8-30-2021 - Bird Box

 

The start of something different. I went looking for somewhere to paint this morning. (I've really grown quite fond of my little quests.) Stopped at the grocery store and saw this little arrangement. The box sort of reminded me of a tour of sake a friend ordered at a Benihana. Random, but, I digress. Got a little lost in the main carnation for a minute. They get confusing! This felt like a good point to take a break. This is a little larger than my usual blog painting. It'll be interesting to see where it goes from here...

 

8" x 10" - Oil on Cradled Panel

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8-13-21 - Ray Lake Forest Preserve

 

Managed to sneak a painting in before work today. I was setup before 7 and ready to go. The sky lightened and grayed as the sun rose. I chased it at times. There was some really intriguing colors, I did my best to capture the mood.

When I got to work the power was out. We were trying to figure out how to work under the emergency lights when it came back on. Only about half an hour lost... Ha! If that's all Friday the 13th had for us... Now, now. I don't want to get too carried away and press my luck.

Ray Lake - 9.75" x 5"

Gouache on paper

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Just for good measure a shot of my view and setup part way through. I've really enjoyed this cigar box pochade... It's an almost unaltered Acid brand box. If anybody should be interested, I've stashed a few away.

 

8-12-21 - McHenry Dam

 

 

 

Today things started off a bit haphazardly. I headed out the wrong direction just to get through the traffic. (Everything around here is under construction.) Having been forced another direction, I ended up changing my intended spot and went to the dam. Turned out I forgot to transfer my panels back to my usual bag. So gouache it was for this morning! It turned out to be a nice morning. Couldn't have planned it better..

Below is a shot of my view. Taken after I had pretty much packed up... Thanks for looking! Have a great weekend!

McHenry Dam - 8-12-21

Gouache on Paper - 10.5" x 5.25"

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7/22/2021 - Water Pump at Wright Woods

Thursday seems to be the day I get to get out lately. Wasn't sure where I was going, but I ended up at Wright Woods in Vernon Hills. This was a fun little study, I'm glad I painted it in oil. It gave me a chance to soften some edges and adjust some other little things that might not have worked out in gouache. I really enjoyed painting the bike rack too. The sun was in and out as I painted. The news this morning suggested it was overcast due, in part, to the fires out west. I'm not sure myself, but I do hope this finds you all safe and well.

Have a great weekend! As always thanks for looking.

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07-01-2021 -- Wheeling Rock Plant

 

I think I had drawn this one up before the rain last week? Either way, it became completely overcast while I was working. Sounds strange, but I really just lost the idea. Yesterday was so nice, that I decided to try again around sunset.. There was a lot more warmth about the structure. This one really forced me to try some new things. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process!

Gouache on paper - 7.25" x 10"

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While your here I had taken a process shot... always fun to see what happens afterwards. You can also see a little of my paint box too, I replaced the Cotman watercolor kit with gouache. It comes apart to make an extra mixing area too. I hadn't added any white yet in this shot, usually just use that at the end.

 

Thanks for looking.  Enjoy the long weekend!

07/01/2021 - Willow Stream

 

After a week of rain, I was able to get out for a little bit this morning. This is a view of Willow Stream Park, right by the house. The water level was higher than I expected, so I changed a little from my planned composition. This park gets a lot of foot traffic! I avoided too much conversation by just hanging out the side door of the minivan as I painted... It is such a wonderful day out. Maybe I'll be able to get out for a little later today or this weekend.

Hope you all enjoy the holiday weekend! As always, thanks for looking!

Gouache on Paper - 8" x 6"

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06-17-2021 - Island Lake Bank

 

 

 

My boss has been kind enough to let me have some time during the week to paint. Trying my best to make the most of it. I happened upon this bank on a drive the other day. It appears to be out of business. There is actually a bit of graffiti on one of the planters that said "Have a nice day!" I sure did! It didn't make it into this small study as there was plenty of information to keep me busy. It's been nice pushing paint around and trying my hand at some new things these last few days. Hope to keep the momentum going...

Hope you enjoy the weekend! Thanks for looking.

Oil on Canvas - 6" x 12"

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The weather was awesome today so I snuck out for a sketch after work. This was the side lot of a Kmart years ago. (Our old storage unit was behind the fence to the left.) The building stood empty for quite a while. Now all that remains is the few businesses on the out lots and part of the parking lot has been taken over by a car dealership. Landscapes are all still experiments to me, so this was a fun little departure for me.

Hope you enjoy it. As always thanks for looking!

Gouache on paper - 19 cm x 25 cm

(The size makes more sense in metric)

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Now that the spring semester is in the books, things are starting to settle down. I'm getting into some sort of schedule anyways. I've been eyeing this tree for a while. It is just a few minutes from the house. I was able to find a nice spot in a lot where I could paint from the car. (It's been oddly hot here for spring.)

Hope you enjoy it! Have a great weekend!

Gouache on paper - 8" x 6"

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3-23-21 - Off McHenry Rd.

  

The sun was out this morning, so I tried to sneak in a sketch. The clouds rolled in and it tried to rain shortly after I started, so I worked this one a little further in the car. First time out for the year. It felt great to get some fresh air and welcome in the spring.

Gouache on paper - approximately 8.5" x 11"

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3-14-21 - Grapes and Silver Cup

  

Set up a new still life stage in a closet that should make it easier to control the lighting. No more having to wait till dark or the right kind of lighting during the day... Decided to give it a whirl before I go back tomorrow. Was a nice way to spend a Sunday! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Grapes and Silver Cup

6" x 9" - Oil on Panel

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3-9-21 - Daffodils

  

A couple bulbs of Daffodils for this morning. This is the last week before I go back to class. Was nice to sit down and paint something different. Spring is coming! It is supposed to reach the upper 60's today. Hope you are feeling the change of seasons too...

Oil on Panel - 5" x 7"

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Kettle - 2/25/21

 

I've been carrying my gouache all week hoping to do a study. The weather, while warmer hadn't cooperated yet. So I sat down for this this morning. Fun stuff! I don't think I've painted a still life in gouache since my first time round at college... Hope you enjoy the weekend.

Gouache on Cold Press Paper

6.5" x 7"

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Hallway Light

 

Had a little time after clearing the drive.  Felt nice to push some paint around.  Hope you all enjoy the holiday.

Oil on Panel - 8" x 6"

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Electrolux Study

 

Woke up super early today. Was going to get an early start on another piece, but it wasn't dry yet. This caught my eye the other day, so I said "why not!" Sometimes it just takes a thing being in a different spot to make you really look at it again. My eye goes blind to the clutter from time to time... Happy to say we're slowly getting things in order around here!

Oil on Panel - 8" x 6"