sketch&place

These six paintings have been on my desk the last 15 months and are finally “done “! The five coastal blue watercolors are interpreted from a family trip to Deer Isle Maine last summer 08/24, and the the yellow fall scene is from Caribou Ranch, Boulder County. All are watercolors painted on 9x12 paper, and all were started on site with my iphone or sketchbook, and finished in my studio.

just finished these 9x12 watercolors, extending this years Santa Barbara days in Jan and Feb to the Boulder studio..and 8 weeks later finishing them!

Painting and learning from the #flatirons as seen from the green at #coloradochautauqua was such a joy! I appreciated the return to watercolor expression and to be curious and mesmerized by this #parkscenery in #boulder. After sketching on site I worked through adding many layers of paint in the studio..and resorted to many tricks of removing and adding dried paint..and then  adding ground to a few worn paper surfaces..and finally highlighting with gouache. The paper was almost ruined and overcurled...but after flattenning with an overnight "press"..all good!  

This is a birthday painting made for my brilliant, lovely, caring and inspiring wife, best friend and partner ❤️❤️❤️Ann. It is a 36”x48” acrylic and mixed media expression of #downtownboulder with its many wonderful animating qualities and possibilities!

36”x48” painting #watchingthefogrollin of a beautiful hike we had on the beach at More Mesa in Santa Barbara in February 2022

36x48 acrylic painting #walkingdakota completed in January 22 celebrating the rich tapestry of #boulderopenspace! Painted over an old stored canvas hanging around since 1970’s….

Excited to finish this one...part of my evolving walkability series...featuring places and scenery from Boulder, Spoleto, New York and beyond. This one is 36″x48″ acrylic paint..took almost 6 months!  I cant wait to start another local artwork..and hopefully that will take less time to complete. I love observing and reacting to city and nature merging, adapting and framing experiences for the walking public, enjoying the passegiatta everywhere. 

This a watercolor, gouche and acrylic painting 14”x21” based upon Piazza delle Erbe in the town center of Verona, Italy. The view of the market plaza was adapted from a photo of the piazza that I took from the top of the Torre del Lamberti that is located on this famous public space. The artwork features the unique patterns of local streetlife and supporting public amenities that strengthen cherished places and urban experiences everywhere!

i love the spirit of blue jays..especially in our yard after putting out a few peanuts! 

The Port of Gothenburg in Sweden is a very large industrial waterfront that we saw last summer on a delightful harbor cruise. The tower cranes that dominate the waterscape are remnants of the local shipping industry, and now part of a developing mixed use waterfront. This was a view captured by my camera..where a modern conference center is justaposed on the urban layers of waterfront history, and is a dominant visual mark of this wonderful waterfront City.

Aiy turned 5 and nowadays is really into peacock lore...in books, clothes and imagination...I asked Aiy what she wanted for her birthday..she said please make me a peacock painting...so I came up with this!

This is a sketchbook watercolor developed a week ago from the amazing living room view of a friend who lives in Talpa,New Mexico..up the valley from Ranchos de Taos and near Taos. This was our first trip out of Boulder in 8 months! And yes while sitting out there we were lucky to see ravens chasing a hawk!

First 15x22 watercolor! Lovely memory of looking back to Spoleto from a local trail admiring the urban form of this world heritage city nestled in the productive and green hillsides of Umbria Italy

This is my 11x17 mixed media gift to lovely Ann, celebrating her birthday, her love of flowers, our cosmos patch in the alley, and how she shares this love with Aiy!

Crayfishing with Aiy! With a downed tree branch, a red ball as a float, and household rope and a found rock, a DIY “fishing rod” becomes an unlikely tool to attract and pull out the ugly crayfish who are stirred up to actually “bite” and be pulled out of the lake! What a fine summer memory!

These are a selection of watercolors developed during my time in quarantine at home since March. I am grateful for the memories of favorite experiences and places in Italy…and the special moments we enjoy in Boulder during these difficult times.

These are a few sketches that I developed during the fall of 2019 meant to inspire community discourse re creative placemaking at the old Boulder Community Hospital. Soon a public process will start again and perhaps a few of these ideas will be implemented soon by a partnership of public and private interests.