Watercolor Portraits and Figures - Ralph F. Wilson

I'm fascinated by capturing an image of a person. Each face is wonderful and oh-so-hard to get right!

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Watercolor: Jim on Christmas Morning, 14.5" x 10.5" A portrait taken from a 2009 photo of my brother-in-law, still in his pajamas on Christmas morning. Watercolor, 14.5" x 10.5". In a private collection: J. McCrea.	Watercolor: Jean the Gardener (10.5" x 10.5") From a June 2012 photo of Jean in her garden, wearing her characteristic well-worn straw hat. She loves planting and harvesting tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and squash, plus fruit of all varieties. Finished Dec 2013. Watercolor on 140# Arches hot press paper, 10.5" x 10.5". Not for sale.
Watercolor: Waiting for Crumbs (20"x14") One morning on a trip to the coast, I stopped by the Bovine Bakery in Pt. Reyes Station. People were sitting at the teak benches out in front and chatting in the morning sun. But I was struck by the patient bird waiting for crumbs. Watercolor, 20" x 14". Exhibited at the juried Placer Art League Open Show at the Lincoln Art Center, July 2 thru Aug 2, 2014. Exhibited in the juried WASH "Go with the Flow" Open Show at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, September 2014.	Watercolor: Worshiping Hands I got this idea while watching a praise music video. What fascinates me is the hands and evident sincerity of the people. Watercolor. 20" x 14".
Watercolor: Pastor Curtis - 12.5 x 10.5 in. My friend is the pastor of a large congregation in south Sacramento. I hope this captures his friendliness and humor. Watercolor, 12.5 x 10.5 inches. In a private collection: C. Mitchell.	Watercolor: Pastor Greg - 20"x14" Here's a portrait of the pastor at our church -- Rock Harbor Covenant Church in Rocklin, California. Watercolor, 20"x14". In a private collection: G. Krieger.
Watercolor: Evangeline, Christmas 2014 - 10.5" x 14.5" This is a portrait of Evangeline at Christmas, a few days before she began to crawl in earnest. At the time she was about 5-1/2 months. I gave this to Jean on Mother's Day. Watercolor, 10.5" x 14". In a private collection: J. Wilson.	Watercolor: Granddaughter Reading - 10.5" x 14.5" This is my granddaughter Evangeline at 10-1/2 months, on the balcony "reading." She is toddling around trying to act so grown up! Fun! Watercolor, 10.5" x 14.5" This painting was juried into the "Go with the Flow" 2015 WASH Open Show at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, Sept 1-26, 2015. In a private collection: J. Wilson.
Watercolor: Bluegrass Banjo - 14" x 14" There's so much energy in a bluegrass band. Here's a member of the Jumpsteady Boys plucking a banjo at the Father's Day California Bluegrass Festival at Grass Valley Fairgrounds on June 19, 2015. Watercolor, 14" x 14". This painting was juried into the "Go with the Flow" 2015 WASH Open Show at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, Sept 1-26, 2015.	Watercolor: Bluegrass Fiddler - 10.5" x 14.5" Here's a member of the Jumpsteady Boys demonstrating a song at the Father's Day California Bluegrass Festival at the Grass Valley Fairgrounds, June 19, 2015. Watercolor, 10.5" x 14.5".
Watercolor: Bluegrass Autoharp - "14 x 14" This was inspired by Judie Pagter who sang with her bluegrass autoharp at the California Bluegrass Festival in Grass Valley, June 19, 2015. Pagter is a trooper who has sung mountain music all her life and has written many songs. She's also active with music in her Methodist church back in Virginia. Watercolor, 14.5" x 14.5"	Watercolor: Bluegrass Long-Necked Banjo - 20" x 14" I saw this character playing a long-necked banjo at the Father's Day California Bluegrass Festival at the Nevada City Fairgrounds, June 19, 2015. He is Carl Pagter, a founder of the California Bluegrass Association. He sang with his former wife, Judie Pagter on the Pioneers Stage. He came with his funky leather top hat. I placed him with an Appalachian mountain background. Watercolor, 20" x 14".
