Coral Reef 3-5 - Three Works in Progress

I came across these three pieces, that had once started as granite rocks in a larger painting but it didn't quite work out.

After looking at them, I decided that I would turn them into underwater paintings.















Coral Reef 3

Using French ultramarine blue, cobalt blue and burnt sienna I painted in the water on each painting.















Coral Reef 4

Before I could get more work done on these paintings, I had friends come over for a visit.















Coral Reef 5

I will post each of these paintings at a later date as more work on them is completed.

Coral Reef 1 and 2 - Two Works in Progress

Today, I wanted to paint but just wasn't sure which piece to work on and try to finish.

I decided to go through some of my pieces that didn't work out and were kept for playing with colour or cut up to make into small paintings.

I pulled out these two pieces that had started as moss covered, granite rocks, but it didn't quite work out.















Coral Reef 1

After looking at them I thought I could turn them into underwater paintings.

Using French ultramarine blue, cobalt blue and burnt sienna I painted in the water. For the first one I put the darker water at the bottom against the rocks and added some lighter areas toward the top to indicate the waves and light coming in from the sky.















Coral Reef 2

For the second painting I lightened the colour slightly with water to try and create what it looks like from under water when a wave comes over a rock near the surface and the sun shining through the sallower water.

I will post each of these paintings at a later date as more work on them is completed.

Suppertime? - A Work in Progress

Today, I wanted to get more of the sponges, coral and plants painted on this piece I had started quite a while ago (see posts on 15 March, 31 October and 30 December 2012, 25 March 2013 and 09 August 2017).

Using Titanium white, ultramarine blue and raw sienna I finished adding to the plants at the top of the rock face. With the white, I indicated the top of some of the sponges lower down on the rock face.

With various mixtures of raw sienna, burnt sienna and Hansa yellow, I added some tube sponges on the edge of the rocks closest to the Jack-knifefish (Equetus lanceolatus).

From there using the same colours I added more sponges into the middle of the center area and a few more smaller ones towards the left side.















Next, I used a mixture of Titanium white, ultramarine blue and vermillion and put in a couple more of the purple sponges toward the middle of the rock face and some much smaller, duller coloured ones to the left side.

At this point I wanted to get the top area of the rock face completed. I mixed various greens using ultramarine blue, cerulean blue, raw sienna and Hansa yellow.

Using the greens I put in some of the small, leafy sea weed, draping it down the rock face from beneath the light coloured sponges and corals.

Lastly, using the darker greens I added a few pieces of seaweed above and around the smaller purple sponges.

I will post this painting at a later date once I have finished painting the remaining coral and sponges on the rock face.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and enjoy the artwork. I hope you will return often.

School's Out - A Work in Progress

Today, I thought I would do a little more work on this drawing (see posts on 15 July and 28 December 2016 and 29 January 2017) which is an underwater scene near the rest stop at the CoCo View Resort.

I started by adding more details onto the branches of the sea fan at the top of the rock and indicating the outer edges of the fan.

Next, I brought the outer edge of the large rock down and in behind the tube sponges.

I added some of the shadows onto the tube sponges to give them a little more shape.

I will post this drawing at a later date once I have finished adding all the details onto the various fishes.

Suppertime? - A Work in Progress

Today we are under a Severe Storm Warning with the temperature at 86F (30C) and the humidity making it feel like 97F (36C).

We did get a wonderful thunderstorm in the late afternoon, during which I spent my time on the front porch watching the lightning.

I wanted do some work on this painting of a Knifefish that I had started a number of years ago (see posts on 15 March, 31 October and 30 December 2012 and 25 March 2013).

Using a Schwan-STABILO All-Surface water-soluble pencil, I drew in where I wanted to place sponges, coral and other underwater plants on the rock surface.














The nice thing about using these pencils is that they was off completely with water; so if I don't go to the edge of the line or change my mind about the placement, it doesn't matter as once the paint is dry I can easily wash it off.

Using Titanium white, ultramarine blue and raw sienna, I started putting in some of the plants and soft coral on the top of the rock face.

I will post this painting at a later date once more work on the coral has been completed.

