Madrid -- Palacio Di Cristal

Sketching buildings ain't my thing, but sometimes you gotta try and stretch, and do things that are not easy.  And sometimes buildings just catch your imagination.  The Palacio Di Cristal in Buen Retiro Park (literally, according to the wikipedia, "park of the pleasant retreat") in Madrid was one such building.  I did not have much time for sight seeing whilst in Spain, but I had to see this building.  There are many other interesting buildings and places within the park, but I thought this was the coolest.  

So under the barest of shade (it was another scorcher, around 100 degrees out), I sat and drew and painted for close to an hour.  Sometimes when I paint, people ask to take a picture, in Retiro park lots of people asked.  Despite the heat, it was a very lovely day.

                        Watercolor 11 x 8.5 on heavyweight paper 270 gsm

Below is an actual picture of the palace, and the pen & ink before the watercolors were applied.

Lugano, Switzerland

I just got back from a two week business trip in Europe and was able to do a few paintings in my new Stillman & Birn softcover (Beta Series).  I have been wanting to try it out for awhile and I must say it is pretty great.  It lies flat and handles watercolor washes amazingly as advertized.

Both of these paintings were done in Lugano, Switzerland (although the first one is technically Cademario).  The first is the view from the Kurhaus hotel, high up in the mountains. The second is down by Lake Lugano (sitting on a bench on Riva Vincenzo Vela).  It was so hot that the water was evaporating in the watercolor pans!

                                Watercolor 11 x 8.5 on heavyweight paper 270 gsm

                          Watercolor 11 x 8.5 on heavyweight paper 270 gsm

Lion around

I'd be lying if I said it was not hazy, hot, and humid at the National Zoo this past weekend.  But, still it was a a lovely day.    

A quick, almost gestural painting of the lion, just lying around.

                                 Watercolor 6.9 X 9.8  on 110 lbs paper (PS)

Sunset in San Diego

A quick and rough watercolor of my hotel room view in Mission Bay, San Diego.  The location was not as convenient as being in the Gas Lamp, it certainly offered more picturesque vistas than my stay at the Manchester Grand Hyatt (see below). The clouds over the Pacific Ocean were quite spectacular.

                                        Watercolor 5.5x8.5 on paper

                              View from Manchester Grand Hyatt (circa May 2015)

Stuck at Newark Airport. . .Eat at Nonna's

I was delayed at Newark Airport (I know, that almost always never happens).  So I decided to sit at the bar and have lunch at Nonna's Italian restaurant. The meatball parm is pretty good.  Having finished my sandwich, and still having nearly 2 hours to go, I decided to paint the most interesting thing I saw. . .a bar full of booze.  

The bartender kept stopping by to watch my progress.  As I was finishing, he asked me for the original, so I gave it to him.  He hung it up over the bar.  So if you are ever stuck at Newark Airport, try Nonna's.

#wheresmyfreemeatballparm

                              Watercolor on paper 5.5x8.5

 

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

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

Sint Maarten -- Part II Sailing to Anguilla

Sailing to Anguilla was a great day.  When we signed up for the trip, we did not realize it was such a booze crews (but apparently they all are).  The rum started early (learned about a variant of a Dirty Shirley made with rum) and kept flowing all day.  But that was not the highlight of the day.  For me, painting while sailing (see below) was the true highlight (that and the after party).

Below is the picture of the catamaran I did after a lovely lunch of mahi mahi, jerk ribs, curried coleslaw and rice.  It is my favorite piece of the whole trip.  In fact, it might be my favorite piece I have done in the past year (this or the old stone bridge).

                  Watercolor and pen & ink on paper 5.5x8.25

Below is a series of three small (postcard size) pictures I did while sailing to Prickly Pear and Anguilla.  Despite all the rum, not many people were talkative.  However, after I pulled out my watercolors and began sketching that all changed.  It was a fun conversation starters.

These three sketches are rough and loose and just plain fun.

                      Watercolor and pen & ink on paper 3.5x5.5 
xx

                      Watercolor and pen & ink on paper 3.5x5.5 

                      Watercolor and pen & ink on paper 3.5x5.5

Sint Maarten -- Part I

Vacation was relaxing and awesome.  And incredibly productive.  I did 9 painting/sketches of various sizes, including 3 while sitting on a catamaran (coming soon). 

Instead of my normal Daniel Smith watercolors, I brought a new palette of colors by M Graham watercolors (Highland Green, Bismuth Yellow, Cobalt Teal, Permanent Green Pale, Scarlet Pyrrol, Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Violet, Cobalt Blue, Cobalt Green, Alizarin Crimson, Quinacridone Gold and Burnt Sienna)  specifically because of the gorgeous cobalt teal, which was perfect for the clear Caribbean water. M Graham watercolors are made with natural blackberry honey to prevent them from drying out.  It was my first time really using these watercolors and they did really well, except for the Cobalt Green which never, ever dried in my palette and therefore leaked all over the place.  Good thing I kept them in a zip-loc baggie.