Watercolor: The Strong Arm of Liberty - 6.5" x 20" Here's a view of the torch of the Statue of Liberty from almost directly underneath. The painting uses only two colors: French Ultramarine Blue and Permanent Alizarin Crimson. Watercolor, 6.5" x 20".	Watercolor: Angels Weep with Us, 20" x 14" This is my interpretation of the often-replicated "Angel of Grief" (1894) gravestone sculpture in the Protestant Cemetery in Rome by William Wetmore Story. The gravestone, of course, is grey, but I wanted to capture the life of the angel in my painting. The monument is at the grave of the sculptor's long-time wife, Emelyn Story, who died in 1895 in Rome at the age of 74; he died later the same year. Watercolor, 20" x 14". In a private collection: J. Wilson.
Watercolor: Willie, 14.5" x 10.5" Our assignment was to paint using only the three primary colors, which could not be painted over one another to create complements, only grayed. Here is Willie from a photo, wearing his trademark red sweatband. Watercolor, 14.5" x 10.5". In a private collection: R. Stephenson.	Watercolor: Net Fishing in the Yuba - 14.5" x 14.5" In August 2015, Bill Hersom and I were plein air painting near the old Rainbow Bridge where Hwy 49 cross the South Fork of the Yuba River. About the time we got ready to leave, families began to come to the swimming hole. This young boy is looking for the tiny fish that swim these waters. Watercolor, 14.5" x 14.5".
Watercolor: Jim and Mary This is a portrait of my brother- and sister-in-law, from a photo taken in March 2011. Watercolor, 14.5" x 10.5"	Watercolor: Wood Fairy - 14.5" x 10.5" This is part of an assignment to paint only in secondary colors -- purple, green, and orange. My fairy's right eye looks sinister, but her left eye is friendly. Watercolor, 14.5" x 10.5".
Watercolor: February Sun - 14.5" x 14.5" While Jean and I were on our anniversary trip to Pt. Reyes in February 2016, we saw this guy, Greg, a traveler from place to place, who had his shirt off and was sunning himself, sitting crosslegged on a table in the small park in Pt. Reyes Station, CA during the noon hour. Beautiful body, but a cigarette? Watercolor, 14.5" x 14.5".	Watercolor: Kenyan Pastor's Wife - 10.5" x 10.5" Pastor Charles and I met this beautiful woman at the Transformation Center in Machacos, Kenya in 2014. She is the pastor's wife. This center is a mission project of First Baptist Church of Nevada City, CA, where Jean and I pastored 2012-2014. Watercolor, 10.5" x 10.5".
Watercolor: Green Turbaned Woman, Kenya - 10.5" x 10.5" When Pastor Charles and I spoke at the African Renewal Pastors Conference in Eldoret, Kenya in 2011, this woman was in attendance. In Africa, going to church is a time to dress in your very finest. Watercolor, 10.5" x 10.5".	Watercolor: He's Coming This Way - 20" x 14" $0.00 This painting comes from a photo of teenagers on a spit of rock at Drake's Bay beach at Pt. Reys National Seashore. In the photo, the background contained breakers, but I tried to give it a different feel -- not altogether successfully. Watercolor, 20" x 14".
Watercolor: Slum Children, Kenya - 10.5" x 14.5" $0.00 On one of my trips to the Langas Estate slum near Eldoret, Kenya, I took a photo of some of the children. They are dressed with the cast off clothing of children from America and elsewhere. I love these very poor children and pray that their future might hold greater promise than their present surroundings. Watercolor, 10.5" x 14.5".	Watercolor: Hair to Spare - 14.5" x 10.5" $0.00 Our assignment was to paint a picture using a "triad," a technical term in color theory. My triad was yellow-orange, blue-green, and red-violet. I mixed each of the colors; none was straight from the tube. The subject is carefully cropped from a full-length figure (Aubrey) on Croquis Cafe (copyright free). I especially enjoy the fluidity of the hair with the arms and hands. My teacher said it reminded her of a Maxfield Parrish figure -- which is a high compliment indeed. Watercolor, 14.5" x 10.5".
