"Tulip Craze"

 

Thought I'd try painting a tulip from a different angle. This is looking straight down into the flower. It's sort of hard to tell exactly what it is. But I think it turned out okay. Having fun learning watercolors. 

"Vernor's"

 

This is the old Vernor's bottling plant which was located on Woodward, near what today is called Mid-town. It was such a cool looking building. It just made me smile every time I drove by it. Like so many great thins in Detroit, it's long gone. 

"Cat Day Afternoon"

 

I caught Her Royal Highness soaking up some late afternoon rays the other day. 

It looked so dramatic I simply had to paint it!

"Louie"

 

I've heard painting black cats and dogs can be pretty challenging. So I figured I was up for the challenge. This is my daughter's and S-I-L's black mutt. Here he is in one of his few calm moments. He's usually pretty high-strung, but he chilled for a bit and was checking out the doings out on the street. 

"Springtime at Kroger's"

 

Some beautiful tulips I spotted at our local Kroger's. Thought I'd attempt to do them in watercolors. They didn't turn out half bad. I'm beginning to enjoy working in this medium. Challenging, but rewarding at times, that's for sure. Ahhh...there's just so much to learn!

"YMCA"

 

When I was a kid, I remember boarding a bus at our local "Y" and going to this huge building for swimming lessons. Over the years, I've watched this beautiful structure fall apart. Recently the roof has collapsed and it's just a matter of time before it's torn down. Another handsome building following in the "demolition through neglect" scenario Detroit seems so fond of. Very sad. 

"Bahamian Shells #18"

 

This is the last in the series for a while. I still have a few more to do, 

but I'm taking a break from these. 

"Bahamian Shells #17"

 

And yet another one. I love the color of the big red one. And I found the coral to be especially challenging. Don't think I quite pulled it off. But I tried!

"Bahamian Shells #16"

 

The series continues. I loved the beautiful shades of green on the sea urchin. 

I've never seen anything quite like it. I'm used to seeing off white ones. 

"Bahamian Shells #15"

 

Wow, sand dollars are a bit tricky to paint. I'm not sure 

if I succeeded here. But I gave it a go anyway. 

"Bahamian Shells #14"

 

Thought I'd do a solo shell. This one was petty big, so I thought It'd do nicely. 

"Bahamian Shells #13"

 

The ongoing series of bounties of the sea, our host family discovered at their house in the Bahamas. I'll keep plugging away with these beauties until the series is complete. Should be around 25 paintings in all. 

"Seamonsters"

 

I saw an interesting film a couple weeks ago titled "Seamonsters." While watching it, this beautiful scene popped up and I knew I had to paint it SO I wen back and took a screen grab of it. This is the resulting watercolor. Proving once again, you just never know where a good idea will come from. 

"The Wild Bunch"

 

Before the Belle Isle Conservatory closed for major repairs, I managed to take a few pix as reference for a few more paintings. This painting of a banana tree is the first of them. 

"Hallow Dolly"

 

I visited "The Last Bookstore" in LA a couple months ago. What an amazing place. The first two floors were filled with millions of new and used books. The second floor also had a number of interesting shops, along with cool displays like the one that inspired this painting. If you're ever out in LA, be sure to check this delightful emporium out!

"Venetian Sunrise"

 

Early one morning I noticed the way the morning sun was creating these interesting shadows on the Venetian blind in our bay window. Thought it'd make an interesting painting. I put off actually painting it because I wasn't sure how to approach it or what medium to use. 

I finally got around to doing it. (BTW, it's in acrylics). 

"Wheel of Fortune"

 

Another cool vignette I found at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It was a 1950s garage filled with all sorts of junk. I took a few photos, but should have taken a whole lot more. Next time!

"SkyX #2"

 

This one should probably be titled either "Overworked" or Epic Failure". It was coming along rather nicely. I should have left it alone but I thought the clouds weren't dark enough. I darkened them too much. Then I thought the hint of rain in the middle of the painting wasn't dark enough. Subtlety is something that speaks wonders when it comes to watercolors. So I went in and destroyed the painting. A real learning experience. 

"Whitey Whites"

 

Some Calla Lillies I spotted at Kroger's. 

Thought I'd take a stab at doing them in watercolors. 

"Steppes"

 

I love the shadows created by the sun at dawn and dusk. Early in the morning the other day, I headed downstairs for my first cup of Joe for the day and I noticed the interesting way the sun was hitting the stairs. It certainly had an abstract art feel to it. Painting! 

"Alstro-Reds"

 

A closeup view of some beautiful bright red Alstroemerias in our kitchen. 

The afternoon sun made them glow. 

"Kercheval-Lakewood Bank"

 

A watercolor sketch painting I did of another cool old bank building here in Detroit. 

"Something-ometer"

 

This is another scene from the exhibit at the LACMA. I have no idea what this instrument was used for, but the scene looked quite cool. 

"Rowing Home"

Another attempt at copying a Winslow Homer watercolor painting. 

 

"SkyX #1"

 

I've decided I'm going to do a series of sky paintings in watercolors. This is a tricky medium and I'm determined to master it Okay, maybe not master it, but at least become somewhat competent at it. I thought I'd title the series SkyX, as a nod to SpaceX. Literally translated as Sky eXperiments.