Work in progress 1-28-12

This work in progress is actually 22x30 inches and is the start of a very large watercolor painting that I have been commissioned to paint. It will be a winter scene with a moody sky at dusk with snow falling and grasses and stubble punching up through the blown drifts of snow.

12-17-11 "The Red Barn"

This lone shed and silo are all that remain of what was probably an active farm, crops, cows, house, and children running around. It is the middle of winter and I decided to paint a summer scene. Around 6:30 last night I started with a blank sheet of 140 lb. water color paper and by 8:30 it was finished and I placed it behind a matte board to view it for a while. In the morning I adjusted the shading of the tractor lane by darkening the left side to give it some depth. If you would like to purchase it please use the Etsy sight on the right of the blog page.

10-25-11 "Another Snowfall in New England"

This beautiful water color painting has a few nice eliments to it. All three barns point to the focal point, the house, which also is haloed by the pine trees. The white snow bank that begins at the left barn grows larger as it draws your eye to the house. The house and the snow in front of it are the focal point being the brightest section of the painting. The color of the sky just after dusk and the foreground snow-covered field turned out better than the original painting. I was going to add a fence post or two by the large barn but they seemed to brake up the natural paths that take your eye to the house so I left them out.

This painting is not for sale as it is a commission.

work in progress

As you can see the major componants are drawn in and the first layers of paint are applied. From this stage it is a matter of adding to and refining the buildings then step back for a day or two to look at it to see what needs to be brightened, darkened, and adjusted.

work in progress

These three pictures show the process of laying down the sky in one fast wash. I used three main colors painted on in several wide bands then began to mix and mingle them unto I achieved the desired effect. The last photo is not the finished sky, you will see that in later posts.

Work in Progress 10-16-11

This drawing is a rework of a large painting I did a year ago that won a place in the Iowa Watercolor Society's Annual Exhibit.

You Can Barely See The Barn 6-24-11

Without a doubt every farmer has looked out the kitchen window during a really heavy snow storm and said to his wife "I can barely see the barn". When painting this landscape I used no more than four colors and tried to mute them to achieve the winters dark sky effect. This painting is water color and acrylic and ready to fit into a 8x10 or bigger frame and can be purchased by using the etsy link to the left of the web page.

"Gardners Long Barn" 5-9-11

This painting is 6 1/4 x 9 1/2 inches and comes matted ready for you to install into a 11x14 frame the day you receive it in the mail. I really enjoyed making this painting as I watched each step get closer to the finished product. The warm sky at the horizon lets you know the sun is gone for the day and the clouds are dropping snow that is going to continue all night long. In the foreground is a tractor lane that leads the viewer into the scene and the red tones of the long barn keeps your eye in the painting. To purchase this painting just click on the etsy link on the right side of this page.

The Vern Caryl Farm 4-29-11

I painted the buildings in this scene exactly as they stand in the original homestead. Most of the time I never move the buildings around to creat a scene, I try to paint a piece of history just as the farmer built the place . Ther subtle colors of a late afternoons winter sky are awe inspiring and to capture that is really exciting. The painting measure 6 1/4 x 9 1/4 and fits into a 11x14 frame. To purchase this painting click the ETSY link on this page to go to my etsy sight.

Here is a little example of this work in progress. I love this stage of the painting becasue I can see the end is in sight but the best is yet to come.

"It's Suppose to Quit Snowing" 2-5-11

It's February and we all hope the snow is going to give up soon but only the Lord knows what is in store for tomorrow and that is a nationwide blizzard!

This little painting took one evening to finish and was a lot of fun.

4.5x6.5, matted, ready to fit into a 8x10 frame

$35.00 plus $3.00 shipping and handling

12-32-10 "Fairfield County, Ohio Farm"

This majestic barn sits on a slight slope that makes its way down to a small river and grist mill.

11-16-10 "Canada Geese flying south"

How many times this fall have I seen geese heading south for the winter! Sometimes the "honking" is so loud I believe they must be landing in my yard somewhere.
9x12 Matte
$35.00, shipping $5.00

9-14-10 "King of the Roost"

Watercolor

8x11.5 for a 12x16 frame

$50.00 ($5.00 shipping and handling)

A large rooster can be very impressive as he tries to get to the highest spot in the barn yard to let everyone listening know that he is king of his domain. This painting started out quite a bit larger but it wasn't balanced so I cut it down to make sure the rooster was the center of attention.

8-29-10 "Waiting Around"

A couple of horses finished this piece off just right. It's not too often I add animals but they helped out a lot today.

I attended the Iowa Watercolor Society Annual Exhibit in Ames, IA a week ago and saw the best that Iowa has to offer. A lot of fun! I'm still experimenting in acrylics and completed a painting that I'll be posting in the near future.