heading home with Saturday's shopping

$60 - original 5x7" watercolour painting with 8x10"mat for easy framing.

I'm really enjoying painting this 'Toronto People' series. Everyone is so interesting! ; )

bunny sip

$60 - original 8x10"watercolour painting 

Little stuffed bunny wants a sip too. ; )

summer boots

$60 - original 8x10" watercolour painting

This dude is enjoying a cold drink on a hot hot day!

first celebrity portrait

9x12" - charcoal drawing with watercolour

Well, as I stated in my last post, I've been working towards getting a likeness while still keeping things painterly. I'm not actually a huge fan of this celebrity (I leave you to guess who it is), he just has an interesting face. In fact, I google 'older men' images and he popped up, so I drew him. It seems easier to tell if I achieved a likeness by drawing people we all know... ; )

what's important in portraiture...

9x12"original watercolour

Well, I am very happy with this portrait despite not getting a likeness to the model this time. There is so much happening in portraiture painting that is interesting to me as an artist and simply getting a likeness isn't what makes portraits fascinating. On the other hand, of course capturing the person's features plays a role. The trick is balancing the two. 

So, I've decided to fill a sketchbook with pencil drawings that concentrate solely on getting a likeness to the model. I'm hoping the drawing practise will hone my skills, enough so I can forget about that practicality and go back to 'responding' to the model with watercolour paint. : )

portrait sketch

 9x12" original watercolour portrait. 
Lately I've been reading about Frank Reilly's approach to portrait, which is easy to read about it you just google him. It's a good structural way to look at portrait drawing, very informative. : )
Below is the pencil sketch before I started painting.

rail operator

8x8"original watercolour painting

I think my hard work, as I plug away at portraiture, is getting me closer to what I'm trying to achieve. Daily practise (or close to it) really is the answer.

Sunday Afternoon

I recently did some portrait drawings, pictured below, that have been waiting for a splash of watercolour! Today I finished one and got started on another. It's interesting how much the pencil drawing changes once watercolour is added. The first one below is this painting above! The next two are charcoal drawings. 

Seahorse Charlie aka Magic Man

$60 - 5x7"original watercolour painting with 8x10"mat

Seahorse Charlie aka 'Magic Man': 

Charlie, with eyes wide open, floats through the seagrass beds looking for that special someone. Last week he told you about himself. Well, he's ready to tell you more. Charlie is a professional magician. He can move his chameleon like eyes independently of each other! Also, his camouflage ability enables him to change colours abracadabra. And, he can hold his breath underwater for... a really long time. He could magically be yours, just link up through PayPal. ; )

The Challenge of Portrait

 9x12" original watercolour painting

Well, this portrait was a tough one. 
The spot light on the model put his face half in shadow, so the darkness fell right down the middle of him. I didn't want to wash out the right side completely, (although that can be very dramatic.) I almost left the piece as a pencil drawing but, I still had 2 hours left of the 3 hour portrait session and leaving it felt a bit safe. So, although the pencil drawing was a really good likeness, I got out my watercolours and tried to find some balance in it. 
I learned A LOT with this one and I think I'm a bit closer to where I want to be with portraits... The struggle continues, happily. ; )

Seahorse Sally

$60 - 5x7"original watercolour painting with 8x10"mat

Seahorse Sally: A passionate swimmer, Sally enjoys exploring tropical coastlines, chocolate mousse with real whipped cream and blowing bubbles. She is always seen wearing her favourite, but modest, coronet. Sally will happily reside in any room of your home, perhaps a blue bathroom for a lovely contrast with her warm orange tones. And really, who's bathroom isn't blue. ; ) 

Seahorse Charlie

$60 - 5x7"original watercolour painting with 8x10"mat

Seahorse Charlie: Shy but intelligent, Charlie likes long swims in the sea, root beer floats and shimmering blue coral. He is hand painted and original, a real one-of-a-kind, who hopes to brighten up your days for a lifetime. Charlie is looking for a long term relationship with a serious art lover... like yourself. ; )

companion

$60 - 5x7"original watercolour painting with 8x10"mat

I really enjoyed painting this patient little companion, with all his warm browns and oranges contrasting some cool blues. What a little honey bun!

