Bee Kind

A bit more abstract than usual, still trying to loosen up my style.  

This little guy was chilling on my butterfly bush and I took a picture on my iPhone.  It is one of those crazy wasp moths (Melittia sp.), so yes, the title is a misnomer.  

A walk in the woods

Been trying to get out more on the weekends to go hiking to see the resplendent Fall foliage in NJ.  Took some photos to use as reference pictures.  This was as very loose painting.  You can see how the paper buckled (the shadows at the bottom of the image) under they heavy washes.

                                           Watercolor on paper

It was a dark and stormy tree

It is a cold, blustery and crappy day today as we wait for Joaquin.  Perfect for my mood.  I have not painted in a while and this was done without photo reference, visual reference or under drawing.  I just. . .painted.  

The sky, a mix of deep apatite blue and french ultramarine, and the deep dark greens, providing a contrast to the tree, reflects the puissance of the weather.

                                      Watercolor on 200lbs paper 14x10

Labor Day - Washington Rock

Sitting at the base of Washington Rock, NJ and looking up.  In 1777, This is where General George Washington watched the troop movement of General William Howe in New Brunswick, NJ.  The high ground of this natural rock outcropping provides an unobstructed view of over 30 miles.  You can still see NY City today.  I thought about painting the vista, but looking up at the stone wall was more interesting.

                                        Watercolor, pen & ink 5.5 X 16.0

Throwing paint down

Been spending the majority of my creative time playing with inks and calligraphy (not posting everything) and have not painted much as a result.  I really wanted to throw down some paint and have fun on beautiful day.  I am most happy with two things: 1) The background green is mixed on the paper not tube green like the tree foliage (I put down hansa yellow medium and dropped french ultramarine and cobalt blue to mix) and 2) I am getting better at spattering paint.  

                              Watercolor, pen & ink on paper 5.5X8.25

Back to the Middle Brook

A short hike off the beaten path for a different view of the Middle Brook.  Forgot to bring water, so it was fortunate I brought waterbrushes (pre-filled with water).  Used pen and ink, watercolor and crayon for this piece. 

               Watercolor, pen & ink and watersoluble crayon on paper 5.5 x 16.0

Bridge over the Middle Brook

Another beautiful Sunday and another opportunity to paint.  I am enjoying the surreal effect and look of watercolor on top of "activated" ink from the elegant writer.

              "activated" elegant writer marker and watercolor on 140lbs block 9X12

Lake Creighton

This past Sunday was a beautiful day.  The perfect day for a hike and a painting.  For this piece I once again used the elegant writer pens for the initial sketch.  And unlike the eagle, I added watercolor over the top of the activated pen.  This marks a bit of a departure from my normal style (what ever that is) as this looks more surreal than anything else I have ever done (which is kinda cool).  There is a bit of "mud" where watercolor wash met still wet pen ink (I need to be more patient) but over all, I am quite pleased with this. 

           "activated" elegant writer marker and watercolor on 9X12 140lbs paper

Neighbor's Tree -- Winter

I have not had the opportunity to get out and sketch, so I have returned to a favorite subject, my neighbor's backyard tree. Even without the lush greenery of Spring/Summer it is still a majestic subject.

I think I might paint a picture of this tree every month as a season study.

                                     Watercolor on 140 lbs paper 7x10

Washington Valley Reservoir

One more from Washington Valley Park, but this time from the western half of the park (the park is split by a very busy county road).  This is the Washington Valley Reservoir.  We hiked the western half a few weeks ago and had lunch on the banks of the reservoir. 

                                Watercolor on 180 lbs paper 9x12

Backyard Tree -- Drawing with a Watercolor Pencil

Several urban sketchers that I like have been using watercolor pencils to do their under drawings and I wanted to try it.  And because I could not think about what to paint, I went back to an old favorite, my neighbor's backyard tree.  I used a sepia colored pencil (of course).  I like the results and may try it again.  The orange leaves were done with a sponge (which is becoming one of my favorite tools).

                                              Watercolor on paper

Return to Washington Valley Park

The leaves are just beginning to turn color in Washington Valley Park and I decided to return to a spot I have painted before last April.  The colors were not as spectacular as  I hoped, but it was a nice hike and I am happy with the results. 

                                   Watercolor on 140 lbs block 9x12

Below is the view from the spot I painted, along with my portable easel set up.  This beautiful view shows the East Branch Reservoir and the Middle Brook.  It is a simple hike to reach.  Directly behind me is the Buttermilk Falls.

I used this short hike as an opportunity to try out my new updated travel palette with some of the new colors I have been accumulating.  Below is the mix of Daniel Smith and M Graham colors in my new Schmincke watercolor box.  It holds both whole and half pans, so I can have lots of the colors I use most and try out other colors.  I have extra empty pans and will be rotating other colors in and out of this box.
 

Trees Around the Neighborhood

I did not get to do a sketch crawl like I initially planned but I did take time on Sunday to do some sketches around my neighborhood.  There are several little parks where the Bound Brook meanders and I have been wanting to paint them before the color changes.  This is the first sketch where I used both M Graham and Daniel Smith watercolors.  No reason why I have not done this sooner other than I keep them in two separate kits.

                             Watercolor on paper 11.0x5.5


This started as me testing hematite genuine in the upper left hand corner of the paper and finished as a loose, warm up sketch.  I have been wanting a darker brown and was not sure how much I would like its granulating properties.  Turns out, it is quite wonderful.  This is also the first watercolor I have done without any kind of under drawing of any kind.

