Monthly Archives: August 2014

Preparatory watercolor sketch of the Caribbean mural Caribbean Mural My friends Anji and Rick had wanted a Caribbean mural for their apartment for some time. Frequent visitors to Antigua in the Caribbean and owners of several of my paintings (see blog on Anthuriums), they learned I would be in Bristol in July 2014. Would I be able to paint their mural during that period? They sent me photos of their sitting room, where they wanted the Caribbean mural, and I painted a watercolor incorporating their furniture and the mural which I emailed them for their approval. The theme and colors were loosely based on a watercolor of palm trees by a sea shore that they had bought from me last time we met in Antigua. They were happy with my proposal and we were all set to go! Their sitting room was put together by Anji, who designed much of the furniture herself. The mixture of textures and colors produced a beautiful harmony which I didn't want to overwhelm with the mural: the idea was for it to blend into the background. The sofa itself is already a work of art in its own right! A work in progress I used a large spirit level for the various sea horizons and a step ladder for the sections of the wall slightly out of my reach. I was delighted to discover that the paint used on the walls was perfectly amenable to my signature drips. The acrylic paint was heavy body Liquitex diluted with water to give a pastel effect but highlighted with accents of brighter color. Part of the Caribbean mural with the door open [...]

Dee & Ed's kitchen window with the Black Mouth Cur & Vizsla triptych! Black Mouth Cur & Visla Scout is definitely a Black Mouth Cur; Fiver, one of a litter of 16 Black Mouth Curs, was the only pup with no black mouth or underbelly. The breeder said that a grandparent was a Vizsla, which is probably why she seems more Vizsla-like than Black Mouth Cur. None of which really matters as the owners, Dee & Ed, adore both dogs. They recently bought a house in San Rafael, California and Dee sent me a photo of her kitchen window. "Wouldn't it be nice to have one of your 6x8" acrylic on wood paintings here? Preferably blue to match the fence outside?" she asked.  Somehow I was attracted to 3 photos she had posted of her two dogs and thought they would make a great little triptych rather than just the one. Also, the colors I would use would blend in better with the kitchen itself rather than the outside fence.  Two of the actual photos themselves were not good, so I took the best bits of them and together with the one of the two of them with their backs to the viewer, made them into the triptych I had in mind. The photo here of their kitchen shows them hung. We were all happy with the results! Dee & Ed are great friends: we first met them here in Antigua when they rented our apartment nearly 10 years ago, and Ed came sailing with us in the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. The next time he sailed with us, we asked him to prepare the crew's food. He is a [...]