Sand Fence 1

Ink and Watercolor wash - 5x7

As the storms of summer roll past the dunes, the sand fence stands faithfully in his place surrounded by his companions the sea oats.  Together, they slow the inevitable changes in the shifting and drifting sand.

Palm - Storm Coming, Storm Passed

"Storm Coming"

"Storm Passed"

Ink and Wash, 7x5

Small study to show color and movement of the beach palm as the storm approaches.

Both of these paintings are available from my Etsy show - click here

Sentry Tower

Ink and Watercolor; 7x5

The north-east sentinel tower stands out on the wall above the palms looking out over the wide marsh and through the pass to open water. The crows daily stand guard from this lonely perch.
For more information or to purchase this painting, click here.

City Gate 1

Ink and Watercolor Wash, 7x5

The old City Gates are one of the most recognizable icons of St. Augustine. 

Here is something interesting from an artist's perspective.  The two columns are not the same size and have slightly different design features.  The most noticeable difference is that the finials on the top are different. Anyway, I've been faithful in painting them as they appeared to me.

To purchase this painting, click here

Dune Sweep

Ink and Watercolor wash, 7x5

The constant wind sweeps the dunes moving the sand ever and ever on, but the lines of sea oats hold the dune in place.  Their sculpted edges and shifting shadows are an ever-changing work of art.
To purchase this painting, click here.

Watch Tower across the Moat

Watercolor, 9x5x5

Fort San Marcos has guarded the entrance to St. Augustine for hundreds of years, but the sentry posts on the corners still keep watch on the pass and the harbor.
This is one of a series of the "icons" of St. Augustine.

Lighthouse Midday

Ink and Watercolor - 9.5x5

The St. Augustine Lighthouse towers over Anastasia Island marking the entrance to St. Augustine.  The Lighthouse towers over the surrounding oaks and dwarfs the visitors who have dared to come to climb its heights.
This is the first of a series of watercolors of the "icons" of St. Augustine - the start of a new project in a "new" medium, watercolor.
For more information or to purchase, click here.

Spring Blue

Spring Blue

Pastel, 6x6 on Wallis

The blue birds have built a nest in either our bird house or our neighbor's for a number of year, and several generations come and go to our bird feeder. Though they are a daily sight, their colors never cease to dazzle. 
I began this particular bird last autumn, but when I finished, there was something just not quite right.  Today I added three touches of white and black to enhance his eye and to adjust his beak. Now I think he is finished, but it's no longer autumn but spring.

Palm 2

Palm 2

Line and Watercolor Wash

The palms that grow on the back side of the beach dunes seem to never rest as the sea breeze wafts and waves their fronds.  I use the pen with it's fine line for the details I need while I use the watercolor wash to add the abstraction that gives the painting life.

Palm 1

Palm 1 

Line and Watercolor Wash

This view of a palm on the beach dunes with sea oats is the foundation for an expression of the feeling of chill and the smell of the salt air on a windy, overcast day.  The pen with it's fine line gives me the details I need while the watercolor wash leads to the abstraction that gives the painting life.

Circumstances have kept me from my studio and from pastels.  In the interim, I have been painting with ink and watercolor washes.  

Marsh Willow - sketches

Watercolor and ink sketches - 12x5 cm

I have long been interested in this particular willow that grows on the edge of the marsh.  It is weathered and broken by storms, but its new branches are vigorous and strong.  The marsh and meadow behind it stand in contrast to the oaks and pines that surround it.

I used watercolor and ink to try various views of the marsh and willow.  By using watercolor, I can unify the palette with a single color and build from that, experimenting with various color combinations and values more easily.  I plan to do a larger work, so the light and color balance is important, and I can do try that out quickly in these small sketches.  For composition, I added some cattle which create perspective with their size and color.