Southwestern Themes

It's beginning to feel like fall here in Montana and my thoughts are turning to heading back to my winter home in Yuma, Arizona, and the kind of colors and textures I live with there in the winter season.  These paintings include themes from Utah (Cedar Breaks, north of St. George off I-15), Arizona (A Grand View, east end of the Grand Canyon), California (Garden Gate) and Mexico (Perspective).  These paintings are all watercolors, some using my typical bright intense palette pigments and one, the more subdued colors from the low intensity colors residing on the inner ring of the color wheel.  "Perspective" also includes pen and ink on the wrought iron gate, which is a typical thing one might see in Mexico.

Enjoy!

Back to Watercolors: Fun and Flowers

First, a bit of fun.  Our challenge for Paint My Photo in July was to choose a photo and put a caption with it.  The caption for this guy was "Hmmphf!"  He looked to me like he'd just plain had enough of whatever it was he was looking at and the word seemed to fit!

 Next is a little dragon made of zentangle designs in ink and watercolor added to enhance him.  Elaine Osborne is to blame for this one!  She said the zentangles were addictive and boy, was she right!

Now for the flowers!  A bouquet of azaleas which I particularly like and plan to frame, and last a loose watercolor design of various spring flowers. 

More Acrylic Fun

For the last couple of weeks, my focus has been to improve my skills with acrylic paints.  I have mostly been playing with flowers but included a landscape as well.  As my usual, bright, flashy colors dominate my work.  Both the single sunflower and the casita are miniatures done on a claybord surface and were an experiment.  I thought for the most part they worked well and I will be trying some more paintings using this smooth surface rather than canvas.  the old country churchyard is done with both brush and palette knife on 300 lb watercolor paper.