School's Out I - A Work in Progress

I started to work on this underwater drawing that I began last year (see posts on 15 July and 28 December 2016) by indicating the bottom edge of the sea fan by the top edge of the rock.

Next I put in the top of the highest rock on this piece of the reef.

Part way down the reef I put in the rock out cropping with some yellow tube sponges. At the base of the sponges I put in some sea weed.

I will post this drawing at a later time once I have decided whether I am going to put in a school of French Grunts or Purple Wrasse.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and enjoy the artwork. I hope you will return often.

School's Out I - A Work in Progress

I pulled out this sketch that I started earlier this year (see post on July 2016).

First I added more details to the fish and started on the branches of the sea fan.

Next I added various coral and sponges onto the rock.

I started to ink in the main branches of the sea fan before I ran out of time.

I will post this sketch at a later date.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and enjoy the artwork. I hope you will return often.

Barracuda I - A Work in Progress

It is typical hot July weather with the temperature reaching 91F (33C) and the humidity making it feel like 99F (37C).

This is another sketch I transferred onto paper from my diving slate when I was in Roatan, Honduras at the CoCo View Resort.















I was on Newman's wall after the first morning dive on my way back to the Resort when I came across this small school of barracuda slowly moving along the reef.

I did a quick sketch of their placement in the reef and thought it may turn into a nice painting later.

I will post this sketch once more work on it has been completed.

School's Out I - A Work in Progress

We had rain last night and the power went out in the evening around 7:30 and didn't return until around 4:30 this morning. The rain, wind, heat 79F (26C) and the humidity 88F (31C) continued throughout the day.

I came across my slate that I use when diving and transferred this sketch that I did when I was in Roatan onto a piece of paper.

This landmark rock formation is at a decompression stop at 30' (9.1m) located between the Prince Albert wreck and the platform in the backyard of the CoCo View Resort.

While waiting there you are almost always guaranteed to see a multitude of fish swimming around the large sea fan.

I will post this sketch at a later date when I have tightened up the drawing of the fish and added the details of to the rocks and sea fan.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

On the Reef 1 - A Work in Progress

It is a nice, warm and rainy day but it will help the plants to grow and since my Mothers' Day gifts are hanging at the side of the house they won't need to be watered.














I wanted to do a little work on this painting which was originally called Sponge Work B (see post on 29 Dec 2012) and I have changed the name to On the Reef 1.














I washed cobalt blue into the top of the painting varying the colour on a diagonal to give the impression of sun rays shining through water and then set it aside to dry while I decided which kinds of fish to put throughout the coral.

I will post this painting at a later date once I have added the fish.

Underwater Housing I-III - Three Works in Progress

Often when I go diving in the Caribbean you can find all manner of creatures in the making their homes in some of the strangest places. I have found crabs and lobsters in old rusted buckets and in Barrel sponge and while diving in Bonaire a number of fish  had made their home in a crumpled  45 gallon oil drum.














Underwater Housing I

In the Still Life class earlier this month we painted old clay oil jugs and large clay pots (see post on 05 March 2015).

I thought why not turn them on their sides, put a hole in them and then add a few sea creatures.













Underwater Housing II

For the first one I have started painting in some of the colour on the clay oil jug and have to decide where to put the broken part and what sea creature I will put into it.

For the second one I will have it buried a little deeper in the sand and will probably have the opening closer to the front.






Underwater Housing III

For the third one I have indicated where the opening will be and it is just a matter of finding the tenant.

I will post each of these underwater homes as more work is completed on them.

Coral Reef I - A Work in Progress

Today was the first day of the Kawartha Arts Festival and we are going to have a hot, humid day with temperatures reaching 81F (27C) and the humidity making it feel like 90F (32C).

Fortunately there was a nice breeze blowing which made the weather more bearable and it helped to bring out a steady stream of people to visit the show.

I worked on a number of pieces today including this one of a coral reef in Roatan that I had started last year (see post on 16 March 2013).












I added more coral to both sides of the rock face on Newman's Wall and put in a few more details to define the coral.

I will post this painting at a later date once I decide what kinds of fish and where I am going to place them in this painting.

I look forward to seeing some of you tomorrow for the last day of the show.

Above and Below the Reef Show

Tonight is the opening of my two person show entitled 'Above and Below the Reef' at The Lindsay Gallery, 190 Kent St, 2nd Floor, Lindsay, Ontario.

