Farmland in Monochrome

Watercolor always scares me due to the apparent finality that comes from contact between color and paper. There is no way to retrace steps once brush meets paper. Yet I have seen videos of watercolorists who seem to effortlessly correct "mistakes" and produce beautiful pictures. As a result I have played with watercolor more and am finding that accidents can be turned into unanticipated creativity.

That was not the case with this farmland picture, but the challenge I set here was to produce a watercolor picture with a restricted -- almost monochromatic -- palette. I used only burnt sienna, raw sienna and ultramarine blue. The effect is a rather pleasing dusky scene that is so reminiscent of the American midwest.

Farmland in Monochrome, Watercolor on 300lb paper, 9"x12", Not for sale

Kerala Rice Paddy

Kerala is one of the world's most beautiful places and is located in the southwestern-most part of India. A couple of years ago, I had my first opportunity to spend a few days in Kerala, soaking in the beauty of the lush, tea-plantation covered mountains to the intracoastal waterways and the Indian ocean. At every turn on the narrow roads that wind through Kerala are 'paintable' sights, one of which is the rice paddies that dot the entire state.

Kerala Rice Paddy was done from memory aided by photographs. The predominant yellow-orange hue of the entire picture is intended to represent the humid tropical atmosphere that asserts itself in the late afternoon as the sun is dropping to the horizon. Unlike temperate climate landscapes, there are few cool hues in the picture. Just looking at this picture evokes memories of sweaty afternoons and long, cool drinks!

Kerala Rice Paddy, Acrylic on canvas board, 11"x14", $75 (unframed)

Window in Old Brick Wall

Life has been a whirlwind of late, hence a lack of new posts. When I did have a chance to paint, the results have been less than stellar and certainly not worth sharing! In any event, I am working through the "slump" and hope to post more regularly once again.

Window in Old Brick Wall follows in the series of window-themed watercolors I did last year. Needless to say the variations that can be found on a single theme such as this are nearly endless. Working on the window paintings has also taught me the discipline of sketching an outline before applying color. This is of special importance in an architectural subject where the proportions need to be more exact than in some other subjects.

Anyway, it is nice to be back and I look forward to comments as always.

Window in Old Brick Wall, Watercolor on 140lb paper, 4"x6", $25

One Apple: A Small Study

Apples come in so many shapes, sizes and colors but there are some quintessential elements that make the fruit readily recognizable. Perhaps this is what makes apples so attractive when grade school children practice their early artistic skills.

For the more mature of us, apples can be challenging and rewarding at the same time. In this small study, I have tried to use a limited number of colors and few brushstrokes to schieve the likeness of an apple. This is in practice for a bigger still life I intend to do but which scares me each time I face the canvas. Though quite elementary, doing this piece has helped me get greater confidence.

One Apple, Acrylic on canvas board, 5"x7", not for sale

Hot and Sour

A recent post from Carol Schiff, in which she confessed to being a still life painter all along encouraged me to experiment with my first still life. The inspiration for the contents came from my other creative endeavor -- cooking. Like my mother, I have never followed recipes which allows a lot of freedom to experiment with combinations of flavors and foods without regard to a "rule book" (kind of like art in a way).

I mostly do Indian, Italian and modern American style cooking, often blending various ethnic flavors with traditional dishes. Needless to say, hot and sour flavors abound in my kitchen. I avoided working on this painting while hungry so as to avoid salivating over it! It kept reminding me of a dish I make sometimes that consists of pasta with sun-dried tomatoes tossed with chilli oil and lemon juice dressing. It truly is to die for.

Anyway, here is my first still life attempt and I would love to hear your comments.

Hot and Sour, Acrylic on gesso board, 11'x14', $100 (unframed)

Lupins in Close-up

One of the most beautiful sights when driving through eastern Canada, especially New Brunswick, is the profusion of wild lupins growing by the roadside. Though the flowers are themselves rather small, they tend to cover large expanses which creates a strong visual impact.

Roadside Beauties is representative of New Brunswick lupins but with a low and up-close perspective. Obviously this exaggerates their size relative to the background but makes them the most prominent part of the picture. Wild lupins typically tend to be in the blue-red hues with a multitude of shades in between.

Roadside Beauties, Acrylic on 140lb paper, 4"x6", $25 (unframed)

Lotus in Full Bloom

This painting is inspired by a picture that a friend took in Australia. It is done in watercolor pencil so the color is perhaps not as brilliant as with full strength watercolor. I am also working with limited tools -- just the pencils and a single brush -- since I have been traveling overseas (in snowy London) and carrying non-solid paints is not easy these days.

Anyway, there are layers of color here with some edges softened while others left with pencil marks intact. The idea is to convey a painterly rather than a drawn in feel to the picture.

Lotus in Full Bloom, Watercolor pencil on 140lb paper, 4"x6", $25 (unframed)