#239 Trees on Masa

This is one of the sumi ink/watercolor paintings I did in Sheila's workshop (see below), on crumpled masa paper.  It is a great technique for landscapes, as well as other genres.  I might continue tinting the lower part, after thinking about it for a bit.  Tis is 14.5 x 17.5 ".

Workshop Vacation

I'm taking a fun sumi ink and masa paper workshop for two days from Sheila Sondik.  Today things are "in progress", but maybe by tomorrow I'll have something to post!

#238 K's Place

We painted at K's in Port Townsend, until the rain started.  Then we had a great Thai take-out lunch.  I was tempted to make the foliage darker from the center to the right in this painting, but decided to wait and decide later.  One thing about light foliage is that it has the feeling of a bright overcast day.  That's LSA doing a sweet little oil painting.

#237 Royal Creek Watercolor

I need to go hiking soon, to get more photos for paintings- or to do them on site.  This is a favorite spot on Royal Creek, just as it joins the Dungeness. If you look closely in the water, you can see some tiny white lines made with a white ink pen Elsbeth gave me.  I was just trying it out here, and want to use it more often in the future.  There's black ink in there, too.

Impossible Bird

I went to the Juan de Fuca music festival in Port Angeles today and didn't have a chance to paint.  In the general spirit of art, I do have a recommendation for an amazing duo we heard there:  Impossible Bird.  You have to hear their music, but if you can see them perform, it's even better.  They will play in Seattle a number of times this summer.

#236 Kalaloch Beach

This is a watercolor based on a photo I took in the late afternoon at Kalaloch a few years ago.  It is about 7" x 11".

#235 New Nash

And here's the studio version of Nash's field with truck and lilac, plus outbuildings.  About 8" x 9" in w/c.

(#226 is the plein air version)

#234 New Ridge

I redid a few paintings lately- some turned out better than the original, and others did not.  I like this one more than the plein air version done a few days ago.  About 8.5 x 10".

#233 Field Crops

I did a redo of the ridge view painting in the studio, and much prefer the plein air version from several days ago- except for these clouds!  So, here is a tiny crop- maybe 3" x 8", showing the clouds. Field crops- ha ha.

#232 Blue Vase and Columbine

The blue vase made by my mother-in-law, with a columbine and other flowers.  The little blue ones are from a plant called Stairway to Heaven.  Watercolor, about 8" x 9".

Here is a later version where the righthand background is darker:

#231 SW View from Ridge

This was the second of two plein air watercolors I did on Friday, on a ridge near Seqiuim.  Previous glaciers left a number of ridges that run parallel to the Strait.

#230 Anne's Garden

We went to a friend of a friend's house yesterday to paint in her extensive and beautiful garden. Behind the plum tree on the left are the Olympic mountains.  

I used liquid watercolor for the yellows, and a mix of colored inks and watercolor for the darks.  The inks dry REALLY fast outdoors!  This is on printmaking paper, about 11" x 11".

#229 Sauvie Island Redux

Another watercolor enhanced with liquid ink, to improve saturation. I like the stronger color, compared to straight watercolors.  This is loosely based on an oil study I did last summer on Sauvie Island, Oregon . 

#228 May Garden

Rhodies, dogwood, firs, and the air was humming with bees  I used liquid ink and watercolors to increase the saturation.  About 11" square on print making paper.

#227 Leavenworth Valley

This is a plein air oil painting I did looking across the Leavenworth, Washington valley, on a warm dry day.  12" x 9".

##226 Lilac and Truck at Nash's

Patty let us paint behind her great organic produce store- Nash's Farm Store in Dungeness.  It was a great day for painting, and nice location!  These are some old buildings and a Nash-owned field  We had to shop afterwards, of course.  Watercolor, about 10" x 15".

#225 Northwest Garden

I wasn't able to paint with the Port Townsend group today, but managed to do this little 5" x 7" watercolor on a sample of Cheap Joe's Kilimajaro paper.  The two blooming plants are Rhododendrons, and a Japanese maple is behind them.

#224 Camel Chat

This was an experiment of watercolor and inktense pencils on masa paper.  I found that the pigment went through the paper and partly stuck on the support board, so this picture is paler than how it was painted.  Maybe sumi ink is more saturated or doesn't go through the paper as much.  Anyway, this ceramic camel and carved elephant are always fun to include.

#223 Cape Flattery Sketch

I'll call this a watercolor sketch because it was very quick, from a photo reference, and about 8" x 6".

#222 Market at 101 and 112

The mountains, sky and trees were quickly painted on site yesterday - I did the building today from a photo reference.  I think this market is called Wagoner's, and a lot of cars in the parking lot have been "towed".  W/C, about 7" x 12".

#221 Elwha Valley Farm

Painted near the intersection of 101 and 112 west of Port Angeles. In the distance is the Strait and Vancouver Island.  About 8" x 11", w/c.

#220 Willows by the Pond

Mixed media - mostly gouache.

#219 C's Garden

Another plein air from yesterday.  Watercolor on buff-tone printmaking paper.  About 15" x 11".

#218 Indian Island View

It's a distant view, but done this morning at a friend's house on a hill in Port Townsend. That's a crane in the distance, at the military base.  About 11" x 13", watercolor. 

#217 Small Stream

A small painting, 7" x 5", done in the studio - not really based on a photo. Acrylic, watercolor, ink.

#216 Lazy J Tree Farm

Finally there was a day without much rain!  I met Jeanne at the Lazy J Tree Farm in Agnew, and did this watercolor plein air.  This is a view towards the main barn, with a storage shed to the right of the madrona.  To the left of the madrona is a potato planter, we were told.  There were so many great views here I didn't know which direction to face.  About 10" x 11".

#215 North Head Light

From a photo of North Head Light, in Washington.  I'm enjoying the random underpainting effect.  About 8" square, watercolor + Inktense.

#214 Kah Tai w/c Sketch

Based on a prior plein air oil painting that was kind of fuzzyish. This is a bit squigglyish, due to the underpainting.  

#213 Overcast

Hmm, there is a trend with the last two titles... this was painted on the Japanese printmaking paper that has little straight fibers in it.  Painted with all kindza watermedia, 8" x 9".

#212 Rain and Strait

This painting was slightly larger and too busy at first, but now it's cropped and better.  About 10" x 8", watercolor & ink.