Near Glenwood (Painting Reference)

I am going to try to paint one more landscape for my upcoming show ("Colorado Memories" at Galatea Fine Art in November).  This time, my inspiration is a 1980s era snapshot from a family vacation to Glenwood Springs. Yesterday I used Painter to do some digital editing to create a painting reference.  On the computer, I replaced the buildings in the foreground with some hills, just to see if my idea will work.  Even though I plan to use lighter colors in the foreground, the composition will work, so I will use this as my photo reference.

Near Glenwood (Family Photo)

Last May, I was scheduled to have a solo show at Galatea (in Boston), but it was postponed by Covid shut-down and a flood in the gallery. Although the paintings were posted online, the show was never displayed IRL. But now that show, "Colorado Memories," is back on and will be shown in the gallery in November. So I was thinking I might have time to paint just one more. . .Today I found this snapshot from a family vacation near Glenwood Spring. I decided to edit it in Painter and turn it into a painting reference, which I plan to post here tomorrow.

Afternoon Shadows at Lynch Park (with Prisma filter)

This afternoon we went to Lynch Park and of course I took pictures.  Later, I added a Prisma filter to this one, and cropped it to get this composition. 

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Watercolor)

This watercolor began with a photo that I took during a visit to Portugal in July 2019.  On my last day in Porto, I walked over the Dom Luis Bridge with Mauro, and took this picture from the Vila Nova de Gaia side. The overcast sky seemed to make the colors pop. (My photo is posted here, August 24, 2020.) Today I softened colors in the distance and heightened colors in the foreground. I also made a lot of small changes. Although I will fix any mistakes that I notice,  I am now ready to call this painting finished. I have enjoyed working on this, and now I have a painting of a happy memory.

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Watercolor) as of October 8, 2020

I am close to finishing this painting, inspired by a photo that I took during my trip to Portugal in July of 2019. (Photo posted here August 24, 2020) On my last day in Porto, Mauro took me for a walk over the Dom Luis Bridge, and it was spectacular. Today I added more detail, and added more color, changing the shadows on the hillsides from gray to purple. Just a few more things to fix. .

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Watercolor) as of October 7, 2020

Here is the latest progress on my watercolor of the Dom Luis Bridge. (My reference for this painting is a photo that I took in July 2019 during a walk over the bridge. You can see the original photo posted here August 24 2020.)  This painting is heading toward the finish line. I have added detail to the houses in the foreground and the boats.  I still need to adjust the color on the distant hillsides, and maybe fix a few details.  To be continued. . .

First Red Leaves (Posterized Photo)

On a recent neighborhood walk, I saw some early red leaves, so I took a picture.  Tonight I opened the image in Painter and added some posterizing effect.

Blueberry Leaves (with Prisma filter)

The leaves on our blueberry bushes are starting to turn red.  About a week ago, I took  a picture. Later I added a Prisma filter and cropped the image to get this composition.

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Watercolor) as of October 4, 2020

Today I continued working on this project, a watercolor based on a photo that I took during a visit to Portugal in July of 2019 (photo reference posted here August 24, 2020). On my last day in Porto, Mauro surprised me with a walk over the Dom Luis Bridge, and I took photos, from high above the scene, of the river and the cities on either side. Yesterday I added color to the sky, and am now readjusting the colors in response. Today I worked on the hillsides in the background, trying to suggest the buildings without putting in too much detail. This is taking longer than expected, but I don't mind lingering with the memories of this day.

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Watercolor) as of October 3, 2020

This afternoon, I worked on this painting, a watercolor based on a photo that I took in July of 2019, during a visit to Portugal. (The photo is posted here August 24 2020.) My last day in Porto included a walk over the Dom Luis Bridge with Mauro.  The sky was overcast, but that made the colors pop.  Today, in my painting, I tried to capture that overcast sky. Once I made the sky darker, I also began to intensify some of the colors in the background, to try to capture that effect.

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Watercolor) as of October 2, 2020

Today I only had a little time to paint, but I continued work on this project. I am painting this watercolor based on a photo that I took during my trip to Portugal in July of 2019.  On my last day in Porto, Mauro and I walked over the Dom Luis Bridge, and I took this picture on the Vila Nova de Gaia side.  (My photo reference is posted here August 22. Today I worked on hillsides in the background: lots of tiny little houses with tile roofs.  To be continued. . . .

