Coffee Cup

This was a painting that I thought would be a total disaster but turned out to be something I like. My main focus was to use value to introduce some emotional dimension to a mundane item, in this case a coffee cup. I wanted to use a combination of bluish hues and an orangey-earthy tones (In this case burnt sienna).

I was excited to start this painting because I was using arches paper, which I don't always use but always flatters my paintings. The reason I love Arches paper is that it tends to make everything look just a little bit better.

I started the background first and it was a disaster - colours totally undefined, running all over the place. It just looked like crap. Fortunately being stubborn I decided to let it dry while I painted the coffee inside the cup, then eventually went back to it and went over the entire background with a combination of the two colours, making a very dark and cool mood. The shadows on the cup are a result of some shading techniques I have been practicing.

I like the restrained use of the limited palette, the fact that I didn't give up on a painting, and I also like the cool, dark, "night time" feel that accurately captures the mood I was going for.

Stormy Seas

I read a book that suggested a radical technique using a spray bottle on an already-wet canvas, to give the impression of a stormy seascape. Even with my limited skill set, I was able to achieve some of the effects here. Despite the amateurish-looking boats (one smack dab in the middle of the page) it goes to show that with watercolour sometimes the water does the work for you.

The colours don't really jive, and there's probably too much grey, which deadens the feel of the page. But the technique is worth hanging on to.

Potted Plant in the Searing Heat

I dug out this picture from some time ago - It was one of my first attempts with using value and shadow. This potted plant was on a concrete patio on a day that was over 30 degrees. The colour scheme is intended to capture the feeling of the sweltering heat. I think that the shadows on the right hand side of the page are fairly successful. I had read in a book that using a pure grey or black deadens the feel of the painting, so using the violet kept it lively.

However, I fell into the trap of trying to make it look too realistic instead of painting with some emotion. You can see this with the attempt to paint fine lines on the clay pot, which gives it an amateurish look. Perhaps the fact that I was painting from a photograph led to that mistake.

The Reason For This Blog

Thank you for visiting. I have been dabbling in watercolour painting ever since taking an evening course in 2004. Since then I have tried to devote time to it intermittently, sometimes buying books and a few tubes of paint here and there. Overall I'm not satisfied with my skill level; I feel I'm really not able to express myself adequately. However, despite the fact that it's not easy (watercolour painting is an unforgiving art form), I have come to realize that the key to being excellent is no more complicated than spending many hours honing your art form. Unromantic but true.

Therefore, I am trying not to simply dabble in art anymore and take it more seriously, investing the time and effort it deserves. I may not ever be a great artist, but hopefully one day I will be a real artist.

This blog is an invitation to share and critique my art work so far. If you feel it's a mess, please tell me but I only ask that you tell me why. If you think it's good, then tell me why but please just be honest. I'm just looking to join a community of artists who have the nerve to let me know what they really think. Art is kind of a solitary pastime but I think that my work could really benefit from some feedback from people in the know. Enjoy!

Rustic Vase

I initially started out by trying to make this a large picture, but ended up making a huge mess of it, both the colour and the washes. But by reducing it in size, simplifying it, and allowing myself to use some spontaneity and just enjoy the process, I ended up with a much better product. I like the simple colour palette, and I think my use of value was fairly successful.

It is simple, and as I am still a beginner I'm probably using the small size as a crutch, but sometimes simple is better.

California Sunset

I feel that this digital rendering doesn't really do my painting justice, but it is the best attempt I could make at capturing the romance of a California sunset. On a recent trip to Southern California, I was struck by how crowded and fast-paced life is there, but when I saw the sunset out of a tour bus window, I understood why so many people call the Golden State home.

The iconic palm trees immediately say "California" with all of the images that conjures up: surfing, sunshine, beaches, Hollywood, glamour, fun, and the West Coast vibe. And to think that the sun is racing around the world, saying goodbye to the beaches of Orange County, with Japan the next stop just adds to the breathtaking romance.

This picture is definitely flawed technically, with some sloppy blending around the sun and also in the sun's reflection on the water, but I think that the textured element of the sky adds some interest, and I'm also happy with the colour palette.