What Happened to Summer?

I was doing some computer file maintenance and discovered some sketches from a spring vacation to California. What happened to summer? I don't even know what happened to spring! The first sketch looks like fall at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. It was actually done in April but that's how the colors looked to me. The second was done later in the week in San Francisco. Vermeer is one of my all time favorites and I was thrilled to catch this exhibit!

More images from my recent trip to Virginia.  Monticello was the home of Thomas Jefferson and is an absolutely phenomenal place.  Mt. Vernon was the home of George Washington and is equally as impressive in not only what it is but in where it is.  The views of the Potomac River from the back side of this house are breathtaking.  I was down to the very back page of my watercolor moleskine so I did the sketch of the cupola on Mt. Vernon that you see here.  I tried to have fun with the sketches and the color that I added.  I painted from a small Koi watercolor set that provides a different color palette than what I normally paint with.  I hope you enjoy!    Don

Another vacation sketch

Another sketch from a vacation trip this past October. Washington, D.C. was one of our stops and the White House was one of the must-see places to visit. It is a majestic sight for sure. I had the chance to sit for a bit and sketch this view. The Washington monument can be seen in the background although it is currently closed due to earthquake damage earlier last year.

FALL TRIP TO THE EAST

Late this past October I had the good fortune to make a visit to Fallingwater in southwestern Pennsylvania. For those not familiar, this is probably the best known work of architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright. It was a beautiful fall day with the leaves changing and the stream running fairly fast. I did my best to sketch this scene and to capture the mood of the day and place. This drawing with bits of watercolor added was done in a small watercolor moleskine.