"100 SLC Porches, No.93, 94, & 95"

It was a productive Thanksgiving Holiday.  I took advantage of the time off... got in a couple of bike rides, did some reading and managed to fit some painting time in too.  You could say it was my ideal vacation.  Here's the latest in the porch painting scene...

"100 Salt Lake City Porches, No.93"; Watercolor on 11" x14" Yupo.

  I watched this house come into my friend Diane's neighborhood.  The old house that used to be on the same plot of land came down in less than three days, and I've been watching this new striking and modern house come into being.  It's energy efficient and has solar panels.  It also has a very interesting angular appearance.  I limited the pallet for this watercolor to just three colors- cadmium orange, french ultramarine blue, and dioxazine purple.  I took the photo of this porch and the next one just after the first November snow.  In fact, these two porches (#93 & #94) are on the same street. 

"100 Salt Lake City Porches, No.94"; Watercolor on 10" x 13" Paper

I was thinking of the transition between Halloween to Thanksgiving and then on to Christmas when I took the photo for this porch.  There was a fresh layer of snow that seemed to catch the world by surprised.  I thought the combination of snow covered pumpkins, the tree topiaries and the red shutters/ front door just made me think about the transition through the holidays.  I also liked how this porch is more like a deck on the front of the house.  It's an extension of living space even though the furniture on this "front deck" had a layer of snow on it when I took the photo.

"100 Salt Lake City Porches, No.95"; Oil on 12" x 12" Canvas.

I've been admiring this porch for awhile now and had hoped to have captured it earlier while all of the potted plants/flowers were in their summer fullness.  But each time I went by I never seemed to be with a camera in hand being on my way to some event in the downtown area.  I took a quick photo this last week after the snow melted.  Leaves had blown and scattered covering most of the lawn but I think it just added to the wonderful rich color of this porch.  Check out the progress of the 100 Salt Lake City Porches (or to purchase one), click here.  I welcome any feedback you may have.  Thank you for stopping by!

"100 SLC Porches, No.92"

I want to wish everyone a very Happy Thankgiving!  I'm hoping to get some more porch paintings done over the long holiday weekend.  But in meanwhile, here's the latest porch painting...

"100 Salt Lake City Porches, No.92"; Oil on 8" x 10" Canvas.

This house is a cute cottage up in the Avenues area of Salt Lake City.  This painting is a commissioned piece.  It's for a friend and its her bosses' house.  She's giving it as a Christmas present; a neat idea.  I sent her a picture last night via text and received a "Wow. Absolutely spectacular".  So I'm figuring she liked it. :)  I'm starting to feel a little more comfortable with doing commissioned work.  I know its part of being a successful artist but I sometimes still struggle with the concept of someone wanting to pay me to paint something for them.  I guess its because I feel I'm still struggling (the eternal struggle) to be a good artist.  To view the progress of the 100 Salt Lake City Porches (or to purchase one of ), click here.  Thank you for visiting and I welcome any feedback you may have.

"100 SLC Porches, No.89, 90, & 91"

I've been busy painting away and also have had some computer problems.  So here's a bit of catching up with the last three that I've painted of the 100 Salt Lake City Porches Art Project...


"100 Salt Lake City Porches, No.89"; a Poured Watercolor on 12" x 15" -300 lb Cold Press Paper.

There was so much cute and color to the above porch that I felt it lend itself naturally to a pour watercolor.  I used some 300 lb. weight watercolor paper for this poured watercolor.  I did 4 different pours and then finished with a bit of puddle painting.

"100 Salt Lake City Porches, No.90"; Watercolor on 10" x 15" Paper.

The last of the Halloween decorated porches (and there were a GREAT deal to chose from), I decided to do in a sepia-colored gray.  I thought it helped play up a "spooky-ness".  I just LOVED the line of chained arms reaching out of the ground and the cemetery that lays off to the side as you approach the porch.  These porch owners really like Halloween and they've got a fun sense of humor about it too.  The first gravestone to the right says..." Myra Mains.... I told you I was sick!"  There was even more humor as you went along and read some of the other gravestones.



