Pandemic Self-Portrait

Sheds

Sheds watercolor 12 x 12 In our neck of the woods, (used-to-be-rural-but-is-now-semi-rural) sheds are a commonality....everyone seems to have at least one. What's not to like about them? They exude charm without a drop of pretentiousness. They provide storage and ambience to country living on larger properties where they just seem to fit. I watched a few episodes of "Grand Designs" with Kevin McCloud, having been recommended by another artist. In one episode that takes place in Wales, I think, the builder has been inspired by the sheds that dotted his childhood landscapes. The sheds in my painting were viewed in October from hiking trail that abutted a private property. Autumn, of course, provides an automatic color palette when painting from life. Design was more of a concern as one of the sheds needed a dominance. Flow was also a deliberate consideration as I strove to keep a unified whole rather than two separate halves.

Monumental

conte crayon on paper...36 x 22 Giving birth to a child is a most monumental life-changing experience one can have. It was for me, over 40 years ago....and it was, for sure, a most wished-and-wanted-for event. Some things never change. For our three sons and three amazing daughters-in-law, it is even more so...given the careers of the parents, and the challenges that they face on the work front, along with those faced at home. I believe that they want what I wanted....to raise children in a happy and safe environment as well as to meet their own personal goals. Definitely monumental. The standing pose of the most recent birth experience emphasizes this notion of monumental. The drawing is a simple one done in conte crayon on paper. I was in awe during the making of it. And I am in awe of their efforts, so much larger than my own.

Mogadore Reservoir

Mogadore Reservoir watercolor 21 x 13.5 is our local retreat into nature. We have hiked its trails, kayaked the waters, observed the wildlife, photographed its wonders and collected its rosehips for the past 40 years. It is dear to us. Every now and again, I paint landscape. While not my favorite subject, I give it my all. Perhaps the vastness of all of that organic substance is too confusing for me. I dislike using masking fluid, as well as painted individual leaves. In short, many watercolor landscapes have far too much hard edge for my liking. My process is a more overall chaotic treatment siphoned into a bit of detail. I liken it to an accordion as it expands and retracts. So...my work was cut out for me. All efforts at producing the texture of leaves in the foreground ran amuk in the darkness of the shadows....and the itty-bitty-ness of it all bothered my aesthetic. A few leaves, the hangers-on, were painted in quick strokes. The overall feel is exactly the way I feel as we enter the autumn woods, however.