Double Red Ruffles Amaryllis

15x11 watercolor on Arches 140 cold press paper using NO PENCIL. I sprayed multiple colors onto the dry paper then began shaping various parts until the painting was complete. Also have taken photos of each stage so will post this demo as well.

Balls, Birds, and Branches

9.5 x 18 inches on Strathmore watercolor paper 140 lb cold press. This is my Merry Christmas to all of you artists and bloggers who have followed and supported me this year 2010. Here's to an even better year!

Quilted Christmas Tree - a card a day

10x8 watercolor pieces cut out from old failed works then adhered to white heavy cardstock. I used a black fine tip Sharpie pen to draw "stitches" zigzag marks to mimic sewing for this holiday quilt tree.

Ringie Dingie Santa - a card a day

7x5 watercolor painted this afternoon in about 45 minutes of a toy village Santa featured on WetCanvas Weekend Drawing Event; the challenge began earlier than the weekend due to Christmas. This might be my last card a day. If so I hope all of you have a very merry Christmas and a wonderful new year!

Smiley Face Snowman - a card a day

6x4 watercolor painted this afternoon madly to get ready for our local art club dinner. As part of my card-a-day series I wanted to put him on top of my gift as a surprise.

Woodland Deer-a card a day

6x4 inches watercolor on Saunders 140 lb cold press paper, American Journey paints, done this afternoon. I used black and white photos of a Ruidoso deer and made up the landscape. Spritzing with cobalt blue then spraying with white gouache make up the snowfall. I'm still on a card-a-day even though some posted lately are much larger. Now I'm on a roll and can't quit.

Hold Your Horses

9x12 black Tombow pen ink sketch done today. This is on Bristol board 100 lb, regular surface, using no pencil. I start with black areas first and when all are sketched, I use a #1 script liner brush with water to make grey areas; white of the paper is left as is. This work was done in 2 hours and featured during WetCanvas Weekend Drawing Event currently in progress (photo courtesy Alain). Later I will do a watercolor version of these two workhorses.

Meltdown Magic

22x15 watercolor of a melting but happy snowman I painted from imagination a few years ago during my snowman series. Hope you like his animal magic, too!

Wintertime Still Life with Cardinal

15x11 watercolor still life of an old ice skate boot with holiday greenery and a cute cardinal perched on its toe. If you can find these used skates they make great decorations; some spray paint them and place floral arrangements in the top part.

Emperor Penguin - as seen in Painter's Quick Reference book

15x11 watercolor, which I did a demo for North Light Books PQR: Birds & Butterflies (2008) along with a house sparrow illustration/demo. This imaginary fellow is enjoying his cold domain, lifting his head to heaven so thankful for his snowy world and wishing you all a Merry Christmas. So I can't say this image is one of the cards-a-day but will have a new stunning design for you to see tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Evergreen Santa - another card a day

Heeeeere's a green Santa for you! He is decked out in woodland finery and ready for a green Christmas at 11 x 7.5 inches watercolor painted yesterday in the cool pines of New Mexico.

Polar Snow - Christmas Card a Day

About 5x8, watercolor painted yesterday while here in the cool mountains where residents are wishing for snow! This fellow is about to take his nap on a snowbank.

99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall or 99 Followers

Almost to 100 followers! Need one more by 31 December to make it even and meet my goal.

Who will it be? Even these kinky chickens don't know...

Carnation Carnival

A bit tired of doing Christmas images (not really!) so I plunged right back into the floral world by drawing and painting the lowly carnation which is my January birth month's flower. Always the cheapest you can buy they are stuck into bouquets for fillers or in funeral arrangements. How sad! I said that this common specimen is so often overlooked by artists...by me, at least in pursuit of more worthy blooms such as the romantic rose, the classic calla lily, or the terrific tulip.

So with that in mind after my drawing was done on 11x15 Strathmore 140 lb paper, I spritzed cobalt blue, arylide yellow, and permanent rose onto dry paper. I used a black and white photo and not color to get as spontaneous as possible. Next I began laying in the darks and wanted this flower to appear multicolored and mysterious, not at all like its usual self. So a pale pink carnation becomes the belle of the ball. Just in time for Christmas! Ho, ho, ho! I hope you like it!

Artsy Santa on Yupo

Here's another Christmas one for you, an artsy Santa painted on synthetic paper Yupo. I drew him from a tiny figurine which looks nothing like this image on 1/2 sheet, 22x15 inches.

Meltdown - a Christmas card a day

11x8.5 watercolor of two happy and silly snowmen facing a sunny day outdoors. Little do they know they are slowly becoming one with the earth again.

Christmas Card a Day: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

7.5x11 watercolor painted this afternoon for my card-a-day project. The wall behind my neighbor's yellow lab is more light green than shows here. With his red cushion in front of the green wall he is ready for holiday company.

Backwoods Bluejay

5x7 watercolor, painted today, of this jay surveying his autumn landscape and seeing the first snowflakes falling. He's my attempt featured in WetCanvas Weekend Drawing Event in which participants have 2 hours to draw and paint their choice from 16 photo references provided. Reference courtesy maltman.

Red Bird in Snow - card a day

5x7 watercolor of an imaginary bird who is not claiming to be a cardinal. He is just a plain red bird enjoying his winter wonderland, and another in my series of a Christmas card a day. I splattered white paint when done to resemble snowflakes.