When life gives you lemons, draw them, 11 x 14 inches dry pastels, graphite on paper

"When life gives you lemons, draw them." (Nikki)

"Color! What a deep and mysterious language." (Paul Gauguin)

seascape

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Cape Kiwanda, OR

Saturday, May 22nd, 2021


 

Cape Kiwanda OR, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper

Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area, Pacific City, OR – 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper

Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge, OR

Sunday, May 2nd, 2021


 

Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge, OR - 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper

Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge, Oceanside OR – 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper

Spanish Moss

Sunday, October 4th, 2020


 

Spanish Moss, Creyke Point, Vancouver Island BC, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on 90 lb watercolor paper

Spanish Moss, Creyke Point, Vancouver Island BC, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper

Cormorants, Moeraki New Zealand

Saturday, August 15th, 2020


 

Cormorants, Moeraki New Zealand, 16H x 20W inches soft pastels

Cormorants, Moeraki New Zealand, 16H x 20W inches soft pastels

Post-dated note: Accepted in the J. Mane Gallery’s Fins, Feathers and Fur 2020 exhibition

Cape Bridgewater, Australia

Saturday, June 20th, 2020


 

Cape Bridgewater, Australia - 16H x 20W inches dry pastels

Cape Bridgewater, Australia – 16H x 20W inches dry pastels on 140 lb. watercolor paper

Stormy Oregon Coast

Friday, February 2nd, 2018


 
Stormy Oregon Coast 02, 6W x 4H inches watercolors

Stormy Oregon Coast 01, 6W x 4H inches watercolors

Stormy Oregon Coast 01, 6W x 4H inches watercolors — the first version painted on Jan 10th (bottom) was too stagnant, so I added some splash.

Oregon Beach Fantasy

Wednesday, January 24th, 2018


 
Oregon Beach Fantasy, 3W x 6H inches watercolors on 140 lb premium

Oregon Beach Fantasy, before spraying with paint through straw, 3W x 6H inches watercolors

Oregon Beach Fantasy, 3W x 6H inches watercolors on 140 lb premium

Left, first phase and above after puddles of water were allowed to soak in certain areas, then paint was blown with a straw. Paint was also removed in some areas. This created a much more dynamic painting.

Oystercatchers

Monday, February 27th, 2017


 

Oystercatchers, 18 x 24 inches watercolors on 140 lb cold press

Oystercatchers, 18H x 24W inches watercolors on 140 lb cold pressed. Framed size 27H x 33W inches, white mat, white wood frame with crackle finish.

Showcased in the J. Mane Gallery’s Fins, Feathers and Fur 2020 exhibition.


Oystercatchers, upper left detailThis is finished, although I’d love to merge the contrasts somehow. I don’t want to mess up the implied light though, or the initial spontaneous brush strokes, like in the background waves. Every new mark at this stage makes a difference too, and in context to the whole, even small changes affect other areas that need to adjust accordingly.

Oystercatchers, central detail Before you know it, colors mud together and beautiful open spaces disappear. I’m going to take direction from my most recent pieces, which I feel were over-worked, and quit while I’m ahead.
Oystercatchers, lower left detailChallenge is exciting…particularly with watercolors. Whereas with other media mistakes can be erased or covered easily and change can occur throughout the process without much hesitation, with watercolors a person needs to know a subject well – or at least be able to fake it with confidence!Oystercatchers, upper right detail
Finding a way to make each painting unique means following cues happening within the work itself. In this painting, the most remarkable thing occurred after the the first phase of production.

Oystercatchers, central right detailBecause this subject was unfamiliar, I started by first penciling in the shapes, wondering what I could do to make this less boring – you know, not just be a picture of Oystercatchers. When erasing the pencil marks in order to see what the paint had established, little rolls of eraser pieces scattered here and there. Sprinkled impromptu around the birds, those tiny eraser shreds added a pronounced and unexpected zing of life to the composition.Oystercatchers, lower right detail First thinking “what have I got to lose?”, the eraser-pieces were mimicked in paint around the birds. I’m tempted to make those strokes more prominent, but a small success is in order, so will use this fun technique in another painting.

The Great Ocean Road

Sunday, February 24th, 2008


 

The Great Ocean Road, east coast Australia, 11 x 14 Oil pastels and graphite on paper

The Great Ocean Road, east coast Victoria, Australia, 11H x 14W inches oil pastels on paper, framed with 3 inch white double mat, brass title plate, and white wood frame with crackle finish, 22H x 26W inches total size. Sold.

Windswept Cypress, NC

Thursday, January 31st, 2008


 

Windswept Cypress in North Carolina, 24H x 18W inches oil pastels and colored pencils on paper
Windswept Cypress, Kitty Hawk, Outer Banks, North Carolina – 24H x 18W inches mainly oil pastel on paper, graphite, watercolor pencils, white mat. Detail images:

Windswept, NC - top detail
Windswept, NC - bottom detail

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