Beauty in the Storm

These types of paintings are the ones that I love to do the most. It is watercolor at it's best. Painted from my car during a Nor' easter, it has joined the ranks as one of my favorites. Watercolor, 5 x 7.5, on Arches 140 Rough

To Purchase     SOLD

It's Football Season!!

It's that time of year again! NFL Football season! Have a mentioned that I am a HUGE football fan? And have I mentioned that I am even bigger San Francisco Forty Niners Fan?  There is probably nothing I enjoy painting more that the color and action of NFL football. 

I had started this painting of the Forty Niners a while back and got caught up working on commissions so I never got around to completing it.. I took the reference photo for this painting last year at MetLife Stadium in E. Ruthersford NJ when they beat the NY Jets. I love the interaction of the players. Don't you just want to know what these guys are talking about? Who else is a football fan? Favorite team? 

I'm tightening it up, pushing those darks and it should finish up pretty quickly now. It's an odd size...6.5 x 19 but I have a really nice gold frame for it. Watercolor on Arches 300lb, Hot Press.

To see the progression of this painting  can read the previous post on this work in progress by clicking here - Forty Niners WIP

It is an interesting size painting at 6 1/2 x 18 but I really like the size. It is a bit further along than this but I'll save that for the next post. Watercolor on Arches, 300lb Rough Press. 

Be sure to check out my other football painting in my gallery here.. Football Gallery

My Favorite Brush

I had mentioned a few weeks ago on my Face Book page that I had bought a new brush and I received a flurry of emails in reference to what exactly it is, could I post a photo, where did I get it and why do I like it. So I thought a perfect subject for today would be about my favorite brush. I am primarily a watercolorist and I adore my brushes. I have only a few that I use regularly. As you may know any good quality natural hair brush is very expensive but well worth the investment. My most used brushes are my Rekab Kazan 320S Pointed Squirrel Mops. I use the #4 and the # 8 most often and an Escoda Tajmyr Sable in a #8. For today I am going to talk about the Rekab Mops.

Rekab Kazan Squirrel 320S Pointed Mop

The Rekab brushes are superbly made and are surprisingly affordable considering the quality. These brushes have a quill ferrule wrapped four times with brass wire and short black handles. You can paint all day without having to recharge the brush.They come to a very sharp point and you can paint the tiniest of details with them or do large juicy washes. Unlike other squirrel mops that I have tried they are not a floppy brush. I have an Isebey Squirrel Quill that I like but for my purposes this brush outperforms the Isabey every time. I did bring these to an Alvaro Castagnet workshop I attended and he said these were very, very nice brushes.
The only place I know to purchase these is through Armadillo Arts . You need to send them a request for prices on these brushes. To give you an idea I paid $24 + shipping for the #4.

Happy painting!
Deborah