Chevy Breeds Racing #1 and #2

Another commission finished just in time for a Christmas gift.  These 2 paintings are based on a father and son's cars and was commissioned by a daughter/sister for the pair.  She wanted both the paintings to look as much a like as possible and have the cars racing.  The loaded question was whose car should be out in front.  She said her brother's which is a 1968/1969 Chevelle SS.  Her father's car is a 2012 Camaro. Here's the final paintings...

"Chevy Breeds Racing #1"; Watercolor on 8" x 10"

"Chevy Breeds Racing #2"; Watercolor on 8" x 10" paper

I started out with this as an original photo to work with...

Original Photo worked from

 From there I worked out 3 options and this was the one that was decided upon...

Option #3- drawing that was chosen.

It was decided that there would be a "grill focus" in the upper corner of each painting to make it special gift for each receiver.  Here's one of the paintings in process...

"Chevy Breed Racing #1" Watercolor painting in process.

Then I took what I thought were the finished paintings to show to the Sister/Daughter and there were a couple of things that needed to be fixed....

"Chevy Breeds Racing #2- What I thought was done?

It turns out that the father's car had a black stripe for part of the hood.  That was an easy fix.  The other error that was discovered is that the brother's car now had a 496 engine instead of the 396 engine that was showing in some of the other photos that I was given.  Oooopss!  That was a bit more of a challenge.  Because it's not so easy to erase or paint over with watercolor.  I ended up doing a bit of improvising and this what was the result...

"Chevy Breeds Racing #2"; final Watercolor on 8" x 10" paper

Thanks for stopping by and I welcome any feedback you may have!

Happy Holidays!!

Wishing you and yours the Best of this Holiday Season!
These are most of the paintings that I've painted in the last year.  It's always amazing to look back on a year and see what has happened over the year.

Blue Country Cyclist

This was a commissioned piece that I just finished yesterday.  I'm currently working on another couple of pieces trying to get done before Christmas.  Oh, the stress of painting deadlines. This painting had 5 preliminary drawings that it went through before it became this finished piece.  I'm glad to say that Tim was very pleased with the finished painting.  He wanted something to remind him of cycling on RAGBRAI but in blues/grays with less riders.  LOL!

Photo:"Blue Country Cyclist"; watercolor on 12" x 16" paper
Commissioned Piece

You may notice in the sky of the finished piece a subtle cloud face.  That was added in the final painting and was an idea that we (Tim & myself) and thrown back and forth.  It's loosely based on Tim's face.

The last Prelim drawing for this piece.

Thanks for stopping by and I welcome any comment you may have!

Winter Wonderland Window...

Just before Thanksgiving I put up a Winter Wonderland Window at the Visitor's Center in Czech Village in Cedar Rapids.  If you get the chance swing by and see all of the Christmas windows in Czech Village and vote for your favorite one!  Here's a photo of the window I created...





Featured in the "CR is a Winter Wonderland" are some well know places of Cedar Rapids like: the Paramount, Theatre Cedar Rapids, and Brucemore.  Here's some prelim drawing of the stencils that I used...

The Paramount Theatre with Nutcracker Ballet...

Theatre Cedar Rapids with Shrek, a snowman, and a gingerbread man,

Thanks for stopping by!