Connecticut River levee

 While my daughter and her entourage were selecting her wedding dress(!) I went out behind the shopping mall in search of something to sketch. Satellite imagery had shown that the mall backed up on the Connecticut River, separated by what appeared to be a strip of rough grass; on the ground this turned to be a very high levee, which is a good thing as the river has been running high and there has been a lot of flooding in the area. Anyway, I went ahead and did this watercolor of the levee and the line of darling violet flowers shining in the sun against the dark tree shadows.

Access road

 I revisited this access road in a wooded area I had sketched back in May, now with even more intense light and shadow in the shimmering heat. I could feel the sun burning my sandaled toes, so I didn't stay very long, and finished it at home from memory and photo ref.

New Sketchbook

 Process pix from the making of a new Montanapolitancroptic sketchbook, along with a few faves from the old one.

 

Portrait of my father

 I did this portrait of my father when I was in art school, circa 1976-77. The only way he would consent to sit was if he could continue to work at his desk. So it's a much more characteristic picture of him than if he'd been posing for a portrait. It hung over his mantlepiece for many years.

Power plant and railroad bridge

 Another sketch of the power plant and railroad bridge as seen from the North End Bridge in Springfield, MA.

Pen, ink wash, and white gouache on toned paper 4" x 6"

Long Point Light revisited

 I reworked this sketch of Long Point Light after an artist friend exhorted me to give the water more of a sense of depth and distance.

Watercolor 4" x 6"

Railroad Bridge and Power Plant from the North End Bridge with smokey haze.

I did this this morning, trying to get the effect of the wildfire smoke and haze. We didn't get anything like the photos of NYC, but the exaggerated atmospheric perspective was unmistakable. There was more of a orange cast to the light than comes out in the photo.

Watercolor, 4" x 6"