Watercolor: Turbaned Kenyan Woman - 10.5" x 14.5" $0.00 On my mission trip to Eldoret, Kenya in 2008, I videoed men and women dancing and worshipping. For this portrait I used a frame from the video in which she wasn't singing and dancing, but more reflective. Watercolor, 14.5" x 10.5".	Watercolor: Kenyan Mother and Child - 10.5" x 14.5" $0.00 When I visited Eldoret, Kenya in 2014, I got a wonderful photo of a mother and child in a contemplative moment. What are they thinking? Watercolor, 10.5" x 14.5"
Watercolor: Hands Joined in Unity - 14.5" x 10.5" $0.00 In September 2008, I was invited to Eldoret, Kenya to lead a Reconciliation Conference in a city where nearly 500 people had been killed in tribal violence enflamed by political candidates for election. Pastors of the churches came from the tribes that had been killed and there was much distrust. I taught on forgiveness and love: "By this shall all people know that you are my disciples. Because you love one another." At the conclusion of the conference, Pastor Chriss Barasa Lusweti called representatives of the estranged tribes to line up across each other, join hands, confess to each other, and pray for each other. The work God did in that time was amazing to behold. This painting depicts people from two warring tribes joining hands in unity. Watercolor, 14.5" x 10.5"	Watercolor: Let's Get Us Some Redcoats - 14.5" x 10.5" $0.00 I painted this on 4th of July, one of a series of 31 paintings in July 2017. My direct ancestor, Deliverance Parmenter (1744-1780) was a farmer in Sudbury, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts (about 8 miles southwest of Concord). According to the History of Marlborough (1881), "He was ploughing in the field near his house when the news reached him of the battle of Lexington and Concord [April 19, 1775]. He immediately unyoked his oxen, drove them into the yard, and with gun in hand started on the run to meet the British. He was at the battle of Bunker Hill, and remained in the service till October, when he returned home. The following spring, he again enlisted, and remained in the army three years." He took with him his teenage son Oliver (1762-1841), who didn't fight but guarded the wagons, so the story goes. This painting memorializes Deliverance and Oliver Parmenter, revolutionary war patriots. Watercolor, 14.5" x 10.5".
Watercolor: Sgt. Elijah Strong Hollister - 10.5" x 10.5" $0.00 In my series of American men of arms, I wanted to paint a revolutionary soldier on my wife's side of the family. Elijah Strong Hollister (1763-1813) served in the Revolution, enlisting at Manchester, VT, in Captain Stoddard at Lenox, Col. Joseph Vose's regiment (1780) and later in Col. Marimus Willett's New York Regiment (1781-1784). He was appointed a sergeant in this regiment, and was part of the time at Fort Plain in the Mohawk Valley. [The Hollister Family of America, Lieut. John Hollister of Wethersfield, Conn., and His Descendants, #4922] There's no way to know what his uniform looked like, but I dressed him up a bit, drawing on a photo of reenactors, a hand from another source, and a twenty-something face from Elijah's descendant Tom Gregg. Thank God for men and women who were willing to go through many privations in order to form our new nation on the American continent. Watercolor, 10.5" x 10.5".	Watercolor: St. James the Lesser - 10.5" x 14.5" $0.00 I like the dramatic lighting on this wood statue of Staint James the Lesser on display at the Palace of the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco. The statue is attributed to the style of Hans Backoffen (ca. 1500). 171019. Watercolor, 10.5" x 14.5".
Watercolor: Four Euphoniums in the Band - 14" x 20" $0.00 In July 2009 Jean and I traveled to Chapel St. Leonards, a beach town in east Lincolnshire, to watch my sister-in-law Connie perform with a dance troupe at a town festival. The town's brass band was playing and I was fascinated by the four euphoniums in the band, with all the reflections of buildings, towers, and flags in their bells. (For those of you who don't know, the Euphonium is similar to the baritone popular in the USA.) Won "Painting of the Month for November 2018 at WASH. 171019. Watercolor, 14" x 20".	Watercolor: St Patrick - Church Planter - 4x6 card (13.9" x 9.1") $0.00 I've always admired St. Patrick, church planter and apostle to Ireland. In this stained glass window like portrait, I've depicted him in emerald green robe and miter, though I doubt that he wore those colors and that hat during his lifetime. The original size of the watercolor was 13.9" x 9.1", designed to be reduced for a 4" x 6" postcard size. I depicted him as a young man with an orange beard, which works nicely as a triad with orange, green, and violet. 180312. Watercolor, 11.9" x 9.1".
