I'm Pretty Sure I'm Done

Well, after several weeks of having this huge painting in my room, I think I'm finally done. While at times it was a challenge, it came around and now I'm pretty proud of it.

And here it is...



Some detail images:


The Castle looks good, its even sporting a German flag. Strong shadows and highlights on the trees really make it look like the sun is shining on the castle.


Here's some of the foreground. I like the boathouse and the cars, but I like the shadows and highlights in this area the best, they really bring out the sunshine I was trying to create. Also, the reflections and texture across the water really help it look like it's in motion, like a river. Crystal clear, un-interrupted reflections would have made the water appear more pond-like than river-like.


Here's some detail of the town. Little details like the dock, the railings, and the cars really keep this area interesting. Also, little shadows, for example, created by the awning of the yellow building's storefront onto the front of the green building, help to keep the impression of sunlight in this area.

Welp, that's that. Maybe I'll add a few minor re-touches the longer I have to look at it. I hope you like it! 40x60

Shannyn

Another painting done on the side. First came Pepper, now it's that other cute little creature I live with, my girlfriend Shannyn.

Id'nt 'at cute? 10x14

Pepper!

I have some free time while letting paint dry on the big painting, so I'll do a couple smaller ones in the meantime. Here's my puppy. Her name is Pepper, she's very cute, and she's due for a grooming.

Eat your heart out. 9x12

Venice

My senior year of high school I took a trip to Italy. I took a photo in Venice, went home, and painted a watercolor of it. It turned out great. My grandmother especially loved it, and she framed it and put it in her house. One day, I asked her if I could have it back so I could enter into an art show. Then, just as sure as she feared, I lost it. Sorry Grandma, I know you loved that painting.

Well, I've re-painted it for you! This time, it's a colorful oil rather than a monotone watercolor, but I think it's just as pretty. I hope you like it! I even signed it for you this time. 11x14

Chicago

Well, I went to Chicago for Valentines day. I'd never been before, and I had huge expectations. I've kind of had an obsession with skylines my whole life. I like to stare at them; watch them go by. I've always been that way, and it was especially evident in Chicago. I was in such a great mood walking around, being amongst the skyscrapers I'd scene in pictures my whole life.

One scene was just perfect, on Michigan Avenue looking south over the river. It was immense. The buildings were huge, and the air was thick and bright. I snapped a picture and knew I would paint it once I got home. It took me a long time to paint, probably 10 to 12 hours total over the coarse of a week. There's a lot of detail, a lot of making sure your brush is in just the right spot. But I suppose I'm happy with the result, though it's not quite a reflection of what I was seeing in my head. 16x20

Portrait of a Girl

I've been commissioned to draw a graphite portrait of a cute little girl. The portrait turned out nice, although this picture of it looks kind of grainy. It's better in person, I swear! 9x12

Sailboats

Here's another painting I did drawing inspiration from my Impressionism book Shannyn gave me for my birthday.

I really tried to use minimal, big, loose brush strokes. The small boats on the dock, for example, are just a couple strokes of bright paint on top of the dark paint underneath. The figures standing on the dock are just scribbles of paint. There's a high risk of looking sloppy and awful, but if its done right it can convey light, energy, and feelings in ways meticulous brushwork can't. 12x16

I'm Back!

Well, its been quite a crazy month. But good news! I'm back and I'm settled in Columbus, Ohio. I've set up a small studio in the apartment to bring more paintings into the world, and I've got one for you today.

I know, it's just like Monet's Poppy Field, so we'll call it a tribute. He's definitely one of my favorite painters and I hope to paint like him someday. 16x20

Alright People,

I'm leaving Canada. It's been a great time and I'll miss it indeed. These past couple months have given me, among many wonderful things, the opportunity to paint again. I hope you've enjoyed seeing my progress over the course of my time here, and hopefully you'll continue to follow along wherever I end up next.

Au revoir, Montreal.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Will Rogers

Here's a painting I did for my brother. Its of the Will Rogers statue at Texas Tech. Apparently the horse's ass faces A&M. Also, I figured out it's just a cast of the original statue in Oklahoma, so I wish I would have done something a little more "Tech". Originally, I wanted to paint him a picture of the scoreboard from last time Tech played TCU in football.

Shannyn advised me against that, and its a good thing because this one turned out quite nice.