I've always admired the New York artist, Burt Silverman, who wrote a book entitled, "Breaking the Rules of Watercolor." In it, he demonstrates how you can use oil painting techniques in watercolor. To achieve form and dimension in the figures and their clothing, I applied flat color to an area, let it dry and then removed, or "lifted out" areas of paint that I wanted to be highlighted.
Watercolor on board: 15½"x 14"
Private Collection
Working from a faded old photograph, I was drawn to the ghost-like quality of this group of Apache Indians in the desert. I started with a sepia toned drawing, then completed the painting with a soft blending of pastel color on top, trying to capture a "lost and found" effect with the figures.
Pastel on sepia-toned drawing: 18"x 24"
Private Collection
This painting was a watercolor commission done for a magazine story about a young woman's summer job at a farm picking strawberries.
Watercolor on paper: 24"x 18"
Private Collection
The Mid-Carolina Auto Show was held at the South Carolina Fairgrounds as an all-weekend event. I was hired to paint a single image representing all facets of the Auto show. This was one of my first early sketches. I had decided to render an older car, some sort of classic model and I knew I wanted it to be red.
1st preliminary sketch:
Watercolor on paper: 6"x 8"
Private Collection
Along with being my personal favorite, I realized that the 1959 Cadillac Convertible was the most instantly recognized Cadillac ever produced. I would guess that as a trend setter in the car industry, it was also one of the most influencial cars ever made. The rocket tail lights were totally original and I wanted to include them by perhaps showing a rear view of the car.
2nd preliminary sketch:
Watercolor on paper: 5 1/4"x 5 1/2"
Private Collection
Entitled "American Dream," this revised rear angle of the car traveling down the road showcased the unique beauty of the '59 Cadillac. This vantage point gave much more depth to the vehicle, while highlighting it's fins, rocket taillights, and rear bumper at the same time. An art gallery unveiling for the painting took place prior to the Auto Show in Columbia. Advertised throughout the region, the "American Dream" image was used in newspaper and billboard advertising, a promotional poster, and imprinted on T-shirts.
Final painting: 20"x 26"
Private Collection
This portrait was completed of a neighbor's three-year-old daughter. We had spent the afternoon at a local playground, determined to do the portrait in an outdoor setting. However, when I walked into the playroom of her home later and saw her in her stocking feet, rocking with her teddy bear, I knew I had found all the elements needed to complete the painting.
Pastel on paper: 36"x 24"
Private Collection
This Santa Claus portrait was originally done for a Christmas party invitation. Originally done in black and white, I later added the red suit, green mat and gold frame when I decided to market them for sale. Old Saint Nick makes a framed, free-standing Christmas decoration for a mantle or tabletop, or simply "hung on the wall by the stockings with care."
Christmas mini-print:
Framed size: 10"x 8"
Framed price: $30
In portraiture, sometimes the true character and essence of an individual is best captured through a quick sketch or pre-study. This small watercolor was such a study for a much larger commissioned piece of Mark Twain. The final painting included a riverboat and other elements that told a more complete story, but I've always thought this small piece captured a more soulful portrayal of the author.
Watercolor on paper: 11" x 9½"
SOLD
Sometimes telling a story is best accomplished by grouping visual elements together in a montage fashion. Since this painting reflected imagery of a bi-gone era, I attempted rendering the captain and crew very lightly in pencil first, then selectively applied color washes, which were reinforced with pastel on top.
Watercolor and pastel on board: 18½"x 10½"
Private Collection
I love the Old West and whenever I see the sepia-tinted images of Indians from that period, I'm always reminded of the pride and sadness in their faces. To add interest to this composition, I incorporated the tepee shapes into the background and applied color to his clothing as I imagined it would be.
Oil on paper: 30"x 22"
SOLD
This painting was originally commissioned by the Southern Partisan magazine. I began by pouring over Civil War books and located a good black and white photo of Jackson to start working from, then enlisted the aid of a Confederate re-enactor. Using him as my model out in the woods, I lined him up in the right body positioning to match the head reference and took numerous photographs. His clothing, however, was that of a lieutenant's, so I had to do more research in order to alter several details and accurately paint the uniform of a Confederate General.
500 S&N Limited Edition
Image size: 25½"x 15&
S&N/ SOLD OUT
Signed Artist Proofs/ $100
My nephew Chase was one year old and I wanted to surprise my sister with a portrait for Christmas. On Thanksgiving day, I was outside watching him crawling around in the backyard examining leaves. When he slowly turned his head toward the sun, the light rimmed his head and I knew I had the image I wanted to paint.
Watercolor and pastel on board
Private Collection
I was approached by this bluegrass band, called Tiller's Ferry, to conceptualize a design for their first album cover. Photographs of the band were taken, then sepia-tinted and mounted to the painting surface. I then applied thin washes of oil color, overlapping each band member's instrument they played with their photo likeness.
Oil on board: 24"x 22"
SOLD
This magazine article was about a boy and his grandfather traveling across the Texas countryside in his ancient black Oldsmoble. I began this assignment by searching for photographs which would portray the scrub brush and sage of the Texas rangeland in the story. Then I looked through several books on American cars until I found the right vintage Oldsmobile. Combining the references together, I placed two figures inside the car and my illustration was complete.
Magazine Illustration
Watercolor on board: 14"x 6"
This commission was done for a couple who had lost their young adult son to illness. I borrowed a favorite shirt of his and used it in the piece to try and enhance the portrait in a more personalized way.
Pastel on paper: 24"x 18"
SOLD
I was commissioned to render a likeness of Woodrow Wilson as part of an advertising campaign for the YMCA in Columbia, South Carolina. Our 28th President was the founder of that institution and also made Columbia his boyhood home.
Watercolor and pastel on board: 16"x 10"
SOLD
