Wagner Farm Arboretum

My father once told me, "you cannot show an Irishman a hill without him wanting to see the other side."  I have come to understand the truth of this saying.  Driving home from work I would often glimpse these grain silos, literally across the highway and through the woods.  Finding them (and then painting them) became a goal.  This is one of those spots that I might have to come back to in different seasons,especially in winter.

                         Watercolor 11 x 8.5 on heavy weight paper 270 gsm

Washington Valley Reservoir

I have no idea what this building is or what its purpose is, but I wonder about it every time I go hiking around the Washington Valley Reservoir.  It probably had something to do with controlling the dam of the west branch of the Middle Brook (the brown berm in the mid-ground) that created the reservoir. 

What ever its function was, I think it is pretty cool.  And having just finished  Mark Lawrence's second trilogy set in the Broken Empire (think violent post-apocalyptic Game of Thrones), I imagine the building holds a long metal rung ladder that goes deep below the reservoir leading to a bunker where Builder-ghosts seek to influence the events of the Red Queen's War.

                            Watercolor 11 x 8.5 on heavy weight paper 270 gsm

Vacation in 2 Parts - Deception Pass Bridge

From Seattle we drove north so we could go hiking and whale watching (for Orcas!!!).  On the drive up, we called an audible and took the car ferry at Mukilteo to Whidbey Island (billed as the "shortest distance to far away"). We drove north on the Cascade Loop Rt 20.  This is how we found Deception Pass Park and its famous namesake bridge that spans the Puget Sound (180 feet above the water).   We hiked down to the north beach in the park with this incredible view of the bridge.  I think the painting of the bridge is the best (and my most favorite) thing I have done in many, many years.

                         watercolor pen & ink on 110 lbs paper (PS)

We came back the next day to hike the trails in the park and came back to the north beach.  This is a view to the left of the bridge.  You can see Fildalgo island on the right that connects to Whidbey via the Deception Pass Bridge.

                                watercolor pen & ink on 5.5X17 paper

And for those of you scoring at home, this is my 350th post of this blog!!

Vacation in 2 Parts - The Seattle Area

Greensboro, NC had Biscuitville but Seattle had the Biscuit Bitch!!  And anyone who knows me, knows I love me some biscuits (even as much as I love Triple D).  So when T over heard some of her fellow conference goers singing its praises (and they were down home southern to boot), well you know I had to go.  We get there at 10:30 am on a Friday and there is a 45 min wait for the food (but we had already ordered), so we waited.  Below is a quick sketch of the scene outside of the crowd.  It actually only took 30 minutes but man oh man was it worth it.  The biscuits were large and fluffy and delicious and smothered in country gravy and eggs.  Check out their Instagram to see pictures of the food.  If you are in Seattle and have an hour for breakfast. . .go there.

                             watercolor pen & ink 5.5x8.5 on paper

On Father's Day we took the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island looking for some adventure, shopping and a nature walk.  Well, the "nature" walk was not much to blog about, although it did end with the view below, but the rest of the day walking around was very cool.  There was a festival going on, and lots of local restaurants and shops had little tents selling wares and food.  It ended up being a really cool day.

                          watercolor pen & ink 5.5x17 on paper

Old Man

Worn, weathered faces are so interesting to draw. Each line, tells a unique story.

"I have been bent and broken, but - I hope -

into a better shape."

   Great Expectations

Charles Dickens

                                     Watercolor, pen & ink on paper

This is the day. . .

I have had the The The (an underrated 80's synth-pop group) song, "This is the Day", running through my head like an earworm.  For some reason, it made me think of little Eeyore.  Does he ever think, this is the day his life will surely change? And then his inside voice goes, "I dunno Pooh, I suppose. . ."  These are the questions that keep me up at night.

This picture started out with me doodling some calligraphy, using Diamine Ancient Copper ink (I just love, looooove this ink).  Even though I got the lyrics (and anyone who knows me, knows I have a propensity to butcher song lyrics), it still works.

                           Pen & Ink on Rhodia dot 21.2 lbs paper 8.25x12.5 

InCoWriMo #2 -- Dragons, Knights and the Heavens' Cloth

This one is for T's (and my niece).  I wanted to let her know she can be whatever she wants to be. . .the hero (knight), the princess, or both. . .all at the same time.

One of my favorite poems.  You have to love the Irish and the infinite capacity to be sullen and sad.

(I wish I had started it a bit higher on the page.)

Happy New Year from the Windward Pointe

Greetings and Happy New Year!!!

Did more reading and sitting by the pool than anything else this year (and that is a good thing) but did manage to do two little sketches.  

The first is a simple pen and ink with watercolor.  In my mind, the calligraphy (Pilot parallel pen and an inexpensive flex pen) really makes the picture stand out.

Below is a small watercolor of the Atlantic Ocean, which was a gorgeous clear green that contrasted against the cerulean sky, done with using only a 1 inch flat brush.  

The Jolly Monk

I hear it is great place to grab a beer and some wings and some sliders. . .

                            Watercolor on 140lbs watercolor block, 9x12

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

Lopsided Sunflower

Sitting at breakfast I noticed out of all the single sunflowers adorning the tables at Perry's, only mine was lopsided.  But I thought, hey, it is a little beat up and missing some petals on the left side, but it has the most character. . .which was apropos. It demanded to be painted.  And so I did.

                               watercolor pen & ink on paper 5.5X8.5 

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

Scotland Vacation - Edinburgh and the Highlands

After staying in Glasgow, we headed north to Edinburgh and the Highlands.