This was the view from my room, looking out to the far right.  I did have a view of Simpson Bay but could not see it sitting down.

                           Watercolor and pen & ink on paper 5.5x8.25

View of the Caribbean Sea

We spent most of the time hanging on the beach or floating in the Caribbean Sea.  I did a sketch of the view, sitting on a beach chair, looking to the right on the first day and the view to the left on the last day.  Connecting them would give a full view of the little horseshoe bay where we sat most days.

                       Watercolor and pen & ink on paper 5.5x8.25

                       Watercolor and pen & ink on paper 5.5x8.25

View of Simpson Bay and the "Hills"

The view of the "mountains" were a close second to the sea itself.  Not sure if these are Sint Peter Hill or Sentry Hill, but I enjoyed watching the clouds drift in the sky to make the shadows flows across these "hills".  

                       Watercolor and pen & ink on 180 lbs paper 9x12
 

                        Watercolor and pen & ink on paper 3.5x5.5

Barcelona

I finally feel like an urban sketcher.  To my mind, rightly or wrongly, I feel that Barcelona is birth place of this little global movement (or at least one of them).  If it is not, then it is certainly one of its centers.  So to finally sit at a restaurant on top of Arenas de Barcelona and sketch the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya was a pretty cool experience.

                              Watercolor and pen & ink on paper 5.5x8.25

I had this ambitious idea of doing one small picture a day (3.5x5.5) but alas, I only had the time and energy to do two.  Below is the view from my hotel room.  On the left, barely visible, is Sagrada Familia.

                         Watercolor and pen & ink on paper 3.5x5.5

And here is where the magic happens.  The mobile recording studio set up in our hotel. 

                                Watercolor and pen & ink on paper 3.5x11.0

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

Snuggle Bear Sits for His Portrait

No TBT this week, just quick sketch.  Snuggle Bear wanted a portrait done, so, of course, I obliged.  He was a very patient subject.

                            Watercolor, pen and 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

Drift Wood

The goal of this painting was to utilize the transparent nature of watercolors to do layers of color, one on top of the other.  For the most part, the goal was achieved. The yellows, raw sienna, quin orange and new gamboge all play nicely together, making the scene rather tranquil, despite the dark, stormy blue sky (in blue apatite genuine).  

But it is the foreground, with its wild grass and namesake drift wood, that gives this painting a greater degree of depth than I normally achieve.  It was also one of the most fun area to paint.

                                     Watercolor on 140 lbs paper 9x12

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

Little Bits of Practice

These are really small, 3.5x5.5 inches, even smaller than postcards (4x6) but make for good practice.  .  With these, I was trying a few things out.  I wanted to mix colors directly on the paper (wet on wet), glaze transparent washes over dried washes (wet on dry) and try out my new Lamy fountain pen.

This is my favorite one of the series below.  It is the only one using ink.  Unfortunately, the Lamy ink is not water proof, so the ink bled (which did create nice dark washes).  I mixed the sky and clouds directly on the paper and you can see more color transition and gradation than I am normally able to achieve.
 

                              Mosquito Creek, Olympic National Park, WA
                                 watercolor and ink on paper 3.5x5.5

I was a little impatient with this one and the color from the baby moose bled into the background, making it rather blurry.  I mixed the trees in the foreground on the paper and when I did let the water dry, did several glazes of greens and browns on top to try and create the illusion of more distance.  I think this one was semi-successful.
 

                             2 Moose, 1 Blurry, Isle Royale National Park, MI
                                 watercolor on paper 3.5x5.5 

The above two pictures used photo references while this one did not.  I was very heavy handed with the water and flooded the paper.  However, I really like the flows of color and the pigmentation that occurred organically as a result.  The sky, clouds and foreground colors were all mixed on the wet, wet paper.
 

                                     Golden Sunset (or Sunrise?)
                                 watercolor on paper 3.5x5.5

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

Rhododendron aka Rose of Sharon

Despite teaching biology in college, I have been accused of a having a willful ignorance of local flora (there is a running joke that I call all small flowering trees dogwoods).  While that may be true to an extent, I am not that bad.  But here is where I fail to disprove that hypothesis.  In our side yard, we have both rhododendrons and rose of sharon growing.  And of course, I call them both rose of sharon because, well, it amuses me (sad but true).

Below is a painting of said rhododendron in said side yard.  This painting is a rather large and has the distinction of being the first painting on my new en plein air easel and tripod set up (see below).  I was very excited to finally get to use my new kit, it makes me feel like a real artist.

                            Watercolor on 140 lbs watercolor block 12x16