Watercolor: Women's Downhill Olympics 2018 - 14" x 10" $0.00 My assignment was to show snowing. Since the 2018 Winter Olympics just finished at PyeongChang, South Korea, I decided to depict the Women's Downhill, using a photo from a previous race for the figure, and clothing her with the 2018 USA uniform. American skier Lindsey Vonn won the Bronze Medal for the USA team in 2018. 180308. Watercolor with white gouache, 14" x 10".	Watercolor: Forehand - 20" x 10" $0.00 My challenge was to paint an interesting cast shadow on the ground. This painting is cropped from a photo of a Japanese boy playing tennis on a clay surface. I wanted to crop it so the viewer would be forced to think about what was going on. I also love Daniel Smith's cobalt blue. And there are tennis courts painted just this color. Intense with the light orange of the legs -- a complementary color. 180417. Watercolor, 20" x 10".
Watercolor: Man with Cigar - 10" x 10" $0.00 This is from a photo I found on the Internet. I was interested in developing a looser style in portraits. So I was careful with eyes, nose, and mouth, and hand, but looser with clothing, hat, etc. I was encouraged by the result, and tried loosneess in a later portrait of U.S. Grant. 180606. Watercolor, 10" x 10".	Watercolor: Carrying Water - 14" x 14" $0.00 This is a woman in Sinazongwe Zambia, who carries a baby on her back as well as a container of water. The inspiration for this came from our church's participation on May 19, 2018 in World Vision's 6K Race for Clean Water. Six kilometers (3.72 miles) is the average distance women have to travel to get water. After walking (most of) 6K, I began to appreciate the luxury of clean water in villages made possible through gifts to World Vision and other charitable agencies. The painting is based on a photo iy World Vision photographer Jon Warren. Used by permission. 180616. Watercolor, 14" x 14".
Watercolor: U.S. Grant at Cold Harbor - 14" x 14" $0.00 This watercolor is from a photo of Ulysses S. Grant outside his headquarters tent at Cold Harbor, Virginia, by a Union photographer Egbert Guy Fowx. A week before Grant had lost a lot of men in battle, but was determined to go on. I cropped a much larger picture to include Grant from the waist up because I liked the composition. And I enjoyed trying a looser style of portraiture. 180616. Watercolor, 14" x 14". In a private collection: S. Dunlap.	Watercolor: The Walker Sisters - 10" x 10" $0.00 Aeire Walker is a cellist; her sister Tuki plays the violin and sings vocals. At the 2018 Father's Day Bluegrass Festival at Grass Valley they were playing with the Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band. Here they are after their performance at the Vern's Stage, watching the next band perform. I liked this pose with the jutting elbow and the play of the overhead light on faces. One of the 31 paintings in the 31 days of July challenge that I painted during the 2018 World Watercolor Month. 180718. Watercolor, 10" x 10". In a private collection: Walker.
Watercolor: Bowing the Bluegrass Cello - 10" x 10'" $0.00 This is from a photo taken during the 2018 Father's Day California Bluegrass Festival at Vern's Stage. The cellist is Aeire Tucker, playing with the Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band, with other mid-teen musicians. I was particular interested in the cellist's hand and the angles created by the bow and strings. One of the challenges was foreshortening the forearm. Fun! One of the 31 paintings in the 31 days of July challenge that I painted during the 2018 World Watercolor Month. 180715. Watercolor, 10" x 10".	Watercolor: Dutch Girl, Expressive Hands - 10" x 14" $0.00 On 29 Sep 2018, at the KMVR Celtic Fair in Grass Valley, CA, the young girl pictured was part of an encampment behind the stage where children were being entertained. I was fascinated by the hand gesture. I changed the colors of her clothing, making her look like a Dutch girl, rather than a Celt. I also opted for a blue and pink color scheme, emphasizing Cobalt Blue and Winsor Newton Scarlet Lake, a wonderful color new to me. I followed the approach suggested by Michael Holter, whose workshop I attended a week or two later. Painted on Arches 300 lb. hot press paper. Exhibited in the "Awash with Color" WASH Member's Show at Sacramento Fine Arts Center, April 2-20, 2019. 181025. Watercolor, 10" x 14".
Watercolor: Apostle Paul - Passionate Discipleship - 10" x 13" $0.00 I'm currently working on an e-mail Bible study entitled, "Apostle Paul -- Passionate Discipleship." This painting is for the cover of the book version, plus the study and website logo in a smaller version. For a model I began with a photo of Sacramento pastor Steve Curran. Then gave him a beard, made him bald (thanks, Ralph!), and roughed up his face a bit. Paul had been beaten many times and once stoned and left for dead. 190102. Watercolor, 10" x 13".	Watercolor: Musical Hands - 14" x 14" $0.00 I was interested in the hands and angles of violin player Jack Kinney of "The Blue Js" band at the 2018 Father's Day Bluegrass Festival at the Grass Valley Fairgrounds. The irony was the band was dressed up in suits and vests playing bluegrass. I guess that's just great. The fine lines of the violin strings and pinstripe suit were masked two ways -- by diluting masking fluid and applying with a calligraphy tip, and by using the thin side of a small palette knife. Both methods worked well. Exhibited in the "Awash with Color" WASH Member's Show at Sacramento Fine Arts Center, April 2-20, 2019. Painted on Arches 140 lb. hot press paper. 190321. Watercolor, 14" x 14".
