhibition. Another artist (Robert Sandidge) was painting the same scene whilst positioned behind me, so there I am in his oil painting... Sweet! I painted in acrylic. Elapsed time: 4 hours. I now proclaim myself "Painter of Dilapidated Bakeries".

A Vase is a Vase is a Vase.

A Vase is one pain in the ass to draw as well! I challenge you to take an elegant white vase like this, dramatically light it, and draw those difficult and subtle contours (on BOTH sides whilst keeping the vase symmetrical) Damn hard and great fun! My apologies to Gertrude Stein, and yes, next time I'll draw a Rose!

The Watercolor Dude after His Demo.

I have some more watercolor stuff to post this coming week, but meanwhile, here is the dude after last week's demo. A pooped dude, I might add. Hey, are those a car's headlights reflecting off his fore head??

The Unvarnished Truth of the Matter

Three evenings ago on Monday, I gave a watercolor portrait demonstration to Sacramento's watercolor club, WASH. Within my one hour alloted demo time, I attempted to paint four portraits in Payne's Gray whilst talking about the importance of familiarizing one's self with the value pattern, contours, and edges of the face. These obviously were done in a rush and lack the normal "polish" of my work, but I think they are fairly successful and instrumental in getting my message across. I manage to get three portraits completed and the initial value lay-in wash completed on the fourth. Next Thursday, I do this demo again in front of another art group. Please wish me luck, and wave me good bye. I'll post that effort as well. If I complete all four, perhaps I can get into the Guinness Book of World Records and a guest appearance on the Charlie Rose Show? (-:

Off to the Sacramento Fine Art Center to paint portraits in blazing black and white watercolor!

Tonight I will give a watercolor portrait demonstration (painted in Payne's Gray) at thge Sacramento Fine Art Center in front of the members of their watercolor club. I've decided to paint FOUR portraits within my hour alloted time! They are on one full sheet of 140lb cold press Fabriano watercolor paper. I figure as one wash is drying, I can proceed to the next watercolor etc., etc. I do hope that I have not created a quagmire with this idea! We'll see. I'll post my finished four=portrait demo sometime this week. Stay tuned, dear readers.