two more cormorants

 I don't really deserve this one.  The bird was too solid and the sea was too placid.  I put some stripes through the bird to break it up and blotted that central part thinking I would come back in but when I looked down there it is.

I was pretty happy with this when I finished it Friday morning, but when I looked at it Saturday my reaction was so what, and where did all that damn green come from?  

So I took a wet brush and paper towels to it this morning and I think something is going on here, but it doesn't look done yet.

 

Sketch book Entries and A Man In A Dress

 

May 9, 2026 — Elaine O.

Still coming along slowly, but now, the middle is beginning to fill out. Decision point—do I add the people or leave it as a Hopper-esque landscape? Originally, the people were what intrigued me about this scene, but there's also something interesting about that vast open stage waiting for something. I'll have to give it some thought.

10" x 14"

Class Photo — Spring II 2026

Here we all are in what's become a tradition for the end of a term. See you in summer!

If It’s Not One Thing, It’s Another

 The first one done in class. Looking at it later, it broke the portrait rules. Width of mouth should reach center of eyes. Nope. Tried to fix. Distance between  two eyes should be width of one eye. Nope. Did a second one. Now different issues. I’ll just give her both. Then she’ll know it was hard work. 

May flowers….

 I tweaked these a bit after class, darkening shadows, intensifying colors, etc. Nothing frame worthy, but fun to do.

This is a copy of an oil painting. Just a study. I like some of the colors that you can’t really see because the tree s so big! Also I over sponged the tree leaves. It’s sad because I really like the brush marks in oil paintings, but that just doesn’t work well in watercolors— it’s the color mixing that shines in watercolors…

Well, I tweaked this portrait a bit— worked on my mouth and jaw. I think this is me in 2026!

Alan Spring 4-2026

 Changed the background of my little bathroom still life to bring out the yellow of the flowers per instructions from Elaine. 

Did a little more work on my trading card sunset on Yupo.  I might fix that little bleed of yellow in the middle but I kinda like it  

I think I’m done with this downtown New Buffalo painting. It’s on rough paper. While it’s okay, and I like certain aspects of it, it does not give me joy. I might try it again with a more free flowing style. 

This is the beginning of a still life at one of my friend’s house. Everybody brings a bottle of booze and sets it on the table top. Then we drink. The top right is a painting of Greeta’s. I don’t think that I’m going to paint all the labels as I am more interested in painting the glass-which there is a lot of.   Done with Yupo. 

A cormorant dries her wings, a Ginko tree spews leaves, and a ghost cormorant prepares for flight.

I like the contrast between the purplish certainty and the greenish uncertainty.

I don't know about those sky holes, but I think they work as a compositional element, floating along with the tiny yellow leaves as they rise daintily out from the sturdy trunk.

 This is just the beginning,  I may try to have the cormorant be more of the water, but we shall see.

May 2, 2026 — Elaine O.

This is one of those slow and steady paintings. Hours of work...no big changes. Still, I'm having fun. Right now, I'm working my way in towards the center, which is the opposite of my usual MO; we'll see how that works over the coming weeks.

10" x 14"

Tryout sketches….

 

I’m trying out composition and values with these two sketches. They look pretty washed out here on the blog. I’m going to try them again with a little more intention.

I was working on this in class and now I like it so much I’m afraid to finish it because I might ruin it!