ACEO Watercolor & Ink Original Impressionistic Landscape Forest at Dusk Purple Green

It's been awhile since I've posted but I'm glad to be able to share my latest ACEO Landscape.

Small format painting allows me to express energy and mood; I enjoy watercolor moving around the paper in combination with the dots and dashes of ink. I enjoyed painting the impressionistic purple and green forest.
 

Original Watercolor Painting Impressionistic Still Life Flowers Rustic Vessel and Cup

"Wild Flowers and Cup"

Original Watercolor Painting Watercolor and Ink Ocean Painting Dana Point Seascape SFA

"Dana Fun"

Time slips away sometime, it's time to post a new work.  

Ocean Art, California Coast

"Good Day In Monterey"

This is a memory of the coastline of Monterey, California.  This small format art is a beginning and stands alone but my plan is start another painting perhaps a series. I enjoy the way the ocean hits the rocks and I’d like to explore this subject further….

Original Watercolor Ink Aceo Landscape and Experiments

“Purple Tree Fantasy”

 

ACEO Chinese Ink Paintings

 

The first image is my fantasy impressionistic tree in a summer cloud burst on 140lb. watercolor paper with watercolor and ink.   This miniature work is a combination imagination and enjoyment of color.   Well it’s not a total fantasy, I often see a tree this shape near a park I travel.  Smaller paintings can stand alone or are the basis for larger work.

The second image is ACEO’s I had painted in the past on thin rice paper with sumi ink and bamboo brushes. I appreciate calligraphy and sumi paintings so I gave it a try.   The works on rice paper were mounted to a backing paper with glue in order to smooth out the edges and bring out the color of the work. 

What I enjoy about the smaller format efforts is the ability to experiment with different tools, processes, mediums and genres.    Sometimes my experiments don’t work but at the very least I’ve learned about a new product, art form, and had a little (2 ½” X 3 ½”) art adventure.

 If you want to experiment or collect art, ACEO miniature artworks are a wonderful way to start.

Two Eyes, Two Ears, and a Mouth (Portraits)

This Fine Art Friday collection celebrates contemporary portraits.  What I enjoy is the diversity of genre, size, and medium.  Each one of these artists had an idea regarding a portrait/face and made it their own creative statement.


Updates and News:
I found an art team on Etsy that celebrates small format art.  An SFA is no larger than 14" square but carries a visual punch.  You can see some examples in the above collection


A couple of new followers, thanks so much for the support, here are their links to see their latest work:


Jennizart
Dixsterlingdesigns

Original Watercolor and Ink Painting Landscape Utah Mountain

This landscape painting is my impression and memories of Utah and driving through Zion. This area is one of nature's wonders...  


As a painter I can only capture a brief moment or glimpse of what nature has done.  While a passenger in a car I wanted to soak up everything so I took photographs.  The camera almost became a barrier; I stopped taking photos so I could soak up all the beauty. 

My camera has always been great for references but sometimes it just nice to be in the moment.  I’m sure I’ll be painting more of these Utah memories.  

Original Watercolor of Laguna Coast

Original Ocean Painting

I wanted to capture the quite solitude of the ocean in the evening with this 5" X 7" small format painting. I love color especially the vibrant color of the ocean on a sunny day but this was my effort to bring the colors and values to reflect a night time sea.

Imaginative California Landscape

Mountain Fantasy

 

After a train excursion I painted this landscape in my studio, I remembered glimpses of landscape during that adventure and the patterns of the hills. It usually starts with trees, they all have different personalities and then the mountains, sky, and color.  I tried to make the strokes of the painting as expressive as possible.

During the process of painting I was listening to the news in the background.   Somehow the original color patterns I started with changed, I think the colors and texture where influenced by the sounds I heard.  Breaks in the news cycle can be full of drama….and hopefully not to much misfortune.

It’s interesting how all are life experiences, even the subtle sounds can come together in your artistic process.