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Watercolor) as of October 1, 2020

Today I got back to this painting.  I am working from a photo that I took in July of 2019, during my most recent visit to Portugal. On my last day in Porto, Mauro took me for a walk across the Dom Luis Bridge. (My photo reference is posted here, August 22 of this year.) Today I worked on all those rooftops in the foreground.  Even though there is a lot of detail, this painting is not that far from finished.

Windy Day at Lynch Park (Video)

It was stormy last night and very windy today, but this afternoon we took a walk at Lynch Park. It was lovely and the wind was making the ocean dance. I love to watch the ocean, so I took this video.

September Lynch Park (with Prisma filter)

Red Vines on the Fence (with Prisma filter)

During a walk around the block, I saw these bright red vines on my neighbor's fence, so I took a picture.  Later, I cropped the original image and added a Prisma filter.

Flowers for a Sweet Year (Digital Drawing)

This drawing is the last frame of a video that I was trying to create today, for Yom Kippur. I was using the Procreate app on my iPad, which captures a stroke-by-stroke video as you draw.  Things were going well and I was about three-quarters through my drawing when I realized that the video function suddently wasn't working.   But I decided to finish the drawing anyway.  (I think this might be a glitch due to an update, and I am in contact with Procreate help.) Meanwhile, here's the drawing. Flowers for a Sweet Year, with sunflowers for long life, roses for love, cone flowers for health, and forget-me-nots.  (And that apple tree and the bees through the window.) Sending this out to wish everyone a sweet year ahead.

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Watercolor) as of September 26, 2020

This is the painting I have been working on. This watercolor is inspired by a photo that I took in July of 2019 during a walk over the Dom Luis Bridge with Mauro, on my last day in Porto.  (My photo reference posted here August 24 -- not July 24 which I had been mistakenly saying. I have been working on this for a long time, but not that long.)  Today I worked on the Porto shoreline just a bit, added some foliage, but mostly worked on the tile rooftops in the foreground.

Rowboat and Kayaks (with Prisma filter)

We had another lovely walk at Lynch Park today. I saw this rowboat near the kayaks and took a picture.  When I got home, I added a Prisma filter and cropped the original to get this composition.

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Watercolor) as of September 24, 2020

Finally had a little time to work on this today. This scene was inspired by a picture that I took in July of 2019, during a visit to Portugal. Mauro took me for a walk over the Dom Luis Bridge in Porto. The bridge is so high that it is like an aerial view of the city. (My painting reference is posted here, July 24.)  Today I worked on the buildings on the distant hills, and on the rooftops in the foreground.

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Closeup of Vila Nova de Gaia) Work-in-Progress

My current project is a watercolor inspired by a photo that I took during my last trip to Portugal, July 2019, on the day that we walked over the Dom Luis Bridge.  Here's another closeup of my work-in-progress, this time a view of Vila Nova de Gaia.

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Closeup of Porto) Work-in-Progress

I didn't have a chance to paint today, but here is a closeup of my work-in-progress. This watercolor is inspired by a photo that I took in July of 2019, during a walk over the Dom Luis Bridge.  This closeup shows the Porto side of the river.

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Watercolor) as of September 21, 2020

Today I finally had a chance to get back to this project. This painting is inspired by a photo that I took in July 2019 during a visit to Portugal. (Photo reference posted here July 25.) I walked over the Dom Luis Bridge with Mauro. The bridge connects  Porto with its "twin city" Vila Nova de Gaia. Today I worked on the foreground, the rooftops of Vila Nova de Gaia. 

Rows of Flowers at Lynch Park (with Prisma filter)

Here's another image from last week's walk at Lynch Park.  I took a picture from just above the formal rose garden.  I cropped the photo to get this quirky composition, and then added a Prisma filter.

Garden for a Sweet Year (Digital Drawing)

Yesterday's post was a Rosh Hashana video that I created on my iPad, with Procreate, which captures a stroke-by-stroke video as you draw. Today I am posting the drawing (the last frame of the video), cleaned up on my computer using Painter.  I am sending this out with greetings for a sweet year ahead.

Garden for a Sweet Year (video)

Short on time today, but I drew this  on my Ipad (with the Procreate app). Created in a hurry but with long-lasting love for all my friends and family. Sending this out to say Happy New Year to those who celebrate Rosh Hashana today, and for all my connections, no matter what calendar you follow, I wish you a sweet year ahead.

Hospital Point from Lynch Park (with Prisma filter)

Here's another image from yesterday's visit to Lynch Park.  We walked on the beach, and I took some pictures. This one shows Hospital Point in the distance.  Today I cropped the original and added a Prisma filter.

