Photo From the Studio: Sunset Glow

Amaryllis 14 X 21″

This May I taught a 3-day workshop for the Colonie Art League in Latham, NY. I’ve included some of the demonstration paintings here.

I began painting this Amaryllis on the first day and completed it the third day. It has strong lighting that glows through the petals and created a large shadow over the center. I used Permanent Rose, Quinacridone Coral, Berlin Blue and Burnt Umber, and painted in sections. Smaller ones were painted directly on dry Waterford paper and larger ones were wet before painting. Colors were mingled for interest.

On the second day I worked on this Crescent Illustration Board. The plate surface creates interesting textures and is perfect for painting rocks and water. The palette was Cobalt, Fr. Ultramarine and Berlin Blues, Burnt and Raw Umber and Quinacridone Coral and a bit of Winsor Violet and Indigo for darks.

Here is the finished painting; 14 x 21″.

I added more rocks and some water. The use of hard and soft edges is very important to make the subject believable. I toned the upper background with blue and painted in the foliage and trees with a combination of negative and positive painting; leaving some lights and lifting some.

I began this Phlox by painting the flower shapes at the top with New Gamboge, Permanent Rose, Quinacridone Coral, Berlin Blue, Burnt and Raw Umber. Colors were mingled on dry board for the most part. The board is Strathmore 500 series, 5 ply Heavyweight Plate Illustration board. The leaves were added that evening at the demonstration for the group meeting and I began the background. Foliage was toned with New Gamboge and then Berlin Blue and Umbers mingled into them. The background was painted directly with a large quill brush and in places the surface was wet with a damp brush first, or sprayed to make the paint move. Colors were Pthalo Turquoise, Winsor Violet and Burnt Umber. Aureolin was charged in for interest.

In the finished painting, 21 x 14″, more leaves and darks were added to bring movement up through the painting. A dark background would have competed with the subject. A white background would have made the flower float and look incomplete.

NEWS: SUMMER 2015

On July 10th my exhibition with my friend, Mina Angelos, AWS, will open at the SUNY Plattsburgh Burke Gallery. A closing reception will be held September 10th . The show will hang until September 13th. There will be related events, including demos and talks; times and details to be announced. I will have 28 paintings including older and recent work, with some from my private collection.

NATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITIONS

Summer Light
October
PITTSBURGH WATERCOLOR SOCIETY 69TH ANNUAL AQUEOUS OPEN; Spinning Plate Gallery Pa

Philox
Oct – November
MISSISSPPI WATERCOLOR SOCIETY GRAND NATIONAL; Art Center of Mississippi

Swift Flow
September / November
Pennsylvania Watercolor Society 36th Juried Exhibition, Carlisle Arts Learning Center,

Sun Struck
October
Montana Watercolor Society Watermedia 2015, Mountain Sage Gallery, MT

Cascading Stream
September
Allied Artists Of America Annual; Salmagundi Club, NYC

Bountiful Begonia
July – Sep
Northwest Watercolor Society 75th International Open, WA

Spanish Alley
June
Baltimore Watercolor Society Mid-Atlantic Regional, Blackrock Center for the Arts,
MD: Margaret G. Kranking memorial Award

Iris
June – August
Watercolor USA Annual; Springfield Art Museum, MO

PUBLICATIONS

Haughty Hibiscus
Runner up for Splash 17, North Light books

INCLUSION IN THE BOOK
THE 2015 EDITION OF MARQUIS “WHO’S WHO IN AMERICA”