tortoise shell glasses and a grey cat

$100 - 8x10"original watercolour painting

I love the way this portrait, or should I say portraits, asks the viewer to move their eyes back and forth from the woman to the cat, to the woman, to the cat, to the woman... well you get the idea. ; )

afternoon outing

$60 - original 8x10"watercolour painting with 8x10"mat

Well, here's my second piece from the day at the beach. I looooove painting boats (even little ones!) and plan to paint more of them this summer. They are colourful wonderful shapes. Here's a pic of my paintbox. You can see people standing by the boats but I added the little knapsack. : )

big blue umbrella

SOLD

$60 - 5x7"original watercolour painting with 8x10"mat

A day at the beach! I went plein-air painting with the Don Valley Art Club over the weekend. They've got lots of outdoor painting excursions planned so, I hope to attend many of them since painting with pals is such a treat. I added a little pen line to this piece to make sense of all the wonderful blues. : )

Payne's Gray

Drawing with a charcoal pencil then adding Payne's Gray was a new approach for me yesterday. I was at my weekly life drawing session and thought I would give this combination a try. I love Payne's Gray however artists stay away from it because it doesn't blend well. But it's such a lovely gray! So, I decided, the heck with it, and I purchased Winsor Newton Artist quality Payne's Gray. 

Well... it doesn't blend nicely. It's sticky and doesn't want to cooperate. I'm happy with my results but it was a real struggle. 

Also, after spending money on the artist quality stuff, it turns out I much prefer the Cotman student brand of Payne's Gray. It's a lot less of a "pains gray". 

; )

living amongst the trees

$60 - 5x7"original watercolour with 8x10"painting

I spent the day at the wonderful High Park here in Toronto, plein-air painting with a friend. We had a great day amongst all the green (!). Can you spot the little duck swimming by. There were lots of them keeping up company. : )

Making progress and trying to keep the greens interesting and true. The house is there... it's just 'amongst the trees', hence my title. : ) 

My little paintbox has served me well over the years. Placed on my lap as I work, it includes my palette, brushes, pencils, water container, a compact mirror (to look at the painting in reverse) and a rag clipped to the right side. It's just great!

all these years

$80 - 8x10"original watercolour painting

Well, here's my first contribution to the #30x30DirectWatercolor2018 Challenge set my Marc Taro Holmes. 30 paintings for the month of June. I thought this sweet couple that I drew at an outdoor cafe would be a nice place to start. 

We'll see how I do with this very challenging challenge.

favourite hat

$60 - 5x7"original watercolour painting with 8x10"mat

Well, it seems the 'hat wearers' just keep on coming. Today's cafe moment features 2 people in hats, which are such a treat to paint. I don't think this woman knew I was drawing her, she seemed more excited that we were all enjoying the Passion Iced Tea. Her friend included. His just peeks out from behind his arm. 

: )

sun hat

5x7" original watercolour painting

As I said in my last post, it was Hat Day at Portrait Drawing on Sunday so here's another painting of a fellow artist wearing a... well you know. ; )
I won't be approaching dots on the face (to represent the light coming through a hat) in this manner again. It's not working for me. And that is exactly what short poses are all about, figuring out what works and what doesn't. Paint Small and Learn Big.

chap with his cap

$60 - 5x7"original watercolour painting with 8x10"mat
Check out my online Gallery - https://bit.ly/2CKAgEf

Well, it was hat day at our weekly Don Valley Art Club Portrait Session today. By a fluke really, many of us artists who sit for each other for 25 minute poses, ended up with a hat on. : )

pigtail buns

$100 - 8x10" original watercolour painting

I love this hairstyle. Pigtail Buns! So cute.

I posted a sketch study of this same model a few posts ago. 

take a long lunch

$60 - 5x7"original watercolour painting with 8x10"mat

I'm thrilled to be back at it with my cafe moments. I drew this on site during my lunch break. It's almost like 'train of thought' writing, where you just write without editing yourself. I draw as quick as I can, (before the customers get up and leave!), without overthinking it. Just let the line go go go! 

The works become like diary entries.

Here's another pic - 

I drew with the Jumbo 9000 Faber-Castell 6B pencil, my new fave. 

pensive in pink

11x14" original watercolour

Today's model has a very intense pink sweater on. So, I used good 'ole "opera pink", which is a wonderfully hot pink. I added the same colour in the background, her hair and in her cheeks to balance everything. She was so still and pensive! Wonderful model.