Chatham Light Cape Cod

Scituate Harbor Watercolor

Poll

Thanks to everyone who voted on my blog poll. I had to remove it though. i was getting reports of browsers crashing when trying to run it.

C

Spring

Here is another reminder that spring flowers will be here in the Hudson Valley soon!

We will be having family visit this week. I probably won't post again until the weekend.

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

Indian Brook Falls - Black and White

I found this image I had made of Indian Brook Falls in 2007. It had originally been a nice shot with strong saturated greens from a summer morning... I worked on it again as a black and white and think it is stronger this way.

Keep Makin Art
Carl

The Battery - NYC

This is from a series I took on a beautiful Summer evening last year. It was taken from the Circle Line. Sometimes those touristy attractions are just the best way to see a city.

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

Waiting for Spring

Spring is on its way! Can you feel it? Here is an image from last year to get you in the mood for spring.

Keep Makin' Art
Carl

Tha Parsonage

Watercolor - The Parsonage

Still Life with Granny Smith Apples

This is one of my favorite watercolors of the ones I have done. My Mom liked it and I made a gift of it to her. It thrills me that she likes this painting so much. She is a fine oil painter in her own right and is starting to learn watercolors.

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

New Location

I scouted a new location this morning. I went to Constitution Marsh Bird Sanctuary on the Hudson in Garrison NY. I did not expect to really see anything today as it is that between winter and springtime here in the Hudson Valley. My efforts were rewarded though by this red winged black bird who was nice enough to pose for me. I will definitely be back in the spring. The short hike is worth the view. West Point is right across the river through the cattails. That may make an awesome shot on a foggy fall morning too.

get out there and Keep Makin' Art
Carl

Bash Bish Falls

Here is one of those images that was too hot (contrasty originally) which surprised me as the Histogram showed nothing cut off and a good curve. After some soft dodging and burning I got it to look like I remember the the day looking.. Overcast, but strong saturated colors.

What do you think?

Keep Makin' Art
Carl

Catskills - Waterfall and Pool - Parksville NY

Over the past week I have been showing off some older watercolors. First I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to provide wonderful comments and encouragement.

Over this week have also been jumping back into Photoshop. I had become set in my ways on my workflow for the images I am shooting. I have discovered some wonderful ways to adjust and correct the images to an even closer representation of what I have seen along the way in my hikes and wanders thru the Hudson Valley while still remaining true to the spirit of the image I have created. You may see some photographs over the next few weeks that have been re-done and seen with a new eye. You'll also see some images I have not shared before that are truly fine images that my new found Photoshop skills have been able to breathe life into. Don't worry I am not going to start doing "digital paintings" of my photos. That is a unique art form, but one I am not particularly interested in as a painter or a photographer. I hope you enjoy the new and not so new images I'll post this week.

All of the new Photoshop skills I have acquired have been adopted from techniques I have read about in the Photoshop CS2 WOWBOOK. I have read two or three books in this series going back to Photoshop4 days. They are always full of great images, information and inspiration. If you are an old Photoshop pro like me or a newbie I truly recommend these books.

Keep Makin' Art
Carl

Ramsey Station

Tranquil Morning Harriman State Park

watercolors - Highland Light

Highland Light - Truro Massachusetts
This is a subject I have painted several times. I always take liberty and put just a little water behind it(there is actually a golf course there). The water would actually be behind you if you viewed the lighthouse from this angle... I like my interpretation better.

I like revisiting this subject every few years. It has given me a way to see my painting style develop.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Mayflower Beach

Mayflower Beach, Cape Cod

Golden Pear

Watercolor - Dock in Fog

5x7" Arches ColdPress Paper

Watercolor Paintings

This simple painting of a ceramic crock is one of my wife's favoritses.

Watercolors

I have been looking for photos I took of the watercolor I had in a show a while ago. What had once been a logical sorting and naming system had gotten away from me for a while. Typical artist right? Any way. I will start putting some of those older watercolors up on the site while I work on the new ones. The ones you see here are some of the ones I included in my portfolio review when I joined the Cape Cod Art Association. Enjoy.

This one is called Cabin Near Sugarloaf

Portrait - The Munchkins

When I was in California in January I never put my camera down. Wandering the city, at family parties and soccer games.

One evening after dinner at my brother's I got my nieces (the Munchkins M and P) sit for an informal portrait in the living room. At first I thought I would leave it in color because the warm tones in the room were great. in the end I found them overpowering and came up with this monochrome image with some of the color brought back in. I think it is a great shot of two wonderfully unique sisters.

The original shot is below for comparison. The first step was to crop out the extra space and then to work on the monochrome image. Finally I added a frame to complete it.

Thank you M&P for being patient models while crazy Uncle C took your pictures.