Taking a short pause

Hi All,

Just letting you know that I won't be posting anything for awhile as I am getting the house ready to rent out and going to be traveling after that. Once I get on the road and the scanner is unpacked or once I get on the road and I have a little more time, I'll get back to posting. The prepping of the house has been why I haven't been consistent in my postings of late.

Hills and Marsh

I'm working to stay loose, finding painting wet into wet seems to help that, it's not as controllable. I have been looking at the distant hills in the mornings, for several months now, thinking that I wanted to try to paint them; this morning seemed as good a time as any...Once I had them in place I was left with trying to figure out what to do with the foreground; marsh was where I was so I plugged that in, using a bit of artistic license. What I am finding is that once I get home and close up to the painting, I start to add just a "few" details and that's when I start over-working it.

Marsh Greens

I took the dogs out for a walk early this morning and was, as I always am, amazed by the variety of greens laid out in the marsh lands.

The scanner didn't pick up the true colors in my painting the yellowish greens in the mid ground are more of a spring green, but overall, not bad.

I was working toward a looser approach in my paintings and I think this fits that very well...

Mike and Tyler in the waves

I tried sketching my Son and Grandson playing in the waves at the beach. Again, I was working on too small of a pad to get the detail that I wanted. I will sit down again in a day or so and sketch one of Tyler to complete the scene.

Since I have very little practice or skill at drawing portraits, this was a definite challenge.

Morning Vineyards

I went out to paint this morning and tried to draw a house that I like...failed miserably. I think the problem was I was trying to work too small. Next time I think I will try drawing the house on one sheet of my sketch pad and the land around it or what ever other things of interest that I'm trying to capture on another. Then combining the two on larger paper when I get home.

After the failed attempt at the house I decide I would try a landscape using suggestive washes first and then adding minimal details with pen. I liked the way the sunlight was kissing the tops of the hills above the vineyards and tried to capture that in the washes. Although it isn't exactly what I was after, it was pretty close. I think I will try exploring this technique some more...