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New Watercolors - Ralph F. Wilson

Here are some of my more recent watercolors.

Click on the thumbnail picture or title to see a larger image. To inquire about purchasing a painting, please contact the artist.


ElijahtheTishbite-10x14-220426.jpg Watercolor: Elijah the Tishbite - 10" x 14"
I've been preparing an e-mail Bible study and book on 'Elijah: Rebuilding the Altar of Yahweh.' I needed a good portrait for the bookcover, so I asked my friend Steve Winther to pose for me. Then painted a kind of rough-hewn Elijah. He is bold, in-your-face, and has stared down kings. Won second place in the WASH Painting of the Month for May 2022. 220426. Watercolor and ink, 10" x 14".

EagleandFlagStainedGlass-14x10-220527.jpg Watercolor: Eagle and Flag Stained Glass - 14" x 10"
I felt like doing something striking -- and what's more striking than an American Eagle with a glare in his eye? For a couple years I have been occasionally playing with a stained glassy effect. I think I like it because I can use wonderful saturated colors, and because of the definition it offers. And it's fun, even though it's tedious. 220527. Watercolor and ink on hot press 140# watercolor paper, 14" x 10".

DonnerCreekRipplies-14x10-220707.jpg Watercolor: Donner Creek Ripples - 14" x 10"
I love painting Sierra Creeks splashing their way down the mountain. This one isn't splashing much, but makes some white water as Donner Creek drops a bit in level as it drains Donner Lake. I saw this on a meadow walk on a June 18, 2022 trip. Part of my 31 Paintings in July challenge. 220707. Watercolor, 14" x 10"

LorquinsAdmiral-10x7-220712.jpg Watercolor: Lorquin's Admiral - 10" x 7"

One of the resident butterflies where I live in Loomis, California, is the Lorquin's Admiral (Limenitis lorquini). Here's my take on it. Part of my 31 Paintings in July series. 220712. Watercolor and ink, 10" x 7".



BetsyRossHands-14x10-220713.jpg Watercolor: Betsy Ross Hands - 14" x 10"
In 1870 a grandson of Betsy Ross told the story of Washington's visit to her in Philadelphia in 1776 and her creation of the first official flag of the United States of America, the one with 13-stars on a field of blue. Though there's no documentation for the story, I like to believe it. In my painting, Betsy is just finishing up her first flag. Part of my 31 Paintings in July series. 220713. Watercolor, 14" x 10".

EvangelineandChaseatC-HorseRanch-10x10-220728.jpg Watercolor: Evangeline and Chase at C-Horse Ranch - 10" x 10"
Summer 2022 is the time for horse camp for two of my granddaughters. Here is Evangeline astride patient Chase at the C-Horse Ranch just north of Auburn west of Hwy 49. Part of my 31 Paintings in July challenge. 220728. Watercolor, 10" x 10". In a private collection.

JeffreyPinesalongDonnerLake-10x7-220728.jpg Watercolor: Jeffrey Pines along Donner Lake - 10" x 7"
On a camping trip to Tahoe I enjoyed a delightful morning along the west shore of Donner Lake. This is a view of Donner Lake through the stately Jeffrey Pines. Part of my 31 Paintings in July challenge. 220728. Watercolor, 10" x 7".

Dahlia120x14220914.jpg Watercolor: Glowing Dahlia - 20" x 14"
I found this gorgeous Dahlia in the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens on a mid-July 2022 trip to Fort Bragg. They have a whole area dedicated to Dahlias with 400 plants and 150 varieties. Most bushes were in full bloom! It was wonderful. This blossom caught my eye especially. 220914. Watercolor, 20" x 14".

NoyoHeadlandsFortBraggCA-20x14-220818.jpg Watercolor: Noyo Headlands, Fort Bragg, CA - 20" x 14"
I visited the Mendocino coast on a beautiful mid-July day. This is the rugged Noyo Headland as it juts out into the mighty Pacific. The Noyo Headland is also the site of an airstrip developed by the Union Lumber Company and in service from 1949 to 2002 when the mill shut down. 220818. Watercolor. 20" x 14". In a private collection, DJ Wilson.

CarolsRose-10x10-221015.jpg Watercolor: Carol's Rose - 10" x 10"
On October 8, Carol Wilson posted a photo of her rose bush on Factbook. One of the roses spoke to me and said 'Paint me,' so I did. I never cease to wonder at the delicate beauty of a rose blossom opening to the sky. 221015. Watercolor, 10" x 10".