Watercolor: Surfing in the Rain, Santa Cruz - 14" x 9" $0.00 On Saturday in early March, 2018, it was raining, but the surfers off Light House Point in Santa Cruz, California, weren't daunted. This painting is from a photo I was able to take while my buddy George Gandre held an umbrella over the telephone lens. 190228. 14" x 9".	Watercolor: Celtic Festival Queen with Rose - 10" x 14" $0.00 At the 2018 KVMR Celtic Festival at the Grass Valley Fairgrounds, there were various period encampments. Here we see a queen (I think she was Mary, Queen of Scots), preparing to bestow a rose on a favored courier. Painted on Arches 300 lb. hot press paper. 190117. Watercolor, 10" x 14". In a private collection: G & P Christiansen.
Watercolor: Claude Odom Portrait - 10" x 14" $0.00 One of the pastors in the monthly Omega Pastors Cluster that I attend is Claude Odom, now in his early 90s (I think). He has an interesting face! When I gave him the framed portrait he was overcome. "Is this really watercolor?" he asked. 190606. Watercolor. 10" x 14".	Watercolor: Joy of the Dance - 11"x 10" $0.00 At the conclusion of the KVMR Celtic Festival at the Grass Valley Fair Grounds in September 29, 2019, people were dancing to the frantic Skerryvore band. One young woman was dancing with great abandon. I was fascinated about how her hair bounced around. I masked her hair carefully to do the background. But it looked funny with hard edges on the hair when the mask was removed. So I fuzzed the edges with a Fitch scrubber, but that caused the Thalo in the background to bleed into the hair. Oh, well! I think the picture captures the energy of the dancer. Watercolor, 11" x 10".
Watercolor: Flutist - 14" x 14" I've been learning to play the alto recorder over this past year. Which has turned my interest to high wind instruments. I like the angles and fingers and chrome in this painting. And I have a friend who had a career as a professional flutist that this reminds me of. 190831. Watercolor, 14" x 14".	Watercolor: Caber Tosser I - 10" x 14" I enjoyed the caber toss at the Scottish games competition at the 2018 KVMR Celtic Festival at the Grass Valley Fair Grounds. Here's one of the competitors. 190727. Watercolor, 10" x 14".
Watercolor: Caber Tosser II - 10" x 14" I enjoyed the caber toss at the Scottish games competition at the 2018 KVMR Celtic Festival at the Grass Valley Fair Grounds. Here's another of the competitors. 190727. Watercolor, 10" x 14".	Watercolor: Green Man at Lincoln Cathedral - 12" x 9" Carved in an oak table at Lincoln Cathedral, Lincolnshire, England, is the face of a "green man." Wikipedia says that the Green Man is primarily interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, represented in the cycle of growth each spring. It is most commonly depicted as a sculpture or other representation of a face surrounded by, or made from, leaves. Though mine source was a wood carving, I decided to depict it in green. 190718. Watercolor, 12" x 9".
Watercolor: The Teacher from Nazareth - 14" x 17" I've been looking for a face of Jesus that I can use for a book cover and logo for my study Discipleship Training in Luke's Gospel. I took about 15 minutes of video of my pastor, then selected the best frame for what I wanted to communicate -- a caring, direct, teaching Jesus. 2000928. Watercolor, 14" x 17".	Watercolor: Rock Climbers - 14" x 14" $0.00 In the summer of 2020, my granddaughters -- 6 and almost 4 -- discovered 'Climbing Rock' and had a wonderful time climbing, then sliding down again, scraping the moss off the rock as they went. Wonderful! Exhibited at the WASH Members Show, March 2021. 200920. Watercolor, 14" x 14". In a private collection: J. Wilson.
