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Painting in My Studio 

I create most of my paintings using one or more reference photos. I work both from photos I have taken myself, as well as ones I receive from people for commissions. Sometimes if I am creating one painting from several photos, I create a composition on the computer using Photoshop. Then I print my new composition to paint from in my studio. Some of the most difficult paintings I do are from older photos that are sometimes damaged, making it hard to see the subject matter. It is always an incredible feeling when I create a painting from those challenging images. Below are some examples of reference photos, and paintings both in process and finished.  

The Beautiful One-Winged Garden Angel 

I took the photo of this little one-winged angel at the park in Marlow village.

After sketching the angel lightly in pencil on 300 lb. cold press watercolor paper, I started doing light washes. 

After laying in all the basic colors, I continue to add more and more layers of paint, darkening the values and adding fine details. I use a hair dryer to make sure layers of paint are dry before I add the next one so they do not run together. This is the final painting. 

Grafton Monarch

I took a photo of this monarch butterfly in Grafton, Vermont and did the painting while camping in my trailer at Salisbury Beach State Reservation in Massachusetts. I did the wet in wet paint wash for the background first then let it air dry.

Then I started adding in washes and more detail, letting the paint dry before adding new colors to keep them from running together.

Like with the Garden Angel, after laying in all the basic colors, I continued to add more and more layers of paint, darkening the values and adding fine details. This is the finished painting. 

Fishing at Black Rock Creek

I took the photo I used for this painting while camping at Salisbury Beach State Reservation in Massachusetts, then I worked on the painting camping there the following year. I did a wet wash for the water, then used a paper towel to pull out some of the color for the waves. Once the background was dry I started adding details to the fisherman.  

At this point I started adding more details to the fisherman, the waves near him, and the rocks behind him. I let each of these areas dry before adding more color so they wouldn't run together. 

After continuing to add more and more details, this is the finished painting.

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