1 . 24 . 2015   A studio painting from photographs and sketches...  Tried lots of 'glazing over' in this painting which seemed to almost move the foliage towards more opaqueness.  Sometimes I'll use gouache in some areas of a painting, but not in this one.... just watercolor.

There is a bit of variation from this preliminary sketch........

         A studio painting from photo references and sketches... 7" x 9" in a 3 1/2" off-white mat.

Today I'm in my studio, doing some experimental watercolor work.  Using heavy textured paper with heavy amounts of paint...and then doing a lot of scrubbing out and glazing over, followed by a matte finish kamar varnish that is suitable for watercolor work. Trying something a little more abstract in a landscape....more mood and less realism in this painting.
I especially liked the look and feel of the Daniel Smith Graphite Grey mixed with a little Paynes Grey and Raw Umber in the distant trees...  And I usually paint dark anyway, but this was almost a little over the top for me.  Maybe that's why I enjoyed doing this painting.....It stretched me a little...

I've painted several paintings from this location, however this one was painted in my studio from photo references and past sketches...  This one is very similar to one I posted back in November... but, I wanted to tone down the colors a little more...Also, this painting has a little bit more pencil work showing.  It's a 8" x 8" in a 3 1/2" off-white mat.  One final note:  In the last few paintings I've done that have mountain rocks, I've attempted to cool the color down even more by adding a glaze of Verditer Blue once painting is dry.  Verditer Blue is made by Holbein.

Painted, using Derivan Liquid Pencil and watercolor on 300# rough Arches' paper.  The liquid pencil was used to render the dark pine trees...

                                 Straying from my norm a little  ........ Moab, in southern Utah

1 . 6 . 2015 ... Watercolor  8" x 8" in a 3 1/2" off-white mat.   Final painting from photographs and sketches taken this summer....   "Ridge Pines #2"



"I dream my painting, and then I paint my dream"  ...Vincent Van Gogh

                                   An old abandoned building in Mink Creek, Idaho