Ruby Glass

Acrylic on Panel - 6 x 6 inches - sold

Oh, how I'd like to paint the challenges on Sunday as they are assigned, but I'm seem to be falling into my high school mode of turning in assignments at the zero hour.

This week's theme is (was) glass and you can see the other entries at Daily Paintworks.

I've painted this bit of glassware many times, but I thought of a novel lighting method, using a flashlight. It looked amazing in real life, less so in my rendering. Sadly, it really doesn't have many transparent areas, which is the real point in painting glass (and half the fun) but it gets the job done.

The contents of the glass are simply cubed ice, and cranberry juice. In a case like this, there's really no point in trying to ply the model with booze.

That Purple House

Acrylic on Panel - 8 x 10 inches Donated

It's been as close to freezing the past two weeks. Wearing sweaters and coats inside the apartment kind of weather. Today, it broke 60 and felt like Spring. I just had to go paint outside. In January! With no jacket either.

Just down the street is this little purple building that always pops out at me. I had to work fast because you could see the shadow of the building behind me creeping up.

Despite the sudden stage fright, (it's been a while) no one wanted to have a peek or offer any advice. See, there was nothing to worry about.

I wasn't too thrilled with the results when I got home, but now that I look at it, it doesn't really bother me much.

Glass Haus Watercolor

Ink and Watercolor on Paper - 10 x 14 inches - NFS

The first Daily Paintworks Challenge of the year is to "try something new." Though there are many things I've never tried, I tried to think of some visual media I had neglected. I was a recent tutorial on pen and ink drawings that were colored with watercolor. I've always liked this look in sketchbooks, but never have watercolors with me when I'm out sketching, so I thought I'd try it out at home.

I have some really nice watercolor paints, but the tubes are over twenty years old, so they were a bit stiff. I also didn't have any greens and for some reason couldn't mix one either (I know, yellow and blue, but it just turned out grey).

Disappointed, because it didn't turn out how I imagined it, but I'm not sure what I was expecting anyway. Maybe a lighter touch?