Chillin' Turtle

Another sketch/painting done whilst in Key West.  One of the hotels has a display of turtles.  This little guy was just chillin' off by himself, with his head held high, like he was posing for a picture.  So I obliged him.  I really liked the way the shadows hit the top of his shell.

                                    Watercolor in Etchr sketchbook

Key West 2020 - More Palm Trees

For some strange reason, I have an aversion to drawing/painting on the backside of page in my any sketchbooks  No idea why.  So it is cool to me when I actually do a double page spread like this solitary palm tree in Key West.

                                        watercolor and ink Etchr sketchbook

And here is the progression of the drawing before painting.  The tree was drawn with a Stabilo Fineliner Point 88 (brown) like that darn camel.

Key West 2019-2020

Spent another New Years in Key West.  We had beautiful weather, just simply gorgeous, and I was able to do a few paintings.  This was me sitting at the pool and looking up at the palm trees.

Oh, I joined instagram: @charlieamra  

Let's see if this Old can figure it out.  :-P

                                    Watercolor in Etchr sketchbook

Merry Christmas!

Wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas with a picture of our tree.  

                                                    Merry Christmas!!!!

                                             Watercolor in Etchr Sketchbook

I'm Back

After a productive Inktober, I took a bit of time off, but now I am back (with a pun no less).  I found a bunch of my old Muscle & Fitness / Muscular Development books that I used for anatomy references but also for ideas to torture my lifting partners and myself.  

This is from a photo of Charles Durr, who competed in IFBB in the 90's, who was doing front pulls (bar not included).

                                       Ink and watercolor in Etchr Sketchbook

                                               Just the ink version

Inktober 2019 - Greg's Bear

This painting of Greg's bear (not to confused with Greg Bear, author of Dinosaur Summer) was based on a photo from his front yard's animal cam.  His. Front. Yard. Animal. Cam!!!  Time to move, I say.  :-P

                            Watercolor in etchr sketchbook

I was going to give the bear crazy, glowing white (or yellow) eyes to demonstrate the tapetum lucidum, but decided not to do so.  He can be crazy all on his own.

Again, I love all the lovely effects of the granulating Lunar Black watercolor paint (Daniel Smith).

Inktober 2019 - Neighbor's Tree

Okay, so the final picture might be more watercolor than ink drawing, but it still counts (see below).  

I return once again to my favorite subject and tree ('my neighbor's tree").  This time of year, the early morning light hitting the tree is just magnificent.  Unfortunately, I did not capture its ethereal contrast between light and darkness.  Oh well, I am sure I will paint/draw this again (it is the view I see from my easel). Drawn with the Stabilo Point 88 markers (#45 Brown).

Final mixed media: watercolor and ink

Initial ink sketch

Ink washes

And some watercolor washes

Miscellaneous Trees and other things

Trying to play around and do more things without a reference photo or looking at something.  Below are a few creative exercises.

                                                       5.5x8.5 in

                                                             4x6 in

                                                         4x6 in

Laurel and Hardy

As a kid growing up, I loved watching the old Laurel and Hardy movies.  On one of my flights this summer, I caught the Stan and Ollie movie, a bitter sweet portrayal of the comedy duo later in life.  Steve Coogan and John C Reilly do an amazing job with several laugh out loud skits.  

One thing that I learned because of this movie is that their famous line is actually, "Well, here is another nice mess you've gotten me into".  It is "nice" and not "fine".  The miss-quote is probably due to newspapers often using the caption with nice.  And they did do a 1930 movie called Another Fine Mess.  So there is that too.

Smiling Bear

This blog is now all about Sad Flowers and Smiling Bears (and unfinished penguins).  Oh bother.

             Watercolor on 230g acid-free, artist grade 100% cotton paper, 5.5x8.5"

Aside from being about bears, both of these paintings take advantage of Daniel Smith's granulating paints. The texture and depths of these paints provide are quite amazing.