Rose Garden at Lynch Park (with Prisma filter)

We took a walk at Lynch Park today (here in Beverly, Massachusetts).  I took some pictures of the Rose Garden.  Later, I added a Prisma filter to one of the photos, and then cropped it to get this composition.

Hydrangea and Fence (with Prisma filter)

Yesterday's post was a photo that I took last week at Lynch Park, hydrangea near a weathered gray fence.  Today's post is the same image, but with a Prisma filter added.

Hydrangea and Fence

Last week, we took a walk at Lynch Park. That's where I saw this pink hydrangeas near a fence. I liked the way the flowers looked against the weathered wooden rails, so I took this picture.  I also created a version with a Prisma filter, which I hope to post here tomorrow.

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Watercolor) as of September 13, 2020

I had a chance to work on this project today. This watercolor is based on a photo that I took last July during my visit to Portugal. Mauro surprised me with a walk over the Dom Luis Bridge.  (Photo reference is posted here July 25.) Today I added some details: the row of buildings along the shore on the Porto side of the river (on the right) and on the left, the rooftops of Vila Nova de Gaia, where the port houses are.  I added tiny flags and shadows of tiny boats, trying hard to keep the perspective. To be continued. . . .

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Watercolor) as of September 12, 2020

The last time I worked on this painting was September 1, so it has been a while.  Although the past few weeks have been too hectic to paint, I haven't forgotten about this project.  This watercolor is based on a photo that I took in Portugal last summer, during a walk over the Dom Luis Bridge.  (My photo reference is posted here July 25.)  Today I worked on adding some "landmarks" to make sure that I don't loose the perspective or the curve of the river as I fill in the scene.

World Trade Center from Empire State Building (with Prisma filter)

The original version of this image is a photo during a visit to New York City in 1988. I was taking a tour of the Empire State Building and I took a photo of the New York skyline. Although I have visited New York City many times (especially while I was living in New Jersey), I don't really have that many pictures of the Twin Towers. I have posted various versions of this one on September 11th. Gertrude Stein said that "there is no such thing as repetition, only insistence." And remembering this is the point. So today I returned to this photo, added a Prisma filter, and cropped it to give it an off-center composition. This image is a soft and sweet memory of an earlier time, before those towers fell.

Rose Hips (with Prisma filter)

This year, a wild rose bush volunteered to decorate our chain-link fence.  A few days ago, while I was standing by the fence and thinking about something else, I realized that I was face-to-face with these lovely rose hips that my volunteer rose bush had made, so I took a picture. Later, I added the Prisma filter, and tonight I cropped the image to get this composition. 

Looking at the Ocean from Lynch Park

We went for a walk at Lynch Park today.  I realized that I haven’t been there since at least March possibly longer. This is a beautiful park here in Beverly, Massachusetts, and it is bordered by ocean on three sides. It felt great to be there!

Red Bench in September (with Prisma filter)

I have been taking some pictures of the back yard, not for the sake of art, but to figure out amount of sunlight. But I liked the composition of this one, so I added a Prisma filter.

In the Back Yard (with Prisma filter)

I have been taking photos to find the sunniest parts of the yard, for gardening purposes. No art in mind.  But looking back through these photos, I have found a few nice compositions.  I did some retouching on this one, and added a Prisma filter. 

Back Yard Path (with Prisma filter)

For the past two days, I have been taking pictures in the back yard to track sunlight (for gardening purposes). No artistic merit to most of the photos. But I liked the composition of this one, so I cropped it a bit and added a Prisma filter.

Reposting: August Flowers

I am reposting this drawing because this little bouquet is currently part of Porter Mill's virtual exhibit, "Dog Days of Summer," so called because proceeds not only support local artists, but also help support the Northeast Animal Shelter, a no-kill shelter in the area.  If you want to see the whole show, here is the link that allows you to flip through a slide show of the entire exhibit:

https://studiosportermill.wixsite.com/website/dog-days-of-summer

Reposting: Estes Park Memory (Acrylic Watermedia)

I am reposting this painting tonight because it is part of Galatea's re-opening group show, "Light from Above: Reemerging from Isolation." Artists were asked to submit something created during the pandemic, along with a statement about it.  This is what I said: "During Spring 2020 'lock down,' I rarely went out, not even to my studio, but continued painting at home for my solo show at Galatea, then scheduled for May (now postponed until November, due to Covid-19 and gallery flood).  My show, “Colorado Memories,” is to be of mountain landscapes, inspired by photos from childhood and family trips in my home state of Colorado.  Looking back at Spring 2020, I realize how much my painting relieved the isolation of lockdown, providing not only imaginary travel, but time travel." Tonight I attended the opening via Zoom and was able to see all the paintings at a distance. It's a great show, and now available online through artsy. Follow this link: "https://www.artsy.net/show/galatea-fine-art-light-from-above-emerging-out-of-isolation" 

Pink Hydrangeas in September (with Prisma filter)

Yesterday's post was my photo of hydrangeas turning pink as September begins. Here is the same image, this time with a Prisma filter added.

