California Coastline

Big Sur, 14 3/4" x 11 1/4"

A couple of years ago, my wife and I took a nice road trip, part of which was driving up Hwy. 1 along the California coast. I hadn't been on it for quite some time, but it's still beautiful and certainly quintessential California! One of the loveliest stretches is through the Big Sur area. Here, I tried to capture some of that beauty and also make my first attempt at painting the ocean. I messed up the sky on this initially, but actually managed to save it, and then went on to do exactly the same thing while painting the water! One of the things I have learned with watercolor is to give it another try if you think you've screwed something up - it often works and besides, if you already think it's ruined you've got nothing to loose!

Place de Vosges

Place de Vosges, 10 1/4" x 14 1/4"

Paris is filled with beautiful parks, and this one was right across the street from where we were staying. With their wonderful water fountains and manicured gardens, they are very popular and frequented daily by locals and tourists alike. This was a small painting I tried to do quickly and loosely, and to convey a stroll through the park on a warm summer day. One of my goals in watercolor is trying to give the impression/suggestion of the image without fussing the details; giving the viewer the opportunity to "complete" the scene with their imagination. Including people in my paintings is also something I'm working on, and once again, without being too detailed about it!