Twilight Waves

"Twilight Waves"  (Watercolor, 8"x10")  C. Eastwood,  © 2014

This is based on a photo that I took at dusk while standing out on the pier in Newport Beach, CA, and looking down the coast to the next one.  I'm trying to capture that moment when there is still enough light to see, but with darkness being imminent.  It's amazing how quickly everything changes moment to moment.

Winter Waves

"Winter Waves"  (Watercolor, 8"x10")  C. Eastwood, © 2014

This is from a photo I took in January 2013 at Newport Beach, CA, near the pier.  It was a bright, sunny day with lots of wind, and the surf was up.  We were actually killing some time and getting in a last little bit of sight-seeing with our friends before driving them to the airport for their return flight home to Kiel, Germany.  They were delighted and snapped lots of pics to show friends back home and help perpetuate the myth of the weather here in Southern California!

Heisler Park

"Heisler Park --Laguna Beach, CA"  (Watercolor)  © C. Eastwood, 2011

One last painting of moving water.  I really wanted to try to get the idea of waves coming in and cresting.  This has been a good semester on studying water.  It will probably take a lifetime to get it completely right, but I feel like I can at least tackle the subject with some hope of people recognizing what it is.  I really love the ocean and how it changes constantly.  This will not be the last "water" painting. 

Tackling Another Winslow Homer

Based on the Work of Winslow Homer

Winslow Homer was a genius, period.  No amount of practicing will ever make my work look exactly like his.  (Of course, I'd already established the fact that my next career was not going to be as an art forger.)  So this exercise became about painting moving water and, in this instance, spray.  This is somewhat different than the original, but I'm happy with it.  And I'm grateful to Mr. Homer for painting such a beautiful piece to begin with.  You might want to check it out -- his original is called "Incoming Tide."

The Elusive Exercise #2

Exercise Based on the Work of Ray Campbell Smith

It's the missing exercise #2!  This had several challenges in addition to the "still water" aspect -- namely those rather pesky building reflections that merged into the hill reflection.  But all-in-all, this has been a terrific set of exercises that have provided a lot of new skills.  So that's a good thing!

Practicing Winslow Homer

Exercise Based on the Work of Winslow Homer

When most people think of Winslow Homer, they think of his amazing oil paintings.  But he was also the master of watercolor.  This is the last in a series of exercises on "still water" and it was time to try another technique.  This is Winslow Homer's "Fishing Boats, Key West" -- or rather it's an attempt to copy it and his style.  His original painting was actually watercolor and graphite on a woven linen.  I attempted to get some of the same speckled look by dry-brushing.

Practicing Simplicity Continues

Exercised Based on the Work of Ray Campbell Smith

This simplicity stuff actually takes some practice!!  This is my third painting in this series of exercises in learning to paint with less detail.  (Painting #2 hasn't been posted yet because...well, because I'm an artist and I'm not constrained by the necessity of posting things in order.  So there!)  The "still water" thing is pretty much under control.  This one was selected specifically because there was a "sky" to paint.  I had some fun with that.  Mine is actually a bit more menacing-looking insofar as coming rain.  Stay tuned.  I might just actually post #2...who knows!

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

Painting Exercise Based on the Work of Ray Campbell Smith

Today's mission impossible:  Get Christine to simplify her paintings.  I tend to put a lot of detail in my work, which is not the generally accepted practice in watercolor where they truly live by the mantra that less is more.  So when we went to class, we were given the assignment of copying a painting that is more in keeping with this style.  While the instructor does not particularly like to use this method of teaching, apparently she was desperate enough to try it because some of us (that would be me) weren't getting it.  This was fun!  And I actually did the entire thing in one class period.  Phew!!  I'm going to try a few more to cement this process in my brain, and then I have a painting date with a beautiful photo we took in Florence, Italy along the Arno River.