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| First Wreath of Christmas |
This was my first new work for Christmas. I started with an ink drawing, added broad washes for the wreath and background, then the watercolor in multiple passes with increasing depth of color. I finished the painting with a few touches of gouache to deepen the reds and add highlights.
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| Wind Rising |
As the autumn storms move in, the dunes fall into darker colors, the wind rises, and the pounding waves drive the birds into the air seeking shelter inland.
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| Memory in Passing |
Some years ago I passed this scene in my car. I was so impressed at that time, that I painted it as soon as I could. Over time, the painting was given away, but I saw it again last month when visiting relatives, and the inspiration flooded back, and I painted it again mostly from memory. I selected a cool palette to convey the sense of distance and dreamyness of the mountain lake and stream. I started this as a watercolor, but the intensity and width of the value range led me to turn to pastels. Since it is on cold pressed paper, the texture of the paper dictated the looseness of the execution.
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| On Shore Wind |
In the mid afternoon when the on-shore breeze takes over, the sea oats hold their heads and bend with the wind. A few seagull sail by waiting for the wind to drop and tide to go out.
Pastel saved this small painting - when the watercolor gets out of hand, I call in the cavalry - pastel cavalry, that is.
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| My Tern Yet? |
The tide has gone out, and the waves have left the broad sand to dry a little before they return. Most of the seagulls and other birds have moved on, but this lone royal tern captured my attention. He is standing as if waiting for something. Perhaps he's next and is waiting he tern, or turn.
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| Refreshing |
Here is the result of a morning's correction of a painting I started a week ago. From the beginning, it went completely wrong. I wiped out the whole painting, and started over with a different composition, deferent, palette, and a whole new attitude. I call that "Refreshing!"
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| Invitation Window 1 |
I have been inspired to do my own renderings of stained glass windows. I had planned to use them as the foundation for a series of downloadable files for print for greeting cards. I have received so much encouragement , that I will be offering the framed original paintings through Georgia Nick Gallery (GNG) in St. Augustine.
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| Coming In |
I have been going through boxes of paintings that needed something, and I found this one. I have retouched the color and values, made the image more crisp, and refined the context. The "new" painting accomplishes all that I wanted to gain originally. I have removed the horizon and any reference to the waves, and I have reduced the foreground to a few streaks of foam. The palette is limited to blue, white, and black with various combinations. A few touches of lavender, pink and green were added to the foam for structure. Once again, I changed its name - I now catalog it as "Coming In."
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| Coming Through the Fog 2 |
The original painting was done to examine a "green" landscape by replacing most of the green with purple and blue. The painting had little appeal, and the composition had no true focal area or eye-path. These are my main goals in reworking the painting.
For the rework, I used lighter, more "natural" colors and higher key to suppress details. I used soft edges and larger shapes to draw interest in the treetops in the foreground, and to create paths for the eye to travel through the painting. I wanted to add a little tension with the branches hanging without detailed support, and I repeated that theme in the background to add continuity.
If you are interested in purchasing this painting or would like more information, please see my website:
https://www.rickpetersenartist.com/workszoom/5352205/coming-through-the-fog#
Below is the original painting as it was before I started the rework.
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| Palm Bay |
I did this painting to express the sense of stillness and calm that surrounds the slow moving stream as it enters the salt marsh. On the banks of the stream at the edge of the deep oak forest, the palm trees grow tall and straight. It is as if these palms guard the entrance to the higher ground, and in the heat of the day, they appear to stand all that much taller. As the clouds begin to form in the early afternoon, they diffuse the light and cast passing shadows over the marsh.
I updated and revised this painting - lightened some of the deeper areas, added some purple, and added blue tints to the distance. The essence of the painting is the same. I was also able to take a better photo.
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| First Visitors |
The rain has passed, and the sun is coming up painting the sky and water with vivid colors. The first visitors on the beach are rewarded with a special display of color and the pristine surface of the sand. Even the seagulls are content to wait and enjoy the beauty of the dawn.
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| Hummer Resting |
This Hummingbird was painted in response to a request from a friend. After I've looked at it for a while, I plan to add a Bible verse in the lower right quadrant.
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| Promise |
This painting is the result of several changes and makeovers. My original motive was to paint a morning sky before sunrise - a day that hold great promise.
I thought this might be a good painting to show my iterative process. The first stage took less that half and hour, which may have been the problem, but the rest stretched in short sessions over 3 or 4 days.
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| Stage 1 |
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| Stage 2 |
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| Stage 3 |
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| Stage 4 |
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| Stage 5 |
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| Stage 6 |
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| Stage 7 |
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| Radiance |
I have always been intrigued by the colors and contrasts of the beach in the early morning. After the sun has come up it can often become partially shielded by the passing clouds. As the sun peeks around the clouds, the colors come alive. The shadows in the dunes and among the grass and shrubs of the beach take on a glow of blue and lavender, and the diffused light of the sun casts a glorious radiance over the sky, the water, and the sand that lifts my thoughts and praises to the Lord my Creator.
I reworked this painting to "fix" some weaknesses in composition and soften some edges.
These broad stretches of open pines, palmettos, and tall grass evoke a sense of the old South. In the early morning as the fog rises before the sun, the sense of time is lost and one might imagine walking this old, dirt road with a good dog looking for the quail.
This painting was done in preparation for a larger painting of the same basic subject. My first pass of watercolor lacked purpose and movement, and the focal area was ill defined. I added pastel touches to the pine trees and created the old roadway to lead the viewer into the painting. I am satisfied with the result.
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| "Sing with Me" |
This bluebird in full song was inspired by observations of birds at my feeder and bird houses, and from a number on photos that I have taken. The blue and orange of these birds set them apart, and their song is an inspiration to join in their praise.
This painting is available as a digital download from my ETSY site: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1441231035/blue-bird-inspirational-download-for
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| "Jake" pastel portrait |
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| "Fiona" - Ink and Watercolor Portrait |
I have received a number of inquiries about painting pet portraits, so for any who would like to have a portrait of your pet, here are some guidelines to consider.
1. I will be painting from photographs, naturally, so here are the photos that work best for me:
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| Fiona |
This painting is a "portrait" of a shih tzu named Fiona. I did this or a collector as a commission, and since she had passed, I created the image from photos and videos. The customer selected the format and the verse.
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| Heading Out |
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| Putting Down |
The following is my original description for painting this seagull.
"On rainy days, I go through my old paintings, reference photos, and drawings looking for things that interest me. For some reason, I often find myself drawn to sea gulls. I admire their freedom and exuberance.
"This particular gull is actually from a photo of a large flock, but his form and sense of presence attracted my attention. I pulled him out for this study and first called it "All Alone" which is a little ironic because gulls are rarely alone. "Putting Down" is more descriptive."
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| Winter Shadows on the Marsh |
As morning breeze begin to push in from the coast and the warm creeps into the shadows of the pines and live oaks that stretch across the golden marsh grasses, the promise of spring can be felt in the air.
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| Spring Will Come |
This ink and wash sketch depicts the green that spring promises.
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| Sea Oats 2 - Sketch |
I did this small work as a personal exercise with sumi-e ink and "rice" paper. I wanted to express as simply as possible the fresh, open view of the beach through the sea oats.
Watercolor and Ink on paper, 5x7 This is a variation of an old passage through the dunes. In the midday summer sun, the light is bright but...