Please come out and join Carol Rutherford and myself from 7:00-8:30pm.

Red Sponges 1 and 2 - Two Works in Progress

These are two paintings I started while I was sitting at the final day of the Monochrome Show at KAGS.

Since the show was called Monochrome I thought I should work the under painting with one colour and I chose alizarin crimson.

I brushed water onto the two pieces of paper being sure to leave some areas dry.

Red Sponges 1

Using a brush I dropped in various strengths of the alizarin crimson and while the paper was still wet rolled it around allowing the paint to float across the water.

Once the painting was dry I started on the first piece giving shape to the sponges using various mixtures of alizarin crimson, burnt sienna, French ultramarine blue, cadmium red and cadmium yellow.


Red Sponges 2

I will post these paintings at a later date as more work is completed on them.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and look at the artwork. I hope you will return often.

Anemone

Today I wanted to finish this painting of the anemone (see postings on 24 Mar 2012, 26 and 28 Jul 2012 and Dec 2012) in order to have another painting completed for the Above and Below the Reef Show at The Lindsay Gallery.














This 8" x 10" original acrylic painting when framed will be available for $225.00.

ACEO - On the Reef 2

This painting was originally called Sponge Work C (see post on 29 Dec 2012) and I have changed the name to On the Reef 2.

I saw a small seahorse shape in the coral and painted it in using cadmium red. Using cadmium yellow, I put in the under paint on a Yellow Tang.

I washed cobalt blue into the top of the painting and set it aside to dry while I decided which kinds of fish to put throughout the coral.














I started by putting in a small school of five French grunts among the top of the plants. This was followed by adding in a rock beauty, a squirrelfish, another yellow tang and a small starfish.

From there using various mixtures of cadmium red, cadmium red, alizarin crimson, burnt sienna, new gamboge, lemon yellow and French ultramarine blue, I put in various tube sponges, elk horn coral, sea fans and seaweed throughout the reef.

With a pale wash of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna I dulled down the bright white areas.















Using raw sienna, Antwerp blue and burnt sienna I put in some of the coral and vegetation on the sea floor.

If you would like more information about ACEO please go to my post on 11 March 2010.

The ACEO shown here is an original watercolour painting using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 90lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

ACEO - Hazy Day 1

The days are getting warmer and more humid so I thought I would work on this painting I had started last year of a summer day (see posts on 07 July 2012 and 25 May 2013).

I started with the background and put in the distant field with a mixture of Antwerp blue and new gamboge.

The trees against the skyline were various mixtures of French ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue and new gamboge.

Using mixtures of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna the tree trunks and main branches were painted into the foreground.














With a sponge I applied the layers of green leaves on the foreground trees with mixtures of both blues, raw sienna and new gamboge.

Lastly the foreground bushes were put in with the darker mixture of the leave colours.

If you would like more information about ACEO please go to my post on 11 March 2010.

The ACEO shown here is an original watercolour painting using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

Sunken Wreck 1

Today I was thinking about diving in the Caribbean and since I enjoy wreck diving I thought I would do a drawing of a wreck.

I placed the wreck on the reef and put a hole in the hull.

Next I put in a distant hill in the background behind the boat.















At a later date I may go in and add coral formations onto the closer rocks or put some fish swimming around the boat.

It is also a good reference for a future painting. We will see what the future may bring.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork and I hope you will return often.

Sea Fans

This is another painting that just needed a few details added to the fish before it is completed (see postings on 20 Oct 2011, 11 Jul 2012, 26 Dec 2012 and 17 Feb 2013).

With a mixture of burnt sienna, French ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson I added the markings on the bodies of the two four eyed butterfly fish.














This original 15" x 22" framed watercolour painting is available for $450.00. SOLD

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and enjoy the artwork. I hope you will return often.

Spotted Eagle Ray

I took two paintings in for the Unfolding show at KAGS today and with the paintings that I saw at the gallery it should be an interesting show.

Now that I have returned home I wanted to complete this painting of the Spotted Eagle Rays.














This original 10" x 14" acrylic painting when framed will be available for $250.00

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork and I hope you will return often.