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Category Archives: Work in Progress

Jersey Shore Overlook

This is my submission for the July VPO which is on the Island of Jersey. I usually don’t wait so long before submitting my painting, and I finished just in time. I started this picture earlier on in the month, but didn’t get around to finishing it until yesterday. I painted in watercolor first, and […]

Preliminary Thoughts

Yesterday I was digging through my reference files to do some sketching and I pulled out a photo of some roses from 2009. I did some cropping and I made this sketch, which I am thinking of turning into a painting. However, I learned from my last painting that I should have at least two […]

Seaside Dahlias

Here is the final image of my work in progress painting. It was a challenge to paint, but a lot of fun and excellent practice in watercolor. The most challenging was not having a drawing to rely on and improvising as I went along. If I had done a detailed drawing first, I know that […]

Dahlias, Part 3

Here are two more photos of my painting in progress. I’ve added more of the leaves and background. I’ve been working on this a little bit each day, trying not to rush myself. I’ve never attempted a watercolor this ambitious before, so I’m trying not to worry so much when things don’t come out perfectly. […]

Dahlias, Part 2

Here is the current progress on my dahlia painting. The colors are not perfect, but I did my best to adjust the photo to match the original. Although I am using a photo reference, I am painting without any underdrawing so it is not as exacting as I would normally work. I’m trying to be […]

Something New (Dahlias)

Here is a early preview of a new painting I started. I’ve been feeling lately that I need to do something more colorful and fun, especially since life can become slightly depressing in the wintertime. This is really an experiment for me, and it is a little scary having no idea how it will turn […]

Completed Portrait, At Ease

I started this portrait back in September, but I put it on the shelf and didn’t work on it for months. Finally, I decided to finish it off so I could move onto other things with a clear conscience. I did remember to scan it at different stages of completion (see below). The baseball cap […]

Ogunquit River Study

This is a small (5 x 7) painting I did from a photo I snapped during my trip to Ogunquit, Maine this past August. This area is a salt marsh where the Ogunquit River meets the ocean. It was really interesting to see how this same scene changed with the tides (it was close to high […]

Portrait, in progress

Some time ago I wrote that I was working on a “secret drawing” and that I was scanning it in as I worked. It has taken me longer than I had anticipated because of all the other things I have going on right now. I then lost the will to keep it a secret so […]

Egg Bowl

I have this little bowl, a cheap Christmas Tree Shops special, gifted to me by one of my sisters. It’s has a misshapen appearance with the oddest curves and bumps and uneven glazing. I have had numerous opportunities to get rid of this bowl (and I almost did a few months ago when cleaning out my […]