The Scream

I rode the bike path on Sunday to take some reference photos for some paintings that I'm thinking of doing.  It was so hot. Stopping under the railroad bridge to get out of the sun for a minute seemed like a great idea, right? I do love taking photos of things that have lots of pattern and texture which is exactly what I found when I looked up under the bridge...

 

I became mesmerized by the rich orange colors of the rusted steel contrasted against the deep blue of the crystal clear sky. I got off my bike and climbed down the rocks to get closer to the water...maybe the water reflecting up onto the trusses would be even more interesting...   

just as I got to the perfect place on the rocks I heard rumbling from afar... and before I could do anything a freaking bazillion ton train was directly over my head, blazing by, causing little pieces of things to drop down into my hair, the weight of the train making pounding vibrations for my body to absorb...

At first I covered my mouth to shield my shrieks... then realizing that no one would hear me I let loose and screamed my heart out for what seemed like eternity.  And then I laughed like I was a kid again.  Art enriches our lives in so many ways!

The Crooked House of Huffman Hill

I love the play of vertical and horizontal lines in this painting. It really is the subtle final washes that finish a painting. It's taken years to know I should keep going and then suddenly, when to stop!  


Now... what's next?

Beginning of a New Watercolor

Just finished the ink drawing for a news watercolor. Love this house in St. Ann's Hill.  There is absolutely nothing straight about it.  You may think I was tipsy when you look closely at the details but it has really "settled" over the years ... I could easily have straightened everything but it gives it character.  


I've been listening to an interesting podcast while working from the National Gallery of Art about Caravaggio.  Quite an interesting guy and talented artist. http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/national-gallery-art-notable/id262840395?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=43035&utm_campaign=0

Huffman Historic District Watercolor

Here it is... I just finished the first of several watercolors that I want to do of places in the Huffman Historic Area.  It's difficult to see in this photo but one of my favorite things to paint in a watercolor is the cast shadows of objects.  They are very subtle and I get to use fun color combinations.  In this painting the hanging baskets of flowers and the tall sunflower against the house gave me the perfect opportunity to do just that.  More to come... lovin' this cooler weather.

Collecting painting resource photos

Thank you St. Anne's Hill Historic District for putting together a wonderful garden tour on Saturday.  The humidity was ridiculous but the gardens were beautiful and the garden owners were so friendly and willing to share their gardens and plant knowledge.  


I took the opportunity to walk the neighborhood and take lots of photos.  Taking photos as reference helps me decide where I'd like to return and do a plein air painting.  The first thing you need to decide to begin a landscape painting is "where" and "what". Sometimes this can take longer to figure out than creating the actual painting.  I find that taking photos helps me see the edges of a painting and decide what the focal point should be. If I have a photo reference taken on a beautiful day I can return and create an ink drawing (even on a not so good weather day) and then use the photo as a color reference.