Acoma Pottery

This is a sketch of an Acoma Pueblo Indian style pottery jar.  I liked the design and the colors, so I sketched it and used markers to get the colors.  Since the artist used earth tones it was easy to use the markers and get the colors right.  I intend to go back to New Mexico and do paintings of the four seasons in the Land of Enchantment as the state is known by.  If you have never been there I would say drop everything and start planning now.  It is the most unique of the 50 states in the U.S. 

Autumn Moon Aspens

This is part of what I worked on today.  This is the first lay-in of color on an oil painting based on a scene I captured back in 2010 in Colorado near South Park.  (Yes, there actually is a South Park in Colorado).  The full moon was rising over the Aspen Grooves near Kenosha Pass on Route 285. 

My cousin, Troy Willis - RIP

One of my earliest memories of my cousin Troy Willis, was of him and me reading Richard Scarry books and Troy rolling out his patented laugh and unabashed giggles at the pantaloons of Hilda Hippo.  We were probably 4 or 5 years old so "pantaloons" were the height of funny.  I will miss that laugh.  He passed away on June 12th.  This memorial service will be tomorrow.

Bears - part 2

Earlier, I blogged some Bears I had sketched on colored paper and with colored pencils and white chalk.  So I found these this evening looking around the studio and I figured they would be good for the post.  I could fill a sketchbook with bears and still not be bored with them.  I definitely want to see all of the bear species in the wild.  Right now I have just seen the Black Bear from North America three times and a Grizzly once. 

Cat sketch

This is a pencil sketch of a our cat.  She is hard to catch still and awake.

Snowy Engine with markers

This is another experiment and learning exercise with markers.  The steam engine is a Hiesler used by logging companies years ago.   The use of markers was an interesting experiment but, I think I would use a different blue for the shadow and the iron frame.

Sandy Point Shoal Lighthouse - Oil Study

 Yesterday and today, I did this oil study of the Sandy Point Shoal Lighthouse. I wanted to see if my colors and plans for painting this would work before committing this to the larger oil painting I have in mind.  I partially fixed the persective problems of my drawing.  I will probably re-draw the house in pencil so it is accurate and right for the large work but, this will work as a color study for how i will handle the lighthouse.