Ponderosa Pine - Update

I worked on adding detail and depth to the foreground, branches, and the trunks.  I am not really totally happy with this study, but I will stop for tonight and I will mess with it again latter.

Outer Banks Aerial View - Block-in

I worked on blocking in this aerial view of an inlet near Ocracoke Island in the North Carolina Outer Banks area.  The Atlantic is to the left of this painting and the Inter-Coastal Waterway is to the right. I will need to develop the layers of color to give this the proper atmospheric perspective to make this  seem three dimensional.

Douglas Fir Winter Sun - Block-in

This is the start of an oil painting of a Douglas Fir.  These are mature and very tall evergreen trees in the Rocky Mountains.  They are majestic and thick, which I observed can block out the winter sun and create an interesting back lighting effect.

IceBox Lock & Latch - the block-in

I started this painting of an antique IceBox's Lock & Latch.  The latch has very detailed metal work and it is going to be tricky to get it all in and believable.

Oldie but Goodie

I did this practice piece a few years back.  Not an original design but I loved the design and look.  Since I just returned from a trip I don't have anything teed up for posting.  I should be able to set something new for tomorrow.

Birthday Kingfisher

This is a Birthday card I received from my younger sister.  I really like this card and appreciate her making this hand made card of this Kingfisher.

Sloop setting out to Sea - Block-in and first adjustment

Today's post is an oil study of a Sloop Sailing Ship setting out to sea.  In the lower photo, you can see the initial placement of the ship, sails, sky, and sea.  I then went back after drying time and adjusted the sky and added detail and texture to the sails.  I started giving shape to the hull and the masts.  Since the ship is detailed and I want to capture a lot of that detail, this one is going to take awhile to complete.

Twilight Parachutists

I made some small tweaks to the parachutes and added some white to the setting sun to make it appear brighter through the haze.  This is a case of not much needed to be fixed after I let the painting rest.

Washington Monument at Night with blossoms

I worked on this tonight.  The lower is the initial block-in.  I darkened the sky some and brought it lower into the painting.  I am still not happy with the transitions between the layers so I will work on that in the future.  I also added the dark background of the Cherry Tree outline which will be the basis for the design of the blossoms when I add the details.

Elk in the pond

I finished working on this today.  I had started this painting a while back.  I had been frustrated with it so this one sat for two years before I picked it up last month.  I reworked the reflections which had been the biggest part of the problem.  I worked on it and then I worked the fur, the reflection, I added floating leaves, and some foliage around the bottom edges.

Brighton Summit - Block-in

This is the block-in for an oil painting of a rock face at the summit of Brighton Ski Area, near Salt Lake City, Utah.  When I do a block-in I try to get the shapes and colors on to the canvas as close as possible to the colors and the values to the study, photo, and notes I have taken from the original.  Some times I will make immediate corrections to the colors, values, and shapes.  I will also wait for it to dry to make adjustments.    I would like to get to the point of being able to do the painting in one go or alla prima.  Sometimes it works, but usually it takes a bit of work to get the painting to the point of satisfaction or frustration.

Engine House Junction Box

I worked on this still life of an Electrical Junction Box in the Baltimore and Ohio Engine House in Baltimore, Maryland.  The engine house is now the Rail Museum.  I noticed this box near some of the steam engines.  I liked the colors and the pattern of this.   The practice of still life painting is great way to improve your painting skills.

Washington Monument Cherry Blossoms - Block-in

I started this painting tonight of the Washington monument at night with Cherry Blossoms.  The blossoms will go into the bottom edge space.  I wanted to get the sky and the monument right before adding the foliage.  I will probably work on this over the weekend.

Sandy Point Shoal Lighthouse, Annapolis, Maryland

This shows the progress of this painting from the initial block-in, to the half way mark, to the final touches of detail in the water and the lighthouse.  You can see how I worked the problems and issues which bothered me with this painting.  Now I think it is finished and I am going to let it rest, dry, sign, and varnish.

Seattle Space Needle at night - block-in

This is the basic block-in for the Seattle Space Needle at night.  This will be mostly a step by step detail of the angles, the shadows, and the architectural features of this landmark.  Paintings are always tricky and harder than drawing, even though painting is drawing with a brush.  The wet paint makes everything harder.

Fishing Boats - Pencil study

I took a break from painting today and worked on this pencil study of fishing boats in port.  This is not an original but it is more of a training on darks and lights and the levels in between. Tomorrow I will finish the background on this and then return to painting.

Ocracoke Island Lighthouse Sunset

This is the start of an oil painting of the Ocracoke Island Lighthouse.  It is a small lighthouse on the island of Ocracoke Island on the outer banks of North Carolina.  You have to get to the island via a ferry and it is well worth the trip.  I will need to work out the clouds and their shadows better.  I have not added an detail to the lighthouse or the light.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge Sunrise - Block-in

I started this oil painting of the sunrising over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge near Annapolis Maryland. This is very basic and it will need some work.  The sky had other clouds but I find it easier to get the basic tones in before going back over to add the different clouds and their reflections.  I will need to add details to the roadway and the jersey barriers on either side of the south span.

Minecraft - Nephew's birthday

I usually do Birthday cards for family members and friends.  It is interesting as I do things I would not normally do art wise.   This is a perfect example, my nephew Logan loves the video game, Minecraft, so he gets the Minecraft guy.  A simple geometric figure done with pen and colored pencil.  He has shown me his game and the world he has built in the game, it is pretty interesting and he loves it, so the card is the result.  Definitely not something I would have done otherwise.

Columbine Flower study

I added details to the petals, leaves, and stems.  I then changed the color inside the white petals and added the stamens for this Columbine flower study.  Enjoy the state flower of Colorado.