Happy Valentine's Day!

So, it's no secret that I am the proud husband to the most amazing wife ever. So, I thought a little Photoshop Valentine was in order to start out the day (and I thought that you, digital world, might enjoy it, too)...

Finally Done!

Well, I have finally finished the Kaysville painting. There are still some issues with it, perhaps, but it has been beaten to death sufficiently, and I need to move on. I added a lot more blue into the water, distant mountains, and sky, and I think it is harmonizing better.

The bottom piece is a plein-air piece of the Bronx River that I did a few weeks ago. The top half I painted quickly and then the sun went behind some clouds and I spent the rest of the time chasing it. After bringing it home I repainted the bottom half at least three times, and this is as much as I can do without more information. Sorry it's a bit blurry, if I can get a better photo of it in the next few days I'll replace it.

Seeing The Everyday sketch

I did this sketch a few months ago for Seeing The Everyday magazine, but never posted it. It is one of my favorites that I have done for that incredible publication. If you haven't spent some time with that magazine yet, you really need to make some time for it: seeingtheeveryday.com. As I look at the drawing now, I really think it could use a suggestion of cast shadow at the base of the figure to ground it, and probably a bit of the left hand (her left) showing for the same reason. Next time:)

Little Key

This is a small color key I did on Saturday. Normally these come before the larger pieces, but I really liked the plein air piece I did of the Bronx River a few weeks ago, so I just decided to do this little small painting of it and use a slightly more intense palette. I have been trying to use black and burnt umber more sparingly lately, and I think it's helping my colors not be as muddy.

Color Studies

These are some color study pages I put together from little studies done over the last few years. A few of these have already been posted, but I thought it would be fun to have them all together. There is something strangely exciting about the energy of a loose little study that often seems elusive as the painting gets transfered to a larger piece.