Evening Lights - #52 - Original Watercolor Painting

Here is a different sort of painting. It is relatively long - 5.5 x 15" - which is good for landscapes, although it is the same area as my usual 7.5 x 11" size. It is a rural scene, but with some strange lights and shadows, which make it rather striking.  This is the 52nd and final weekly watercolor painting for 2010, but I've decided to continue the project next year.  Stay tuned for details.

If you're interested in purchasing this 5.5" x 15" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Paris Cafe - #51 - Original Watercolor Painting

Here is another Paris street scene. This one includes a cafe on Isle de la Cite.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

New England Cove - Step-by-Step

I took some photos while I painted my latest weekly watercolor painting, New England Cove.  Here they are, starting with the rather poor photo I took many years ago that served as a reference for this painting.  You can click on any of the images for a larger version.

First, a simple pencil drawing, then the basic sky and water washes.  After this, some grass and roof color, followed by the dark background trees to frame the setting.  The dark tree wash looks odd in the photo because it was still wet when I photographed it, and the wet surface reflected the flash onto the image.  It was actually just a dark, fairly uniform wash.

Then I went to work on some of the shoreline and boat features, and then some of the details.

Finally, I darkened the foreground water, added rigging to the sailboat, and enhanced some of the color here and there, and signed the painting.

I hope you found this "demo" interesting.  Some day I'll figure out how to capture a video of one of my painting efforts; until then, these stills will have to suffice, unless you can make it to one of my live demos, which I announce on my website http://www.jimoberst.com.

New England Cove - #50 - Original Watercolor Painting

This is yet another painting of the New England waterfront. It's based on a very old photo I took many years ago of a calm seaside scene in the northeast.  I'll be posting step-by-step images of how I painted this scene shortly on this blog.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Brush Strokes Painting of the Month

My painting Big Ol' Barn won Painting of the Month honors at the December 10 Brush Strokes meeting.  This watercolor is a nearly-half-sheet painting based on Weekly Watercolor #41, Mega Barn.  I sometimes paint larger versions of my more successful weekly watercolor paintings, and occasionally also go in the other direction.

Portland Head Light - #49 - Original Watercolor Painting

This week, another painting from Maine - this time of the Portland Head Light, a favorite of photographers and painters.

If you're interested in purchasing this 11" x 7.5" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Working Boat - #48 - Original Watercolor Painting

Here is a painting of a scene I came upon this summer in Rockland, Maine... a working boat tied up at the wharf, waiting to put out to sea for its next job.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

The Louvre - #47 - Original Watercolor Painting

This is a view of the west wing of the Louvre in Paris, seen from the other side of the Seine river.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Gambrel Roof Barn - #46 - Original Watercolor Painting

Here is a pleasant farm scene with a gambrel roof barn that is still servicable, but has seen better days.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Rouen Cathedral - #45 - Original Watercolor Painting

During our recent trip to France, we visited the city of Rouen. The outside of the cathedral there has many beautiful towers, spires, and carvings. This is an impression of the cathedral from a street leading to it, with the sun behind the cathedral.

If you're interested in purchasing this 11" x 7.5" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

A Far View - #44 - Original Watercolor Painting

This painting is based on Split Rock Lighthouse in Minnesota, on the shore of Lake Superior. The cliff represents the actual setting, but I've transformed the lighthouse itself into a more interesting building than the actual one..

If you're interested in purchasing this 11" x 7.5" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

North Shore Kauai - #43 - Original Watercolor Painting

This is a painting of a beach on the north shore of Kauai, Hawaii.  It's a beautiful area, very sparsely inhabited.

If you're interested in purchasing this 11" x 7" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Honfleur Harbor - #42 - Original Watercolor Painting

Here's another view of Honfleur Harbor in Normandy, France, with sailboats docked in the foreground and the old stone gatehouse in the background.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Mega Barn - #41 - Original Watercolor Painting

I saw this huge barn during a recent trip to Ohio, the land of many farms.  I was fascinated by how large it was, and decided to paint this scene when I returned to my studio.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Paris Evening - #40 - Original Watercolor Painting

Yet another painting of the beautiful city of Paris. Here, standing in the evening on one of the many bridges over the Seine, we see a tour boat and several other bridges, with the city skyline in the background.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

On Golden Pond - #39 - Original Watercolor Painting

Here is simple, restful scene of a small lake or pond reflecting the beautiful golden colors of autumn.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Isle de la Cite - #38 - Original Watercolor Painting

Here is another scene from Paris.  This is one of the bridges connecting Isle de la Cite to greater Paris.

