Sunflower "Blast Off"

This is my first watercolor painting in a few months.  It is based on a photo taken last summer at Lynn's back yard.

Drawings from the Airlie Vineyards

Today Vistas & Vineyards visited the Airlie Vineyard for a paintout. I have been doing far too many paintings lately so I decided to try a couple of ink and wash pieces. Each began as a blind contour drawing followed by additional ink work and a light watercolor wash. This is a much faster process and I completed three drawings in the morning. These are my two favorites. Needless to say I really like old farm equipment. Most everyone else was painting vistas and vineyards as we are supposed to do.

Yaquina Bay Watercolor

On Wednesday we painted at Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon. This was one of the most popular painting spots, particularly for the seagulls.

Seattle Waterfront - Watercolor

I visited Julie in Seattle a couple of months ago and saw this view while walking along the waterfront. The Ferry was being reconditioned and there was a lot of activity on the dock. This is a quarter sheet watercolor.

Watercolor In Progress

I have been working on this piece for a while now and need suggestions. It is 22X30 and is a scene from the French Hotel in Berkeley. All the models are getting tired of holding still.

Watercolor- Harrisburg, OR

Another painting from a Vistas & Vineyards event. I started a representational drawing from the street level and later "wonkied" the scene and raised the horizon to the second story of the larger buildings.

Lots more interesting now.

Relics at Bodie in Watercolor

I have done little watercolor painting in the past few months however I was so impressed with the paintings at the recent WSO show that I have to get back into it. This is actually watercolor with a bit of gouache.

Bodie is a historical park in California.

Silver Falls Watercolor

It has been a long time since I painted a watercolor. This is based on a photograph I took last summer of the North Falls at Silver Falls State Park near Silverton, OR.

Watercolor- Education Hall, OSU

At the recent Art Guild Clothesline Sale I was asked by two people to make a painting of Education Hall on the OSU campus. This is one of the oldest buildings on campus and is presently being renovated. This is how I would like it to look after the renovation.

Alsea Falls with Vistas & Vineyards

Today we visited Alsea Falls and the weather was perfect. The group appears to be getting larger every week and people are coming from further away. Most of the painters were at the falls or along the river. I started a watercolor of the falls and another of Doyle painting. After I got home I finished the first painting with a good dose of gouache and ink.

Albany, OR Back Alley (Watercolor)

This week Vistas & Vineyards painted in Albany's Old Town. While most of the group was painting in the park by the river, a few of us were more interested in the local buildings. This started as an ink sketch using a rapidograph pen, it soon turned into a watercolor. At 1 pm when we all met for a critique this painting was in its "ugly" phase however I was later able to rescue it, at least somewhat. Anyway it was fun to do. It is 7X10 on Arches cold press paper.

Engine #5 - Avery Park, Corvallis (Watercolor)

This was the first Vistas & Vineyard trip for the year (May 13). I sat in front of the engine and made a drawing on watercolor paper with pencil and then went over it with my Rapidograph 3X0 ink pen. It started raining so I later completed the watercolor painting at home. It is on a quarter sheet of Arches 140 cp paper.

"Moonlight" Prince Edward Island

This watercolor is based on a photograph I took on a trip to Canada in 2007. It was a church in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The moon was reflected in the glass of the front entry. This is probably one of the most detailed painting that I have made to date.

Little Putt-Putt in Watercolor

I just completed my latest watercolor of this little tractor that I discovered at a previous Vistas & Vineyards paint out. Hopefully I included all the necessary engine parts so that it will start. Yes, it has been out in the sun too long, and so have I.

Pineapple Watercolor

I have been working on this watercolor for the past few days. I got the idea from a DVD by Sue Archer called "Commanding Color". My wife bought the pineapple and I photographed it on the kitchen windowsill in the morning light. Maybe an artichoke will be next.

"Haunted" Waldo Hall, OSU

The third floor of Waldo Hall is known to be haunted by a female ghost. It was built in 1907 originally as a women's dorm. Today it is the Academic Success Center at OSU.

The Corvallis Arts Center

This is a caracature of the Corvallis Arts Center which at one time was a church. I recently created this image while working at the Art In The Valley Gallery, a good way to spend my time. This painting will be part of a set I am doing on Corvallis. It is a 7X10 watercolor.

Benton Hall Watercolor

This watercolor of Benton Hall is another in my series on the historical architecture of the OSU campus in Corvallis, OR. This was the first building on the 39 acre campus (for $25,000 in 1887) of the original state agricultural college. A working clock in the clock tower was not added until 1988. Before that it was just a drawing of a clock face. Strange but true. Today it is the home of the Department of Music. I took the liberty of adding the cello "f holes" on the sides of the tower.

This painting is 11X14.

Zooey's in Watercolor

This is a watercolor painting of Zooey's in Corvallis. I don't know exactly what they sell but I liked the colorful building which sits next to the Whiteside Theatre. I will include this image in my Corvallis collection.
Lately I have been making one or two paintings a week, usually alternating between watercolor and oil.

Laura in Watercolor

I completed the watercolor version of our model, Laura.   I will be doing more watercolor images in the near future in order to perfect this medium.  It is definitely faster than oil, however it usually has a mind of its own.  I do like the looseness of the medium.