Flowered Plate on Placemat

"Flowered Plate on Placemat" Watercolor. 2012.

Gulls at the beach.

I decided to try and paint one more landscape before the weather changed.  I packed up my paints and gear in my large REI backpack, put on my warm layers and hiked down the stairs to the beach.  The tide was low but the sand was all soaking wet and cold.  I headed out hoping for that trigger to make me sit and spend a few hours of my life painting.  Today I found my eyes wandering less to the view of the beautiful cliffs and ocean waves, but to the group of gulls playing on these rocks near the waters edge.  So I plopped myself down in my thermarest chair, and pulled out my sketchbook.  The gulls were all grouped together at the waters edge, about 30 of them or so, looking out to sea.  A few gulls were closer to me on boulders next to a mossy log that was half buried in the wet sand.

So I sketched these wonderful gulls playing in the water, staring out to sea, realizing that they were taking turns walking up the beach to a freshwater spring that was running off the hillside.  Two by two,  they would walk up to the spring, drink some water, and walk down with the rest of the flock. 

After completing some rough sketches of the gulls, my drawing came to a hault, when two youg girls came running by and decided to chase them away from the very spot I was about to paint them.  However due to my sketches and positioning of the gulls, I was able to finish my painting with no worries.  And here is my watercolor of the gulls at the beach.

Gulls at the Beach. 8 1/2 " x 11". Watercolor.

Cormorant on a Eucalyptus

Today I checked the tide and realized that the beach would be a great place to paint.  I packed up my watercolors, brushes, paper, pencils, water bottle, cup and granola bars and headed down the steps at Mesa Lane.  The tide was low and the sand was wet, but perfect colors for a painting.  I looked around to see which direction I would head and there bathing in the sun was this beautiful cormorant.  I couldn't take my eyes of this beautiful bird!  So I plopped down and started sketching...wings out, head down, look left look right...the cormorant was moving and drying in sun.

After I felt I got the best sketches of the flying birds, I began some other sketches of the fallen eucalyptus this cormorant was perched on, and the other fallen tree and rocks around it.

After sketching out the preliminary drawing on my watercolor paper, I began painting the sky and then worked on the farthest point of the horizon. Then I worked my way closer and closer until I was working on the fallen log in the lower right hand corner. All in a great day painting with a cormorant at the beach.

Cormorant on Eucalyptus. 8 1/2 x 11. Watercolor. 

Lake Los Carneros

Another day, another painting.  I woke up Saturday morning and drove myself over to Lake Los Carneros.  The air was very thin and when I arrived there was a beautiful reflection in the water.  Unfortunately by the time I got to painting the water the reflection had passed.  I definitely used alot of purple, which always makes me happy. Another beautiful day in Southern California.

Lake Los Carneros. 8 1/2" x 11". Watercolor.

East Beach Landscape

Here I am attempting a landscape at East Beach in Santa Barbara on September 24, 2011.  The weather was nice and I decided to attempt my first painting from this location.  I plopped myself down in my comfortable cray creek chair and sketched out the view onto my watercolor paper in my travel field journal.  I then spent the next 3 hours painting this view of the beach.
I hope you enjoy this landscape as much as i did painting it!

East Beach. 8" 1/2 x 11". Watercolor.

Acrylic Sea Glass

I decided to try a new medium...ACRYLICS!  I have been looking for the intensity of acrylic paint when I use watercolor, but could just never get there.  This is my first attempt at freehand painting (painting with only a brush).  I wanted to have a painterly feel to this project.

I also tried a new acrylics palette that allowed me to put down globs of paint and they stayed wet and workable the entire time.  This new discovery was FANTASTIC!  It allowed me to keep painting and not feel rushed that the paint was going to dry before my colors were mixed.

Freehand painting my Flowers in Vase...

"Flowers in a Vase" 11 x 15. Watercolor. 2011

Today I wanted to try my new Kolinsky Sable Size 9 paintbrush and try to freehand paint flowers in a vase with no  preliminary drawing...I really like the results.