                              Watercolor on 140 lbs paper 9x12

This is the second time I have painted this tree and enjoyed working on this abstract, loose rendition of it. The tree is the favorite haunt of some beautiful Red-bellied Woodpeckers who have thus far eluded my attempts to photograph them.

Abstracting in Hacklebarney

I am not flexible; it is known.  So trying to sit and balance on river rocks in order to paint the Black River in Hacklebarney State Park and not fall in was quite the challenge (my foot did fall asleep though).  This picture is a bit more abstract than my last few pieces (no pen and ink).  Sometimes being more loose and trying to capture the energy of the moment is fun in and of itself.  

                                    Watercolor on paper 5.5x8.25

Highland Lakes (Beach Seven)

It is a small world.  While getting ready to paint in Highland Lakes, Tina's uncle told me I needed to visit the Expeditionary Art website because the artist, Maria Coryell-Martin, does some cool nature watercolors.   I already knew about the site because T had bought me my first (and second) Pocket Palette from Maria.  In addition, Maria was very generous with her time and expertise.  She provided her insights and advice to me while I was preparing to buy artist grade watercolors (Daniel Smith).  Here is my first painting using the Pocket Palette and new paints on site.

Why is it a small world?  Well, it turns out T's cousin went on the same expedition as Maria.  In fact, Maria even did a watercolor portrait of her cousin in watercolors (it is a really cool and unique piece).

Here is my sketch of small lake where T's aunt and uncle live using, of course, my Pocket Palette and Daniel Smith watercolors! 

                         Watercolor and pen & ink on paper 5.5x8.25

Old Stone Bridge -- Duke Farms

Typically, there is a rush and feeling of contentment when I finish a painting or drawing.  This feeling quickly diminishes and is replaced by the thoughts of my Inner Critic, whom always finds some fault or error to plague my peace of mind.  However, a full 24 hours later and I still really like this painting of the old stone bridge that leads into the Duke Farms.  This is my best effort at a robust use of light/dark contrast .

One of the nice things about painting on location is that you get to meet all kinds of interesting people who ask if they can watch you paint.  On Saturday, I felt like an exhibit at the zoo, with a parade of people coming by, to what I thought was a remote spot (the bridge may be the main entrance, but I had never saw anyone walk down its slopes before to sit where I did for the painting).  All in all, it was a fun day to paint.

                         Watercolor and pen & ink on paper 5.5x8.25

Neighbor's Backyard Tree

I love this tree.

I see it everyday outside my window.  It is so stately.  And since it just about due north of me, I love how the sun and light and shade play across it during the day, especially its signature right angle branch that throws interesting shadows.  I had been wanting to paint it for a while.  I do not think this will be the only time I paint this cool tree.

                                               Watercolor on 120 lbs paper

Great Waterfalls -- Duke Farms

There are actually several waterfalls at Duke Farms that form an interconnected waterway system of lakes and waterfalls.  It all starts with the "Great Waterfall" which was constructed to carry water from the reservoir to Vista Lake.  Unfortunately, the Great Waterfall is not always "on" (I think it is on only for an hour a day now) and such was the case last weekend when I took the chance to sketch it.  You can see the irregular man-placed stones peaking out between the foliage.  It is supposed to be a spectacular view when the water cascades down.  I plan to trek out and paint this again when the water is flowing.

                            Watercolor and ink on paper 5.5x8.25

Coach Barn - Duke Farms

A few weekends back I had the opportunity to visit Duke Farms and see the Coach Barn, which was open to the public for the first time in a long while.  It is a rather impressive building, complete with stables and working clock tower.  Constructed in 1900, the Coach Barn is where J.B. Duke conducted his day to day business.  The clock is over 100 years old, and has never broken down or failed to tell the correct time.  

The painting started on location and finished in my studio (I just like writing that) since the day was getting late and the bugs were biting.  As you can see below, it was still a bit rough and unformed.  I used several different pens to vary the line weight, trying hard not to "over work" it with unnecessary detail.

                          Watercolor, Pen & Ink on 140 lbs block 12x16

I set up with the en plein air easel and my niece joined me, creating her own painting.  It was fun.  Several people stopped over to watch us paint and ask questions, which is certainly something that never happens when I sit on a bench with a pad in my lap and sketch.

Here is the un-inked version of the painting.  I had to leave it a little too rough to call it a finished work.  The ink adding just the right amount of detail and clarity.

Boat House by the Duck Pond

I often admire the legions of Urban Sketchers in their cool European cities as they dazzle with their eye popping work of old world buildings and parks.  One day I will join them on an urban sketch crawl.  But in the interim, I will contend myself with painting more locally.  I think that Central Jersey has its own charm and appeal.  That is why I am challenging myself to start my own Central Jersey Project to help me grow, but to also showcase the beauty of Central Jersey (and I will be taking a liberal view of where that actually is).  Plus, it forces me to use my en plein air easel and tripod set up.

This painting is of the boat house by the Duck Pond, which is a small park (less than 2 mile area) that meanders around the Ambrose Brook, complete with its own little waterfall.  This area is prone to flooding, especially after the last two big hurricanes.  And, as its name implies, is home to many ducks, though none were to be seen this weekend.  I think I was able to actually achieve a nice contrast between light and dark, especially in the bushes in the far ground.  

                        Watercolor on 140 lbs watercolor block 9x12

                            The view up from the docks to the boat house