Lake Bled

Another missed painting.  Lake Bled, Croatia, is a worthy stopover if you are in the area.  Although this painting does not feature the famous island in the middle of the lake, I chose this gentleman rowing home from the market.  The setting and the atmosphere of the overcast weather was a good challenge to interpret with paint.

A couple of missed entries

Earlier this year I painted a couple of commissioned pieces that I failed to publish on my blog.  The first was a wonderful fall photo from Idaho.  A river that I cannot remember the name of...that's embarrassing.  Anyhow this was a fabulous opportunity to render water and fall colors, and it was a large painting, approximately 30x40.

Then a couple of months ago I painted Peggy's Cove, which is located in Nova Scotia.  My sister and brother in law vacationed there and gave me this great photo of Peggy's Cove to memorialize for them.  A really fun painting to create...the colors, the mood, the setting were real special.

Limon Mercado

When we were in Ecuador last year, we took a trip to the amazon region.  One of the towns on the edge of the rainforest is Limon.  Limon has one very nice Mercado, where I snapped a photo of a merchant in her space.  I loved the variety and density of the produce.  This painting was a test for my patience and skills to interpret all the textures.  This was a fun painting to produce and to remember the experience.

Street Food

Street food is often some of the tastiest and least expensive food anywhere in the world.  And it is no different in Ecuador.  While spending time at the coast, in the small town of Olon, we enjoyed the skewers from this ladies cart.  The best $1.50 anywhere.

Lisa's Dogs

This was a tricky commission to accomplish.  This final painting was a mash-up of 5 reference photos.  Lisa C. who I work with and asked me to paint her dogs took a bunch of photos in her backyard.  The poses of the dogs come from a single reference, but their open mouth smiles come from another.  Also the blonde dog's head comes from an indoor photo, which I needed to make appear to fit and look like the outdoor lighting.  Then finally the rear yard flowers and grass were another reference.  Here you go...

Next up is a painting from Elke's and my vacation last summer where we visited Lake Bled, Slovenia.

The Shepherd's Watch

The pastor of the church where I work and worship, asked me to do a painting to go along with his Christmas Eve sermon.  So after a couple of conceptual discussions I came up with the idea of having a nighttime scene of a shepherd looking toward Bethlehem.  With the star in the sky illuminating the town and lighting a pathway from the shepherd to the manger location.  So, if you are wondering what comes first, the sermon or the painting?  Answer...the painting.  Our pastor tweeked his sermon to talk about Jesus as the Good Shepherd.  Here's the painting.  Also, if you want to hear a wonderful message about the Good Shepherd , check out Menlo.church and click on Messages.

Lisa's Sister

I love this painting from the standpoint of the setting.  A friend of mine at work commissioned me to paint this.  Somewhere in the Pacific northwest her sister took this selfie.  I love the peaceful setting, and the fact that she appears to have the place to herself.  The sky and clouds are about as complex and dramatic as any sky painting I have attempted.  I am pleased with the results, and Lisa my co-worker is excited to give this painting to her sister for her birthday.  I really appreciate doing this sort of painting that has significance for the owner.  This is the 5th painting in a row that has been a commission, and it's been some of the most fun I have had over the past 7 months creating them.  Next up is a very special project for Christmas...stay tuned!  Thanks.

Sally and Marc's Grandkids

It was fun to paint these two kids making their way to the beach.  The sister and brotherly love in this work is such a joy to see.  I appreciated the composition, the colors, the challenge of the dunes and vegetation.  Friends from church for many years, and a client of my wife, Sally and Marc gave me the opportunity to do this painting, and I hope it's going to be a nice memorial for them for many years.

Stockholm Harbor

Here's a painting that was quite a challenge.  A friend of mine commissioned this painting so I didn't post any work in progress photos fearing he might see it.  Anyhow, my friend Dave took this great photo a few years ago, and it means a lot to him, because his father was born in Stockholm.  Of course I wanted to make this work, but the photo I received was kind of a low resolution, so I looked on the internet for other similar photos of the harbor, which might give me more details about the architecture.  Fortunately, there were a couple.  Dave's photo has some drama in it with the clouds, the lighting, and the chop of the water.  Very cool, very challenging.  Thanks Dave!

Camino de Santiago

So here's a fun story...as you may know last fall Elke and I walked the 500 mile Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way.  A lady that I work with is going to walk the Camino next summer.  In anticipation she commissioned me to do a painting for her of some place along the Camino that she can find.  A gave her a bunch of photos to choose from, and this is the watercolor I just completed for her.  She and her husband will walk about a month before arriving.  You'll note that at the upper right hand side between the house and the tree is one of the many Camino landmarks.
Next up...another commission from a friend who took a great photo of Stockholm  harbor, that he wants memorialized in paint.

Capri, Italy

Just finished this exciting commission.  Capri, Italy, or better yet, just off the coast of Capri, Italy.
I really enjoyed the composition, and colors of this subject.  The tilt of the horizon with the chop of the water, does give a nice sense of motion.  The couple I am painting this for spent part of their honeymoon last year at this spot, and on this boat.  I'm happy to be able to memorialize this special time for them.  The photo attached is a bit darker than the original painting.  Up next is a photo from our walk across Spain last fall...more memories!!!

Friends on a log

I finished this painting over the Christmas and New Year break.  I started this painting about nine months ago, but set it aside to accomplish a couple of other works.  This painting is from some photos I took at a pond in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.  It took three different photos to come up with this design.  The duck's body and head are a mix of two photos, and third helped with some of the feathers.  The turtle originally was somewhat blocked by the duck's body, and I separated them.
here you go...