Pink Hydrangeas of September

As fall approaches, the white hydrangeas of summer turn pink.  I saw these during a walk around the block and took some pictures.  I tried this shot with a Prisma filter and plan to post that here tomorrow.

Douro River seen from Dom Luis Bridge (Watercolor) as of September 1, 2020

This painting is based on a photo that I took during a walk over Porto's Dom Luis Bridge during a visit to Portugal last summer.  (My reference photo is posted here July 24.) I didn't have a lot of time today, but I started working on the river.

Cucumbers in Colander (with Prisma filter)

These are cucumbers from our garden, picked yesterday. I took a picture and added a Prisma filter.

Rhododendrons (with Prisma filter)

This image began with a photo of rhododendrons that I took a few months ago.  I recently added a spectacular Prisma filter called "Watercolor".

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Watercolor) as of August 29, 2020

This is my current project, a watercolor based on a photo that I took last July during my trip to Portugal.  We walked across the Dom Luis Bridge, from the Porto side to Vila Nova de Gaia, and I looked back and took a photo.  (My reference photo is posted here, July 22.)  It took several days to sketch in the composition, and it felt good to finally begin to apply paint today.

My Dad with Three Sisters (Posterized Snapshot)

This is a picture of my father as a young man, photographed with three of his sisters: Gertie, Lena, and Rita. (My father was one of seven children. Not pictured: his sisters Matilda and Celia, and his brother Barney.) My father's birthday was August 28, so I am posting this today to mark the date. He is not the center of the image, but then he never cared about being the center of attention anyway. This image started as a digital reproduction of a very well-worn sepia-toned snapshot. My Aunt Rita sent me the digital image sometime in the late 1990s, so it was a very small file as well. But I liked this photo, so I cropped this image out of the snapshot, cleaned it up in iPhoto and Painter, and added a bit of posterizing. I also used a bit of digital pastel to draw into the image as well. All seven siblings are gone now, but I have great memories of all of them. It's nice to see them as they looked when they were young. I especially love the image of the shy young man who became my father. His memory is a blessing to me, as was his life.

Just One Squash Blossom (with Prisma filter)

Here's another image from my recent morning photo shoot with squash blossoms.  I added a Prisma filter.

Squash Blossoms in the Morning (with Prisma filter)

We are doing more gardening this year, thanks to my daughter, who grew almost all the plants from seed.  We have squash growing, and it took me a while to figure out that you have to photograph squash blossoms in the morning, because they close up later in the day.  I added a Prisma filter to this photo.

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Sketch for Painting) as of August 25, 2020

I continued sketching in the composition for my next painting. I am working from a photo that I took in Portugal last summer (posted here August 22).  Today my focus was the buildings in the foreground, although I did revisit the curves of the river.

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Sketch for Painting) as of August 24, 2020

This pencil sketch is the start of a new watercolor painting, based on a photo that I took in Portugal last summer.  Mauro took me for a walk over Porto's Dom Luis Bridge.I took this photo from the Vila Nova de Gaia side. (My reference photo is posted here August 22.) Today I just tried to sketch in the composition.  I spent a lot of time on the curves of the river, trying to get them right.

Magnolia Blossom in August (with Prisma filter)

The magnolia trees in the front yard seem to think it's spring.  I took some pictures, and put a Prisma filter on this one.

Douro River from Dom Luis Bridge (Painting Reference)

I took this photo last July during my visit to Portugal.  On my last day in Porto, I walked with Mauro over the Dom Luis Bridge. We crossed the Douro River, to Vila Nova de Gaia, and that's where I took this picture.  I am planning to use this as a reference for my next watercolor. 

Tracery of Leaves (with Prisma filter)

Something very simple, just a photograph of leaves. I liked the patterns in of the veins. I added a Prisma filter that brought out the tracery in the leaves.