Girl with Papaya

An older watercolor. The same girl who was the model for "neglected girl with astors and peonies". This is girl with Papaya. Am working on several watercolors and one oil and have nothing new to post today. This is 22 x30" on Arches Cold Press.

Topanga Banjo-Fiddle Contest

This is a watercolor 17 x 45" on Arches Hot Press.
It was done in studio from photos and a rough sketch. It's morning at Paramount Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains, the annual topanga banjo/fiddle contest and folk festival that happens in May.

Heat wave

Thank you C for saving me from this heat wave! Had a blast in Laguna Beach.

Figs

I'm working on a large painting, two actually, but took a break to paint figs from the neighbor's tree.
watercolor on arches hot press. 8x10"

friday lunchtime drawing

three drawings from the friday lunchtime drawing session.
2 or 5 minute poses. The middle pose is very similar to a pose from another model a couple of weeks ago. I feel lucky to be sitting where I was when those happen. Stabilo aquarellable on animation paper. These are bigger than usual, about 16 x 7".

Friday figure drawing

This last pose is that great pose that we all loved, (except for the model who said, "never again"). These are all either 1, 3 or 5 minutes. There is one of each. Maybe you could figure which is which. I struggle with the 1 minute poses, but it's a great challenge.

Hot weather for sketchbook

A couple of pages of the weather sketchbook, which is really a Handbook Journal, although the size is 5x7" landscape size which I really don't like - too wide. My answer to Cin's comment/question about if I like these journals, is yes, I do like them. My favorite is the 5x5" one. The paper is nicer than Moleskine for a watercolor wash. They are good for quick sketches, and not for finished watercolor paintings however, which is hard for me to remember that that is the purpose of a sketchbook, to work out ideas, and capture quick images. Sometimes I find myself trying to make a finished painting in them. The Handbook Journal paper absorbs the pigment in a nice way. You can see the difference in the august 13 squash in journal, then on Arches cold press paper. Both paintings have the same Holbein Aureolin yellow watercolor paint.

Neglected girl with peonies and asters

I'm trying to organize my blog because I'm still too lazy to make a proper website, but want to include some older paintings, now that I have this label list on the right (and also the bottom which I can't seem to get rid of). This painting is called "Neglected girl" a portrait of a girl who lives in my neighborhood. It's a large watercolor on Arches Hot Press (from a roll) 40x45". It's too large to frame and send away for a show, but sits neglected in my studio.

Greetings from Utah/Zion Ntl Park

Some quick color sketches in Handbook Journal with inferior watercolor paints (my traveling paints)

Mulholland Drive

Two more watercolor sketches of the tower a little later in the day. The marine layer lifted. The second painting is looking at Mulholland Drive from the canyon.

Fryman Canyon

Two pages from weather sketchbook. August 1 is a marine layer morning view of a tower from Fryman Canyon.
Watercolor in Handbook Journal.

Detail of previous post

I'm including these detail of previous weather sketchbook for those sweet people who actually ask me for watercolor advice. This geranium blossom might be my favorite flower that I ever painted because I looked at it as a whole shape, not individual petals. I loaded the shape with water so that the pigment would float and dry at the edges. I consciously try and leave white spaces for that "watercolor sparkle".
The girl/woman detail I like too. The watercolor is added quickly and left alone - no second layer. The freckles near the nose were one of those accidents that happen in watercolor and why I love the medium so much.
I would include a really bad watercolor painting of a pepper tree with some musicians jamming under it so you could see a really bad example of watercolor and maybe not be so hard on yourself, but I have directors looking at this site and I need to jump on another film project......

end of july weather sketchbook pages

Some goofy pages. They are more like scrapbook pages with bits of paper/napkins glued to them. I do hope all you Simpson Movie viewers are noticing the beautifully hand drawn bubbles in the polluted lake scene. An example of one is on 30 july page (in blue rather than brown).

Legs, a body, Head

This is a nice model to draw. She has a fantastic haircut which makes a great shape and has a specific part in it.
These are probably 5 minute poses. I was moving slowly today.
Stabilo aquarellable on animation paper.

Zuma Beach

I have a new sketchbook for the weather journal. It is a landscape sized Handbook Journal 5 x 7" that was sent to me accidentally when I ordered a portrait size. I didn't like these books at first, but they are perfect for the weather sketchbook. This is from a great day at Zuma beach. Click on image to enlarge. I don't know why this posted so small.

The model didn't show up last Friday so we drew two of the artists who volunteered to pose. 3 minute poses. I concentrated on the head instead of getting the gesture. I have very little time to draw in general during the day, with an overwhelming amount of freelance work, and I also feel I have so little time to draw once I'm at the Disney sessions. The 3 minutes go by very fast.
Stabilo aquarellable on animation bond.

Friday life drawing

Some drawings on animation paper with Stabilo Aquarellable. 2,3 and 5 minute poses (not in that order)

Mandolin cases

I have had internet connection problems.

Turqoise vase, india eggplant

Some early July weather sketchbook entries. Watercolor in Aquabee 9x9" sketchbook.
(a great sketchbook for quick watercolor sketches)

Onions and Ocean sunset

No I was not amongst the lucky to see Paul but I did get to go to the farmers market to buy onions, eggplant, peaches and cherries. AND COFFEE.

jacaranda blossoms and seaweed

Some early summer things. I like the colors of these three things together on the palette. This weather journal is almost filled and I might move on to the next project.

Last days of "June Gloom"

I have been computerless for the week, but am posting from my new Mac which hopefully I'll grow to love as soon as I can get the "keychain password" to stop showing up, and get it to accept my old Wacom tablet.
June gloom is the wonderful term for overcast marine layer mornings. It is nice and cool which is why June is a great time to be in so cal. Here's a plate of cherries and some honeysuckle.

A quick stop at the beach

I dropped off some freelance work in Santa Monica and was able to say hello to the Pacific. It's great not spending every waking hour on the Simpson Movie, although that was a fantastic job and I worked with great people. I miss the salmon dinners, sushi lunches, and haagan-daaz bars.