Vernazza, off the table and to the framer

Wow, this painting was an exercise in endurance.  It's been on my drawing table since I think July.  There was a two month period from mid September to early November where I was on my pilgrimage in Spain and therefore didn't paint.  Combined with at least 150 hours in this work, and there you go.  Months.  So, I am really glad this painting is completed and I'm happy with the results.  I bumped up the vibrancy of the colors ever so slightly because I think the colors in reality were a little brighter than the photo from which I worked.  Also, this is a large painting for me, in fact the largest I have done.  Normally I work from a 20"x30" board, and this painting is on a 30"x40" board.  The size is 22x37.  A big area to cover with little brushes.  Fun, and satisfying.  I'm not sure what is next...I had set aside a duck and turtle painting I had just started to do this, so I may attempt to finish.  I'll show something in the next few days.  Thanks for coming by.

Vernazza

Now that I completed the painting of my Spanish teacher, I am back hard at work on this large painting of Vernazza, Italy....one of the 5 towns known as the Cinque Terre.  If you haven't traveled to this part of the world, add it to your bucket list.  And then when you get there take the walking path between the villages and you'll arrive at this spot from where I took the subject photo.  This painting when completed will be the largest painting I've done to date.  Normally I work on archival quality watercolor boards which are 20x30 inches.  I wanted to find a larger watercolor board, and after some looking and googling, I found  a board that is 30x40 inches.  So this is like doing a painting twice the size, and it is taking way more than twice the time.  A couple of days ago on my day off I spent 10 hours painting, and I accomplished the church at the center left, and a couple of windows to its left.  Normally I spend somewhere between 60-100 hours on a painting, this will be over 200 hours, not complaining, it's a lot of therapy.

I wish I could say check back soon and see a completed "masterpiece", but next week Elke and I leave for Spain to do the Camino de Santiago walk, which will have us back home at the end of October, so....check back around Thanksgiving, I hope to have something very cool for you!
Thanks for coming by.  Mark
By the way, the top of this painting is the top of the green hill and blue sky.

Monica y Coco

Well it's been awhile since I posted an update.  In the past 3 months I have started 3 different paintings, and for different reasons, I halted the painting I was doing, and finally have completed the most urgent one. 
I have been working with a Spanish tutor for 3 years now, in preparation hopefully for having a part time life down in Ecuador someday.   Monica has been wonderful, demonstrating an amount of patience with me that would impress Job...and in the mean time I am learning some Spanish.  Monica will be leaving the area next year with her husband, thus ending our teacher - student relationship.  As a small token of my huge appreciation I asked Monica if I could paint something for her....she was pleased to have me do a portrait with her beloved Coco.  Portraiture is my weakest skill set with paint and brush, but dogs on the other hand are a bit easier...so I was happy to give it a go...here you are...

I am already weeks into my next painting which is also the largest painting I have ever done.  After searching for awhile I finally found a source for large high quality watercolor board that I use.  My normal painting is roughly 18x28 at the largest, but I found a board that is 30x40.  So you will soon see my progress of Vernazza, Italy.  One of the Cinque Terre, mediterrenean towns.  Thanks for stopping by.

Vintage Foosball

Here is something very different from my painting table...antique foosball guys.  There's a hotel down in Cuenca, Ecuador that we stay at, and in their game room is a vintage foosball table.  I get a kick out of these guys.  I'm guessing they are made of cast iron (metal), and they are perfectly chipped and used.  Probably they all suffer some form of concussion - head injuries.  Anyhow, I squatted down to look them in their eyes and snapped some photos.  This is my rendition of these strange little men...who just keep on kicking!

A well deserved rest

Sometimes you run across a "thing", an "object", that has the appearance that it has served its purpose well.  So it is with my latest painting.  A sturdy, weathered little row boat that waits for its next adventure, and in the mean time takes a well deserved rest...

Schnitzel

A friend's little dachshund is named Schnitzel...what a great name.  She took a photo of Schnitzel helping with the tree trimming.  When I saw the photo last month I contacted her to ask if I could do a painting of it.  Not knowing little Schnitzel had recently passed away from cancer Monica was very pleased to have this happen.  I was drawn to this work because of the challenges that the face, and lights, and composition presented.  Here's the result...

What is it about boats?

So I just put the finishing brush strokes on my row boat painting...I'm pleased with the results.  What is it about row boats, sail boats, canoes, kayaks that is so esthetically pleasing?  It must be the lines and curves - some of the similar graceful shapes of the human body.  I really enjoyed creating this watercolor.  The scene is peaceful, the colors perfect - even the aqua-bluish color of the ropes tying the boats to the trees.  Perfect!  My job was to not screw it up, and bring a little more contrast and vibrancy than the original photo.  Since you are not seeing the photo - you'll have to trust me - I think I did.  Not sure what is next, but I'm searching...thanks for coming by....Mark  (I'll have a better photo in about a week after my photographer does his thing.)

Irish row boats

Some friends took a fabulous trip to Ireland this summer.  While there they took a photo of a couple of row boats tide up on a pond among the high grasses.  They thought their photo was reminiscent of the kind of paintings I create...so they sent it to me.  They were 100% correct.  I love their photo, and here is my rendition after about 40 hours so far.  I'm about half way to completion.

Check back in a couple of weeks...hopefully I'll have it signed, and off to the framer.  Thanks for coming by...mg