When Life Gives You Lemons

Watercolor sketch in Holbein sketchbook, 8 x 12" (20.3 x 30.5 cm).

This bowl of lemons forms our current kitchen table centerpiece. I hope to later formalize this into a larger painting.

Larimer Square

Watercolor sketch in Aquabee Super Deluxe 808 sketchbook, 6" x 9" (15.2 x 22.9 cm).

I started this sketch on location in Larimer Square in downtown Denver, but finished it based on a photo that I took. I almost missed these striking red awnings while walking down the street; I saw someone taking a photo, looked up, and saw these red awnings as the subject of her photo. So I snapped my own references and painted it later.

Writer's Square

Watercolor sketch in Aquabee Super Deluxe 808 sketchbook, 6" x 9" (15.2 x 22.9 cm). I quickly sketched this on location in Denver, along the 16th Street Mall, at Writer's Square. You can see the Starbuck's awning at the top of the sketch, and the restaurant seen through the trees is Willie G's Steaks & Seafood.

Ruth Point

Watercolor sketch in Aquabee Super Deluxe Sketch Book, 6" x 9" (15.2 x 22.9 cm). This sketch, named "Ruth Point" is a made-up scene. Not from memory, but made up. I'd be interested in comments from other artists if they do "made-up" works like this. Other comments welcome too.

Still Life with Orange

Watercolor Sketch in Holbein Sketchbook, approx. 6 x 11" (15.2 x 22.9 cm). This little blue bottle was purchased at a flea market some years ago, and I think it was once a medicine bottle of some sort. Perhaps an antique Milk of Magnesia bottle. I've been wanting to sketch a still life, so I finally got to it here. I hope to someday soon do a more formal painting of this.

Portable Water Container

I found this portable water container when I was at the Learning Expo in Chicago. I've been using it lately and I really like how well it works!

It's made from a heavy vinyl material, similar to that which those small, kid-sized swimming pools are made. However, it's extremely light, small, and flat when folded up. When opened, it holds about a quart (946 mL) of liquid. The container is about 4"x4"x4" when open (approx 10x10x10 cm). My favorite feature is the little pockets on the outside that hold brushes. When painting plein air, these brush holders really come in handy.

As I mentioned, I bought this at an art expo, and I haven't seen this item offered in any of my usual art catalogs/websites (Dick Blick, Daniel Smith, Cheap Joe's, etc.) so far. I bought this at a Princeton Brush booth, so perhaps they can be found through them. I'll keep a lookout and report back if I find a retail source.

Special thanks to my wonderful wife for being the hand model. :)

Hickory Ridge

Watercolor sketch in Canson sketchbook. I'm trying out a new scanner, so excuse the blurryness in the lower left-hand corner. This sketch is kind of an interesting one; it was a disaster starting out, but some perseverance rescued it into something somewhat interesting...