If you're interested in purchasing this 11" x 7.5" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Plein Air Paradise - #37 - Original Watercolor Painting

A recent vacation trip in France along the Seine river ended in Honfleur, a beautiful seacoast town in Normandy. While walking around the harbor there, I happened upon a group of plein air watercolor painters, led by artist Timothy J. Clark, from whom I had recently taken a workshop. So after saying hello, I took a photo of him at his easel, and recently painted this from that photo.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Peggy's Cove - #36 - Original Watercolor Painting

I recently toured the Maine coast and Canada's maritime provinces, enjoying the incredible scenery and gathering reference material for painting.  There were many beautiful little harbors.  This is the first painting from the Maritimes - of legendary Peggy's Cove just outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

No Hurry - #35 - Original Watercolor Painting

This is a plein air painting done at Owl's Head harbor in Maine, near Rockland.  This is a beautiful area, like much of the Maine coast.  It began as a study of a rock formation there, and later in my studio I added the fisherman to provide more interest.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Sailboats - #32, 33, & 34 - Original Watercolor Paintings

I've been away most of August, so here are three "catch-up" paintings. I love to paint sailboats, because of the beautiful shape of their hulls, and the gorgeous reflections that they often cast onto the water. These three paintings comprise a series based on similar drawings but with different color and background treatments.

If you're interested in purchasing and of these 11" x 7.5" paintings, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Lazy Afternoon - #31 - Original Watercolor Painting

I like to design and paint vignettes. They have a fresh, loose feel, as though the painting isn't quite finished. This painting has a lazy, summer feel to it, and may be especially appealing to "barn lovers" like me.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Fontaine Sully 2 - #30 - Original Watercolor Painting

Here is another painting of Fontaine Sully in northeast Paris, across from Parc de la Vilette. Compared to the previous version (#24), this one is a bit more dramatic, a bit more loose. I'm posting more than one painting per week right now, because other commitments will prevent me from posting for a month or so.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

By the Harbor - #29 - Original Watercolor Painting

This is my second painting of the harbor at Honfleur, Normandy, France. This is a closer look at a few of the boats in the harbor. Many people enjoy strolling around the harbor, sitting in the harborside cafes, and looking in the shops nearby. Honfleur is a delightful little city.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Prague Impressions - #28 - Original Watercolor Painting

This is the second weekly watercolor I've done of St. Nicholas church that stands on the hill above downtown Prague; the first has been purchased. This version experiments with more vibrant color and a less literal depiction of the lower city. If you've ever visited Prague, this painting could bring back many pleasant memories for you.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Reggie Road Farm - #27 - Original Watercolor Painting

This week's watercolor is a peaceful scene of a local farm in the summertime. This farm is located on Reggie Road in Lonsdale, Arkansas, just a few minutes from my house.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Big Ben - #26 - Original Watercolor Painting

This painting is from a recent trip to London. The Westminster Bridge and the north shore of the Thames River is shown, along with a few river vessels, Big Ben, and the Parliament buildings receding into the distance. A great deal of beautiful London is captured in this small watercolor painting.

This is my 26th weekly watercolor painting, and 2010 is half over at the end of this month, so I'm just about on schedule. I hope you've been enjoying these paintings.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Russet Autumn - #25 - Original Watercolor Painting

Here is a simple painting of a beautiful autumn scene - the reddish-brown trees reflecting in a placid lake.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Fontaine Sully, Paris - #24 - Original Watercolor Painting

Here is another painting of France - this time of a Paris street scene. I came upon this little cafe in northeast Paris, across from Parc de la Vilette. This was a bustling area, right by a metro stop, and I've tried to capture the busy feeling of this part of Paris.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Arlington Hotel - #23 - Original Watercolor Painting

The Arlington Hotel is an icon of downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas. This tall, stately building, with its distinctive towers, has shared a lot of interesting history with Hot Springs, and has housed many visitors during its long tenure. This view shows the hotel from Central Avenue, looking north.

