I mentioned in the last post, Summertime Activities, that as soon as I’ve finished the drawings, I’ll start painting scenes for a book.  In preparation, I’m doing a few scenes that I don’t intend to put in the book so that I can play with style, color and atmosphere.  Here’s one I did last weekend for just that purpose.  All of the photos in this post can be seen larger by clicking on them.

'Gex House Front' watercolor painting by Nat Wildish

There are many beautiful houses dotted all over the Pays de Gex in France.  One house front in the town of Gex caught my eye and inspired this watercolor painting.  The delicate touches, such as the fine ironwork on the front door, demonstrate a sweetness and finery without showy gaudiness, that I really love about France.

Monochromatic study in progress of 'Gex House Front' by Nat Wildish

I started ‘Gex House Front’ with a monochromatic study in sepia tones.  I really enjoyed doing this and liked the outcome.  My best friend and very talented artist, Shannon Ryan of ‘Shannon Ryan Art’, gave me the hint that sepia has black pigment in it and can darken a painting, and can even make the watercolors turn somewhat muddy when other colors are added on top of the sepia. I probably won’t use sepia all that often in the future, but I had great fun experimenting with it and will probably use it in small amounts here and there.

Here’s the monochromatic under painting, which is kind of neat all in itself – like one of those old tattered and faded photographs from long gone days of the past.  The house has probably also been there long enough to merit such a photo, and maybe there is one somewhere.

'Gex House Front' monochromatic watercolor painting by Nat Wildish

My best friend, and extremely talented artist, Shannon Ryan, has a painting, Lizard at 11:10, selected to be displayed for sale in this year’s Watercolor Society of Oregon‘s Annual Aqueous Media Exhibition.

Watercolor Painting of "Lizard at 11:10" by Shannon Ryan

If you’re anywhere near the vicinity of the RiverSea Gallery in Astoria, Oregon, you might catch it before it’s sold.  The exhibition ends on April 29th.  If you’re too far away, then you can also buy a print or a card by clicking on the image above and still be able to enjoy this incredible painting.

Here is another amazing painting by Shannon:

Gouache Painting of "Spirit Wolf At Play" by Shannon Ryan

Shannon describes what motivates her to paint in her post on Chipper’s Alley, entitled “This Jewel Called Earth.”  She says:

Painting wildlife and the beautiful things of this earth has come naturally to me because I want to express my love and appreciation for all the animals and flowers that roam and grow on this planet.

Sometimes when we think we can’t do anything, we still  do have choices. Perhaps the greatest and best choice is to cherish and love this amazing, sparkling, breathtaking place we call our home in the Milky Way, and to care for it as if it were our most dearly-loved family member. Everything else just has to follow naturally…

Watercolor Painting of "Squash Blossom Ballet" by Shannon Ryan

I really admire her aim and her artwork, it’s beautiful.  She has originals, prints and even cards available on her site, Shannon Ryan Art.  If you’d like to brighten your day with some stunning and cheerful nature and wildlife images, I recommend taking a look at her gallery.

Announcing: Shannon Ryan Art. Shannon Ryan does beautiful watercolor painting and the site showcases her art. She has a brilliant blog called Chipper’s Alley. Both are very well worth visiting!

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