SeasideCreekBeachMendocinoCoast-20x14-221114.jpg Watercolor: Seaside Creek Beach, Mendocino Coast - 20" x 14"
On a June 2022 trip to Fort Bragg, I was fascinated by the many shapes as various headlands and points of land thrust into the Pacific, along with the splash and foam of the restless sea. This is Seaside Creek Beach, north of Fort Bragg. If you look closely, you can see a lone family enjoying the day. Watercolor. 20" x 14".

DragonflyYellow-21x8-221123.jpg Watercolor: Dragonfly Yellow - 21" x 8"
I worked on a pair of dragonflies simultaneously -- one on a blue background, the other on bright yellow. This is Dragonfly Yellow. I think I like this one better. 221123. Watercolor and ink. 21" x 8".

PerilousPilgrimVoyage-20x14-221205.jpg Watercolor: Perilous Pilgrim Voyage - 20" x 14"

At Thanksgiving time I think of the Pilgrims -- Puritans escaping persecution in England. They England too late in the season, so the Mayflower suffered a grueling 10-week voyage across the Atlantic. After their companion ship the Speedwell was deemed unseaworthy, they sailed from Plymouth, England, on 16 September 1620, and finally set anchor on Cape Cod November 21, 1620.

Some of my wife's and my ancestors were aboard -- Stephen, Constance, and Giles Hopkins. Oceanus was born during the voyage. Also present were John Alden and Priscilla Mullins. Half the pilgrims -- and most of the women -- died the first winter.

My painting is patterned after the Mayflower II, a replica built in 1957 that now resides in Boston harbor. The angry sky reminds me of the courage and struggle of those early American settlers who preceded us in this land. 221205. Watercolor and ink, 14" x 20".



RussianGulchCoveatFloodTide-21x14-221208.jpg Watercolor: Russian Gulch Cove at Flood Tide - 14" x 21"

Russian Gulch State Park is just a mile or two north of the town of Mendocino along the North California coast. I was fascinated by the outcropping that becomes a small island at high tide. At its crest are a few leggy examples of Mendocino Shore Pine. The forested slopes that rise from the shore have a mixture of Coast Redwood, Douglas-fir, and others. When I photographed it in July 2022, the tide was out, but using artistic license, a brought in a flood tide which pushes the beach under the bridge and makes the outcropping an island. 221208. Watercolor, 21" x 14".



RockyCoastnearPointArena-14x10-221208.jpg Watercolor: Rocky Coast near Point Arena - 14" x 10"
On July 20, 2022 I enjoyed a spectacular drive on Highway 1 from Fort Bragg south to Bodega Bay, stopping for photos along the way. This is a point of land and beach just a few miles south of Point Arena, Mendocino County, California. 221208. Watercolor, 14" x 10".

GoodNewsAngel-221212-9x21.jpg Watercolor: Good News Angel - 9" x 21"
Drowsy shepherds are watching sleeping sheep on Bethlehem hillsides when suddenly an angel appears with all the Shekinah glory of God, proclaiming to the startled shepherds: "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.... a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!" I studied hundreds of stained glass renditions of angels before I settled on this sort of traditionally contemporary design. The bold colors celebrate the birth of Christ our Lord. 221212. Watercolor, graphite, and ink, 9" x 21".

GreatEgretatInverness-221223-10x14.jpg Watercolor: Great Egret at Inverness - 10" x 14"

On a photo day with my son Dan in mid-December 2022, I watched this Great Egret (Ardea alba) standing in shallow water at the edge of Tomales Bay near Inverness, California, waiting for a fish to spear. None appeared this time, and he eventually flew away with his great wing strokes. I tried to capture the dancing waters behind the egret with various colors of blue horizontal lines. 221223. Watercolor, 10" x 14".



JohnAldenandPriscillaMullins-2-6x6.5-221224jpg.jpg Watercolor: John Alden and Priscilla Mullins - 2 - 6 x 6.5"
My children and I are related to two "Mayflower" passengers through my mother's side of the family -- John Alden and Priscilla Mullins. This pair of paintings is after C.W. Georges, an otherwise unknown artist. They were published in 1906 by a lithograph company in New York, Ullman Manufacturing Co., as both prints and post cards. 221224. Watercolor, 2 paintings, each 6.0 x 6.5 inches.