Capturing Clouds

 

"Big Day" San Clemente, California Landscape

 

The focus of this painting is clouds and their movement against the sky....  The painting is representational but I enjoy the fun abstract shapes that fill the heavens...

 

The last few paintings have been in a small format 8" X 10."  I think I'll go a little larger with the next work....



Light In The California Landscape

California Landscape (Capitstrano Beach Area)

I was attracted to this scene because of the light.  I enjoy trees (they all have different personalities) but it was the shadows and light that I wanted to describe.   Also as the trees branches are moving upward there is this light and color that brush the tips…  It’s curious how one scene will grab you over another…

I was also working with the upbeat under painting and I wanted that hint of color to be part of the process…  It always a pleasure for me when light, dark, color, and composition come together.    



"Second Chances" Original Impressionistic Painting

I think the concept of starting fresh and renewal is a great idea. The ship and its occupants looking for a safe harbor and even a painting will benefit from a new day and fresh eyes... I know for me its difficult to leave a painting alone and just let it simmer. It's not that I'm in a hurry but I guess my enthusiasm takes over.

Sometimes when I'm painting I feel like I'm writing a chapter in a novel and need to see how the chapter ends. Hopefully my art journey is a long novel with twists and turns and I have the opportunity to start fresh each day....

Original Impressionist Seascape by JC Strong

"Rock and Roll"

This is my latest painting. I paint close to home and it's usually the landscape or seascape in my friendly town. This is what I call my memory walk along the trail from the San Clemente Pier to North Beach...

Original Painting Alla Prima Landscape by JC Strong

"Canyon Abstraction"

We've had a little bit of "June Gloom" in California and I decided to go in another direction. This small format painting is a vivid memory of the mountains and canyons of Utah...

Candy For Your Walls=Fine Art Friday

It's Fine Art Friday and I thought I'd celebrate by posting this treasury. This work is a celebration of art in different mediums and styles.

I have eclectic tastes that run from realism, impressionism and non-representational art. The main ingredient is the inner connection. The art can be recognisable or not but if a bridge is made between you and the work its magical...

Original Acrylic Still Life by JC Strong

"Brent Gave Her Roses"

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Initially, the painting began with a lighter middle valued background but it just didn't seem to do the roses justice.

The roses were a fun and fabulous gift and they had lots of oomph. So I tried making the background luminous with darker values and color. It seemed to bring out the roses and give them more spirit and punched up the golden tones in the roses.

I'd been reading a book about the artist Robert Motherwell
an American abstract painter. His images have big blocks of color, texture and they are huge. I think his strong color sense kind of slipped into this painting.

Art Magnet Gallery

This is my admiration for small format art in one of its many formats, plus its fun. I thought that large blank canvas called the refrigerator need some color...

A Virtual Art Walk

An Artful Heart is my virtual art walk this morning. This art treasury has some of my favorite Art Team members represented: Finding Fine Art Team, AWE Team (First Friday Art walk on Etsy) and Vast Team (Visual Arts Street Team). If you click the link above you'll find more details..

Local Art News:
I have a special place in my heart for small format art. When you love to paint and space is limited it's a great way to go...

Anyway, I heard about a Small Format Show at the San Clemente Art Gallery and it was fun. All the paintings are under 8" X 10" and are less than $300.00. The volunteers were warm and friendly and San Clemente is a great place to visit.

Storytelling in Art by JC Strong

I was thumbing through Kevin Macpherson's book, Landscape Painting Inside & Out and Chapter Seven asks "Why do you paint?" The answer for me is I have an artistic story to express. My visual adventures are rooted usually in my perception of nature.

I painted "Red Balloon," (8'x10")above in the studio after spending time at the park. The trees were reminiscent of old California but the person with the balloon brought it into 2011. I liked the idea of old and new together . . .

I painted "Sunset at Poche Beach" (4" x 6") in order to capture an abstract moment in a very small canvas. My hope is although these paintings are very different they both provide the viewer an entrance into a story they can complete.