"Barred Owl"

Oil on panel 14" x 11"

Back when my older sons were young, I chaperoned a field trip to Maymont. In the Nature Center, the students were introduced to a several species of birds and animals from the Central Virginia region. I took a number of photos, including a beautiful Barred Owl. I began this painting with a a fairly detailed pencil drawing on a panel with several layers of finely sanded gesso. I next did the background all around the figure by rubbing on thin layers of oil wash with an old t-shirt . I then switched to small sable watercolor brushes, continuing the watercolor technique with the oil paint on the owl. After finishing the head, I set the painting aside . . . for almost 20 years! Perhaps I'll go ahead and finish it. When I do, I'll post the final results.

"Egret"

Acrylic on panel 11" x 14"

Growing up on the water in Northwest Florida, egrets and other wading birds were a common sight. This particular painting was done 20 years ago. The scrubby tree and landscape were based on memories mainly of St. Andrew State Park, where I worked during the summers of my high school years.

"Chickens Redux"

Watercolor 10" x 14"

While working on some small chicken watercolors, I thought I'd do a larger one after "Maymont Morning, a small acrylic painting I did back in the Fall.

"Chickens II"

Watercolor 4.5" x 6.5"

This piece, along with several others, will be offered at the 3rd annual one smART gallery sale, Feb. 27-March 7
at Grayson Hill in Henrico (link is at the right in "Links").

"Chickens I"

Watercolor 4.5" x 6.5"

First of several small watercolors of chickens at Meadow Farm Museum and Maymont.

"Winter '97"

Watercolor 7.5" x 9.75"

I've been painting some with watercolors lately, and went back and found this old painting I did back in 1997 to illustrate a column on aging in our Sunday Commentary section. Like "On the Rocks," I found an old black and white photo in the newspaper morgue that I turned into a little painting. More recent watercolors will be coming to the site very shortly.

"Turkey Day"

Watercolor 9" x 12"

Every Thanksgiving the Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial Page runs the official Thanksgiving Proclamations from the president and Virginia's governor. Instead of a cartoon to the right of the proclamations, we've run variations of cornucopia art I've done or a drawing I did many years ago of the first Thanksgiving at Berkley Plantation. This year, I decided to paint this watercolor of a pair of wild turkeys.