Watercolor: Pilgrims in Prayer - 10" x 10" $0.00 I've been reflecting during the 2020 Thanksgiving season on the hardships the Pilgrims faced in the New World their first winter. We're facing Covid-19; they faced death of nearly all the wives of their company, and many of the men and children. With grit and faith they didn't return to England in the Mayflower in the Spring of 1621, but stayed in the new land and built a colony. God blessed them with Squanto, an Indian who knew English, to guide them. In the fall they celebrated a Thanksgiving feast with a lot of Indian braves. In looking for models for this painting I found the striking design of master illustrator Herbert Andrew Paus (1880-1946), who drew these figures for the 25 November 1906 cover of the Sunday Magazine of the New-York Tribune. I outlined the figures with pen and ink, then painted them and put them in an autumn forest setting, giving thanks to God. 201202. Watercolor and ink, 10" x 10".	Watercolor: Holy Family - 8" x 14" On Christmas 2018 I took some photos of my nephew Brandon and his wife Cherie with their baby Kira, in hopes of creating a scene of the Holy Family. This version is a stain-glassy version with intense, brilliant color, and a lamb looking on. 201227. Watercolor, 8" x 14".
Watercolor: Winston Churchill in Uniform - 14" x 10" To commemorate my reading of Churchill: Walking with Destiny, I painted a portrait of this great and eccentric leader who encouraged and emboldened the United Kingdom to ultimately win World War II. He is wearing the uniform of a Honorary Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force. 210210, Watercolor, 14" x 10".	Watercolor: Walking the Dog on Jacksonville Beach - 10" x 7" Back in April 2008 I captured a photo of this couple walking their dog on Jacksonville Beach very late in the day. Here I'm trying to use shadow shapes to define the images rather than much line work. Part of my 31 Paintings in July Challenge. 210705. Watercolor, 10" x 7".
Watercolor: Toddler on Jacksonville Beach - 7" x 10" When I visited Jacksonville Beach, Florida, in April 2008, I saw this toddler playing on the beach near here mother. Cute. Part of my 31 Paintings in July Challenge. 210710. Watercolor, 7" x 10".	Watercolor: Blue Pitcher - 10" x 10" I saw a striking pose of a model posing with a yellow pitcher on Croquis Cafe. But my wife likes blue, and I decided to invent some context. So where is this walled garden in my mind? 210716. Part of my 31 Paintings in July Challenge. Watercolor, 10" x 10".
Watercolor: Resting against a Cedar Tree - 7" x 10" In June 2017 I was at the California Bluegrass Festival at the Nevada City Fairgrounds. I saw this gentlemen resting against an Incense Cedar tree and liked the angles and pose. Part of my 31 Paintings in July Challenge. 210720. Watercolor, 7" x 10".	Watercolor: Bob Hoffman, Bluegrass Guitar - 7" x 10" I was looking for interesting faces to paint at the June 2018 California Bluegrass Festival at the Nevada County Fair Grounds. One of these was Bob Hoffman, guitarist for the band Festival Speed. Part of my 31 Paintings in July Challenge. 210731. Watercolor, 7" x 10".
Watercolor: Camo Hat, Yellow Bandana - 8" x 8" I found this interesting face in Luthrier's Building at the June 2017 California Bluegrass Festival at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. His smile is contagious. Part of my 31 Paintings in July Challenge. 210730. Watercolor, 8" x 8".	Watercolor: Katie Peterson, Bluegrass Fiddle Player - 10" x 10" Katie Peterson is a lead vocalist and an accomplished fiddle player with the family bluegrass band The Petersens. They play regularly in Branson, Missouri, and have posted many music videos on their YouTube channel. I especially enjoy Katie's smile that lights up her whole face. 210820. Watercolor, 10" x 10".
Watercolor: Charlemagne Window - 10" x 14" One of my ancestors was Charlemagne, (742-814) -- a great king, devout, but an ambitious and sometimes cruel warrior, who conquered most of western Europe. As part of my processing what it means to have him as an ancestor, I painted this rendition of a stained glass window placed in the the Strasbourg Cathedral in 1180. I love the brilliant color of this ancient glass, and the kind of funky, cartoonish image of "KARLUS MAGNUS REX" (literally, "Carl [Charles] Great King"). 220127. Watercolor and ink on hot press paper. 10" x 14".	Watercolor: Alfred the Great Coin (880 BC) - 10" x 10" One of my ancestors was Alfred the Great (849-899), King of the Anglo-Saxons. He was (I think) both good and great. This is my interpretation of a silver penny bearing his image minted in London during his reign between 880 and 899, now in the possession of the British Museum. The letters spell out " �LFRED REX" (Alfred King). 220201. Watercolor, 10" x 10".
