Moleskine
Watercolor of Old Chariton river near Callao, Missouri
A watercolor sketch from the river bank of the Old Chariton. The boys are near the center of the picture, walking down river far in the distance. It was a hot day, and the river was down pretty far. You couldn’t hear yourself think for the drone of the cicada.
Gouache sketch of terrified woman
Gouache and ink drawing of a woman screaming, a study for The Card Players.
Gouache and pencil sketch for a book jacket
A watercolor gouache sketch idea for historical novel Martin Shannon, by Robert Buckley.
Watercolor and ink sketch of photographer Eli Haman
A watercolor and ink portrait of Hallmark photographer Eli Haman.
Watercolor sketch of artist Ken Sheldon
A watercolor portrait of artist Ken Sheldon. I particularly noticed the cast pink shadow behind his ear, translucent from the strong light.
Watercolor sketch of Monkey Face at Smith’s Rock, Oregon
A watercolor sketch of the beautiful summit at Smith’s Rock, Oregon. What a great hike that was, in such a beautiful part of the country.
Watercolor of cows grazing across from Mauk’s field
A somewhat traditional watercolor landscape of Herefords grazing in a Kansas field on an early July evening.
Gouache study of Francesco Bassano’s Adoration Of The Magi
A gouache and ink study of Francesco Bassano’s Adoration of the Magi
Sketchbook gouache studies for The Card Players
A page of pencil and gouache studies and sketches for The Card Players, after Bruegel’s The Peasants’ Brawl.
Watercolor painting of Sundown Lake in Iowa
A watercolor landscape using my diamond framework. This was made on the shore, as a rainstorm came in from the west end of the lake.
Self portrait, 1992
Going through an old #sketchbook I found this #selfportrait #drawing from 1992 at #KCAI.
Peter Kuper sketch from KCAI talk
#sketch #portrait made in the dark of the #PeterKuper talk last night at #KCAI. He was an engaging speaker; clearly a real pro working on his own terms. I enjoyed his talk very much.
White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
Another odd but wonderful moonscape gem of the National Park System. Don’t miss Eddie’s Burritos in nearby Alamagordo, along with the hidden treasure of Oliver Reed State Park.
Balmorhea State Park
A watercolor sketch, done with feet-in-pool. My family absolutely loved this place, everything about it: the fish, the snakes, the facilities, the nearby town, the surrounding mountains, the oasis-like nature of the park. Loved it.
Abstracted figure observing light 1
A small watercolor study of an idealized man looking at early light through a partially open window.
Ellen Junger
A 40 minute watercolor and pencil sketch of retiring Hallmark officer Ellen Junger. 9×12″.
Red Crow Brewing Patio
A quick india ink and watercolor sketch of Bill Burns and Curt Mauk enjoying a beer on the patio of Red Crow Brewing, in Stillwell, KS.
Four figures watercolor study
I was looking at and thinking of Witold Wojtkiewicz (1879-1909) and his painting, Christ and the Children, when I was painting this small study for a larger work I have planned, Four Figures.
Drawing of Burgomaster portrait after Borch masterpiece
I was able to make this little drawing of the Burgomaster on the spot from ter Borch’s painting while visiting the Nelson Atkins’ recent exhibition, Reflecting Class in the Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer.
Plein air watercolor of Fort DeSoto beach
As I improve as a plein air painter, I one of the things I have begun to better “see” is color, like the late afternoon sun casting royal blue shadows in the white sand of the beach of Fort DeSoto Park, a county park just south of Tampa. Prettier than most state parks we’ve camped in, Fort DeSoto offers beautiful, palm-treed campsites […]
Camping pro tips sketch
Here are some notes our family made on the return road trip home from our last camping trip to the southwest. We visited Palo Duro Canyon in north Texas, Oliver Reed State Park in New Mexico, Balmorhea State Park and Abilene State Park in Texas.
Garden house watercolor
Pencil, watercolor wash. 8 x 10″, 1.5 hours. Today was a cool, overcast day. I did this using a well-loved Rosemary Kolinsky instead of my slightly-more-convenient watercolor pen. Having to recharge in a water glass with a much larger brush forced me to think about the application of water and so, think about the marks themselves. The result was a slower, sparser, better […]
As Moses Lifted Up The Serpent
A sketchbook page in watercolor and pencil, 8×5″. After William Blake’s superb 1803 watercolor on the subject of John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
Memorial Day sketchbook: Assyrian Sphinx “Memory” at Liberty Memorial
This Memorial Day, our family again visited a gem of Kansas City: Liberty Memorial, the national World War I museum and memorial. It was a beautiful day with speeches and a band and color guards, lots of vets and active duty service members, and reenactment soldiers and nurses in historical dress. During it all, I […]
Theoreo
The Greek theoreo (theh-o-reh’-o) is used throughout the New Testament. Apparently we get the word “theater” from it. It denotes the act of observing at a distance, watching.
Preacher and Cranach’s damned man
Sometimes filling a sketchbook creates strange, unintentional juxtapositions. On the left: Dr. Nicholas Ellen, preaching. Right: damned man wailing from the pit of Hell in Cranach’s Last Judgement, from the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City.
If I fail to obey the terms of this bargain…
Here is a screenshot of the inks for page 21 of Bruta The Witch. I’m taking a page from Greg Smallwood and trying all digital, from sketches to final inks. Maybe even for coloring. Not used to leaving my pencil in the jar. I’m scared.
Barbossa And His Apples
Remember that scene from Pirates Of The Caribbean, where Captain Barbossa leers strangely at the starving Elizabeth Swann as she eats an apple? “The apple is poisoned,” you think. “Or cursed! Barbossa’s trying to kill her!” But nothing about the look on Barbossa’s face suggests prurience or malice. Then it hits you. “He can’t taste food. He’s tasting the […]
The weight of glory
This is a small watercolor sketch from my journal, describing an image I had in my head regarding Lewis’s concept of the “weight of glory”. The pathetic man, riding on the back of his flesh, cannot escape the reality of God’s glory. Though I do regret the “superstar!” pose of the nondescript heavenly being, there is some […]