You know there wasn’t just a girl from Ipanema. There must of been a boy too ! Anyway, my version of him. I am following with my tropical paintings and playing with fabric a bit. I am not sure that I won’t go back into this piece at some point but I will move on to the next one for now and leave it up and look at it. I struggle sometimes with too much detail. Yes, I could go in to the water and put more detail and color but the focus is on the hand and fabric and so leaving the water looser I think is good for this composition.

This piece started out very large and as I went I kept adding more and more elements to it, but at the end of the day I kept zooming in on just this section and realized this was the painting not the whole but part. It still tells the story without all the other information. I want to thank Massai who posed for this piece and the orange octopus who came out of my imagination, and of course the nautilus who needs no introduction.

STONE SOUP GALLERY
802 WHITE STREET
OPENING THURSDAY, MARCH 18TH 6 - 9 “ISLAND LIFE”
Stone Soup Gallery is hanging it’s next show. In this group show Artist’s bring their impressions of Island living and the Key West Vibe to paper and canvas.There will be a range of oils, and watercolors. Kathleen Husted is featuring her recent plein aire works in oil that capture conch houses, moments at the beach, sitting on the porch moments in vibrant expressive brush strokes. Kathleen is a recent Islander who spends summers in Va. on her farm. She won best in show at the Western Museum of art in 2009. She is a welcome addition to the Key West Plein aire painters . Her small oils are a real jewel to the eye.To see more of Kathleen’s work go to her website :kathleenhusted.com Annelein Beukenkamp will be showing in Key West for the first time. It is a real treat to view her amazing wet and juicy watercolors. She has won many awards and has been featured in Cold water Creek. Her renderings of Roosters are something to see.To see more of Annelien’s work go to abwatercolors.com. Sean Callahan will also be showing his latest watercolors in this show which will be the first of a series of paintings entitles “No shirt, no shoes” .These pieces capture relaxing moments in Key West but at unusual view points.You can almost feel the sand between your toes when you view these new vibrant watercololors., to see more of Sean’s watercolors. For more information on these artist’s, or Stone Soup Gallery call (305)296-2080 . The gallery is located at 802 White Street next to Get Fit Gym.

Here is a painting of a malachite butterfly I met at the butterfly museum in Key West last year.  I used Hemetite paint for the dark areas. I threw some salt and sprayed areas as I went along.  All in all I like what happened.

I am in the middle of painting for this Key West show but couldn’t resist doing this painting of my dog Winslow. This is the backyard where I am staying and it just feels like the west.  The background is Daniel Smith indian red over a yellow ochre wash…..very etherial and moody. 

This is the next piece for the upcoming show.  I always wanted to paint a dolphin (fish).  Their colors are so over the top amazing….they are unreal looking when they come out of the water.  I am exploring a series of piantings using the theme big and small…..this was fun. 

This is a painting of my buddy Roddy. He is an old soul and has become a good friend to me.

Here is the next painting for the upcoming show.  This polka dot fabric kept coming into my head and I couldn’t shake it.  So I went out and bought the fabric and it is going to be incorperated in some of the paintings…..vermillion….it has me in it’s grip.  I become addicted to certain colors for months at a time and right now I am deep into vermillion .

This is a painting of a Nautilus.  I always have been in awe of these shells…not just the incredible pattern on the outside but the chambers on the inside as well are amazing. This is another piece for the upcoming show. The Q. Burnt Orange and prussian blue go well together I think.