In Edinburgh, We had a fantastic view of Edinburgh Castle from our hotel room.  Drawing buildings is not my thing but I I could not pass up trying.  We toured the castle for day before taking a three day tour of the Highlands with Haggis Adventures.

                            Edinburgh Castle watercolor pen & ink 5.5X16

Our first stop at Dunkeld Cathedral was not as long as I thought (a theme that would repeat itself through our tour), which is a shame because this is probably the best drawing of a church I have ever done, even the perspective seems correct.  T took photos and I may one day complete the painting (though probably not; too many other photos references waiting to be painted).

                                     Dunkeld Cathedral watercolor pen & ink

Another quick stop and another quick sketch.  I cannot remember the name of the river but the meat pastries I ate there were awesome.

                                    River watercolor on paper 5.5X8.5


This is one of my favorites sketches from the trip.  I sat sketching the ruins of Old Inverlochy Castle with an elegant writer pen (while a swarm of midges made midge-meat out of my legs; sometimes we must suffer for our art).  I love the simplicity of this piece, from the washes the pen creates (the blue-gray and pinks) to the limit grass

                             The ruins of Old Inverlochy Castle elegant writer and watercolor


And finally, the Isle of Sky, looking across the Sound of Raasay toward Scotland.  I could have stayed here for hours.   I could have stayed at just about every stop on the Isle of Sky for hours.  There were gorgeous vistas, in every direction, as far as the eye could see.  And the sky changed rapidly, from a deep cerulean blue to somber clouds of grey.  But I knew we only had a short time so I could only manage a small painting.  The famous Kilt Rock was off to my left, but there were too many tour groups and photographers milling about to get a good view for a painting, so I chose the opposite vista instead.

                                   by Kilt Rock watercolor pen & ink on paper 3.5X11

Two Points for Gryffindor

London is a wonderful city for architecture.  Unfortunately, I am not always inspired to draw and paint buildings.  But there was a park. . .and there was a statue.

                                                   pen & ink on paper

Next up, more from Scotland.

Scotland Vacation - Glasgow

I did not do as much painting/sketching while I was in Scotland as I intended, but I did do a few pieces.  Just too much to see and too much to do.  T did take a ton of beautiful pictures, so I have a plethora of source material to use for future paintings.

Below is one of the few watercolors I did.  It is not the most dynamic view of the Glasgow Cathedral (the best views had me standing out in traffic) but it is one of the best urban painting I have ever done.

                            Glasgow Cathedral watercolor, pen & ink on paper 8.5X5.5

On my first day in Glasgow I sought out  Mother India's Cafe for lunch (it was awesome, T and I ate at its sister restaurant in Edinburgh. . .twice, it was that good).  Sitting at the restaurant gave me a good view of Kelvingrove.  Below is the quick sketch. 

        Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, pen & kiowa pecan ink on paper 3.5X5.5   


While in the Kelvingrove did do two sketches with water soluble ink (nice shading) and a water brush.  It was a great museum and I spent the entire afternoon.  I wish I had done more sketches of the Great Irish Deer (Elk). I admit to not being familiar with this particular megafauna but looking at its antlers and their 8.9 foot span, I can see how the legends of the Irish Wild Hunt were started.

                       Giant Irish Deer skeletal pen & ink on paper 5.5X8.5

And here is a sketch of the statue of Robert the Bruce (at Bannockburn).  Never made it to Stirling Castle (next time)

                                 Brian Boru statue pen & ink on paper 5.5X8.5

Feeling Froggy

A bit of illustration and a bit of abstraction.  All froggy.

                            Pen & Ink and watercolor on 140lbs paper 9x12

San Diego

Lot's of conferences in San Diego but not lots of time to sketch.  One on the plane (the pen kinda sorta exploded, hence the dark arm on the one passenger) and one from the hotel.  Both sketches are small and fast..

                                                Pen & Ink on paper3.5x5.5 in

                                                    Pen & Ink on paper3.5x5.5 in

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

Not Quite Spring -- Wherein I learn that watercolor paint does indeed freeeze

That calender may say it is Spring, but the weather is not quite Spring.  Returning to Duke Farm to paint in the freezing cold (literally; more on that later) seemed like a good idea.  I have not painted much of late and needed to be outside, so off to Duke Farms I go.  It was supposed to be in the 40's this morning but was 25 degrees when I stepped into the park (the iPhone weather app, apparently, does not always tell the truth).   As I set down to paint and started mixing the colors, ice crystals began precipitating out of the wash as the water, literally froze on the pallet. It would have been cool if it was not so cold.  Ice crystals clung to the brushes and glomped on the painting, making the process somewhat strange.  I completed 90% of the painting on site and added finishing details in the cafe.  All in all, it turned out well, but I truly wish for Spring to really begin. 

                                         Watercolor, Pen & Ink on 140 lbs block 9X12

Horse - De Atramentis Document Brown Ink Test

So, I was finally able to obtain some De Atramentis document brown ink.  Getting a hold of this ink in the US is like winning the lottery (I have been trying since the summer).  And having the chance to actually get to play with it, I can see why it it is so valued.  

Wow.  This ink is just smooth.  I did a quick sketch using a dip pen (kuretake comic book nib) and the ink flowed smoothly and gracefully on the paper.  What a joy.  Since the ink is waterproof, I added some Noodler's kiowa pecan to blend for shadows.  The sketch was finished off with a bit of watercolor.

                          Pen & Ink on 180lbs paper (with a touch of watercolor)