Studio #68, Open Oct 7, 8, 14, 15

In my watercolor paintings I aim for fresh and lively portrayals of my subjects, making use of lighting, color, and atmosphere to achieve this.

I begin my paintings with an abstract underpainting, letting the paint flow and mingle on the paper. This adds energy and integrates the subject and background. I build up the painting, focusing mainly on light and shadow, using both direct painting and glazing. As I slowly bring the subject out, I merely suggest the background to maintain focus on the subject.

In this current series of animal portraits, I have been experimenting with both texture and with the juxtaposition of transparent and opaque passages. My opaques consist of either heavy applications of watercolor or white gouache mixed with watercolors. In my backgrounds I often make use of strong brush strokes to create a feeling of texture. In the animals themselves, I use dry brush with both transparent and opaque paints to help create the fur.