Aileen and the volcano.

Well I tell you, I felt pretty good when I took Aileen home Saturday afternoon.  Oh I knew she was off but I thought I had made a good start on what could become a new series.  But pulling it out of the bag Sunday morning I realized it wasn't very good.  It's obvious all I was interested in was her hair, the background, and her blouse.  The only interest I had in the poor girl's face was getting her eyes and nose in the right place and giving her some kind of Mona Lisa expression, which turned out to be just passable if you are very generous and don't look at it very long.   

 Felt a little forlorn about Aileen and my loss of a path forward, and I looked at this hillside from last week which had gotten away from me and I thought I saw something.  Wasn't sure what it was and I came in recklessly with a very wet brush and swung it around like I was cleaning out a dusty shed and I discovered that it was a volcano.  Not bad huh?

March 4, 2026 — Elaine O.

Welcome to my kitchen! Well, just the beginning of just one counter. I originally was drawn to the way the appliances on the counter looked like a museum display under the lights. Now to see if I can live up to the inspiration. 

Playing around….

 I did a quick new version of these two lovebirds, with a larger, more dramatic sky. Not sure it’s the direction I want to go in…here’s the other version for comparison …inexplicably they appear larger in the first version below, but they are actually the same size in both paintings. I’m favoring the first version (below) because the emphasis is on them….i also like the less dramatic water and sky….

Oh, and here’s the recent self portrait— directly painted…I didn’t even comb my hair…

A motley crew

This one got away from me.

This one never went anywhere.

 And this one. Well I have some hope for it.

No More Portraits Under Pressure

 

Moved to a different photo. Still doesn’t look like him. Time to paint some flowers or trees. 

March 28, 2026 — Elaine O.

Small changes—yet, it's taken hours to imagine and sketch a person who is still not quite right. And then, something's happening where the paper around her won't take paint right. All in all, this takes the painting from a "masterpiece" to a "learning experience." Still, there are things I like and I'm happy with the memory.

Pont-Neuf, Having Just Missed the Train, 14" x 10"

By the sea….

 

This turned out not too badly. I’m trying to get that look of the weird sunlight that pops thru the clouds before the storm. Maybe it needs more sky, less beach to get that across.

Last round, Ken suggested I take his nose  off of her knees, but the separation definitely changes the mood imo. Maybe that and the dark troubled sky …definitely a friendlier vibe in the bottom one…and better weather. Not really in love with this pose. I tell you there is so much paint on these two…I really should just transfer from watercolor to gouache.

Alan Spring 2026-1

 Still have more skaters to do. On 8 1/2 X 12 Yupo it’s more like what I was going for even with some logic errors. More to do sometime. 

  

Still working on my little exercises on 140# cold press. 

January sunset. 

Chair with pillows and blankets. 

March 21, 2026 — Elaine O.

So close! I just have a few tiny tweaks left—oh, and I still have to resolve that whole lower right corner. I think this needs a person waiting for the train. Next week for sure!

14" x 10"

Mark Your Calendar! Photography Exhibition

Our creativity doesn't stop with watercolor. You're invited to a photography exhibition featuring our very own Elsa.

 It's Friday, March 27, from 6-10pm only, so mark your calendar!