Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Idea For a West Coaster


I have always thought the Californian watercolourists of the mid twentieth century were boffo superb. Interpretive, full of motion, light, colour...just all round fabulous. This is my salute to them,
especially Duane R Light. I am going to refine this idea.

20 comments:

Joan said...

Great colors in the building! I like those birds on the roof. Will be watching to see what you do with this idea.

About said...

Well you've got the motion, light and color...and the all round fabulous...nice, nice. I tried to find some Duane Light paintings, but couldn't, do you know where I can find some?

Michelle said...

Ron - This looks great. I really like the area of the ladder and window. You captured the light and depth really well. Nice movement with the birds, too.

Madison Moore said...

Oh Ron...I LOVE all the detail on this one with all the hskeas, birds, color tomes. All of it. Really a great painting!

DarkWing said...

Wow, this one is sooo awesome. The way the building is so there but then there is so much going on around it. I love it.

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks Joan, its one of those things that I guess doesn't happen until you're ready-but I have always loved the "breezy" west coast style.

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks Tracy, Walter Foster Publishing in California, "Watercolor" by Duane R Light.

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks Michelle, it just kinda popped out, will work on the style...

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks Madison, I have to work on the idea a bit but I thought it would be a fun direction.

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks N.N. just a bit of fun in a style that you don't see very often anymore...its retro wawa colour.

Cara said...

Ron - Wonderful painting - you did 'em proud.

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks Cara, I am going to work on this "theme" a little.

Clive said...

Boffo-superb, Ron. This one requires binking to see the sense of movement in the treatment of the gulls which you have positively nailed. Really nice piece...it doesn't seem like it's really large which may account for it being even fresher looking than usual. It will be interesting to see where you go with it.

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks Clive, its actually painted on the back of my first version of "The Collection". Its full size or close enough. I used scraps of paint without worrying what colours, but they weren't those horrible Velasquez guys (yellow ochre, burnt sienna and payne's grey which mix to the consistency of house paint.

BoneDaddy said...

Oh, you and Bill Wray are on fire with your houses here. The extent of delapidation on this house gives it a grim caricature look.
It is AWESOME!

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks Grimm, always liked the "caricature" approach.

William K. Moore said...

I can see the Light influence here. When I first started seriously to paint with watercolor I purchased one of his books. Thought he explained the basics clearly and it was a huge learning experience for me. This is a beautiful piece Ron and I will keep the watch for further refinements.

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks W.K., I just liked the way he used caricature and colour to produce bright fun. There's life in their painting, abstracted, fancified, reductive, saturated zest.

Elizabeth A Patterson said...

There is so much to smile about here! I really like the overall feel of the building, with its slightly wacky angles. It gives the impression that it's perfectly capable of bouncing off its foundation and heading down the road! The swooping gulls, the boats wanting to sail away in all directions, and that great dark foreground backed by the wavy fence... all fabulous!

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks Liz, I want to do some more like this in my never ending "Fun With Watercolour" quest.