Virtual Paintout - Rio de Janerio

7.5 in x 9 in Strathmore 140lb Cold Press watercolor paper, Daniel Smith Watercolors

Created for Virtual Paintout. Location is Estrada Mirante Dona Marta, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

Virtual Paintout - San Miguel de Allende

5.5 in x 7 in Arches 140 lbs CP watercolor paper, Daniel Smith Watercolors, PITT Pen, Sakura Gel Pens

Created for Virtual Paintout. Unfortunately, the bougainvillea flowers scanned darker than they were painted.

Virtual Paintout - Manhattan Island

6 in x 11.5 in Fabriano Artistico 140 lb CP watercolor paper, Daniel Smith Watercolors

Created for September 2010 Virtual Paintout. United Nations Building from FDR Drive and E 48th Street.

Virtual Paintout - Prince Edward Island

11.5 in x 6 in Arches 140lb CP watercolor paper, Daniel Smith Watercolors

Created for Virtual Paintout. A farm scene located right next to the Charlottetown airport and a housing division.

Virtual Paintout - Hong Kong

9 in x 12 in Arches 130 lbs CP watercolor paper, Daniel Smith Watercolors

Created for Virtual Paintout.

Virtual Paintout - June 2010 Hawaii

9 in x 12 in Arches 140 lb CP Watercolor paper, Daniel Smith Watercolors

Created for this month's Virtual Paintout. I was disappointed Google Maps did not have street views of the Big Island where the active volcanoes reside, but I found this view of the Haleakala Volcano on Maui.

Virtual Paintout - Czech Republic #3

3.5 n x 4.5 in Arches 140 lbs Watercolor paper, Daniel Smith watercolors, Prismacolor Fine Line Marker

Created for Virtual Paintout. This is the Hlalol Building which was built in 1905. Prague is rich with Art Nouveau architecture. One of my favorite artists is Alphonse Mucha who was responsible for Art Nouveau and from what is now the Czech Republic. As far as I know, Mucha did not design buildings in Prague. He did do pieces for many buildings in Prague including this one. He did not design the Phoenix mural. I couldn't really decide on what building to paint until I saw the clear view Google Maps had for this building. I intended this to be an homage to Mucha in which I tried to emulate his style in the upper and lower elements of the piece. The square in the middle is one of the doorways to the building. I purposely left it at the angle from street view which is why the archway is off center.

Virtual Paintout - May 2010 #2

3.25 in x 7 in Arches 140 lb Hot Press watercolor paper, Daniel Smith and Grumbacher watercolors

Created for Virtual Paintout. Apparently a statue of Franz Kafka never existed in his hometown of Prague until 2004. The sculptor, Jaraslov Rona, chose an image based on one of the earliest (and not a very good) short stories by Kafka "Descriptions of a Struggle" in which the narrator ends up on the back of an acquaintance and orders him about. If you notice in the sculpture, the acquaintance is just a suit with no body.

It is a strange sculpture and the woman in the original Google Map image did look like she was trying to figure out what it meant.

Virtual Paintout - May 2010 Czech Republic

5 in x 7 in Arches 140 lbs Hot Press Watercolor Paper, PITT Pen

After a horrible start for this month's Virtual Paintout location of a watercolor of a beautiful park in Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic, I gave up watercolors (for today). I found the Hornicke Muzeum (translation: Mining Museum) near Ostrava Czech Republic. Having grown up near the California and Nevada mining areas, I have always been fascinated with mining.

I thought it would be a good idea to try a basic pen and ink line drawing. I have a lot of Arches 140 lbs HP paper and had never just done a pen and ink with it. I really like working with this paper for ink. I draw freehand so some of the lines are a little off.

Virtual Paintout - Canary Islands

9 in x 12 in Arches 140 lbs CP watercolor paper, Daniel Smith Watercolors

Created for April 2010 Virtual Paintout.

Virtual Paintout - Stavanger Norway #3

9 in x 12 in Arches 140 lbs CP Watercolor paper, Daniel Smith and Winsor & Newton watercolors

This is the end of Runway 29 located on Nordsjovegen at the Stavanger Lufthavn Sola (Airport). I left out the runway marker that is in the sand because I didn't work for this picture. I think I did okay on the foliage. Though I did have to rework the grasses in the foreground.

Yet another submission for this month's Virtual Paintout.

Virtual Paintout - Stavanger Norway

5.5 in x 7.5 in Fabriano Artistico 140 lb CP watercolor paper, Daniel Smith Watercolors
I found this gnome while wondering around in Google Maps near the Bybrua Suspension Bridge in Stavanger and had to paint it for Virtual Paintout.

Original Google Map Image
I am constantly amused by Google Maps. Why was I amused? The other street view of the gnome from the front pixelated his face. I know Google Maps has a program that does this - but its a statue!