                                 Watercolor on 140 lbs paper 9x12"

Rose of Sharon

Watercolors can be frustrating and unpredictable.  It is its unpredictability, however, that makes it so much fun and rewarding when it works.  Below are two paintings of my Rose of Sharon flowers done with in a week of each other.  One is good.  One. . .not so much.

             Watercolor on 230g acid-free, artist grade 100% cotton paper, 5.5x8.5"

And this was the first attempt at painting the flowers.  I was impatient and did not allow the paint to dry fully, leading to the muddy colors.

             Watercolor on 230g acid-free, artist grade 100% cotton paper, 5.5x8.5"

Cosmic Polar Bear

These two are kind of groovy.

The color separation using Rose of Ultramarine and Moonglow is quite amazing and produce such interesting effects.  So much fun!

                                   Watercolor on 6.9 x 9.8 200 GSM Perfect Sketchbook

Vancouver and Whistler

Hiking in and around Whistler was amazing.  Around every corner was another, incredible vista.  This is the view of Black Tusk from atop of Whistler mountain.

             Watercolor on 230g acid-free, artist grade 100% cotton paper, 16.4 x 5.9"
                                              (click to enlarge)

On drive to Whistler (along the scenic and beautiful Sea to Sky Highway) we stopped at Shannon Falls Park.  It is just a short hike from the parking lot to the falls themselves.  Despite the clouds threatening to unleash their rain, I painted this onsite. 

                                    Watercolor on 270 gsm paper 11 x 8.5

New Etchr Sketchbook

Returning from vacation I was delighted to see that my new etchr sketchbooks had arrived.  They are made by the same people who created the Perfect Sketchbook (PS).  These sketchbooks are meant to be a more affordable yet still incredibly high quality everyday answer to the PS.

Thus far, I have only did the one painting below (are my flowers becoming less sad?  Hope so) but the experience was excellent.  They handled multiple washes without an issue.  I will be taking these on my various travels and using them at home.

                Watercolor on 230g acid-free, artist grade 100% cotton paper, 5.5x8.5"

On the Amstel

The first time I was in Amsterdam I was unable to sight see, so this time I made the effort go beyond the convention center.  Between the canal boat ride, the bike tour, and walking (~8k m on the last day), I really got to see this wonderful city.  However, only had one opportunity to do one painting (and the rain prevented me from finishing onsite).  Finished this at home and tried to be more playful with the colors (visited the Van Gogh museum between starting and finishing this for inspiration).

                                       Watercolor on 270 gsm paper 11x8.5

Back to the Rockies and Pikes Peak

"The mountains are calling & I must go

& I will work on while I can,

studying incessantly."

John Muir

                                   Watercolor on 270 gsm paper 11x8.5

The view from our friends back deck in Colorado Springs.  You can see Pikes Peak. . .peaking over the Rockies, cast in the late day shadows, a stark counterpoint to the snowy brilliance of the distant giant.  There is just something inexplicable about mountains, always calling.  To spend time even a brief moment in their presence is to be invigorated.

Tyrion Lannister

He drinks and he knows things.

                        Watercolor on extra weight 270 gsm mixed media paper

Happy Sunflower

I admit that I do not really know what I am doing in regards to using the techniques described by Jean Haines in her wonderful books.  Why sometimes things seem to work well and sometimes. . .not so much.  Such is watercolors.  However, I do know that it is fun to simply try.  

I have posted lots of sad flowers, including a very sad sunflower before. This, this is a happy sunflower!!

                                             Watercolor on 140 lbs block 9x12

Hyacinths. . .really

These are hyacinths. . .really.  More flowers (trying) to use the Jean Haines philosophy.  Kinda a one step forward, two steps back.  Not quite abstract enough and yet not quite true to life. I like it, not sure I "like, like it".  But I don't hate it.  So there is that.  

                               Watercolor on 140 lbs paper 12x16


This is a Big painting (at least for me) at 12 x 16 inches.  Have not done anything this large in a long while.

Jon Snow

Whatcha gonna do Jon Snow?

               Pen & ink and watercolor on extra weight 270 gsm mixed media paper