Recent figure studies

One and three minute studies with my great drawing group.

Detail and study

a study of the larger Reniella painting to establish color. Watercolor on Arches HP. 5 x 10".
a detail of the larger Reniella painting.

Studio watercolor of Reniella

Another sprig of olives, painted in Italy, and a larger studio painting of the farm where I stayed in Italy. (It's called Reniella). Watercolor on Arches HP 22 x 45". The sky is all blue, even though the waves in the dried paper show some magenta. Need to flatten the sheet, and retake photo.

More of Italy

Some things from my handmade sketchbook. A quick painting of the back of the farmhouse showing the big window/doors of our kitchen and alcune patate italiane. watercolor and grocery receipt on arches 90lb. hotpress.

Yes, it's horridly smokey here

The very smoky view from my studio looking at the Vergudos toward downtown LA. Too smoky to continue to paint in my studio. I'm lucky to be able to come into a tighter less smokey house. We are asked to conserve power, so no air conditioner on. Again, I'm lucky to have some very cold chardonnay in the frig.
Watercolor on arches. 2x3".

Montefollonico

I loved walking up to the village in time to see the bells ringing at the local church which was recorded (and built previously) in the year, 1260. This is the view from the farm.

Our traveling instruments

The traveling instruments on the terrace of amazing views.

Olive sprigs

Some olive trees on the organic farm where I stayed in Montefollonico, Italy and a page from my sketchbook. The wonderful people who own the farm saw this watercolor and wanted it for the olive oil label. So, I painted a few sprigs like this so they could pick which one they wanted.

chestnuts

Chestnuts in Rome. Ottobre.
(Italy). Walking back to the farm from the village, I found these horse chestnuts which are very beautiful. I put them in my sketchbook.

espresso

Everyone had one of these in Boulder CO where I used to live years ago, but I forgot about them and was reintroduced to it in Italy. I brought back a portion of my espresso and hope I can find more in LA, when I run out. The fresh Italian whole milk I heated up to add was incredible, as was where I sat to drink it.

View from patio

Later quick sketch of the same view. Late afternoon. Am I drinking wine while painting? Don't remember. Was trying to hurry for some reason though. My friend, Lisa, did a much better painting of the same view but she DOESN'T HAVE A BLOG!! (yet).
This is an early morning view of Montepulciano from our patio. It's the far hilltop. Only an hour and a half walk away. Foreground are some of the olive trees. I'm standing on the patio taking the shot while my espresso is percolating.

Montefollonico, Italy

A picture of the farmhouse where I stayed/worked near Montepulciano in Italy. Next week, I hope to be able to show more pictures, write about some fantastic adventures and show some paintings from my journal/sketchbook. This week, I have to hit the ground running with alot of freelance work for Disney.
That is Montepulciano in the left distance hill. This photo doesn't show how steep the road from the farmhouse to the village of Montefollonico is, which enabled me to eat and drink as much as I wanted as I certainly burned the calories.

High fire danger

I painted this a few weeks ago, before I was slammed with freelance work. I'm unable to post a weather entry, but the heading reads "high fire danger" which is obvious. This watercolor is not near as big a fire as the one currently happening near me. The 210 freeway out back is still shutdown. Watercolor on Arches.
Image 7x7".

Yoko Ono's Wish Trees

A shot of Yoko Ono's Wish Tree installation in Pasadena and some of my favorite wishes I found already tied on trees. The last one is a found wish for wc-fl. This art installation is very cool and very yoko. 21 Crepe myrtle trees.

dying magnolia

dying magnolia for Mr. Newman, watercolor on canson CP, image 8x12".

Last of the summer corn

Watercolor on Arches. Image 9x18".

Blueberries

Watercolor on Strathmore Plate Bristol. Image 6x9". The last of the blueberries.
Blueberries for Fairy book. Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter. Copyright Walt Disney Co.

Studio cam

Working table shot of a plate of blueberries. Yes, I really am this messy, but I know where everything is. I would rather be working on a larger painting, but am in the midst of freelance work, where I'm actually painting some blueberries for fairies.

Weather sketchbook

A disturbing stuffed steer that I followed down the 5 to Laguna Beach.

September weather

A great time to visit socal.

Reference for upcoming painting

This is the middle photo for reference from a new painting that I'm about to start working on. (Laguna Beach). Like the Topango Festival watercolor, I am working on a series of pan paintings. I don't know if I want them large or very small at this point. The Topango painting is 45" wide, the size of my watercolor roll. I would either like to make this one 5ft. wide which would be impossible to frame, or even as small as 10" wide. Thoughts on this welcomed.

New sketchbooks

I'm making some new watercolor sketchbooks from older fiction books, which kills me to cut up, but I do it for "art". I'm trying to get the perfect sketchbook ready for an upcoming trip to Italy, where I am going in October to harvest olives. These are filled with 90lb. arches and strathmore watercolor paper. An assortment of both hot and cold press. I used a nice glassine packet from Philippe's as an end page, to protect the watercolor paper, and state where the book was made (Los Angeles).
I really can't decide whether to bring a larger sketchbook, or very small. Sometimes, I would rather not paint at all, then use dried up pan colors, and small brushes, but I am going to pack very lightly, as I have to bring work gloves, etc., my mandolin.......

Birthday cake

As always, copyright d.farnsworth.
I know alot of virgos. Happy birthday to all of you!
Watercolor on Arches cold press.

awesome august

yes, 'tis.

Postcard for Brewery

This is a postcard being sent to the I-5 Gallery fundraiser down at the Brewery. There should be alot of great little pieces of art available there - all for $100/each....

Mid august life drawing

Hey, where was everybody? Nicole was the model. I know these are all with no face, but they are the best of the lot. Room was too cold for model, so this last one is "Nicole putting on pink shirt"
Stabilo and watercolor on animation paper. image size 10" height.

Weather report

I can't stay away from doing these silly weather journals. I would love to have the job of coming up with these weather headlines for the LA Times. They are poetry to me, and I recently found an old favorite sketchbook to fill up, while cleaning out my studio. These Aquabee "super deluxe" spiral bound sketchbooks are great. I order the 9x9" ones from Cheap Joes Art Supply.