Back to Before...

...and word verification turned back on. After hearing about the spammers attacking some of the other word verification protesters, they had to turn their verification nonsense back on. So, after finding spam in my folder, also, I turned it back on. I am hoping that Google will make it a bit easier on the honest people who have to prove they are not a robot to make comments.

Word Verification Protest!

I find the new word verification process by Google to be insulting, difficult and downright frustrating. So, I am turning off that safeguard and will, instead, turn on the comment approval feature again. So, why you will be able to comment without the hassle of deciphering TWO undecipherable words, you will have to await blog owner approval to show you aren't a robot. Sorry to do this, but that other word verification process was a real mess!

I promise to approve your comments!

Canyon Spire

This is another of my small (8x10) studies I am enjoying doing. I learned enough what not to do in this one that I would like to refine it and do it at least on a half sheet. I have been wanting to do credit to the Grand Canyon for a long time, and  feel I am inching closer to it with this.

I need to pay more attention to foreground rocks and their matchy-matchy shapes and, in this instance, I don't like the acrylic ink underpainting. I will use direct painting for them in the larger version.

This was a sunrise photo I used that I took an a past trip to the canyon, and while the background was fairly misty/soft-looking in the photo I think I will add a bit more detail back there, especially in the middle ground in the depths of the canyon. Live and learn, I always say!

Sunset at El Vado

Here is a painting for this month's Watercolor Workshop project...any body of water. I had this photo by my friend, Roch, of sunset reflections on snow at El Vado Lake in New Mexico, so changed it to a stream reflecting the sunset colors.

This is small, only 8 x 10, and I am still enjoying working smaller, keeps me more excited about paintings than the full sheets I was working on before.