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.

Homeward Bound

It seems that this month I am working on a number of paintings with boats and ships in them. So I will continue on today with this theme.

I pulled this painting out and decided to work on the waves to finish the water.













After setting it up and glancing at it for a couple of hours while I worked on various sketches I thought nothing more needed to be added to the painting and went ahead and signed it.

This framed, original 12" x 21-1/2" watercolour painting is available for $485.00.

Ocean Treasures - A Work in Progress

I took a workshop with Carol Francisco at KAGS on using pastel.

The morning was spent on learning on how to have a safe working environment when using chalk pastel, types of papers and boards that can be used with pastel, the various ways of handling the medium when applying it to the different types of paper and examples how the results.

In the afternoon we were allowed to choose various objects she had brought in for us to use in creating a still life painting in pastel.

I chose a seashell and a piece of coral.

There is still more depth of colour and detail to add to the painting. I will post this piece once I have it completed.

Homeward Bound - A Work in Progress

This is a painting I started a while ago (see my post on 19 May 10) and needed some time to think about how I would put in the wave patterns.

I took a number of pieces over to my friend Heather's home to work on with her. This was one of them.

I originally had a few waves started in the lower left hand corner. With spending time away from the painting I realized that those were much too small for the size of the area of water and must be made larger if I wanted to create the illusion of distance.

Using French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, raw sienna and alizarin crimson to create some of the wave patterns and trying to capture the impression of movement in the water.

As I worked up the left side of the painting to the boat I used more of the French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and alizarin crimson. The wave size was also reduced. I also added some suggestions of waves across the water just below the horizon.

I will post this painting once I have completed the water, and I think I may also add a person onto the sailboat.

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

Homeward Bound - A Work in Progress

This is another painting I came across while going through some boxes that had been packed away.

Rigging lines have been added, and some of the details to the cabin and boat.












The dark wave patterns were started, but I decided to give more thought to their placement before going any further.

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