melbourne lunchtime (de Graves street)

ever since i started painting i have had a desire to paint some of the quaint and cool "alleyways" and lanes in melbourne, australia. mission number one was to do "de Graves street". this one once the home of the melbourne "soup nazi". anyway. i was walking by de Graves street the other day and it was a warm spring day and the light was gorgeous. so i snapped a few reference photos on my phone. i took these references and this is what appeared. this is a full sheet arches cp. all watercolor paints only. lots of yellow ochre. permanent crimson and cerulean.

autumn study - iv

i like the cool/warm interplay of this. the warmth of Autumn and the cool of Autumn co-exist only a few feet away from each other. such is the nature of that season...

autumn study iii - 2010

getting closer. still miles away though. need some carol carter-like magic i think...

autumn study ii - 2010

a bit of a "zoom in". it has its good bits and not so good bits...

autumn study i - 2010

yes. i know it is spring in australia. but i felt like painting autumn. this painting was ok but ordinary and i am out of practice.

however, i turned a trick in a few seconds and the painting went from ordinary - to extraordinary. at least for someone a tad out of practice...

ask me - and i might tell you how... :)

classical geese

a fun, mid-winter commission piece. wish i could have spent longer developing the idea. this is sort of a fifties feel. but i like some of the color. it is sort of retro in a fun way.

18th avenue crystallized (blue)

i have not shown this piece on my blog before. and since i have been crazy busy the last few months with lots of things i thought i would put it here. this is large for a watercolor (unless you are nick simmons).

i will be painting again soon. it is winter. the winter muse is calling...

streeton roberts mccubbin awards exhibition 2010

the sherbrooke art society will be holding its 2010 awards exhibition from 22 may 2010 through 6 june 2010 at the gallery. 62 monbulk road, belgrave, victoria,

this is a great gallery to visit, not only because of the generally excellent quality of the artwork but also for the magnificent "rainforest" setting in the dandenong ranges. the trees are autumnal and full of color. the chestnut man is roasting fresh local chestnuts. there is a nip in the air as we head toward our winter. across the road from the gallery is a terrific tavern that sells guinness and other beers and ales on tap.

definitely a worthwhile outing. here is a "phone" snap of me getting ready to deliver my entries. the art society is fairly "traditional" in its approach. so, my entries are unlikely to win an award. but, i will be happy to put these pieces on show.

north end

this is just a study. i thought it was too dark. but i like the composition and several other elements. this is the sort of thing i do not always share. but, afdter all, that is kinda what a "blog" is for......

burns and braes...

hmmmm. tired from so much color etc...

melbourne autumn - 2010

hmmmmmmmmm............

sketches post-Alvaro

you say "al-VAR-o". he says "AL-var-o". one thing we all say is that he can sure paint a mean watercolor.

for three torrid days in the company of this master painter i found myself challenged. i soon realized that no one painter can copy another painter's techniques successfully. but, by golly, one can learn a heap of stuff.
for weeks after the class i tried to incorporate what Alvaro taught into my paintings. what i have learned is and will be very valuable to me going forward. here are a coule of sketches that lean heavily on some of Alvaro's favorite subjects. they are really quite abstract and atmospheric. but i am pleased with how they have taken me in a new direction and expandeed my horizons...

turbulence (blue)

so cool. been watching some work by the master (Arnold Lowrey) and putting my own spin on it. this led to a powerful, spooky result. something only watercolor can do. barely in control. neat stuff.

"New Season" heads to Shanghai!!!

This painting ("New Season") made the initial cut for the Zhujiajiao watercolour show at Expo 2010 in Shanghai! This is so exciting for me! (i.e. i just had to share the news). No guarantee of making the final cut - but to get this far makes me both proud and humble!

warm 2010 sketches

the warm side of the palette comes out in summertime. and it is summer here in australia. these sketches all use the same premise. gold tempered with scarlet as a first wash. clouds introduced in blues, violets and indigo.



blues and violets are then added for vague middle ground shapes. then, of course, one goes off the rails entirely in my wet-in-wet way. sigh.


and then, back again. anyway, this is how the hew year has started for me. hope all is well with you...