Palm Tree

 I loved the sky in the photo I used for reference, and didn’t even realize the similarity to the much looser piece I did a few days ago. Barbie had the idea to frame this along with that palm and the piece I did yesterday.

2.5” x 3.5” - watercolor pencil 

Aproaching Storm

Another watercolor pencil over watercolor paint, but this one was entirely created today. I resisted the urge of using gouache to put white into the clouds. Overall, I am happy with this one.

Created  6/23/23

2.5" x 3.5" - watercolor pencil over watercolor paint

 

Queen Butterfly

 This was painted over another watercolor background I completed last year, again with the intention of using acrylic, but used watercolor pencil, with Gouache. It's not exactly what I hoped, and its because due to the darker background, I feel it lacks any luminosity. At the very least, it was a learning experience.

Created 6/23/23

2.5" x 3.5" - Watercolor pencil and gouache over watercolor paint

Palm Tree

 Yes, I'm on a palm tree kick. This one was painted over a watercolor background I did last July I'd intended on painting over this with acrylic, but used watercolor pencil, and I actually like the result very much. 

Created 7/22 - 6/22/23

4" x 6" - Watercolor pencil over watercolor paint 

The background from last July:

Palm Tree

Back to the watercolor pencils to try and get the creativity back, and while I'm not really fond of this, my wife is and has claimed it as her own. And it did lead to getting some more work out, to varying degrees of success.

Created 6/21/23

Palm Tree

2.5" x 3.5" - Watercolor Pencil  

Palm Tree Watercolor Pencil Pieces

I needed to create something, but wasn't in the headspace to do anything complicated, so broke out the watercolor pencils.

Both were created May 12th, 2023

This first one I did very loosely indeed. 

Palm Tree 

ACEO -  2"x 3" - Watercolor Pencil

The second I spent a bit more time on.

Palm Tree 

4" x 6" - Watercolor Pencil

Figment Figurine Study

I've been wanting to paint this PVC Figment figurine in oil. I will eventually get around to it! In the meantime...

Created February 11th, 2023

Watercolor Pencil - 5' x 7" - SOLD

Satsuma Studies

Satsuma Study - Watercolor on paper - 3.5" x 5" - 2/10/23

Next up, it's been a long time since I used watercolor pencil, and I loved them! 

Satsuma Study - Watercolor Pencil on paper - 4" x 6" - 2/11/23

Finally, I broke out a really inexpensive Gouache set I bought many months ago. It started well, then I lost the thread, but then I feel I got it back under control. Still, there are issues, but I'm happy with it over all.

Single Satsuma Study - Gouache on paper - 3.5" x  5" - 2/20/23

Three Sisters, Monument Valley

This was supposed to be twice as large, but I discovered I should not have trusted an untested watercolor paper with masking fluid. It failed miserably. 

Luckily I discovered this before getting too far into the bottom half, but that's why there are branches of a tree in the bottom left corner.

Three Sisters, Monument Valley - #15 of Project 52 - Watercolor - 3.5" x 5" - Completed 2/5/23

Merrick Butte, Monument Valley

I'm picking project 52 back up, and this is #14.

Watercolor - 4"x6"

Rhinos Dining

 I've not been in the mood to do art in a few months. I needed to just do something. No planning, just so it. This was done with no drawing, just going in and painting, which leads to some areas I'm not fond of, but overall it's okay. 

Watercolor - 2.5" x 3.5"

Pumpkin Pile

Watercolor on Arches Hot Press Natural White - 2.5” x 3.5”

Cherries on White

Watercolor on Arches Hot Press Bright White, 2.5” x 3.5.”

 I’ve used hot press paper before, but don’t recall having an issue with how the paint is absorbed, because I had a lot of trouble blending and moving color around in general. 

Strawberries in Fiesta

 It’s been a long time since I’ve felt like painting. I drew this out about 2 weeks ago and fretted about how to paint a strawberry which led me to avoid painting altogether. This was a struggle for sure, but I’m satisfied with the outcome.

Watercolor on Arches Natural White 100% Cotton Rough, 2.5” x 3.5” 

Figment

 I drew this out a few weeks ago, but just got around to carving it today. I want something I can use as a base for experimenting with different techniques. 

When I went to ink it for the first time, I grabbed a tube of oil based ink accidentally. What a mess. I realized by the 3rd awful attempt to print that something was wrong. It took forever to clean up, thank goodness I had Dawn dish detergent. I tossed that damned tube.

I saw things I wasn’t happy with and did a revised version, so there are only 10 of the first, 1 in oil I’m keeping to remember the shit show.

Image is approximately 3” x 5” 

Cinderella Castle

 I started this a long time ago and just kept putting it off, due to the iconic nature of the subject. 

I’m glad I did as this was the perfect piece to use the metallic watercolor paints Barbie bought me. 

2.5” x 3.5” - watercolor 

HERE IT IS

 I wanted to changed things up for Project 52 and decided to tackle this iconic sign on Route 66. I completely messed up the lettering and needed to bring white acrylic into it. 

Mixed Media (Acrylic and Watercolor) - 3.5” x 5” 

Homemade Cookies

 Continuing to go through new watercolor paper gifted to me by Barbie. While a rough paper, it was incredibly nice to work on and had no issues with tape or masking fluid. 

Watercolor on Arches Bright White 100% Cotton Rough - ACEO 2.5” x 3.5” 

Seahorse

 I did a few more “expressions,” for lack of a better term, in watercolor. In this, I saw a manta ray at first. Then a dolphin, but proportions were all wrong. I flipped it and thought seahorse, which I’d actually taken a reference photo of at The Seas at Epcot. I love the top half, and contemplated cutting it down, but Barbie said she loved the bottom and how it melded with the shape, and the negative space around it is important. I’m leaving it, but really wish I’d spent more time on details. 

I kind of wish I’d left it like this, now that I look at it.