STAG’S LEAP WINERY

I did this from a photo I took while touring Stag’s Leap property in California. The area is beautiful and buildings like this are scattered throughout the property with their vineyards gracing the front, for what feels like miles. Through the courtesy of my sister’s position with Beringer, we were able to take full advantage of tastings and sightseeing at many wineries all through Sonoma and the foothills. What a great day. This is watercolor and colored pencil, again, I tried to avoid using ink, but I miss it! My next piece will be an unexpected surprise, if I can do it that is, please check back!

Somewhere in Europe

After a very long hiatus from my blog, almost exactly 2 years!  I have finally picked up a brush again.  This work is from a black and white photo taken by a very talented photographer, who used to host the Love Mother Earth blog, which I find is no longer online.  I was sad to see it was gone, her photos were brilliant and thought provoking.  I was lucky enough to have asked her if I could re-produce one of her photos in paint quite a long time ago and she was gracious enough to tell me yes.  So, here it is, 2 years later, an expression of my interpretation of black and white to color from that photo.

Sacred Heart

This is Sacred Heart in Garrett, Indiana.   The photo is a little blurry, but it’s all I have.   I believe there was a convent here at one time, then a nursing home, not sure what it serves as now.  I liked the architecture and surrounding area, I painted this from a lovely quiet park across the street.  There is a school adjacent to it and across the street to my right,  and as luck would have it, they had recess in the park while I was painting.  Somehow, I remained undisturbed by them and managed to complete this piece, which, a short time later, sold to a friend’s mother.  As usual, it is watercolor and pen and ink.

ST. PAUL CHURCH IN ITS NEW HOME AND FRAMED

The people who bought this piece from me were excited to have it custom framed and matted and get it hung in their home, so they sent me this photo.   Ignore the reflection of their stained glass lamp in the upper right corner.   I thought that was very cool of them, I think they did a fabulous job on matting and I am very impressed with this elaborate frame.  Makes an artist feel good about what they do when see their work this way and being enjoyed.  I’ll certainly miss this one, it was one of my best.  But, I did have prints made before it was framed, so at least I have those.  Still, nothing is like the original.  Thanks to Depra and Stephane for sending me this.

Round Barn Winery Near New Buffalo Michigan

I finally finished this one, it was a long road, consisting of  many layers and patience I am normally void of while doing a piece with this much going on.   I managed to make it look alot like the barn in Michigan, so since that was the goal, I guess I am happy with it.   This is watercolor, ink, gouche and masking fluid.  I applied several layers of color on the barn over masking, then applied more masking on the colored layers before applying a layer of white gouche over top to finish the barn siding. I am always excited to start a new piece, but then wind up equally as excited to finish it!

CITYSCAPE

Cityscape in watercolor and conte.  This won first place in the landscape category at an art contest for me, the reward was a certificate for art supplies, which was nice to have, since supplies are certainly not cheap.   This is one of the looser pieces I have done, I think it worked for this piece and is a good example of watercolor, when I was in college, an art professor told us that “one in every 500 watercolors is a good example of the medium”, I completely disagree, and Leslie White , is a good example as to why, almost everything she posts is a good example of what this medium is about–thanks Leslie.  My sister hounded me for this one, so I gave her a copy, but eventually, I had to give in and give her the original.

Sunbeam Bread Sign-SOLD

This is the Iconic Sunbeam Bread sign in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  This sign is situated on top of a building between Pearl and Main Streets.  It has been looming over Fort Wayne since 1957.  The moving bread slices have dispensed hundreds of thousands of slices of bread from the bag to the plate since that time.  I have always thought this was a cool unique attraction for the city,  as far as advertising goes.  This is pen and ink and watercolor.

White House

A friend’s home in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Watercolor and pen & ink.

ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN CHURCH, Fort Wayne, Indiana-SOLD

I took this picture while driving around Fort Wayne in search of architecture to use as photo references for local pieces.  I was standing below in the massive doorway of this church, looking up, I thought it gave this structure a unique view, it is huge.

Family Home

This was my mother’s family home in Mount Washington, Pittsburgh, PA.  It is my usual mixed media of watercolor, ink and colored pencil. Unfortunately, this is a photo of one of the prints I made for family members, the colors are incredibly more vibrant and green in the original, which, I gave to my uncle as he was the only one still living in this home when I painted it,  but you get the idea.