Back to Elementals…

It has really been too long since I’ve posted… but, over the holidays I did spend some good time in my studio going back to one of my old and favorite painting styles.

I occasionally feel the pull to go back to my roots of pure watercolor paintings after having spent the last few years exploring my mixture of oils and metallic watercolors. Fueled by this pull and the interest in submitting some work to the upcoming Western Federation of Watercolor Societies annual exhibit in Boise this year, I painted two watercolor abstracts in my “Elementals” style in December.

I rediscovered how a very steady hand is required for painting my Elementals! And how this is mainly achieved through lots of practice and patience, both of which I’ve been a bit out of while painting my oil abstracts. I consider my oil abstracts much more “gestural mark-making” while my Elementals are a more exacting and technical painting process.

“Three Autumn Trees”, watercolor on paper, 28 x 20 inches.

I painted two Elementals to submit to the Western Fed exhibit, one (above) in a more representational style of autumn trees and the second (below) in a more true abstract style. I submitted both, so we’ll see what response they get!

“Cliff Dwellings”, watercolor on paper, 20 x 20 inches.

 

Framed Tall Trees: Just Autumn

One of my Tall Tree Fine Art Prints framed.  This is just the Autumn trees, hand-embellished with my metallic watercolor paints.  I usually don’t use double mats, especially with a color, but think this looks really sharp with that bit of color!

I rarely use colored/double mats... but this looks sharp!

Tall Autumn Trees Fine Art Print (about 40 x 20 inches framed size; $390 as framed with hand-embellished metallic highlights).

A Holiday Elemental Painting In Progress

I was recently invited to create art for the 2007 Bough House Silent Auction that benefits the Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center here in Denver.  The theme for artist’s creations is the “modern holiday tree”.

So, I’m busy working on two paintings from which I’ll select one for the Bough House exhibit and auction.  Both paintings I’m working on are in my elementals style, are watercolor on paper and will be mounted on acrylic-embellished stretched canvas.  I hope I’ll be able to easily chose the one I like best… I’ll post the second painting in a few days, but comments are welcome!

The exhibit and auction are coming up, so I’ll post details soon!

“Yet-to-be-titled-Bough-House-a”, watercolor on paper, 24 x24″.

High Plein Air Painting in the Denver Golden Triangle Museum District….

I spent some quality time in the Golden Triangle Museum District over the weekend and today, looking around for the subject of my painting.  There is so much that shouted out “pick me, pick me!”, but I really was drawn to the Denver Central Library building from the southwest side.  I was really looking for some architecture (buildings) with lots of angles (elemental shapes) – the Central Library sure fits the bill.  Check out the reference photo that I’m thinking of using (I picked this out of over 120 photos I took!).

So, my plan was to paint my backwash layers over the weekend and work a bit onsite on Tuesday.  But, after struggling a bit with the size restrictions for this event (100 to 200 square inches, which gave me a 8×18″ paper canvas that I would mount on a 10×20″ stretched canvas), they expanded the size restriction up to 36×48″ today!  So, I’m now thinking of going back to an overall square format – of a bit larger size (maybe 24×24″?).

So, I don’t think I’ll be doing any onsite painting until later in the week… I’ll keep everyone posted, though.

View of the Denver Central Library from underneath the Denver Art Museum “pointy overhang”.