Watercolor: Prophet Elijah Stained-Glass Icon - 10" x 14" As I'm developing an e-mail Bible study on the Life of Elijah, I decided to paint him. This is my adaptation of a mid-19th century Russian icon of Elijah in the collection of Chapman College painted on a wood panel. My version is on hot press paper, designed to look like a stained glass window. It's a lot more colorful than my model, but retains the subdued countenance that most icons possess. 220211. Watercolor and ink on hot press paper, 10" x 14".	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. Exhibited in the WASH �Awash with Color� Member Exhibition at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, March 28-April 15, 2023. 220426. Watercolor and ink, 10" x 14".
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".	Watercolor: Kenya Woman's Beaded Braids - 7" x 10" When I was in Nairobi, coming back from a mission trip to Eldoret, Kenya, I visited the Elephant Orphanage. There I saw this striking young woman with elaborately braided hair. Part of my 31 Paintings in July series. 220713. Watercolor. 7" x 10"
Watercolor: Connie Bench-Jumping - 10" x 10" While her sister was riding at 'Horse Camp,' Connie was engaged in jumping from one bench to another -- and somehow succeeded again and again. I superimposed two images here to show the action. Part of my 31 Paintings in July challenge. 220727. Watercolor, 10" x 10". Private Collection.	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.
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".	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".
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"	Watercolor: FFA Hoop Holder, 20" x 14" In late April we took our granddaughters to Future Farmers of America (FFA) day at Del Oro High School. One of the activities was imagining that a hula hoop was a lariat to be thrown over (fake) steer horns. The young woman here had brought animals to be displayed. I added the horse and fence in the background to add ambience. 230525. Watercolor, 14" x 20".
Watercolor: St. Columba, Apostle to Scotland, 14" x 20" I've been lately about how much I owe to St. Columba (521-597 AD), an Irish abbot who became the apostle to Scotland, winning the wild Picts to Christ -- my ancestors. Columba brought 12 monks with him to Scotland about 563 AD, founding a monastery at Iona, from which missions went all over northern Scotland. In collection St. Columba's Inverness: Episcopal Church and Retreat House. 230517. Watercolor and ink, 14" x 20".	Watercolor: Eye of Wisdom, 10" x 10" When I looked into the eyes of a friend recently, I was struck by how they looked aged and wise. They reminded me of the eyes of the 100-year-old fictional character Rose in the Titanic movie, who narrated the movie and looked at the camera with wise, wrinkled, 100-year-old eyes. 230626. Watercolor, 10" x 10".
Watercolor: Carol Portrait - 10" x 14" A leader among local artists has a strong visage, that drew me to paint her. I tried out a new color: Daniel Smith's Moonglow, that's made up of three different pigments that begin to show up as the paint dries -- ultramarine blue, viridian, and anthraquinoid red. Part of my 31 paintings in July challenge. 230703. Watercolor, 14" x 10".	Watercolor: FFA Girl Portrait - 10_ x 10" In May 2023, we took the grandkids to the Future Farmers of America day at Del Oro High School. This is a casual portrait of one of the girls participating in the exhibition. I added the horses and white fence in the background to give an idea of a ranch. Part of my 31 paintings in July challenge. 230705. Watercolor, 10" x 10".
Watercolor: Lady Liberty, 14" x 10" For Fourth of July I wanted to paint something patriotic, and came up with this combination. I think of the millions of people who have immigrated to America, passing Lady Liberty on their way to Ellis Island, longing for the freedom and rights to be found in our beloved America. We are truly blessed by God! Part of my 31 paintings in July challenge. 230704. Watercolor, 14" x 10".	Watercolor: Disc Golf Trio - (3 paintings) These three poses of disc golf throws were inspired by a video of young professional disc golfer Kat Mertsch at the Jonesboro Open 2020. Each painting is the same height, but different widths -- Wind-up - 10" x 7", Throw - 10" x 7", and Putting - 10" x 10". Part of my 31 paintings in July challenge. 230703. Watercolor, 3 paintings.
