This house portrait was commissioned by a client who had recently sold her and her husband’s first home in California and were moving back to their home state of New Jersey. Having visited California a small handful of times, I called it the “Darling Little California House” since I’m aware that houses in that west coast area can be quite cute but not as spacious as those in other parts of the country!
Below is a demonstration video put together from several different “snippets” of this work-in-progress. In recent years my watercolor work has included the use of white guache (an opaque watercolor) which when used in conjunction with the traditionally transparent pigments, opens up a bit more play with this medium and a bit more room for corrections/changes.
At one point in this demonstration I was attempting some special crystalized effects using kosher salt splashed into the wet watercolor which produces spontaneous (and somewhat unpredictable) texturized effects. I’m not sure I’ve mastered this option – especially when it comes to use within representational work – so in the end I suppose these stages/layers served some purposes but there was an amount of later revision in both the grass, and later, the cloud areas.
Watercolor or Acrylic House Portraits make wonderful cherished keepsakes/gifts. Homes hold so many memories.
Enjoy!
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The joy I feel when clients communicate their feelings about my work and how gifts were received brings such meaning to all I do and strive for as an artist. I am humbled when I think about the number of people who have personal and family keepsakes in their homes all across the United States and some pieces abroad. Many of these works will be passed down through generations. I am grateful to God for the gift He has given me and my good fortune of being able to work as a full-time artist.