If you're interested in purchasing this 11" x 7.5" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Honfleur, Normandy - #22 - Original Watercolor Painting

During April we vacationed in France and London. I took lots of reference photos. This is my first painting based on those references; I plan many more. Honfleur is a beautiful, quaint harbor town in Normandy, France. The central harbor, full of sailboats, is ringed by old buildings and many restaurants. I've taken some license with the building colors, as some of them were sheathed in rather dull gray slate.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Lake Moraine - #21 - Original Watercolor Painting

Some years ago I toured Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, and took photos of the magnificent scenery. One stunning place was Lake Moraine in Banff, Alberta. The combination of the crystal clear air, the awesome mountains, and the peaceful blue-green lake, was breathtaking.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Big Biker - #20 - Original Watercolor Painting

Here's a painting that's quite different. I saw this guy at the Arkansas Folk Festival in Mountain Home a few years ago. He had the most fantastic beard. His outfit was basically as shown, but with a bit less color.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Outrigger - #19 - Original Watercolor Painting

Here is another painting from our recent vacation in Hawaii. This is an old outrigger canoe I saw on a beach on Kauai's Coconut Coast. It was not in good shape, and the day was overcast, so I took some liberties with the canoe and the weather in this painting to capture a more typical feeling of Kauai.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Summer on the Farm - #18 - Original Watercolor Painting

Summer on the farm - I tried to capture a feeling of sunlight and serenity. Having been a city kid, I suppose I've romanticized farm life in this painting. Especially in summer, I'm sure there's plenty of work to keep people busy. But this is how I like to think of it.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Budapest Basilica - #17 - Original Watercolor Painting

The plaza in front of the Basilica in Budapest, Hungary.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Hilltop Barn - #16 - Original Watercolor Painting

Yet another barn. This one is based on a barn found on Kanis Road near Paron in central Arkansas. The actual barn there is not on a hill, but I redrew it to create a more interesting subject, along with adding some details like the cupola that this particular barn did not possess.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Bonn, Germany - #15 - Original Watercolor Painting

One type of vacation we love is taking a river cruise in Europe. In 2008 we sailed on the Rhine, and one of our stops was Bonn, Germany. We found it a delightful city, and particularly enjoyed window shopping in the pedestrian areas. This painting is of one of those areas we visited.

Not too long ago, the only landscapes I painted were rural scenes, but I now greatly enjoy painting urban landscapes as well.

If you're interested in purchasing this 11" x 7.5" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor Website.

Safe Harbor - #14 - Original Watercolor Painting

A few years ago, I attended a watercolor workshop in Corpus Christie, Texas. There's a great harbor there, with many wharves, and tons of both recreational and working boats. A while ago I painted one of the shrimp boats at the dock, with the crew selling shrimp off the back of the boat. This new painting shows the recreational side of boating in Corpus Christie - a couple of sailboats tied up and waiting.

If you're interested in purchasing this 7.5" x 11" painting, or any other of my weekly watercolor landscape paintings for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website.

Backyard Barn - #13 - Original Watercolor Painting

This project seems to make the weeks go by much faster. My thirteenth weekly watercolor painting is titled Backyard Barn. I enjoy painting rural Arkansas scenes; this one is based on a ramshackle shed I came across while driving the backroads near my home. I decided to add a few chickens to give it a little more life. This 7.5 " x 11" rural landscape will look good matted into either a 12" x 16" or 14" x 18" frame.

If you're interested in purchasing this or any other weekly watercolor painting for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website. You can see how these paintings look matted and framed on my Order page there.

Mighty Mississippi - #12 - Original Watercolor Painting

Today I'm posting my twelfth weekly watercolor painting, titled Mighty Mississippi. A few years ago, I took a trip on one of the Mississippi river boats that dock at Memphis. This tug pushing a large barge near the Hernando-DeSoto bridge intrigued me, and I snapped a few photos of it. The actual day was dreary and overcast, but I prefer strong sunlight and shadows because they add drama and interest to a painting. Memphis and Mississippi River fans will enjoy this 7.5" x 11" painting matted into a 12" x 16" or 14" x 18" frame.

If you're interested in purchasing this or any other weekly watercolor painting for $100 including shipping, or if you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit my Weekly Watercolor website. You can see how these paintings look matted and framed on my Order page there.