"100 Salt Lake City Porches, No.91"; Watercolor on 12" x 16" Paper

This porch belongs to my watercolor painting teacher and I'm very curious to see what she thinks.  I decided to do it at a different close up angle to give it more interest.  She had SO many pretty flowers out this last summer while I was over there doing a bit of cat sitting for her.  I took the camera shot in the late evening and the sun only caught part of the top corner of the south facing porch and the upper of the tall evergreen.  I did this in a wet-to-dry style.  I hope she likes it and I'll find out tonight.  To view the progress of (or to purchase one of) the 100 Salt Lake City Porch Project, please click here.  Thank you for visiting and I welcome any feedback you may have.

"100 SLC Porches, No.88 & Playing With Alternative Methods"

Here's No. 88 of the 100 Salt Lake City Porches, which I finished late last night...

"100 Salt Lake City Porches, No.88"; Watercolor on 10" x 14" Paper

I spotted this porch while out driving during my lunch hour about a week before Halloween.  The porch was surrounded by orange leaves and pumpkins.  The black cat had sparkles on it and shimmered with each light breeze in the noon day light.  It seemed to tease and beckon me.  There were quite a few cutely decorated houses along this quiet street in the Sugarhouse neighborhood.  I did this painting as a series of flat washes that I slowly built up upon.  If you would like to view the progress of 100 Salt Lake City Porches, click here.

Last night in my Wednesday water coloring class (taught by Colleen) we went through alternative methods; or as Colleen likes to call it-- "painting with the kitchen sink".  I painted this scene below with some of those methods such as: cutting when wet, using rubbing alcohol, applying wax and table salt, pressing saran wrap, and sponging.  I felt like a young kid in an arts and craft class where there was no wrong or right answer to doing things.  I was having SO much FUN just experimenting.  Not too sure about the finished product but HEY! I had a good time in the process of it...

"Basketed Bright Pink Bike Along the Strip"; Watercolor on 10" x 15" Paper

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

"100 SLC Porhces, No.86 & No.87"

It was a productive weekend and I managed to almost get three new porch paintings finished.  The third one is about 3/4 of the way done and will probably be finished in the next day or two.

"100 Salt Lake City Porches, No.86"- Watercolor on 11" x 14" Yupo

There was a wonderful warm Fall sunny afternoon when I took the photo of this porch.  It seemed the whole world was a glow with this warm glow of yellow light.  Yes, I was again on my bike and riding along with my camera.  Then I saw this HUGE spider in a web on the porch.  I felt I needed to do some Halloween decorated porches and I thought this one would be a fun one to do.  This is puddle painting on yupo and I just had FUN with this painting.

"100 Salt Lake City Porches, No.87"- Oil on 8" x 10" Canvas

I took the photo of this porch about a month ago and have been wanting to paint it.  I remember it was on a warm Sunday afternoon that I was biking through this neighborhood.  There was SO many flowers and a dappled sunniness that this porch caught my eye.  To view the progress of (or to purchase one of) 100 Salt Lake City Porches, click here.  I welcome any feedback you may have and thank you for visiting!

"100 SLC Porches, No.84 & No. 85"

Now that Halloween is over I can get the paints back out.  I had almost 50 bicycle riders show up for the Halloween Costume ride that I lead this last Saturday.  If you would like to see some pictures and read about visit here.  I managed to finish up two porch paintings last night and here they are...

"100 Salt Lake City Porches, No.84"; Watercolor on 9" x 12" Paper.

This porch is rather hidden in a neighborhood up in the Olympus Cove area of the Salt Lake Valley.  I liked how it's kind of Frank Lloyd Wright inspired.  The stairs up are at an angle and then there are these red metallic lion statues that sit on each side of the door.  This painting is a series of flat washes where I used yellow ochre, cerulean blue, and a mixed red.

