Sun Worshipers

 

Isn't it fun how the sun lights up these tulips? This one has taken quite a bit of time because I decided to go larger for the impact it would have and oh my gosh, I didn't realize how challenging it was to draw something so cheerful every day (and I'm normally an upbeat person!).
 
12" x 18"
Colored pencil and watercolor

I am careful to use only archival quality pigments and materials.  It has been mounted on a 1-1/2" cradled birch wood panel. I opted to seal the panel with black enamel.  The contrast looks stunning!  The drawing was mounted using archival quality glue and sealed with archival quality sealant.  I attached hanging hardware to the back of the finished piece so it's ready to hang.  No additional framing is needed.  This piece will last hundreds of years with proper care and keeping. 

Many thanks to the Holland-America Tulip Farm in Richland, Washington who welcome artists to come photograph, paint and in my case draw their blooms each spring without any charge.  You should see the ribbons of color in their fields!  What a tremendous inspiration. 

Mounted

Mounting on cradled boards is no easy task but the finished result is outstanding!  No additional framing required... or needed. 

The McMillan House - revisited

Here it is almost the end of May.  I know I haven't been posting because I've been super busy!  If you have been following me for a while, remember back about a year ago when I posted a drawing of the McMillan House in Roche Harbor, Washington.  I initially created the drawing as a wedding gift and the features behind the restaurant were intentionally edited out.  Turns out the folks at Roche Harbor are interested in prints of the drawing WITH the features added in behind the house so I did something I don't normally do.  I went back in to the drawing and added the hillside  behind the restaurant.  The tricky part is since I originally drew this is I've changed the brand of pencils I use (for better) so a perfect match of pigment wasn't going to happen.  Plus there was a significant challenge to keep the background from competing with the foreground features.  I think I found a happy medium:

Sand Island

Click on the image to view a larger version.

This started out as a plein air painting. This past Wednesday we went down to the public docks in St. Helens, Oregon and sat out on the furthest string in folding chairs. On this particular outing I only brought along my water brushes. I've struggled with too little water coming through the brush only this time it was too much water and so often it was too much of a puddle to control the pigment. I could only work the image so far before bringing it home to my regular brushes to finish it. At the beginning of our time out on the dock it was windy and grey and threatening to rain. By the time we called it a day the clouds were breaking up and the sun peeking out here and there so it was hard to keep the light and shadows consistent because they kept constantly changing. This is Sand Island. Watercolor. Yes, you read that right - watercolor. 

24th Annual Colored Pencil Exhibition Merit Award

Ping was selected for a Merit Award in the 24th Annual Colored Pencil Exhibition by the Colored Pencil Society of America Portland District Chapter 201 at the Enid Joy Mount Gallery in Keizer, Oregon. 67 works of art by 37 artists.  Juror: Rene Eisenbart. 

In the Wind

We decided to change up our plein air routine and go to the marina in Scappoose for painting. I was instantly drawn to the complexity of the sail boats moored off to the side where we were sitting. With the sun out it was very warm but the wind whipped up, clouds moved in and a warning drizzle began before the pouring rain. Isn't this crazy fun?

Pen and ink and watercolor. 
Click on the image to view it larger.

Dare

 

Another one for my portrait series. This fine fellow is "Dare to Believe". I just call him Dare - he is quite the character. This is an 8" x 8" mixed media piece.  Archival quality prints mounted on a cradled panel will be available in April.