Weekend Work - South Dakota

This is an oil painting I worked on over the weekend.  I had previously blocked in the basic colors but I had trouble with the shadows and rock work.  I think i have mostly fixed those and now will work on the design of the horses running on the ridge line.   I am not satisfied yet with my experiments so I will plan them out and then add them.

What I did on my Fourth of July

Our daughter Kerri had my wife and I come to her work at the Rolling Hills Country Club to watch the fireworks.  I took advantage of the waiting time and sketched Kerri working the Bar at the tenth hole.  She was busy making drinks and hustling around for supplies.  I practiced memory sketching and catching glimpses of her profile and the rear 3/4 head shot.  The front 3/4 head shot did not work and has been erased from memory and the world.  I did these with a drink, a mechanical pencil, and a small sketchbook.  It was a great evening.

Happy Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July!  A mountain watercolor study for the holiday.

Aspen Reflections

I nice quiet pen and ink for a nice quiet day.  I worked on oil paintings and some practice exercises.  I should have something to show by the end of the weekend.  For today, this is an exercise in using ink to capture landscapes.  It is not my design but is one to practice to improve technique.  I was very happy with this and plan to use the style on some landscapes I have planned out.

Palm Tree

For the impending holiday, the 4th of July, what could be more American than a Palm Tree blowing in the wind?  While not the normal image, it is very beachy and if you are in Florida or other southern coast areas you will see and enjoy palm trees blowing in the breezes or maybe even a hurricane.  This is a pen and ink rendering of a sugar palm.

Lope eared rabbit

Long day at work, so here is a sketch of a lope-eared rabbit.  This is more of the practice for improvement.  Every bit counts. 

Thumb Nail sketches

A Thumb Nail sketch is a technique of catching an idea or image or a visual shorthand to work out which composition will work best for a scene.  Above is a Thumb Nail sketch of a simple adobe church in New Mexico.  I liked the simplicity of it and the color notes I took which I did not scan capture the turquoise sky opposite the dry pale yellow of the adobe with white wash wearing off.  The eaves are unpainted but the window and doorway are warm little blue.  It should make a ggod painting when I get a round to it.