Puerto Vallarta - Sketchbook

Here's a page from my sketchbook. The view was from my balcony looking north toward the other resorts and the mountains.

It's about 5 x 8, black ink. Took about 10 minutes.

Mountains in Puerto Vallarta

Sometimes paintings work and sometimes they don't. I think it's fair to occasionally post something that I'm not thrilled with.

The view from my hotel room in Puerto Vallarta was fantastic. Really lovely. I could see the beach and ocean and mountains and palm trees and hear the waves.

I tried sketching them (leaving out the neighboring resorts). Needless to say, this isn't good. I'll blame it on the new materials and my lack of experience with watercolor. Much as I liked the convenience of the pens, the set came with primary colors. They are rather bright and harsh; I was having trouble working in subtleties.

As I said, it's a matter of practice.

Oh -- 4x6, watercolor on paper. Probably 10-15 minutes, tops.

Pacific Ocean

View of the Pacific Ocean from the beach in Puerto Vallarta.

Watercolor, 4x6 inches on paper -- same size as a wish-you-were-here postcard.

As you can see from my recent ACEO post, I spent a few days last week in Puerto Vallarta basking on the beach. To challenge myself, I took some watercolor brushes and did a little sketching. I've never been brave enough to do that -- I mean, what if they stink? What if someone sees me?

So, I compromised. I didn't paint in public. I painted on my balcony, sometimes from life (see upcoming post of mountains - what did I say about something stinking?), sometimes from memory (as this one), and sometimes from photos.

I spent one evening playing with my camera at sunset, trying all the settings that I never use. Got some great shots and some interesting ideas for paintings.

Stay tuned...

Ginko Chicken

Another collage. Made from printed papers, magazine pictures, and a photo I took (not the chicken). Oh, and yes, that's a real ginko leaf from my yard. Had so many this year, my driveway looked like it was paved in gold.

I wish I could explain the image but I can't. It just made me laugh.

Autumn Collage

Here's collage #2 from the workshop several weeks ago. It's 5x7 inches on matboard. It's mostly paper -- tissue paper, printed papers, wrapping paper -- though there are a few strings, gold foil, and bits of fabric.

The image of the woman is a photo transfer, made using acrylic gel medium. Here's how:

1. Select a photo -- magazine or laser prints work best. Don't use prints on photo paper or made from ink jet printers.
2. Cover it with at least 4 coats of acrylic gel medium. Let dry thoroughly.
3. Soak in water for a few minutes to soften the backing paper. Rub the paper off. Soak as needed to loosen all the paper.
4. The image will remain attached to the acrylic gel and will appear transparent.