OldWharfonTomalesBay-14x10-230114.jpg Watercolor: Dilapidated Wharf on Tomales Bay - 14" x 10"
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In mid-December 2022 my son Dan and I took a photo day at Point Reyes National Park. This dilapidated wharf at the south end of Tomales Bay no longer reaches open water, but is surrounded reeds. The flying Great Egrets are common along the Bay. 230115. Watercolor on rough paper, 14" x 10".

MontereyCypressatPiercePointRanchPtReyes-10x10-230115.jpg Watercolor: Monterey Cypress at Pierce Point Ranch, Pt Reyes - 10" x 10"

In mid-December 2022, my son Dan and I enjoyed a photo day together. At the end of the road that goes to the north end of Point Reyes peninsula is the Pierce Point Ranch, once an active dairy farm. i was fascinated by the towering Monterey Cypress trees (Cupressus macrocarpa), widely planted along the north coast for windbreaks a century ago from their native habitat around Monterey. 230115. Watercolor and ink, 10" x 10".



KeysCreekandTomalesBay-14x10-230128.jpg Watercolor: Mouth of Keys Creek at Tomales Bay - 14" x 10"
Keys Creek empties into the north end of Tomales Bay. This is a view looking east across the narrow bay from the north end of the Point Reyes Peninsula. 230128. Watercolor on rough Arches paper. 14" x 10".

TheSowerafterMillet1850-10x14-230124.jpg Watercolor: The Sower (after Millet) - 10" x 14"

'The Sower' (1850) by Jean-Francois Millet has inspired artists like van Gogh and Tissot. Here's my attempt at a possible bookcover for my study Parables of Jesus for Disciples (2023). 230124. Watercolor and ink on hot press paper, 10" x 14".



MontereyCypressonNorthCoast-14x21-230123.jpg Watercolor: Monterey Cypress on California's North Coast - 14" x 21"

Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) is native to the area around Pacific Grove. But a century or more ago people began to plant it along the north coast in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. These tall trees was a theme of Bay Area artist Arthur Mathews (1860-1945). This is my attempt at the genre. The background is the north coast beyond the Westport Headlands (north of Fort Bragg). 230123. Watercolor, 14" x 21".



RocksatNoyoHeadlands-10x10-230106.jpg Watercolor: Rocks at Noyo Headlands, Fort Bragg - 10" x 10"
Last weekend Jean and I were in Placerville for our anniversary. There I visited the Volution Gallery and saw some of the beautiful work of Rebecca Roehr. That inspired me to abstract this view of the rocks using bold colors and bold lines. It's a scene looking WSW along the Noyo Headlands near Fort Bragg, California. I kind of like it. :-) 230106. Watercolor and ink, 10" x 10".

10MileBeachandPointReyes-21x9-230209.jpg Watercolor: 10 Mile Beach and Point Reyes - 21" x 9"
In mid-December 2022, my son Dan and I took the Pierce Point Road to the north end of Point Reyes Peninsula. Near the summit is a wonderful panoramic view of the lonely 10 Mile Beach stretching out into the mists toward the tip of Point Reyes. 230209. Watercolor, 21" x 9".

CelticFairJoy-14x14-230219.jpg Watercolor: Celtic Fair Joy - 14" x 14"
Each late September I look forward to the KVMR Celtic Festival at the Nevada County Fair Grounds. In September 2019 I took a video of a spontaneous dance on the green near the stage to the quick-time tempo of an Irish jig. I hope this painting captures some of the joy in the dancers. 230219. Watercolor, 14" x 14"

MontereyCypressatDusk-20x14-230315.jpg Watercolor - Monterey Cypress at Dusk - 20" x 14"

I love the leggy, wonky shapes of these Monterey Cypress trees (Cupressus macrocarpa). Native to the Monterey-Carmel area of California, in the early 1900s they were planted along the North Coast from San Francisco to Fort Bragg and north. This painting reflects a row of trees at the edge of a golf course. 230315. Watercolor on 300 lb. cold press paper, 20" x 14".





Ralph F. Wilson Watercolors
P.O. Box 565, Loomis, California 95650
phone (916) 652-4659
E-mail
All art works are copyright by Ralph F. Wilson. All rights reserved.