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

Light the Night

Tonight is the Light the Night walk.  Even though I cannot be there, I wanted to send my support.  I painted this piece to accompany our charity basket that raised money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

                                          Watercolor 6x8 on 140 lbs paper

And here it is without the lantern.

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

Delivering the Pumpkin

This became something different than it started out (the plan was for a much simpler background among other things).  The figure, for the most part, turned out okay.  However, I did not achieve the correct skin tone and then broke one of the cardinal rules of watercolor: I overworked it and went over it again and again (and gave the poor girl sunburn).  

No tube green was used for the trees in the background which is unusual for me.  I do tend to over rely on Sap Green and Deep Sap Green.  So to shake things up, I took up the Mind of Watercolor challenge and mixed my greens from various yellows and blues.  The end result was/is. . .encouraging.

                                   Watercolor, pen & ink on 140 lbs block 9x12

Saying Farewell to Fall

The trees have mostly lost all their leaves, so I am a bit late for a tribute to the fall foliage.  Here is a final farewell to fall.  Winter is coming. . .

A bit of pen and ink, a bit off calligraphy, and finish it up with a whole lotta water color.  I like the contrast of the vibrant orange watercolors and the dark ink.

                                                  Watercolor, pen & ink on paper

Feed the Trees

Returning to an old subject matter just as the leaves were beginning to turn.  Mayhap not the best, but not the worst.

                                 Watercolor on 140 lbs paper 9x12

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.

Color Study - Tree

Ultimately, the goal is turn the reference photo this was based on into a pastel painting.  However, I needed something to paint and decided to try a color study.  The orange leaves of the tree are a mix of alizarin crimson and quin gold (which I am finding is a versatile color). I muddy up the tree a bit, I am too impatient and need to let the color dry and use a wet-on-dry technique.  

                                           Watercolor on paper 10x7

Final Hike of the Year -- Washington Valley Park

December is not going to be a very productive between end of year work, Christmas and (hopefully) vacation.  Even if I do get to paint on vacation, chances are I will not post them until January.  So, here is me beginning the month in earnest to keep the goal of four paintings per month.  

This tiny postcard was done on my final hike of the year in the various NJ parks I have recently rediscovered.  I had the overly ambitious idea of doing a series of postcards in the Fall but was only able to get this one done.  I am not completely satisfied with it, but it is a unique reminder of a great day.  As I continue on this journey of painting, I feel these little watercolors provide more vivid memories than digital photos ever could.

                             Pastel over Watercolor on 140lbs postcard paper 6x4

Yet Another Autumn Tree -- In Pastel and Watercolor

It might not seem it from this blog recently, but pastels are my favorite medium.  Sometime ago they surpassed even simple pencil or pen and ink as the medium I love most.  The portability of watercolors have allowed me to paint where ever I go, and as such, I have become much more prolific this year.  That said, I am still stumbling my way thru the medium, with as many wrong turns as successes.  And as I stated in last weeks painting, I want to do more pastels and watercolors.  I just need to continue to be bold.

                              Watercolor and Pastels on 140lbs watercolor block 12x16

Here is the same painting with just the watercolor underpainting. As you can see, it is substantially different from the final painting.  It is not a bad effort, but I felt it was missing something. So I added a robust foliage in bright red and orange pastels. It is debatable whether I improved it, but I did enjoy the process.

                                 Watercolor on 140lbs watercolor block 12x16

Waterfall at Duke's Brook -- Duke Farms

We took a day's hike at Duke Farms, learning about butterflies and moths and flora or all kind, especially native caterpillar food plants.  On the walk back to the orientation center I stopped at the little waterfall at Duke's Brook to paint.  I have been wanting to find local places to paint, and this 2,700 acre estate and park is right in my backyard.  This little waterfall is one of the signature locations in the Farm.  Normally, there is water generally cascading down the darker rocks, but now in the mid-Fall there was no water.  I think this is a place I need to go back and paint when there is snow on the ground and then again in the Spring.

                                          Watercolor on paper 5.5x8.25

I am starting to become comfortable with new paints and the Pocket Palette (and its smaller size).  I love smooth washes and the ability to layer color.  What I like most about this travel catch, it is a much different color palette than my other previous works.  

Equine in the Fall -- Redux

Well, this one. . .I am excited about. Using the Daniel Smith paints has certainly been eye opening. I was able to do a light under wash and then layer color on top once the first wash dried (much like I do with pastels).  The result is so much closer to what I have been attemping to achieve.  The horse was masked using liquid latex and painted with a rigger brush.

I still used the Pocket Palette (ie dried paints) and even though it is fun to use, I will try using fresh out of the tube paint on subsequent paintings now that I just bought a porcelain butcher's tray (ie, palette).

                                       Watercolor on 200lbs paper 10x14



So, I have been accused of painting three legged horses. And well. . .

Walking with Dex

I did this late last night.  I was tired and therefore was not over thinking the process as I am oft to do.  The results were quite satisfactory; I wanted the picture to have a bit of raw, cold day of autumn feel. You can be the judge of whether that was successful.  This  also marks the first time I added figures to a painting.  Will do more of that in the future.

                                            Watercolor on 120lbs paper 9x12

Why Dex? Probably because I had just watched an NCIS about a bomb sniffing Marine dog name Dexter (short for Poindexter).

Autumn Tree

I am beginning to fall short of my goal of one painting per week, but I think this one gets me back on track.

I have been wanted to do a painting with a different color scheme than the last few and with the onset of Autumn, I have lots of choices. This is from a photo reference but I hope to be able to paint on sight in the near future.

                                    Watercolor on 140lbs paper 9x12

I definitely love the fall, with its beautiful colors and crisp weather (and of course football).  I am planning on doing a pastel painting in the near term as well but these quick watercolors have been a breath of fresh air for me.