I am still learning to paint foliage. I have a long way to go with it.

Virtual Paintout - Stavanger Norway

9 in x 12 in Arches 140 lbs CP watercolor paper, Daniel Smith and W&N Cotman watercolors

Created for March 2010 Virtual Paintout.

I didn't catch the error in the piece until after I posted and finished. Oops.

Virtual Paintout - San Francisco Bay Area - San Rafael

7 in x 9 in Bristol Board, Daniel Smith Watercolors

Another submission for Virtual Paintout this month.

This building is known as the San Rafael Improvement Club. Located at 5th Street and H Street in San Rafael, it is now under private ownership. It is one of two remaining buildings from the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exhibition in San Francisco (FYI-the Wikipedia entry is incorrect about only one building left).

The building was located in at the Exhibition at the Palace of Liberal Arts which seems to be where all the current technological pavilions were located. This building was the Victor Talking Machine Company exhibit and moved to San Rafael after the Exhibition was over. The building is on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Virtual Paintout - San Francisco Bay Area #2

9 in x 12 in Arches 140 lbs watercolor paper, Winsor & Newton and Grumbacher watercolors

Here we are on the other side of Larkspur for my second Virtual Paintout of this month. It is the Alexander Ave Train Overpass looking towards Mt Tam. A very easy bike ride from where I live and one of my very favorite places. Today instead of Northwestern Pacific trains and track it overlooks a walk-bike path and is part of the Baltimore Park station area.

As the bridge is over 80 years it needs retrofitting. Unfortunately some of the designs proposed completely destroy the look of the bridge. Yes, if you walk underneath it you can see it needs help. But it is a beautiful and unique bridge and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Virtual Paintout - My 'Hood

9 in x 12 in Canson 90 lb Cold Press watercolor paper, Winsor & Newton Gouache
I had this "feeling" last week the next Virtual Paintout would be the Bay Area. I was right.

I loved Corsica the subject of January's Virtual Paintout. I explored nearly every inch of the island that I got to recognize the locations of the paintings people created. But the place where you were born and raised and lived your whole life - hmm a real challenge since I know it so well (I forget how stunning the Golden Gate Bridge is especially since I commuted over it twice a day every weekday for years).

As for subjects - Google Maps does have the street views of both DH's and my cars parked at work. Not the most scenic views of Oakland and San Rafael.

I decided to keep within a mile or so of where I live. Unfortunately the Google Map of our street and apartment is not so exciting. I went for the statue of Sir Francis Drake located on Sir Francis Drake Blvd at Larkspur Landing just down the street a bit. Mt Tam is located in the background. Very,very local. I have written about Larkspur Landing previously. The statue is by Dennis Patton who created another sculpture a couple of blocks from our home which is also on Google Maps (I may paint her).

Sir Francis Drake is said to have landing briefly here and left a bronze plaque.

Welcome to my Bay Area ,Virtual Paintout folks! Have fun and visit often. Let me know if you need directions.

Virtual Paintout - Corsica #3

9 in x 12 in Canson 90 lbs cold press watercolor paper, W&N and Grumbacher watercolors
Yet another Corsica picture for Virtual Paintout. This is a doorway on Rue Saint-Dominque, Bonifacio. There were just too many views to paint. I wanted to paint something other than a landscape.

The door way was a little odd. The top third of the door appeared to be open and a door covered the bottom two thirds. I liked the design of the door and the bright blue street number.

I have toured the whole island so many times on Google Maps I recognize the view on others paintings.

New Journal

Fabriano Venezia 4 in x 6 in Sketchbook

My new sketchbook. Still looking for the perfect sketchbook. This one is pretty close. The sketch is Riventosa, Corsica painted with my new Daniel Smith watercolors (the same colors in art supplies I always buy first - blue, yellow and brown). I didn't submit the sketch to Virtual Paintout as I have another piece I am working on.

Virtual Paintout - January 2010 Casaglione Corsica

9 in x 12 in Canson 90 lbs wtercolor paper, W&N and Grumbacher watercolors

My second Corsica painting for Virtual Paintout.

Virtual Paintout - January 2010

9 in x 12 in Canson 90 lbs Watercolor paper, Windsor & Newton and Grumbacher watercolors
This month's Virtual Paintout is Corsica.

What is interesting about Corsica is all of these mountains on a little island. I found at the end of a road near a "town" called Calasima some cattle climbing up a mountain ridge. I like painting and drawing mountains. When I was 12, I only drew mountains. However, I need more practice with trees.

My good scanner does not work with Windows 7. I had trouble scanning it properly with my Epson All-in-One. I had to slightly enhance the piece to reduce some of the blur in some areas.