Watercolor: Paddle-Boarding on Upper Clementine Lake - 10" x 7" On my birthday we went to Upper Clementine Lake on the North Fork of the American River. Here a couple of people were paddle-boarding, which I take to be a mother and daughter. Part of my 31 Paintings in July Challenge. 230714. Watercolor, 10" x 7".	Watercolor: Scarlett Johansson as Griet - 10" x 10" Jean and I recently rewatched "The Girl with the Pearl Earring" (2003) starring Scarlett Johansson. This portrait comes from a frame of one of the final scenes after Griet has arrived at her boyfriend's family home. Part of my 31 Paintings in July Challenge. 230713. Watercolor. 10" x 10".
Watercolor: Santa Claus Sam at Bluegrass Festival - 10" x 10" At the California Bluegrass Festival, June 16, 2023, I found myself sitting next to Sam, who I learned was a professional Santa Claus each Christmas. Part of my 31 Paintings in July Challenge. 230731. Watercolor, 10" x 10"	Watercolor: Marketa Vondrousova Backhand - 14" x 10" Marketa Vondrousova won the Wimbledon Women's Championship in July 2023, without even been a seeded player! Part of my 31 paintings in July challenge. 230717. Watercolor, 14" x 10".
Watercolor: Bluegrass Festival Listener, 10" x 7" $0.00 While I was listening to a concert at the Pioneer Stage, this listener sat on the ground for a while. Interesting pose. Part of my 31 Paintings in July Challenge. 230720. Watercolor, 10" x 7".	Watercolor: Annie among the Blackberries - 10" x 10" In early July, Annie and her girls came to pick blackberries. This painting is from a photo I shot of Annie amidst the blackberry bushes. 230822. Watercolor, 10" x 10".
Watercolor: Clinton Davis String Band Leader - 10" x 14" Just before Father's Day 2023, I spent a day at the annual California Bluegrass Festival at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. This is a portrait of Clinton Davis, leader of the Clinton Davis String Band that played in one of the smaller venues. In this painting I was trying less blending from one value to another, and more sharp divisions. 231130. Watercolor, 10" x 14".	Watercolor: Pilgrims Going to Church - 10" x 14" This painting was after a painting by G. H. Broughton (1874), soon turned into an etching, and widely copied into the early twentieth century. It was part of a national fixation on John Alden and Priscilla Mullins following Longfellow's 1858 narrative poem of "The Courtship of Miles Standish." 240106. Watercolor, 10" x 14".
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. In a private collection, A. Roberts. Watercolor, 2 paintings, each 6.0 x 6.5 inches.	Watercolor: Solomon in All His Glory - 10" x 14" Ancient Near Eastern King Solomon was, in his day, the richest and most powerful monarch in his region. But he was best known for his wisdom. In this portrait I have tried to portray him as the strong king he was, splendidly clothed, and confident. I've used a kind of stained-glassy style, rather than full realism. 240122. Watercolor and ink, 10" x 14".
Watercolor: Olympic Fever - 20" x 14" NBC is giving constant messages about the upcoming Olympics which got me started. I found this frame on a slow-motion video on YouTube from the 2012 Helsinki games, where Greece's pole-vaulter Ekaterini Stefanidi was competing. She later won Gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics, also competing in the 2012 London and 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 240623. Watercolor, 20" x 14"	Watercolor: Humbly Washing Feet, 14" x 20" For the cover for my new book Humility: Disciple's Guide to a Humble Life (2024), I painted this interpretation of footwashing, a most humble act. My friend Steve Winther modeled the feet. 240717. Watercolor, 14" x 20".
Watercolor: St. Peter Medallion - 10" x 10" Around the nave in Saint Paul Church Outside the Walls Church in Rome are mosaic medallions of each popes. Originally painted, they were damaged in a fire and replaced in mosaic in 1823. I've always admired the image of St. Peter and tried to reproduce it in watercolor primarily with lines to simulate the mosaic tiles. 250105. Watercolor, 10" x 10".	Watercolor: CalFire on the Fire Line - 14" x 10" In mid-January 2025, terrible wind-whipped wildfires devastated Pacific Palisades as well as Altadena in Southern California. In January! More than 4,400 firefighters from a number of agencies fought side-by-side. One firefighter said: "With a 10-mile-an-hour wind you are a firefighter. With a 30-mile-an-hour wind you are an observer." Inspired by an internet photograph, this painting memorializes the brave women and men who defend California from fires. 250127. Watercolor, 14" x 10".