Different Strokes from Different Folks Challenge (Week 32-34)

Title: Man in Orange Shirt
6"x10.5" watercolor and micron pen on 140-lb CP
(please click on image to enlarge)

Karin Jurick's challenge at Different Strokes from Different Folks (week 32-34) is a photo of Madison Avenue, New York City. Although it features taxi cabs and lots of tall buildings, my eye was drawn to the person standing on the edge of the sidewalk. I think he lends a bit of humanity to the busy urban landscape.

Hydrangea Blooms

Title: Hydrangea Blooms
(watercolor 4x4 on Arches 90-lb cp; micron pen;
please click on image to enlarge)

This painting is based on this week's reference photo offered by Dana Marie on her blog, Inspiration All Around Us. Dana will be posting a photograph every other Tuesday to spark creative interpretations in painting, jewelry or pottery. What a fun new challenge! Thanks, Dana!

More Droopy Tulips...

Thirteen Droopy Tulips, v.2
(watercolor 4"x3.5" cropped, micron 02 pen, Arches 90-lb cp;
please click on image to enlarge)

I've been on something of a tulip-painting binge of late. The above tulips are my final version of some tulips I painted last week. They were so bright and cheerful in real life, but my initial version (below) just did not do them justice:

Thirteen Droopy Tulips, v.1
(watercolor 5"x4", micron 02 pen, Arches 90-lb cp;
please click on image to enlarge)

March 2009 Virtual Sketch Date: Two Birds and a Feeder

March 2009 Virtual Sketch Date
Watercolor, Micron 02 pigment pen

This month's Virtual Sketch Date was fun — I saw two birds with great attitude!

Please click here if you'd like to see the reference photo.

And here are the drawings and paintings from artists around the world on the VSD flickr site. It is always a treat to see the different interpretations people create from one photograph.

This is such an enjoyable monthly challenge. I encourage anybody who is interested to just jump right in and give it a go! Many thanks to VSD admins Rose, Jeanette and Stacy for making this challenge possible.