"The Banana Tree" Acrylic on cardboard 8x10

An artist friend gave me an 8x10 piece of a thick cardboard poster. This morning I went down to Beacon Hill Park and painted a 55-minute plein air piece on the board. A parks official came by and gave me a sprig from the heliotrope bush - he said it has the best smelling scent in the whole of the park.
Anyway, I stopped painting the banana leaves at that stage, not wanting the painting to become too tight.

Would YOU have carried on and made it even more realistic? What's your choice = realism or impressionism. COMMENT below.

"Phil" 9 x 12 portrait in Acrylic

My aim was to sketch rapidly at Goward House Portrait Painters session September 25th, 2012. 
I did a 45-minute back-lit profile of Phil using big brushes - one of them three inches wide.

(Click the image to see a bigger picture).

Comments are invited. Your feedback can be so useful to this emerging artist!
Thanks,

Ron

"Fast Food" Bay elephant running. Oil 6.5 x 7.25"

You won't believe it, that day in South Africa some 75 elephants crossed our path slowly and silently. This was the only little guy who came running. I'll post a photo of some of that the herd:

I couldn't get them all in but we counted 75 as they passed in front of our car.

Meantime go to my Fine Art America page to check out the price (framed). The link is above right.
Comments and questions are encouraged below here.
(Y'know you can click on this image to see a bigger picture).

"Bob" at Goward House Portrait painters

Our sitter at Goward House Portrait painters today is Bob.
We hardly ever see our profiles, but for the portrait artist a side view is challenging and revealing.

Next I chose to sketch Bob in watercolour pencil - you simply use it as you would any other ordinary pencil except that you can brush water over it to get that fluid look:

Finally, in the forty-odd minutes I had left in today's session,  I chose acrylics and dashed off this 8x10 sketch:

I had fun with the colour choices. Your crit or observation will be helpful. Please use the POST COMMENT facility.

"Line and Wash" sketch 10 x 12

Every now and then I stick my neck out and take a risk, especially when it's a medium that I find difficult.
Working chiefly with a sepia pen, today's line and wash rendering is a case in point. Normally I'm comfortable with oils, watercolors are difficult for me but I tackle them nevertheless...
It's good to stretch oneself I think. This plein air sketch took about an hour-and-a-half down at Ogden Point in Victoria BC.

"Katya" oil 11 x 14

Katya from St.Petersburg sat for the Goward House Portrait Painters today. A very gracious young lady with a superb command of English, Katya is on a study visit to Canada. I am so pleased that she included my painting amongst the three portraits she chose as our reward for sitting for us.

"Dogwatch" (Tugboat #4) Acrylic 11x14

This morning at Ogden Point in Victoria BC. Plein Air.
I couldn't resist the title "Dogwatch" because the dog is a genuine tugboat pet, she clambers easily over the gunwales and lords it over the vessel while her owner, the tugboat captain, goes about his chores.
Click on the image to see a bigger view and be a devil and leave a COMMENT!

"Clinker-built Dinghy" oil 5 x 7

This clinker-built classic dinghy was back again at the Classic Boat Show in Victoria BC over the Labor Day weekend. The public much admired the bright-work. This is my second painting of this little craft - you can say that I admire it too!
Please post your comment by clicking on "no comments" below.
Thanks, Ron

"Yellow Hornbill" oil 11 x 14

The yellow hornbill has got to be one of my favourite wild birds. It always raised a smile whenever we spotted it in the wilder parts of South Africa, Kruger National Park and the likes.

There are several types of hornbills, mostly they like holes in trees, for instance the female Grey Hornbill plasters herself in, leaving only a small opening. She has a complete moult while inside, and when her chicks are 3 to 4 weeks old, she breaks out to help feed them (mainly fruit, small reptiles and insects). The chicks repair the hole and keep the nest clean.

If you click on "no comments" you can leave me a comment...
Thanks,

Ron