My VW Bus

Love VW buses.  They were the rage during the '60's and 70's.  It was fun driving them.  I remember taking our bus to Tahoe during the winter and having trouble finding it after a snowstorm.  We didn't dig it out for a week.  It started right up and got us home.

This was a very quick sketch and painting for a Senior Watercolor Class.  The object was to grey colors by mixing some black.  It worked for some colors but not all.  The bus didn't get any and you can see the sparkle.  I prefer to make greys by mixing complementary colors in nearly equal amounts.  This method produces greys that enhance one or the other of the complementary colors when placed next to it.  The mixing can be done on the palate or directly on the paper.

Lake Solano Campground

Wonderful weather and view of Lake Solano in Winters, CA.  An opportunity to mix a few varied greens and put a canoe in the Lake.  The birds, especially, the peacocks gathered around as we painted.  I think the peacocks are be used to campers and being fed.  The hills are dried out now with the hot summer days.

I tried to paint the bridge in a recognizable likeness, but did not want it dominant.  The canoe is the focal point. I used the bridge cast shadow and supports to direct the attention to it.

Along the Herring River

While watching my 49ers in the playoffs on Sunday, I painted a scene that I remembered from Cape Cod. I live close to the Herring River and have painted sections of the river many times in the past. This one is from the brain bank. I had fun painting it on a half sheet and then went and painted it again on a full sheet. (Had to deal with the frustrations of a last minute loss to NY Giants.)
What I like about the painting is the eye path created by the river with the focal point almost at the end of the trip.