"100 Salt Lake City Porches, No.85"; Oil on 16" x 16" Canvas

One Sunday afternoon I spotted porch #85 on a bike ride down in the area of Draper which is in the very south end of the Salt Lake City Valley.  It's a very modern home of wood, cement, and glass that's situated at a 90 degree angle from the street.  I prepped part of the canvas with just a bit of yellow acrylic that I thinned down with water.  I wiped on the yellow on in the sky area and then quickly wiped off.  I wanted to leave quite a bit of the canvas untouched and white.  I think it plays well with the modern edge that the home has.  When I painted this I chose to limit the pallet to the colors of olive green, a warm orangey Indian yellow, and cerulean blue.  To view the progress of (or to purchase one of) 100 Salt Lake City Porches, click here.  Thank you for visiting!  I welcome any feedback you may have.

"100 SLC Porches, No.83"

I've slowed down a little on this project.  Recently, I've been planning and prepping for a Halloween Bike Ride.  This is the 5th year I've held the bike ride.  I've had to put my paints away while I had the carpets cleaned and parts of my apartment deep cleaned.  I usually have a social get together at my place afterwards; which last year I ended up with a total of almost 30 people in my one bedroom apartment.  It was rather cozy.  I'm expecting more this year.  But here's No.83....

"100 Salt Lake City Porches, No. 83"; Watercolor on 10" x 14" Paper

This porch is just down the street from #82 and I really wanted to focus on the light with this porch.  I started with a light flat wash of lemon yellow and slowly built up with a series of flat washes.  I did two more flat washes with the lemon yellow increasing the value each time.  I, then, did two more flat washes with phathlo blue increasing the value each time.  I then did a small light wash with dioxazine purple.  Then, I finished with a bit of puddle style done with almost straight pigment of the phathlo blue and dioxazine purple.  I welcome any feedback you may have.  You may view the progress of (or to request purchase one of) 100 Salt Lake City Porches Art Project, click here or click on the blog page tab above.  Thank you for visiting!

"100 SLC Porches, No.82"

It was a sunny warm Fall day when I went by on my bicycle and saw this porch.  The angle of the light made the evergreen shaped spirals dramatic and I thought they would be fun to paint them.  It was fun and here it is number 82...

"100 Salt Lake City Porches, No.82"; Watercolor on 12" x 11" Paper

I started to do this painting in the wet-to-dry method but then as it dried I switched to the puddle style method to work on the foreground with the spiraling topiary and the pot of golden mums on the porch. I really had fun with this painting.  To view the progress of (or to purchase one of) 100 Salt Lake City Porches, please click here.  I welcome any feedback you may have.  Thanks for stopping by.

"100 SLC Porches, No.81"

On this porch, I was entranced with the cute white light and the flowers surrounding this porch.  I chose to make the house lighter.  The actual house color is a charcoal gray on the shakes.  It is very close to the same color of home I grew up in.  It also had shakes.  My mom had this special blend to get just the right shade of charcoal gray; not too dark (its not a black) and not too light.

"100 Salt Lake City Porches, No.81"; Watercolor on 11" x 11" Paper

 This painting was a bit of an experiment for me.  I did a series of flat washes on hot pressed paper.  I had never tried doing a flat wash on hot pressed paper.  Generally, hot pressed paper doesn't absorb the water quickly and water tends to puddle; which makes it excellent for puddle painting.  After doing the flat washes, I then finished off the painting with a bit of puddle painting.  To view the progress of (or to purchase one of) 100 Salt Lake City Porches, click here.  I welcome any feedback you may have.  Thank you for visiting!

"100 SLC Porches, No.80"

In between, cat sitting for a friend and catching a cold this weekend.  I still managed to get a porch painting done.  Here it is...

"100 Salt Lake City Porches, No.80"; Watercolor on 11" x 11" Paper

This cute porch was nestled in a quiet Holliday neighborhood in the Salt Lake Valley.  It was a late Sunday afternoon when I spotted as I was out for a Sunday drive.  I could have used this one earlier in the project during the 4th of July time.  But oh well, I thought it was a cute one to do anyway.  I used the puddle style of watercolor on this porch painting.  To view the progress of (or to make a purchase) 100 Salt Lake City Porches, click here.  I welcome any feedback.  Thank you for visiting!