Rough Rider - biker watercolor

When we lived in the foothills of the Sierra's near the little town of North San Juan, bikers were a part of the scenery. They would stop at the local bar for a beer before riding up to Downieville and were always interesting to watch speed down Highway 49.

I Know, It's Only Rock And Roll, But I Like It...

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Union Pacific #604

I really enjoy painting outside, in artsy talk it's called en plein air. I can get a better feel of the subjects size, colors and shadows when I'm there looking with my own eyes rather than rely on a photo. I did finish this in my studio so I could put in the details like the lettering. The Roseville rail yard is just a few miles from my house and the view is changing constantly with the coming and going of the trains. I think it's very interesting, I guess because I've liked trains since I was a kid. This is 8"x10" oil on canvas panel.

Self portrait in watercolor

I painted this from a black and white photo so I wouldn't be influenced by the colors of the photo.

Tomatoes and Peppers

A watercolor of some of our tomatoes and peppers grown in the backyard. Yum! Nothing better than home grown tomatoes.

Nubbin's Drive In

This is a little burger joint in Roseville that's been in business since the 60's. (?) Not sure when it started but it's got that 1950's design which is why I decided to paint the place. I set up my easel and started painting about 9:00 and quit around 10:30 when the sun started beating on me. Hey, it's hard to paint outside (en plein air). The shadows are constantly moving and the colors change with the sun's movement so ya' gotta paint fast. I finished in my studio.

Morning On The Lake

I came home with several pics of Lake Tahoe and was amazed at the sunrise after it had rained the day before. I tried to capture the colors in the clouds and the reflection on the water. I also added some foliage in the foreground to give the picture more depth.